Venice Water Taxis

ABOVE: A water taxi passes the Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace.

Water taxis are the limousines of Venice: With their spacious leather-upholstered cabins, open-air seating in the stern, and private captains to chauffeur you up the Grand Canal or between the airport and your hotel, they offer an experience that you won't forget in a hurry.

Unfortunately, you won't forget the price in a hurry, either: The fare between Marco Polo Airport and a hotel in central Venice averages €90 to €100, depending on location, and a trip within the historic center can easily cost €30 or more, especially if you're paying the surcharge for ordering a water taxi by telephone.

Still, water taxis can hold up to 10 people, and the cost per person can be reasonable if you're splitting the fare with family or friends. Water taxis are also faster than public airport transportation, since you don't have to transfer to a vaporetto or walk a long way to your hotel when you arrive in the city. (Figure about half an hour for the trip between Venice Marco Polo Airport and a waterside hotel in the city center.)

How to hire a water taxi

At Venice's Marco Polo Airport, you'll find a water-taxi ticket booth near the end of a covered walkway from the arrivals hall. See our  illustrated step-by-step directions to the Alilaguna airport boat and water taxi piers. (Another option is a shared Airport Link water taxi, which is considerably cheaper than a private water taxi but double the price of the Alilaguna boat.)

At the Venice Santa Lucia Railway Station, the Piazzale Roma, and the Trochetto parking island, water taxis are down by the water.

In Venice, you can summon a water taxi by phoning the Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia at 041 522 2303 (24 hours a day) or e-mailing info@motoscafivenezia.it. Ask for a fare quotation before booking. (The Consorzio is a cooperative of water-taxi operators, with a fleet of more than 100 boats at its disposal.)

Warnings:

• If you hire a water taxi through your hotel concierge or a travel agent, ask for a fare quotation before booking. Mark-ups can be outrageous. (We've heard of American travel agents charging $150 per person for an airport transfer by water.)

• Licensed water taxis have a yellow stripe with a license number. Be cautious in dealing with unlicensed taxi operators (especially on the parking island of Tronchetto, where crooks posing as "official" water-taxi drivers prey on unsuspecting tourists).

 Top photo copyright © Svetaphoto.
Second inset photo copyright © millsrymer.
Third inset photo copyright © David Pedre.