What could be more romantic than a slow tour of the canals of Venice with an Italian gondolier singing traditional Italian songs... or walking across the Bridge of Sighs as the canals reflect the golden orange sunset in the sky... or watching the bustle in Piazza San Marco as tourists are covered with friendly pigeons looking for a treat?
Venice is perhaps the most beautiful and romantic city in Europe. For many years the Venetian experience included a strange odor coming from the canals, but that is in the past. The clean waters that wash the feet of the building are a pleasure to walk along or enjoy from a gondola or vaporetto.
Getting around
Residents of Venice don't travel by car and neither do the tourists. There are no vehicles, except occasional bicycles, on the streets of Venice. Once you leave the train or your tour bus, you'll be wandering afoot through the colorful tangle of narrow streets that make Venice so beloved... and so easy to get lost in!
The traghetto ferry crosses the Grand Canal – don't sit down on this ferry. The tradition is that the passengers remain standing. Fairly large passenger boats, called vaporetto, are the main means of transportation. Smaller, private motor boats are the Venetian version of taxis.
The gondola, a pitch black, narrow boat propelled by a gondolier with a pole, is mainly used for romantic tours around Venice which cost about 80 euros for a 45 minute ride and a bit more if you start your ride at San Marco's Square... that's a high price for the average person to pay for getting around town on a regular basis. The boat is literally "pitch" covered. The tar pitch used to make it waterproof gives it the well known black color.
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