There are only two ways to get around in Venice - by water or by foot. You will be doing a good bit of walking while you explore all that Venice has to offer, so you may want to get from site to site via the water. Of course you can hire a private water taxi if you have money to burn, but if you want to get around the way Venetians do, take a vaporetto.

A vaporetto is equivalent to a city bus, streetcar or subway. The name vaporetto comes from long ago when the boats were steam (vapor) powered. Vaporetti are used by commuters, shoppers, tourists, heck, they're used by almost everyone in Venice. There are many routes from which to choose, many stations to board or exit the boats, and the fares are reasonable.



So, for the sake of making this easy to understand, let's say you want to leave the ship, ride a vaporetto down the Grand Canal, take a peek at the Rialto Bridge, and then head to St. Mark's Square and Basilica. You want to wander around the main attractions there for a few hours and then you want to get back to the ship to put your feet up for a while.


To do this, you must first get from the cruise terminal island over to Venice itself and the Piazzale Roma. As you can see in the photo, Piazzale Roma is almost always abbreviated P.le Roma.


To ride a vaporetto you will need a ticket. When you arrive at the P.le Roma, head towards the water and look for the Ticket Booth. You can see the list of ticket office locations for the vaporetti here. You can buy single-ride ticket for € 6.50 or you can purchase a Tourist Travel Card that is sold in hourly increments. For those of you heading back home on Friday, it is advisable to get the 12 or 24 hour ticket for € 16 or € 18, respectively. There are Travel Cards that are valid for longer periods of time, as well. This Travel Card ticket will give you unlimited rides on all the vaporetti. Be aware that the vaporetto tickets are not valid for rides on the Alilaguna shuttle boats.

At some stops you may see a ticket vending machine. As you can see, they take Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Euros.

So now you have your ticket. Now it's time to figure out what boat to ride. The first stop we want is the Rialto Bridge. By checking the Vaporetto Route Map we see that Line # 1, Line # 2 and Line N all go from the P.le Roma to Rialto. Since the N vaporetti only run at Night, you'll want either #1 or #2. Hmm, checking the line map for #1, it shows that the Rialto will be the 7th stop. The line map for #2 shows the Rialto to be the 3rd stop. If you want the "local" with lots of stops, take #1. If you're interested in the "express", take #2.


Look at the stations carefully and locate the route you want up on the top. You will also need to know which direction you're heading. This is a picture of the San Zaccaria Station by St. Mark's. At the P.le Roma Station, look for a numeral 1 in a white circle and go in the Lido direction if you chose the "local" route on Line # 1. Or locate a numeral 2 in a red circle and choose the S. Marco-Vallaresso direction if you chose Line # 2 and the "express" route.


Now you are ready to board, but you must validate your ticket at one of the yellow mailbox looking things, or at one of the electronic validators first.


In this picture, notice the sign on the railing? Each vaporetto will have one of these signs showing what line it services. In this case, it's a Line # 2 vaporetto. You can also see that part of the boat is under cover and is standing room only, and part (both bow and stern) have seats. Seats are at a premium and if the weather is fine, it is worth snatching a seat as soon as a person gets out of one.



Enjoy your ride down the Grand Canal but be sure to count your stops and get off the vaporetto at Rialto. As you can see on the map, you will be on the east side of the canal when you exit the vaporetto. Take a left on the walkway along the canal and head to the bridge.



After a climb up the stairs of the Rialto Bridge you can linger there as long as you like. There are souvenir shops, a few jewelers, and lots of people, boths locals and tourists. The views are lovely.



When you're ready, head all the way across the bridge and explore the other side of the Grand Canal. On this side you will find the Rialto Markets. There is a fabulous fruit and vegetable market and a fish market with the red awnings. The fish market is open only in the morning, but even if it isn't operating when you're there, the building is still worth a look. They've been selling fish there for over 600 years.

The shops around the Rialto are rather touristy and the prices are high. The restaurants around there are, for the most part, pretty bad. If you want better quality in both food and souvenirs, look around the little side alleys off the main drag. Your pocketbook and taste buds will thank you.

Okay, so the Rialto has been explored and you're ready to get down to St. Mark's now. Head back over the bridge to the station where you got off the vaporetto. Be sure to get in the lane for Line # 1, Lido direction, or Line # 2, S. Marco-Vallaresso direction. Validate your ticket before getting on the vaporetto. Enjoy the ride.


You will not miss the San Marco stop. You will be able to see the campanile rising into the sky. As you near it, be on the lookout for your stop, depending on what Line # you chose. Head to St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), visit St. Mark's Basilica, take a tour of the Doge's Palace, or book the Secret Itineraries tour to see the Bridge of Sighs from the inside and to visit many other parts of the complex that are only included in this tour.


Be aware that in the square you may see some pidgeons. Okay, you WILL see some pidgeons.




You will also see two very famous cafes in the square, the Caffe Florian and the Gran Caffe Quadri. Both of these cafes are rather historic and are great places to stop, have a beverage, and do some people watching. Take note, though. The cafes in the square charge an "entertainment" fee in addition to the price of the coffee or drink.

If your legs and feet can stand it, do some shopping in and around the square. Or head to Harry's Bar for a real honest to goodness Bellini.

Ready to head back to the ship now? Okie dokie. Line # 1, direction P.le Roma will take you back via the Grand Canal. If you'd like to see some more of Venice, take Line # 52 (turquoise circle with numeral 52) from the S. Zaccaria station, direction Lido and head back to the P.le Roma via the Giudecca Canal. Line # 52 only has 2 stops between San Marco and the P.le Roma and it's a nice ride. (Note: You will also see Line # 51 (turquoise circle) at the S. Zaccaria station. This one goes in the opposite direction and will take you to the Lido first. If you just want to get back to the cruise ship quickly, take the Line # 52.)

Lots.

In the Vaporetto post there was a bit about some of the things to do around St. Mark's. You can find those notes by looking at the Labels list to the left.





St. Mark’s Basilica, consecrated in 1094 is a beautiful example of Byzantine architecture. One can see the famous statues The Horses of Saint Mark there. The statues outside are replicas, the original ones are inside the basilica museum. The statues were installed on St. Mark’s Basilica in about 1254. Some historians say they once adorned the Arch of Trajan and possibly date back to 114 AD. The horses were long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and in 1204 Doge Enrico Dandolo sent them back to Venice as a result of the plundering of Constantinople (Istanbul) in the Fourth Crusade. They were taken by Napoleon in 1797, restored in 1815 and remained in place on the basilica until the 1990s when they were moved inside to protect them from the elements. Be sure to check out the astronomical clock while you're there. It's just to the left when you face the basilica.





The Doge’s Palace (the white U-shaped building complex to the right of St. Mark's) was once the Doge’s residence, the seat of government, and the venues for law courts and, until they were moved across the Rio di Palazzo canal, the prisons. A Doge was an elected official, and therefore the supreme leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice. Doges ruled Venice for over a thousand years. The palace is built in the Venetian Gothic style and construction was begun in the 9th century. It was not fully completed until 1420. The entire complex is now a museum. If you book the Secret Itineraries Tour, you will be guided throughout the complex visiting the court, the palace residential area, the torture chamber, walk across the Bridge of Sighs, and the prison.



The Bridge of Sighs was constructed to connect the new prison to the interrogation rooms within the Doge’s Palace. As prisoners were being taken to prison for the final time (or worse, to their executions), the condemned men sighed when they caught their last glimpse of freedom and beautiful Venice. Lord Byron is said to have coined the phrase “Bridge of Sighs”.



If all that makes you thirsty, drop by Harry’s Bar at the Cipriani for a real Bellini. That's what Hemingway always did after he visited St. Mark's Square.