First-time visitors find that getting around Venice presents some unusual problems: the complexity of its layout (the city is made up of more than 100 islands, all linked by bridges); the bewildering unfamiliarity of waterborne transportation; the apparently illogical house numbering system and duplication of street names in its six districts (sestieri: San Marco, Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Polo) and the necessity of walking whether you enjoy it or not. It's essential to have a good map showing all street names and water bus routes; buy one at any newsstand. Signs on many corners point you to the nearest major landmark - San Marco, Rialto, Accademia, etc. - but don't count on finding such signs once you're deep into residential neighborhoods.
For those ages 14-29, the "Rolling Venice" youth card (EUR2.58) includes handy guidebooks to the city and offers good discounts for ACTV vaporetto passes and a few museums, as well as some hotels, restaurants, and shops. It is available from the Assessorato alla Gioventu (Calle Castel.forte, near San Rocco, Tel: 041/520-4414),open Monday-Saturday 8:30-1:30. You must show your passport to qualify.
By Car
Car Rentals
Rates in Venice begin at $49 a day and $167 a week for an economy car with air-conditioning, a manual transmission, and unlimited mileage. This does not include the 20% tax on car rentals.
In Italy you must be 21 years of age to rent an economy or sub-compact car, and most companies require customers under the age of 23 to pay by credit card. To rent bigger cars (2,000 cc or more), you must often show two credit cards as a warranty. Call local agents for details. No restrictions apply to senior drivers.
Avis (Piazzale Roma, TEL: 041/522-5825; Aeroporto Marco Polo, TEL: 041/541-5030).
Hertz (Piazzale Roma, TEL: 041/528-41; Aeroporto Marco Polo, TEL: 041/541-6075).
Sixt Rent-a-Car (Piazzale Roma, TEL: 041/528-9551).
At Home
For more information, call Avis (TEL: 800/331-1212; 800/879-2847 in Canada; 02/9353-9000 in Australia; 525-1982 in New Zealand) or Hertz (TEL: 800/654-3131; 800/263-0600 in Canada; 020/8897-2072 in the United Kingdom; 02/9669-2444 in Australia; 03/358-6777 in New Zealand).
Insurance
Collision policies that car-rental companies sell for European rentals usually do not include stolen-vehicle coverage. Before you buy it, check your existing policies - you may already be covered. Note that in Italy, all car-rental companies make you buy theft-protection policies; coverage costs $12-$18 a day.
Requirements
In Italy your own driver's license is acceptable. An International Driver's Permit is a good idea; it's available from the American or Canadian automobile association, and, in the United Kingdom, from the Automobile Association or Royal Automobile Club. These international permits are universally recognized, and having one in your wallet may save you a problem with the local authorities.
Rules of the Road
Driving is on the right. Regulations are largely as in Britain and the United States, except that the police have the power to levy on-the-spot fines. In most Italian towns the use of the horn is forbidden in certain, if not all, areas; a large sign, "Zona di Silenzio," indicates where. Speed limits are 130 kph (80 mph) on autostrade and 110 kph (70 mph) on state and provincial roads, unless otherwise marked. Fines for driving after drinking are heavy; including license suspension and the additional possibility of six months' imprisonment.
By Gondola
If you simply can't leave Venice without a gondola ride, the best time is in the late afternoon or early evening, when the Grand Canal isn't so heavily trafficked. Try to avoid low tide, when the foul odors of the canals are at their worst. It's best to start from a station on the Grand Canal because the lagoon is usually choppy. Make it clear that you want to see the smaller canals, and come to terms on the cost and duration of the ride before you start. Gondoliers are supposed to charge a fixed minimum of about EUR62 for up to six passengers for 50 minutes. After 8 PM and up to 8 AM the rate increases to approximaTel.y EUR78. Bargaining may get you a better price.
By Motoscafo
These stylish powerboat water taxis are extremely expensive, and the fare system is as complex as Venice's layout. Plan on spending at least EUR41.30 for a short trip in town (041/522-2303), EUR68 to or from the airport (041/523-5775). Always agree on the fare before starting out, and beware of surcharges for luggage and late or early hours.
By Traghetto
Few tourists know about the two-man gondolas that ferry people across the Grand Canal at various fixed points. They are the cheapest and shortest gondola ride in Venice and can save a lot of walking. The fare is EUR1.55 (EUR2.58 return), which you hand to the gondolier when you get on. Look for "Traghetto" signs.
By Vaporetto ACTV water buses
(Tel: 041/528-7886 information, www.actv.it), open daily 7:30 AM-8 PM, run the length of the Grand Canal and circle the city. There are several lines, some of which connect Venice with the major and minor islands in the lagoon.
The one-way fare is EUR3.10 on all lines (return EUR5.20). A 24-hour tourist ticket costs EUR9.30, a three-day ticket EUR18.10, and a seven-day ticket EUR31; these are especially worthwhile if you are planning to visit the islands. Groups of 3-5 people traveling together are eligible for reduced fares (ask for the biglietto famiglia). You can also buy a blocchetto (book of 10 tickets) for EUR26; these tickets must be time-stamped and must always be shown whole (with the matrix, the last page of the ticket book) to the controller.
Free timetables are available at the main ticket office at Piazzale Roma. Timetables are also posted at every landing stage, and there is a ticket booth at each stop. After 9 PM, tickets are available on the boats, but you must immediaTel.y inform the controller that you need a ticket. For this reason, it may be useful to buy your tickets in advance. Be sure to validate tickets in the time-stamp machines before getting on board, or you could be subject to a fine.
Landing stages are clearly marked with name and line number, but check before boarding, particularly with Lines 52 and 82, to make sure the boat is going in your direction.
Line 1 is the Grand Canal local, calling at every stop from Piazzale Roma and the Santa Lucia train station to San Marco and on to the Lido. (The trip takes about 45 minutes from the station to San Marco.)
Line 41 and Line 42 follow long loop routes in opposite directions: take Line 41 from San Zaccaria to Murano, but Line 42 from Murano to San Zaccaria; Line 42 from San Zaccaria to the Redentore, but Line 41 from the Redentore back to San Zaccaria.
Line 51 runs from the train station to San Zaccaria via Piazzale Roma and Zattere and continues to the Lido.
Line 52 goes along the same route but in the opposite direction, so from the Lido it makes stops at the Giardini, San Zaccaria, Zattere, Piazzale Roma, the train station, Fondamente Nuove (where boats leave for the islands of the northern lagoon), San Pietro, and back to the Lido.
Line 82 runs in a loop from San Zaccaria to Giudecca, Zattere, Piazzale Roma, the train station, Rialto, (with fewer stops along the Grand Canal than Line 1), and back to San Zaccaria, and out to the Lido in the summer. Line N runs from roughly midnight to 5 AM, serving most stops on the Lido, San Marco, Rialto, Ferrovia, Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto, Zattere, Redentore, San Giorgio, and San Zaccaria route.
