I am going to be in Venice for 5 days in September and was wondering if there is any place to rent a boat so that we can do our own boating without use of a gondolier or a valparetto.......
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
Janice: Don’t give up so quickly. It’s true that Venice is small and easy on the feet…you can walk most anywhere. The vaporetto system provides public transportation for large numbers of people…they’re essentially busses on water. They’re cheap and great for getting from one place to another when you don’t wish to walk, such as from San Marco to the train station. They’re not particularly well-suited for quietly exploring the lagoon or islands on your own, however. You may wish to hire a private boat with a captain. Renting one and navigating on your own can be done, but it might prove a little dangerous and confusing…very congested. Check out the web…there are several options for hiring a private boat with a captain. You have many options for getting around...just depends on what you're looking for.
Posted by
Ottawa, Ontario,, Canada
521 posts
Hi Janice,
I have never tried it myself, but I recommend you read the brief article on this from the europeforvisitors.com website.
I also found a company that says they rent them out - http://www.noleggiobarchevenezia.it/en/index.php
Have a great trip!
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
I don't remember seeing many, if any, places that you can tie up a boat. Venice is a very walkable city. The gondolas are more for the tourists nowadays, for romantic boat rides. The vaparetto are the Venetian equivalent of the metro in other cities, with the price of a vaparetto ticket similar to a metro ticket. Renting a boat in Venice would be like renting a car in London, that is, far more bother than it's worth. Guaranteed that it will be far cheaper to just take the vaparetto for the few times that you can't walk somewhere.
Posted by
OP
San Juan, USA
25 posts
Thank you for your responses! They were very helpful and I don't think I will be hiring a boat during out trip. Seems like the valparetto will suffice!!!
Thanks again!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
In addition to the vaporetto (not "valparetto"), there is a kind of boat called a traghetto that's like a gondola that goes back and forth across the Grand Canal where there's not a convenient bridge. The ride lasts maybe two minutes.
The traghetti (plural) are very economical, being just a euro or two. The vaporetti are a little pricier and usually worth buying a pass. The gondolas and water taxis are extremely expensive. I can only imagine that renting a boat would be similarly pricey.