Venice, Travel by Boat

When boats and Italy are mentioned, you think of Venice. The city consists of 118 tiny islands separated by 150 canals, and connected by 400 bridges. Travel about the city is by motorboat, gondola, vaporetto (city “bus”), or on foot — we prefer on foot.

When we first arrived in Venice (first of seven visits), we drove onto a ferryboat at the dock near Piazzale Roma, for the ride to the campsite on Lido Island. From the ferry the beautifully unusual buildings of Venice, and of the islands along the way, were a sight to remember. For our first ride on a vaporetto, we crossed and recrossed the Lagoon between Lido Isle and St. Mark’s, spellbound by the boats, the unique “street” scenes, with the lights reflected in the Venetian waters.

A first time Venetian visitor will board a vaporetto at Piazzale Roma, and be thrilled by this beautiful city as he proceeds the length of the Grand Canal, first passing under the Rialto Bridge, then the Accademia Bridge, finally to St. Mark’s.

The gondolas are the most famous travel mode in Venice, and the most expensive. Yes, sometimes gondoliers do in fact sing as they row with a single oar, but sometimes several gondolas will crowd together and a professional singer will serenade the whole group. One year our gondolier pointed to what he said was the home of Marco Polo, who lived in Venice 700 years ago. We have no idea if the Venetian gondolier presented an historical fact, or a tourist factoid. And who cares.

While walking from here to there, sometimes the journey can be shortened by use of a gondola ferry, called “traghetto,” which cross the Grand Canal at strategic points. The vaporettos go to many nearby islands, and up and down the Grand Canal stopping at specially built floating “bus” stops, some on one side of the canal, some on the other.

Market boats deliver daily rations to homeowners along the canals. Instructions and negotiations are shouted, the goods (and change) are loaded into a basket and pulled upstairs. Sometimes a basket, lowered from an upper-story window, is used as a mail-box by the postman who announces his arrival by bowing a whistle.

One time we saw a basket being lowered with no sign of anyone at street level. Surprise! A dog got out of the basket, did his business, got back in the basket for the ride home, provided by his mistress.