Grand Canal by vaporetto, Venice

The best way to see Venice's main waterway is from vaporetto line 1, the slow water bus that stops at every landing between Piazzale Roma and the railway station and St Mark's Square. The 45-minute ride passes palaces, churches and the Rialto Bridge.

Buy a travel card for one or more days if you'll use the boats a lot. Gondola rides are expensive; for a taste, cross the canal on a traghetto, a shared gondola ferry, for a couple of euros. Venice charges day-trippers an access fee on busy days; check before you go.