Venice is a city known as the ‘City of Canals’ it is a lovely city worth visiting; there are lots of new experiences there waiting for you. If you are thinking about visiting Venice, you are surely wondering if getting around it is easy. And we are here to answer your question.
No, there is no Uber in Venice. But don’t worry, there are other transportation options to help you venture around Venice.
From riding with Gondola, to taking water taxies. Keep reading to know more.
How to Get Around Venice Without Uber?
Since Venice is known as a ‘Floating City’, Uber is not needed there. Since getting around it with water taxis, gondolas, and even on foot is very easy, rest assured that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to getting around Venice.
Alternative Ride Sharing (Grab/Lyft) in Venice
Rides like Uber, Grab, and Lyft are not really needed in Venice, and because of that, they don’t offer their services there. Now, let us tell you about all the options available in Venice.
Water Taxis in Venice
Water taxis are probably the fastest way of getting around Venice, but they are significantly more expensive than the other transportation options available there. You could find water taxis everywhere around, and you could take them from the airport too.
When taking a water taxi in Venice, know that there are no set fares for rides, but the estimated fare from the airport in Venice is €100 and maybe even more, but if you split the ride’s cost with your friends then the price would be reasonable.
Traghetto in Venice
Traghettos are a more affordable way of getting around Venice, and they look like a less fancy version than Gondola. Traghetto rides have seven stops, and you could climb on or get off on any of them. When Venetians ride on Traghettos, they usually do it standing, but there are a few sitting spots if you are inexperienced.
As a tourist, your ride ticket would cost you €2, and the locals-only pay €0.70. You pay for the ticket to the Traghetto rider. Two people are operating the Traghettos, and you could make your payment with either of them. It is a short trip with Traghettos from one side of the Grand Canal to the other.
Vaporetto in Venice
Vaporetto or water bus is a perfect but more expensive way of commuting around Venice. Vaporetto has 21 lines and covers most parts of Venice; they run every two minutes from 6 am until midnight, and then after that, they run every hour until 6 am.
They are speedy and have many stops along the way you could hop on or get off the Vaporetto. If you wanted to buy a ticket, you could do it at Venezia Unica offices or at kiosks with ACTV or Venezia Unica stickers. You could also buy it with the driver when you dock onto Vaporetto. But know that you have to go to him to buy one, and if you don’t do so, you risk paying a €60 fine.
The price for one Vaporetto ticket is €7.50, which is a lot more expensive than the Traghetto ticket, but you could save up some money when buying a 24/hour ticket which costs €20, or a 2-day ticket for €30 and a four-day ticket for €40. There is a Vaporetto map on the ACTV website where you can look up all the available rides that you could take.
Gondola rides in Venice
If you go to Venice and don’t take a Gondola ride, can you really say that you have been to Venice? Yes, they are a bit on the pricier side, but you can put a low price on something so mesmerizing and beautiful. Taking a Gondola ride is an experience on its own.
It is Venice’s trade mark, and that is why the price is so high because no matter how high it is, people would still pay for this experience. A gondola ride costs €80 during the day, and it can fit up to six people; the ride around the city will last about 30 minutes.
And if you wanted to ride during the night, the price of your ride would be €100, and if you wanted to ride additional 20 minutes, that would cost you an additional €40, or €50 at night. Why are gondolas more expensive at night?
Because of the magical feel that Venice brings at night, but we would recommend going for a ride just before sundown; there is nothing more beautiful than the Venice sunset in a Gondola. And if the rides are too expensive for you, try finding a few hotel guests that would like to hop onto it with you and share your ride’s price.
Walking in Venice
Walking around Venice is the only other option you could have apart from getting around by boat. It is a fun way of getting around Venice, but trust us, there is no way you could avoid getting lost at least two or three times on your trip but look at getting lost as a part of having fun in Venice.
Getting around Venice by foot is the most budget-friendly way to get around, all you will need for your entire trip is a map, which can be bought for €5 at Venice. Why a map? Why not use a map on the phone?
Because phone maps and GPS systems are not as reliable in Venice, you would best be off with a real map. And isn’t that giving you even a better feel? A map in your hands, and you wandering around such a magical city as Venice is.
When getting around Venice on foot, look for yellow signs in color since those signs show the direction you are supposed to go in to get to a certain street or tourist attraction. When walking around Venice, try seeing and walking over as many beautiful bridges that it has.
