Have you ever imagined yourself in a gondola gliding down the Grand Canal with your beloved enjoying a romantic moment? Or maybe you just want to enjoy a cultural tradition that you can not experience anywhere else?
Gondolas and Venice are synonymous, and many visitors consider a trip to Venice incomplete if they don’t ride in a gondola. It’s the stuff viral videos and Hollywood movies are made of.
Or maybe you’re a more practical sort, and you’d like to experience a gondola, but don’t want to leave to big a hole in your pocket? If so, then a traghetto is for you.
What is a traghetto?
A traghetto is a gondola ferry that only travels back and forth across the Grand Canal. It’s a fun and convenient way to cross the canal.
There are only four bridges crossing the Grand Canal, but there are seven traghetti stops. Look for the signs that say traghetto NOT gondola. Trust me, your feet, as well as your pocketbook, will thank you for it.
Want to look like a local? Stand up for the short ride across. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to. I didn’t. If you feel uncertain the gondolier will notice and tell you to sit down.
How much does it cost?
Taking the traghetto will set you back a mere 2 euros for visitors and .70 for locals. Be prepared to pay in cash. Try to have exact change.
The gondola in the photo is approaching the Ca’d’Oro stop, on the Canarreggio side of the Grand Canal. I took this same traghetto on my trip first trip to Venice. At that time it was only fifty cents.
Yes, things change and the price is not the only thing – now the gondoliere rows with one hand and uses the other to talk on his cell phone. I admit I was a bit in awe of that level of coordination but I guess it’s just all part of a day on the job for him. I wonder how many cell phones are lost in the Grand Canal each day?
What do you think? Have you tried a traghetto or traditional gondola?
