Rick Steves Shares When It's Better To Get A Taxi Instead Of Public Transportation In Venice

Our favorite wine-loving, globe-trotting, travel oracle, Rick Steves, is brimming with useful pointers and suggestions for the viewers of his "Monday Night Travel" vlog series who are headed to Italy, part of his. There's nothing better than a good Venice tip, as the stunning canal city in Northeast Italy benefits from some demystifying. Its somewhat labyrinthine layout of canals and alleys can overwhelm the first-time visitor.

On the surface, it might seem that the cheapest way to get around Venice is the vaporetto, large water bus boats that make up the backbone of Venice's public transport service. Steves' jokes that the vaporetto "are just like city buses elsewhere, but if you get off between stops you can drown" before confessing that these days, he's become keen on the city's water taxis. 

As a vaporetto water bus ride is now €9.50 ($11.50) per person, per ticket, which lasts up to 75 minutes from validating it (excluding the boats to/from the airport) Steves' states that the luxurious water taxis are a better option if you're traveling in a group of four or more. "It's about €50 ($58) for a short taxi ride." He goes on to say that "...it's scenic. You can stand in the open top and enjoy everything around you." He further enthuses in his YouTube video, "If there are four of you, it's almost a wash." Four individuals taking the vaporetto would collectively pay $40 a ride, so for $2.50 more per person, and you would get a private water taxi, the elegant, small wooden speed boats that serve Venice. Like regular cabs, water taxi fares vary depending on your journey, but are much more convenient, collecting you from your hotel or point of arrival. 

If taking a pricey water taxi doesn't work for your budget, as perhaps you're a solo traveler, Rick Steves is still coming in hot with tips on how to use the vaporetto water buses. Steves' shares that ACTV, the operator of Venice's vaporetto water bus service, has updated the ticketing to include a "tap-in, tap-out system that's taking Europe by storm." He's referring to the contactless payment system that's also widely used in London — to name just one destination — which means that travelers can use their credit card to pay (if it has the contactless symbol on it), as well as their smartphone or smartwatch, before boarding. These water bus routes serve the Grand Canal and surrounding areas, including Lido Island, a nearby island with serene beaches, should you need a break from the crowds.

The tap-in system is clever as Steves' notes, and automatically tallies up your journeys "...so you will never pay more than a one-day pass," which costs €25 for 24 hours. The same goes for city buses, with a three-day pass costing €45 and a seven-day pass coming in at €65. A final Venice transport hack is for those craving a gondola experience but exploring on a budget — travel by traghetto instead. These wooden boats are shaped like a gondola and zigzag across the Grand Canal with fares at just €2.