Can one take a small inflatable two person raft, and row around the back canals of Venice with out some legal restriction?
Next time I'm there, this is what I really want to do.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23534 posts
I actually found that an inflatable canoe works better. The shape handles the wake caused by heavy speedboats and water taxi and that will kick you around in the narrow canals. The big problem is getting the canoe on as carry on luggage. Last year British Air made me check it for being over sized but then some baggage handler must have used an ice pick and put a small hole it. Didn't notice it till after we had put in the water. The big problem was I didn't know how to yell, "I am sinking, I am sinking." in Italian. I even tried yelling "SOS" but I didn't know the Italian for that either. Fortunately the canals were not that deep and we could swim but we were fined a 1000 Euro for littering because we could not find the canoe after it sunk. This year I think we will see if we can rent a regular canoe.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Francis: I have the feeling we're not going to find a Helpliner who is an expert on Venetian law with respect to what are the lower limits of the type of watercraft that can be utilized in Venetian canals. You may have to be our test case: somehow get the raft on the plane, then to Venice, and then go for it; and let us know how it works out for you (after you get out of jail). Or you could just walk around and take traghettos and vaporetti, for a few euros, like the rest of us.
Posted by
Germantown, MD
111 posts
La Dolce Vita in Acqua...
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/05/22/travel/1194817094449/kayaking-in-venice.html