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Venice Local TransportationGetting Around Venice
For the most part, transportation within Venice consists of a sturdy pair of rubber-soled shoes or Birkenstocks. Distances are short, although they'll often seem much longer since you're bound to get lost whenever you venture off the well-marked central pedestrian routes. Still, there are times when you'll want to take to the water, so here's how to cruise the canali without bruising your pocketbook: Waterbus
The water bus you'll use most often is the No. 1, the local that stops 13 times between the Piazzale Roma and the Piazza San Marco. (For details on boat routes, see my easy-to-print vaporetto routes article and the ACTV Web site.) The standard waterbus fare is a painfully steep €6,50. However, if you plan on traveling extensively by public transportation, you can save money with 12- to 72-hour "tourist travel card" from ACTV, the Venice transit authority. See our Venice Vaporetto and Bus Fares page for more information. (Another option, the tourist office's Venice Connected pass, is worth considering if you can figure out the byzantine pricing scheme. An even better choice, in our opinion, is the simpler--and cheaper--ACTV's Venice Tourist Travel Card.) There's also a "Cartavenezia" card for residents, students, and visitors who are planning to stay a while. This card offers big discounts on public-transportation fares but isn't practical for short-term visitors.
Water taxiThe sleek, wood-trimmed water taxis of Venice are priced for the limousine crowd, with extra fees for radio-dispatched service, trips after 10 p.m., and Sunday travel. Warning: Aquatic cabs don't have meters, so know what you're paying before the skipper casts off. GondolaThe gondolas of Venice are beautiful but expensive. Gondoliers often demand more money for less than the officially allotted time, so read our Gondolas article before you're taken for a ride. Traghetto
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