Originally Posted by
detony
Headed to Venice with my elderly mother and want a private boat tour. done it before and it can be spectacular. Wondering if anyone has a boat operator contact. I have one and am getting a price of 100euro per hr for 6 hr min. I have seen many tour websites and my goal of a canal tour and trip to Burano for lunch can be done with public transport but is a whole different experience...and a lot of work with an older person.
While expensive at 600euro, private is a luxury...just wondering if others have had any luck procuring a private boat.
Thank you.
For the most part, "private boats" (e.g., someone owns a boat and takes you somewhere) are not allowed to travel in Venice proper (Sundays, some holidays, etc.. are exceptions), so the only legal boat option that takes you off the vaporetto is the water taxi. 600EU/6 hrs actually represents something of a discount. It takes roughly 25 minutes to get from the airport to central Venice, and that is a set price of 100/110EU (depending on final destination). So conservatively, a driver could make the trip back/forth to the airport, 6 times in the span of 6 hours (although I know some who do it more often).
A one way trip along the Grand Canal is set at c. 50/55EU, to from Burano c. 100/110 EU/each way. Those are "set" prices and there is no guide included. The taxi won't wait for you at Burano, but its easy to call and get one to pick you up. If you want/need a guide and want/need the transportation waiting at your beck & call, then the 6 hour minimum is probably the best option.
If I were to do the latter, I would contact the
Water taxi bureau directly for rates/etc... rather than going through a broker who is simply going to do the booking for you and then add on a fee for doing this.