Low Fares and High Water - Boating in Venice

Venice has inspired many generations of artists, tourists and even lovers, and the city is still a top spot for visitors arriving to Europe at low fares on flights to Venice. There are normally about 50,000 tourists in the city every day.

There are many misconceptions about this water city. One is the way to get around - many tourists believe that gondolas are the only way to cruise the canals, but there are actually a multitude of interesting, and usually cheaper alternatives. Some other options that will preserve your savings made on cheap plane fares are ferries, water buses and water taxis.

Gondolas are actually wildly expensive, usually starting at 80 to 100 euros. Depending where you’re coming from, one gondola ride might cost almost as much as some cheap flights to Venice. This is both because they have little space for seating and because there is a limited, and ever diminishing, amount of licensed gondoliere (gondola captains) in the city. As such, prices are incredibly inflated for a service that can be provided in many other ways. If you can afford a gondola, though, you will certainly feel like you’re traveling in style with the Persian rugs and velvet seating. Sandoli are other flat-bottom boats that are very similar to gondolas but smaller and harder to find.

On the other end of the pay scale, there are traghetti, which, although more crowded and a much shorter ride than a gondola, will still give you some great views of the Grand Canal for just €0.50, meaning more money for the next cheap plane tickets. There are also water taxis, which are private like the gondolas but still considerably cheaper. You could also choose a vaporetti, or water bus, which are perhaps the most popular and best value option at 6.50 euros per journey. You can get a day pass on the vaporetti for 18 euros, which will be well worth as you can find the vaporetti all over the city. The only drawback is the motors, which make a slightly less authentic Venetian experience. The vaporetti are part of the city’s official public transport system and are also convenient- open 24 hours a day. No matter what time your arrival by cheap plane to Venice, you can head right to the canals and grab a water bus.

However you choose to get around in the city, you’ll be happy you checked out cheap plane fares on Fare Buzz and have extra cash to spend after reserving those cheap tickets to Venice.