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What's traghetti in Venice? Where to find it? How much it costs? Any tips how to use it?

What's traghetti in Venice? Where to find it? How much it costs? Any tips how to use it?

Old Nov 29th, 2003, 08:20 AM
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What's traghetti in Venice? Where to find it? How much it costs? Any tips how to use it?

Someone recommended using traghetti in Venice instead of a gondola ride? Do you agree? Should we take a gondola ride regardless of a cost? Is it true a gondola ride is around 90 euros for less than 1 hour? We are on a strict budget but wouldn't want to miss anything amazing in Venice.

What is your opinion? Gondola ride or skip it.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 08:28 AM
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Hi earl,

The traghetti (singular traghetto) are the water buses that are the major transportation in Venice.

Gondolas are expensive and romantic.

One is not a substitute for the other.

You've got the price about right.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 08:33 AM
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A traghetto is a gondola ferry, and you'll find them on the Grand Canal in areas away from the big bridges. They are marked on maps. You'll see them when you take a vaporetto---just look for a gondola full of people standing up.

You board on one side of the canal and get off on the other. You stand up, so it's not the sort of thing you'd want to do if you were really weird about standing in boats. It's cheap (I've not done one recently, but it's still cheap, probably less than a euro), and not a touristy thing, as tourists don't seem to use them very much, and pretty cool.

I've been to Venice three times and never taken a gondola ride (unless you count traghetti) and don't feel that I've missed anything.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 08:33 AM
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Wrong, Ira. Traghetti are boats crossing the canal from one side to the other, where there are not bridges. However, you should stand on them, and as they are kind of gondolas, they are not that stable.

Since the canal crossing is short, the traghetto does not substitute a gondola ride.

If you want to save money, you could use the vaporettto for the sake of seeing Venice from the water, and the traghetto just to get the feel of how is to navigate on a gondola.

Otherwise, hire a gondola for half an hour ( last time I did it, it was about 60 dollars for 30 mins), or split the cost with someone willing to share.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 08:37 AM
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earl,

TRAGHETTI ... I think you're asking about the boats used to cross the Grand Canal at certain points??? Because you'll be traveling a short distance (5 minutes, maybe) it's not quite the same as a gondola ride. I can't speak to the gondola experience as I decided it wasn't worth the cost. And yes, I did take a traghetti "in lieu of" .... a bit unsettling as we were standing. I kept on thinking to myself ... "okay folks, NOBODY better rock this boat".

Ira is describing the vaparettos, not the traghetti. This is the Venice version of a "city bus" --- vaparettos are boats used to traverse up/down the GC as well as around the islands.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 09:28 AM
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Hi all,

I apologize for the incorrect posting.

I must have been having a 'senior moment'.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 12:12 PM
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Earlxx-here's a rundown on Venice transport lingo

alilaguna is the waterbus that goes from the airport to/from Venice. Costs about 10 euros/person

a vaparetto is also a waterbus but runs in Venice (along the Grand Canal, around to the lagoon and also to the islands of Lido, Murano, Burano, Torcello) Go to actv.com for routes, prices etc. You can buy tickets just per trip or buy a multi day pass (3 days etc. for unlimited rides)

a traghetto looks like a gondola but as others have said, it just takes you across the Grand Canal from one side to the other at places where there is no bridge. Because it is such a short trip people stand.

The gondolas are expensive but most people feel it's worth the experience. Going down some of the side canals & rios where vaparettos don't/can't go lets you see areas you might not see otherwise.

A cheaper way to have a gondola experience is to share a gondola ride with others-not as romantic as doing it alone but maybe better than not doing it at all. American Express offers one of these options.

There are several places where gondolas congregate. Here's 1 previous thread with gondola tips

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34419684
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 12:35 PM
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My husband and I didn't want to spend 60 euro for a half hour ride in a gondola this October and we don't have the feeling that we missed something. One night, the evening light was so beautiful, that we took the vaporetto and sailed along the Grand Canal. We were lucky to find two seats available on the front deck and I can honestly say that this experience was as romantic as a gondola ride. It's the company that counts, right?!
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 02:22 PM
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I've been on gondolas, vaporetti, and traghetti--a ride in a gondola is very different from the traghetti and vaporetti. Each is a unique experience.

Riding on a vaporetto along the main canals of Venice is a wonderful and can be very romantic at the right time with the right person, but it is nothing like a twosome slowly riding in a gondola through back canals getting views of places that most tourists never experience.

A couple of hints for those who do hire a gondola--don't go at extremely low or high tide; don't go on the Grand Canal, it is best seen from a vaporetto.

Gondola means "roll" or "rock."
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 03:31 PM
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Ira...(tongue bite).

Traghetti ARE gondolas, for sure. They're just not the fancy decorated ones that are used for recreational rides. Any good map will illustrate the Traghetto stops and they are mostly used by locals to get from one side of the canal to the other fairly quickly (more like 3 minutes). They're designed for standing to hold as many people as possible. Tourists who are afraid to stand should avoid them unless there are no passengers. This service is not considered a leisure, tourist activity. However, if you're not afraid of standing, by all means try it.

If you want to negotiate a gondola ride, avoid getting one at San Marco. The gondola association tries to be strict with ride costs but the further away from San Marco, the easier it is to negotiate down. Don't EVER expect a Walmart slash, though. Navigating a gondola is an age old, respectable profession in Venice and these guys work very hard for their money. Don't even think of nickle and diming for a ride. You'll make a fool of yourself by insulting the gondolieri.

I highly recommend splurging on this traditional Venetian treat, if you can. If you can't afford it, don't give it a second thought. Venice is still magical without a gondola ride. You can try it on a return visit.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 03:57 PM
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My husband and I found a gondola ride to be a truly magical experience. IMHO, if you can afford it, it's a must do in Venice.

However, as others have said, an evening cruise on vaporetto #1 is also a delight.
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Old Nov 29th, 2003, 08:07 PM
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News item in this week's Veniceword newsletter was that a traghetto with 16 people on it capsized in the canal last week. I'm guessing they'll be putting limits on the number of passengers they can carry now. Though that'll probably take a few years before they can agree on a number. Meanwhile, if it looks a little full, better to wait for the next ride.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 06:34 AM
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Thank you for that news tip, Holly. I can't wait to look into it. How awful!
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 07:58 AM
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I came back from Venice last Friday. In order to go to Ca' D'Ora quickly I took a traghetti from the fish market. I paid 0.40e to the driver and rode it standing. It was fun and very convenient.

I was alone and to simplify gondola ride procedures, I took a Venice by Night Tour/Night Gondola Serenade. I bought a ticket for 31e at my hotel in San Marco and walked over to Giglio gondola station 5 minutes before 15:30 tour. There were about a dozen people waiting and a man assigned 4 to 5 people to each gondola. Our 3 gondolas toured small canals then the Grand Canal for about 50 minutes. On one of the gondolas there were an accordion player and a singer who sang familiar songs along the way. We had a good time in twilight at 4pm. I assume there are such tours operated by other gondola stations.

I bought a 72 hour bus pass for 22e and I used buses a lot and went to nearby islands also. On the day I went to Burano it was raining steadily and I wore boots-type tote over my sneakers and I rather enjoyed walking over flooded streets. There was no one else but me on streets except occasional residents doing chores. The colorful houses looked so pretty in rain. I loved Burano. On the way back, I was told to transfer to a big boat which did not have an ACTV sign on her.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 08:38 AM
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SaraLee, I would like to learn more about your visit to fish market. Did you buy fish? Do you know of any fruit and vegetable markets in Venice? My husband and are going to be there in April.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 08:47 AM
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Hi wildflower,

A visit to the fish market near the Rialto is a real experience. Get there very early in the morning, when they are bringing in the fish and setting up the stands. You will see all kinds of denizens of the lagoon.

There is also a market for produce, etc nearby.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 09:28 AM
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The first thing someone will ask you when you tell them you visited Venice is "Did you ride the gondolas?"

You are going all that way and you skip one of the unique experiences???

Yep! They are expensive. But don't get home and go out to a chain restaurant (where you spend more money than a gondola ride would have cost you for mediocre food served by a high school student with piercings) and tell your friends you were too "thrifty" to ride the gondola in Venice. Big mistake. Don't listen to some of the "expense driven" tourists. Find a good gondola and do it and you will be telling friends about if for years.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 11:10 AM
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I was dead set against spending the money for a gondula ride, ranted and raved that it wasn't tradition, it was a big fat rip-off. My husband prevailed and I'm so glad he did. It was an absolutely wonderful experience, one we'll never forget.

We started on the Grand Canal and then meandered through some of the smaller canals, saw both Casanova's and Marco Polo's houses, pointed out by Paolo our driver.

Smoothly gliding along, with the water quietly slapping the sides of the boat and hearing the chatter between the gondoliers as you pass another gondula. I couldn't stop smiling.

Do it Earl or you will regret it, like I regret not taking the seaplane from St. Thomas to St. Croix years ago because I was too tired to get up early. I've been kicking myself ever since and have yet to ride in a seaplane.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 11:23 AM
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Hi Wildflower. No, I did not buy any fish. I was just a tourist living in a hotel and I had no means to cook them if I did. Like in other comments, there is a lively open produce market next door. I saw fish and produce venders in Cannaregio.
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Old Nov 30th, 2003, 11:34 AM
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Thank you SaraLee and Ira. What time do you think we should get to the fish market? Do you have any idea how to get there? We will be staying in Locanda Orseolo near St. Mark's Square.
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