Hello all, I've seen on another posting about not trusting tours for free to Murano. We plan on taking a nice 1/2 hr. walk to ferry terminal F.teo Nove "D" north side. Does anyone know how to get these tickets free?.
Thanks Pete
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32742 posts
Unless things have changed you won't get any tour launches from there. The "free" rides are on taxi-like boats, not public vaporettos.
They go from around San Marco. They run you over and take you into a factory where you watch a production of them making items, usually including small glass horses.
At the end of the show is a sales pitch, then you are taken into the showroom to buy things which have been made previously. If you buy a lot they will take you back to the starting point.
If you don't, or if you wander out the door without buying anything you can visit the rest of Murano as you wish and then catch a public vaporetto either further into the lagoon or back to the main islands of Venice.
Posted by
11156 posts
Do not waste your time on these offers. Buy a vaporetto pass and travel around Venice independentlyincluding the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
There are no free vaporetto tickets to Murano of which I'm aware.
Your hotel or a TI office can likely set you up with a "free" boat trip to Murano, but keep in mind that the free boat ride comes with the expectation of your making a purchase at the specific glass works you'll be obligated to visit. This can work well if you're actually planning to buy Murano glass. However, if you don't make what they consider to be an adequate purchase after the glass blowing demonstration, don't be shocked if you're told to find your own way back to Venice. While this may sound harsh and shady, it's not when you think about it. One shouldn't expect for free an otherwise very epensive boat ride to Murano just to sightsee. The glass works would all eventally go broke if they provided complementary boat service for people making purchases but only sightseers used them.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta USA
60 posts
Okay thanks all, it's what I was figuring it's just for tours. Not interested. I'll just take a nice walk from the hotel to the shore, and catch a vaporetto over, & I enjoy some window-shopping up the canal.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7546 posts
You can independently stop in at one of the glassworks and watch a demo, then walk through the showroom, take a look and leave. The people doing the hard sell are the agents that take people over. Yeah, you will attract a few salespeople, but no more than the normal walk down a street in Venice, and a polite "no thank you" will suffice.