The primary means of getting where you need to go in Venice are by boat or on foot. In the lagoon and along the canals, travelers can choose between several types of public and private boat options: vaporetto, alilaguna, private water taxi, gondola, and traghetto.
When it comes to tipping taxi drivers in Italy, it's pretty simple. Most locals simply round up, so if your fare comes to 18 euro, and you leave your taxi driver with 20 euro ? that gesture would be very appreciated.
A Water Taxi from Venice Marco Polo Airport to the city centre costs approximately between € 105 ( US$ 112.40) and € 135 ( US$ 144.50). The price from Venezia Santa Lucia railway station and Piazzale Roma to the city centre is between € 65 ( US$ 69.60) and € 100 ( US$ 107.10).
For transfers at night (from 22:00 to 07:00), a surcharge of €10.00 will be charged. For 5 persons, a surcharge of € 10.00 per person also applies. Tip: It is wise to bring cash for water and land taxis, as many taxis in Italy still do not accept debit or credit cards.
You can drink the water in Venice and save yourself the expense and waste of bottled water. Venice's tap water is pumped in from the Italian mainland so you don't have to worry about anything questionable in the water that is floating under the city. That lagoon water is not coming out of the tap.
By law, every business in Italy must be able to take cards. In practice about 95% of them do. You hardly need any cash at all. You can use your credit or debit card wherever there is a PoS (point of sale) machine.
(While not required or even expected, if your gondolier does the full 35 minutes and entertains you en route, a 5–10 percent tip is appreciated; if he's surly or rushes through the trip, skip it.)
What is the cheapest way to go around Venice? The cheapest way to travel around Venice is on foot. However, to save time and money, you can take the vaporetti, which is perhaps the cheapest public transportation option for travelling long distances.