Matthew

Any pointers on the best ways to get around Venice? Input welcome on both the practical means (when you want to get across the city promptly) and the "atmospheric" (eg, how not to get too badly ripped off by a gondola skipper). And most important: How to get to Ca d'Oro from Marco Polo Airport (midday) and from Ca d'Oro to the airport (to catch 6:30 am flight!!!)

howard

In a word, the best way to get around Venice is : WALKING! Part of the charm of the city and joy of being there is to walk the narrow streets and cross the small bridges over the little canala, get lost and then find your way again! And, if you must, an occasional vaporetto (water bus) ride is allowed!

elaine

these are just some of the websites that can help you <BR>http://goeurope.tqn.com/travel/goeur...bl-980126a.htm <BR>http://goeurope.miningco.com/ <BR>library/venice includes airport transport <BR>www.veniceairport.it/ <BR>www.veniceinfo.it/ includes transportation <BR>www.actv.it/inglese/preservizi.htm/ transportation in Venice <BR> <BR>Gondolas are not so much transportation as they are tourist attractions. the hourly rate is fixed, although the "hour" is usually 45 minutes or less. <BR>Discuss the price with the gondolier in advance. <BR>American Express offers some sightseeing tours of Venice that include a gondola ride at the end. <BR>If you were to decide that you'd rather save your money and also travel as the Venetians do, you can take a traghetto, which is a gondola ride that crosses <BR>a major canal. It is used to "cross the street" so to speak. The ride only lasts a couple of minutes, and most <BR>Venetians stand during it, but it IS a gondola, holding perhaps only 6 or 8 people, not a vaporetto (water bus). <BR>

Matthew

Walking is a given! Have been to Venice before, although 20 years ago. My main concern is the airport connection (and - honest - I'm not letting this wreck my vacation in advance!!)

Paulo

What does 6:30am flight mean? Is it yake off time? What's the latest you'll have to be there to check in? <BR> <BR>In principle you'd have 4 options to go to the airport (prices approx. for 2 pax) <BR> <BR>a) a water taxi (approx. $80) <BR>b)

Paulo

A goast pushed the post command ... <BR> <BR>b) vaporetto to Piazzale Roma and a taxi thereafter ($40) <BR> <BR>c) vaporetto to San Marco and the Alilaguna boat thereafter ($20) <BR> <BR>d) vaporetto to Piazzale Roma and a bus thereafter ($10-15) - there are two buses that do the service orange #5 and blue ATVO <BR> <BR>The water taxi should take approx. 30min. The taxi 20min and the bus 30-40 min from Piazalle Roma, and the boat 1:10 hours from San Marco. <BR> <BR>Notes: <BR>1- the first #5 bus out is at 4:40am (5:40am on Sunday) and the next one is at 5:40am ... <BR>2- the first Alilaguna boat out is at 4:40am, arriving at 5:50am ... <BR>3- don't know about the ATVO bus schedule <BR>4- if you decide for a taxi (either water or not) ask your hotel to book one the day before departure <BR> <BR>There is a vaporetto night line (N) that would take you from Ca d'Oro to either Piazzale Roma or San Marco on time <BR> <BR>If I were indeed taking off at 6:30am ... I would take a water taxi <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Matthew

It TAKES OFF at 6:30 am, so it looks like the water taxi wins. Thanks!

Paulo

Oops, Matthew, excuse me. I should learn to read messages more carefully ... <BR> <BR>Though you'd probably get to your hotel quicker by getting a taxi/bus at the airport and a vaporetto (#1) to the Ca d'Oro landing stage from Piazzale Roma, the "grandest" way to approach the city is through the lagoon. Once you're already spending some going back to the airport, you may consider taking the Alillaguna boat to San Marco at 12:05pm (1:05pm) arriving at 1:15pm (2:15pm) and follow on with vaporetto #1 (#82 would be faster but the closest to the hotel it stops is Rialto). <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>