We arrived in Venice Airport and took a Vaporetto to the docks of Venice proper. Our Hotel was within walking distance. We left Venice by Train, the fast one. We chose to ride economy, as the description was quite accomodating. And, it was. Easy to load our carry ons in the overhead compartment, right at our seats. Online: Eurorail pass. Book online and you receive your passes within days, stateside. You do have to have a pretty tight itenerary to do this, as you will get assigned seats. Much less stressful than hoping to get on the right train at the right time. Also, it is a ton easier to travel this way if you have limited yourself to carry on luggage.
Don't worry about the Vaporettos not being close to your location. They dock lots of places throughout Venice. Because of this, they are a slower mode of travel. Sort of like riding a bus with lots of stops. The second/fastest choice is the Water Taxi. They pick you up and take you to your destination. We only used a water taxi to get us from our hotel to the train station because I was afraid we didn't have enough time to get lost in the station and locate our correct podium for the train. I was wrong. We had plenty of time, but the peace of mind was "priceless".
Gondolas are costly but fun for sight seeing the city of Venice from the water, itself. If you are lucky you get a Gondolier who doesn't talk except to point out exceptional sites: i.e. Marco Polo's Home, The Rialto Bridge and its history (built in 1492, the first bridge built across the canal). If you are unlucky, you end up with 1 Gondolier who has a passenger (that happens to work with him-there are no her Gondoliers) who breaks out in song. You are often left with the "don't give up your day job, Oh, shoot this is your day job-Sorry!" feeling. We were lucky. And it really is delightful. Gondola ride-a must. You simply cannot appreciate the Venetian building, at water level, any other way.
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| Views from the Gondola |
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| Our Gondolier and "Quiet Travel Guide" on the canals |
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| Marco Polo's Home |
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View of the base of a Structure at Water Level. Note the Water line about
12 inches above the water |
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| Arriving in Venice by the Vaporeta (spelling?) |
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| Us |
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| Opera House-Maria Callas sang here often. She is Honored with this plaque |
Shop keepers are accustomed to rising waters-at least 1 foot-and are ready, at a moment's notice to elevate their wares above the water. If you happen to visiting Venice during the rainey season, bring boots. Or, be assured, plenty of places will sell them.
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