Logistics and service, handled
Water taxis, gondolas and concierge in Venice
Venice is a city without roads. We take on the invisible half of a trip: the arrival, the boats, the reservations and the access.
Arrival
Private water taxi from Marco Polo airport
from €250 · airport to the centre
A journey ought to begin well. Instead of the crowded Alilaguna line, an assistant meets you in arrivals with a name board, helps with the luggage and walks you to the private covered dock. A mahogany launch takes you to the door of your hotel in twenty-five minutes.
- Format
- Private transfer, not a shared line
- Fleet
- Standard and luxury launches: leather, varnished wood, an enclosed cabin and an open deck
- Capacity
- Up to ten guests with luggage
- Destinations
- San Marco, Giudecca, the Canal Grande, the cruise terminal
The price is fixed per boat rather than per passenger, and can vary at night.
Frequently asked
How much is a water taxi from Venice airport?
From €250 per boat to the centre. The price covers the whole launch, not each passenger, and can differ at night.
Will the driver meet me in arrivals?
Yes. An assistant meets you with a name board and helps with the luggage as far as the dock.
Does the boat reach the hotel door?
If the hotel has its own landing, yes. If not, you are set down at the nearest landing a couple of minutes away.
How long does it take?
About twenty-five minutes to the centre in normal conditions.
The emblem
A private gondola ride
from €160 · daytime, from €200 in the evening
A gondola without a queue in the sun and without strangers aboard. The boat waits at an agreed place at an agreed time, and the route runs through quiet canals where the only sound is the oar.
- Format
- Private charter of the whole gondola
- Length
- Thirty, forty-five or sixty minutes
- Capacity
- Up to five guests; two is better for a romantic run
- Optional
- A musician aboard, a proposal arranged, a photographer at first light
Frequently asked
How much does a gondola cost in Venice?
The city tariff is €90 for thirty minutes by day and €110 for thirty-five minutes after seven in the evening, per boat for up to five people. A private arrangement with a chosen route and time starts at €160.
Can we go in the evening?
Yes. Evening runs through the quiet canals are the most requested.
Is a serenade included?
No, a musician is arranged separately and quoted with the booking.
Dolce vita
Vintage Riva charter
from €600 · per hour
Mahogany, chrome, leather and a serious engine. The choice for a shoot in the manner of the sixties, a fast run to the far islands, or an arrival at a restaurant on Torcello that people remember.
- Models
- Riva Aquarama, Riva Ariston
- Format
- Hourly charter with a boatman
- Routes
- The San Marco panorama, the Lido, Torcello, sunset in the lagoon
Frequently asked
Is a Riva different from a standard water taxi?
Considerably. It is a restored classic runabout, chartered by the hour rather than by the transfer, and it is normally taken for the run itself rather than to get somewhere.
How many people fit?
Depends on the model; typically a small party. Confirmed at booking.
Access
Concierge service in Venice
On request · the service fee depends on the request
We know the difference between a tourist attraction and genuine Venetian cooking. The concierge takes on the correspondence with maîtres d’ and box offices so that you do not have to.
- Restaurants
- Priority reservations, including tables that are otherwise months out
- Culture
- Boxes at La Fenice, Biennale previews, closed events
- Occasions
- The Doge’s Ball, the film festival
- Everything else
- Flowers, spa appointments, helicopter transfers
Frequently asked
Do restaurants in Venice need booking ahead?
In season, always. The good tables go weeks ahead and some of them months.
Can you get opera tickets?
Yes, including boxes at La Fenice for premieres.
Is there a minimum booking?
No, but the service fee depends on how much arranging a request takes.