Car hire Venice

Introduction

The gondolas, Saint Mark's Square, the basilica, dozens of palaces, the bridge of sighs and the Doge's Palace are but a few of the numerous reasons to visit Venice. It is Venice's cultural and architectural riches combined with its unique location that make Venice so popular among tourists.

Population

Venice has about 266,000 inhabitants (including the mainland of Venice), which makes it the 11th largest city in Italy.

Location

The city is situated in the north-east of Italy, in the Veneto province. It is located on - or rather in - the Adriatic Sea. Venice is built on 117 islands, and has 150 canals and 409 bridges.

Economy

Venice's economy is based primarily on tourism. Every year, the city receives around 20 million visitors, from every part of the world. Tourists can rent a gondola, visit the museums, wander through the many narrow streets, buy souvenirs, enjoy a lovely meal, have a drink on a piazza, attend an opera, etc. In addition, Venice is also known for its glass work, made in the city and sold to millions of tourists; every year.

Airports

Marco Polo Airport is Venice's airport, which is located 12 kilometers to the east of the city. This airport handles flights from Italian cities, European cities and New York. Some flights, especially from England and Brussels, also use nearby Treviso's San Guiseppe Airport, which is located 50 kilometers from Venice.

Public transport

Public transport in Venice consists mainly of the Vaporetti, which are a small passenger boats. A one-way trip costs about € 3.10. There are also water taxis, but they are expensive. In addition, there are the Targhetto's, gondolas that are used by the local population to ferry tourists across the canal at a small price.

Traffic and Parking

On the island of Venice (where the tourists go) cars have no access. The farthest destination is Piazzale di Roma, which has an affordable (about € 18 per day) underground car park (Autorimesso Comunale). The other car parks on this square are privately run and more expensive. It is also possible to park your car on the artificial island of Tronchetto. Local ferries pick up passengers from the island, and parking is cheaper, at about € 14 per day.

Hotels

Venice is an expensive place to spend the night. Even in the low season, prices tend to be steep. The top hotels are located around Saint Mark's Square and along the Grand Canal. The cheaper hotels are located in the city center, hidden in small narrow streets.

External Sources

For more information about Venice, we recommend Google, and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Venice
• Turismo Venezia (tourist information) (English and Italian)
• Municipal website
(English and Italian)