Venice
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Venice Water Taxis

ABOVE: A water taxi speeds up the Grand Canal
toward the Accademia Bridge (where this photo was taken).
By
Durant Imboden
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 on a high-speed run 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
€120 or more, depending on
location. A trip within the historic center can easily cost €40 to €70,
depending on distance, time of day, and whether you've hired the water taxi at a
pier or requested an aquatic cab by telephone.
Still,
water taxis can hold up to 10 people, depending on the size of the boat, 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 25 to 30 minutes for the trip between Venice Marco Polo
Airport and a waterside hotel in the city center.)

ABOVE: A passenger gets ready to disembark from a
water taxi near the San Basilio cruise terminal.
How to hire a water taxi
At
Venice's Marco Polo Airport, you'll
find water-taxi ticket booths in the arrivals hall, after you've left baggage
claim. (Look for the counters labeled "Speed Boat to Venice.") After you've bought your voucher, leave the terminal and take the
moving sidewalk to the boat piers. (See our
step-by-step
directions with photos.)
Another option is a shared
boat shuttle, 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
Tronchetto 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 [email protected] 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 and advice:
-
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 US $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).
-
If you're getting a bit creaky or aren't used to small
boats, be aware that boarding or disembarking from a water taxi at high or
low tide can be tricky. You may need to jump into the boat or haul
yourself up onto the pavement.
Also, at locations where mooring poles
block water taxis
from touching the side of the canal, you'll need to step or spring
across a gap between the boat and dry land. See "A
Warning about Water Taxis" in our
Venice Travel Blog for more details.
-
If you're handicapped (but are able to get in and out of a water taxi),
you're entitled to a 20-percent fare reduction.
-
Tipping isn't required or expected.
-
For a virtual trip by taxi acqueo, see our Venice
Travel blog video post, "A
Water Taxi Ride to Venice Airport."
Top photo copyright © Svetaphoto.
Third inset photo copyright © David Pedre.