motor_city_girl

krystal...there is a boat service called Alilaguna that makes transfers from the airport to hotels. It cost us 10 euro per person. Just be aware, it is about 1 1/2 hour ride.

You can also hire a private water taxi for about 80 eruo.

Fairhope

Gondola rates are set. See site

http://www.gondolavenezia.it/history_tariffe.asp?Pag=43

Spygirl

On the contrary, you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD be on guard for pickpockets in all 3 cities, but ESPECIALLY IN ROME AND FLORENCE. My best friends just got back from Rome a little over a week ago, and each of them, husband, wife, child had incidents where a woman with a baby, working in criminal concert with other people, stopped my friend to ask for the time-when my friend realized she wasn't looking or listening for the answer, she noticed that the woman (with a baby in her arms) was halfway through unzipping my friend's purse (luckily she had her wallet zipped inside another smaller compartment in her purse). Her husband had an attempt on his wallet, and her 10 year old had an attempt at opening her backpack. I have had other friends who were swarmed near the Colosseum and had their wallet lifted. I had my wallet stolen once in Florence very near the AMEX office. That is not to say that you need to be perpetually fearful of this happening, but you most assuredly need to be on guard in both cities. Venice, because of its unique location/situation, does not have much of a problem with pickpockets as Rome and Florence.

Fairhope

Probably saw that same woman with baby being held by victim at colosseum at T'gving. Our guide spotted this large group on the way in and warned us.
Don't you know they had a field day at the funeral

r505

Are'nt there gondola rides for only 2 people?if so...what's the rate?

Worktowander

I saw lots of the "baby snatchers," too, but they're easy to avoid. Just keep walking. Yes, it feels rude, but why would an obviously local person be asking me, an obviously not-local person, for any kind of mundane (non-emergency) help?

Clean out your wallets before you leave home. Carry all essentials in a money belt or leave in a hotel safe. Then, if you are pickpocketed, you lost - what? A few dollars worth of walking around money and nothing else.

Don't worry. Take care, then enjoy your vacation.

Worktowander

Yes, there are gondola rides for two people only. But my understanding is that the rate is the same for up to six people.

We paid 70 euros for 50 minutes for two people about 13 days ago. Expensive, but worth it.

motor_city_girl

With regards to pickpockets, I don't think anyone is saying not to be careful and on guard, but most of us have not had any problems. I actually got MORE warnings in Venice from hotels, etc. than any other city. Just be smart, use money belts and bags that can be carried in front. Also, I bought cable locking systems for our suitcases for train travel.

Gondaliers will take 2 - 6 people. You can definatley go alone...we did and it was very romantic. It was 80 euro and our ride was only 1/2 hour but we knew that up fron and it was mostly because of the weather. It was perfect and we still had time to catch a violin concert after!

Spygirl

I first went to Rome 25 years ago, the pickpockets were bad then, it's far worse now-I literally know very few people who have been to either Rome or Florence in the last 10 years or so who have not had an attempt made to lift their wallet-but my friend's experience of a couple of weeks ago definitely takes the cake. And I disagree about Venice-it's just not in the same situation as the other two-by virtue of population and means of escape-someone can't just take a wallet, jump on a Vespa and be gone. That is not to say there is no pickpocketing in Venice by any means, but it is not in any way on the scale of what goes on in Rome and Florence.

I do find it more than a little annoying to hear people on this board who have gone to Rome/Florence once or twice then say "oh there's no more problem here with pickpockets than there is anyplace else" simply because they had no problems on their ONE trip. Sheesh! Give me a break! I studied in Florence, and when a group of us would go out, I had friends who would see some pickpocket start to unzip a tourist's pack, and warn them. That happened FREQUENTLY.

And as far as someone saying that it's no worse than big cities in the US, pickpocketing is not part of the cultural milieu of crimes in this country-mugging and robbery yes, pickpocketing-no. Again, not saying it doesn't happen in big cities in the US, obviously theft happens all the time, but thefts from hotel rooms or other venues, not from pickpocketing.