Boat trip down the Grand Canal

To all intents and purposes, the Grand Canal (or Canal Grande) is Venice’s high street, a wide thoroughfare lined with elegant palazzi that winds through the city. Like any high street, it is full of traffic (water buses, ambulances, builder’s barges, gondolas and private boats) and is essential to Venetian life.

Two miles long, and traversed by four bridges, the Canal flows between the train station and St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco). Between the 12th and 18th centuries, every important Venetian family built a palazzo (often called a Ca’) on its banks, each with a water entrance. The most notable palazzi include; Ca’ d’Oro, Ca’ Pesaro, Ca’ Foscari, Ca’ Rezzonico and Palazzo Grimani.

The cheapest boat ride is to hop on one of the regular water buses (vaporetto) that ply the Canal from one end to the other. Progress is slow, and they are often crowded, but a sought-after open-air seat at either the front or the back allows you to see everything. For a more exclusive experience, and to up the glamour stakes, take a water taxi or a gondola.