Venice Boat Tour | The Boat in Venice? And the 10 best boat trips.

The boat in Venice is what cars are to the rest of the world. Venice was built on water. They are islands connected by bridges surrounded by seawater. And if you want to understand Venice, you must go through the canals by boat. If possible, with a guide.

In this article, I give a picture of the different boats. The boat in Venice is the means of transport, not only for transporting people but also for all kinds of other services. View the ten best Venice Boat Tours right away.

The fact that there are no cars or trucks in Venice also has an advantage. Boats glide through the canals, and pedestrians stroll through the alleyways. It makes Venice wonderfully quiet! A car-free city means no worries. You will not be hit by a car while walking, and you will not be bothered by stressed drivers.

A boat in Venice is essential. Gondola is for the tourist. Gondolas in Venice do not cause any damage.

Gondela-Rialto-Boat-in-VeniceThere are the original boats of Venice. Near the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal.

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Drifting through the narrow canals in Venice has been happening for centuries. To be precise, since the year 421. Mainland farmers then escaped to the swampy islands of the lagoon to escape the enemy. They started to build houses on the water and the salinized islands. Read more about the history of Venice >

You quickly forget that Venice is a city of about 50,000 inhabitants. With millions of tourists every year. How does the city do this? Imagine how all those companies in Venice get their goods delivered. Or how a construction company builds or renovates a home. Trucks cannot enter the city. And Venetians order online... How do they do it?

Well, for all this, Venice uses boats.

The gondola is the most famous of all the different boats in Venice. It's an old rowing boat. A boat that has evolved over the past centuries into the sleek, graceful shape you see today.

Today there are several hundred of these unique, keelless boats. The Gondolas have long been outnumbered by the other boats. But their elegant shape and glossy black paintwork have made the gondolas a symbol of Venice.

This boat used to be an essential means of transport in Venice. Now the gondola is for the tourist.

Do you want a gondola ride? Unless you book a gondola ride online in advance, you will have to pay cash for the gondola ride. So make sure you have money with you. Gondola rides in Venice that you book online are usually more expensive than the official rates.

Standard gondola rides in Venice have a fixed cost of 85 euros for a 25-30 minute private tour. In the evening, a gondola ride costs 120 euros for 25-30 minutes.

Gondola through Venice? If possible, have your own route.

Gondola-on-Canal

Can you arrange with a gondolier what you want to see? Which can! Ask and agree on the price in advance.

Because the gondola through the canals is a unique experience, you realize that old Venice is ancient.

Glide past historic buildings where the walls have been eroded by seawater. Crumbling stones and collapsed walls.

In the gondola, you notice that the water is shallow. Sometimes not deeper than 1 meter. A boat in Venice must stay within the piles.

But not a gondola without a keel. With the gondola drift, the shortcut through the shallow water.

Sailing in a gondola means no damage to the buildings. However, the other boats in Venice do cause this. The damage can never be easy if you see how the water sloshes on the quays.

The fragile Venice is constantly in need of restoration. But, unfortunately, the higher the seawater, the more the restoration costs and Venice sinks further.

The boats in Venice are unique and cannot be found anywhere else.

A boat in Venice is made to be used in everyday life. Same as using cars, vans, and trucks on the mainland.

Just look five minutes on Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge. You then see a glimpse of a fantastic collection of boats you will not find anywhere else.

Vaporettos are the Venetian public transport. They are water buses and travel up and down Venice plus the nearby islands. Very handy because then the residents and tourists can transport themselves from A to B. Tickets for the vaporetto are pricey, and when it is high season, it can be busy on such a boat. You have not been to Venice until you have used the vaporetto boat in Venice.

Venice-Boat-Piazzale-RomaVaporetto boats in Venice. This view is the Piazzale Roma stop.

Water taxis are shiny and fast up and down the canals of Venice. Unfortunately, the water taxis (or motoscafi as they are locally called) are expensive. During my last visit to Venice, I noticed many motoscafi's being rented by groups of tourists. They stand on the back of the boat and film the entire ride on their mobiles for online socials. Click here to rent a water taxi in a group.

From police officers and firefighters to TV crews, everyone in Venice uses boats to do their job. From DHL parcels to food, everything is by boat that ends up on the shelves of local stores. No wonder prices in La Serenissima are sometimes slightly higher.

Boats carrying building materials or rubbish are a common sight in Venice. How else do you get the heavy bags of cement to a palazzo that is being restored?

Ambulance-Boat-VeniceThis view is at the back of the hospital where emergency care comes in.

The ambulance boats you see in Venice are great. Imagine having to sail through long and winding canals to save lives. I have tremendous respect for the people on the water ambulances in Venice. However, it seems a difficult job if you have to avoid so many other boats through a busy waterway.

And when it's time to leave it all behind, a Venetian's last journey is once again on a boat. Namely the hearse boat. This boat takes the Venetian one previous time to the church and then to the island of San Michele. This island is the cemetery of Venice.

THE 10 BEST boat tours in Venice

In this article, I wanted to tell you about Venice's strange and beautiful boats. The boat as a means of transport makes it possible for Venice to live in our modern times. It is unbelievable how the Venetians adapted the boat in Venice.

You have read about the boat in Venice. There is plenty to discover. Discover my site about Venice and receive even more information about this beautiful Italian city.

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By Rudmer Hoekstra (author):


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