IfyouarecomingtoVenicefromwithinItaly,thebestwaytotravelisbytrain.TherearefewparkingspacesinPiazzaleRoma,andthesearenormallycostlyandalmostalwaysoccupied.IfyoudecidetodrivetoTronchetto,youwillfindthatthesituationthereisnotmuchbetter.ItmakessensetoleaveyourcarinMestreinasupervisedcarparkandtakeatrainintothecenterofVenice.WhenyouarriveinVenice,makesureyouarewearingcomfortableshoes,asyouwillwalkalot—notbecausethecityislarge,butbecausethenumerousbridgesallhavestairs.Afewwordsaboutthelayoutofthecity:Veniceisdividedintosixzones,andtheaddresseshaveconsecutivenumbers,e.g.Cannaregio1,2.Aswellashavingpopolareaddresses,eachbuildinghasanofficialaddress,e.g.CalledelleVele.Thepopularaddressandtheofficialaddressarealwayswrittentogethere.g.Cannaregio1234,CalledelleVele.Thetrickythingisthateachzonehasthesamestreetname,sopostmenhaveaverydifficult(andhighlyrespected)jobsincetheofficialaddress(inthiscaseCalledelleVele)isneverenoughtomakesurethepostgoestotherightplace.Thesixzonesorsestiereareasfollows:SanMarco,SanPolo,Cannaregio,Dorsoduro,CastelloandSantaCroce.Althoughtherearesixzones,itispossibletocrossthecityonfootinunderanhour.Thezonesdonotreallyhavestrictdivisions,buttheyarecharacterizedindifferentways:Dursoduroistheuniversitydistrict;Cannaregioishometothehistoricghetto;SanMarcohastheBasilicaandthePiazza,whichisprobablyoneoftheworld'smostfamoussquares;SanPoloisadown-to-earthareawherethelocalsliveandhangout;CastellohasthebeautifulGiardiniandtheBiennale(VeniceArtsFestival);SantaCroceisnexttothestation,justafterthePontedegliScalzi.VeniceistheonlyEuropeancity(andoneofthefewintheworld)tohaveitspublictransportentirelyonthewater.RunbyACTV,thetimetableconstantlychanges,dependingonthetide.ThemainwaterwayinVenice(ilCanalGrande)isshapedlikean"S";thismeansthatifyouwanttotravelfromSanMarcotoRialtobyboat,itwilltakeyoutwiceaslongasitwouldtowalk(evenifyouwerewalkingatasnail'space).TheGrandCanalhasonlythreebridges(afourthisduetoopensoon),butatcertainpointsalongthecanalyoucancheaplyhireatraghetto(apassengergondola)tocrossthestretchofwater;savingagreatdealoftime.ThemainACTVlinesare:no.1,whichsailsfromPiazzaleRomatoLidowithseveralstopsontheGrandCanal;itisveryslow(ittakeshalfanhourfromstarttofinish)andshouldbeusedifyouwanttogosightseeing.Therearetwocircularroutes,no.41(anticlockwise)andno.42(clockwise)whichtravelaroundthewholeofthecityfromSanZaccariatoPiazzaleRomaviaGiudecca,CimiteroandMurano.No.51andno.52travelasfarasLidowithfewerstops.Theno.82goesfromLidotoRialto,stoppingatGiudecca,PiazzaleRoma,TronchettoandFerrovia,withSanZaccariaasitsfinaldestination.Ifyouprefertaxis,bepreparedtopayfarmoreforawatertaxicomparedtooneonthemainland.Youshouldalwaystellthedriveryourdestinationandfindoutthepricebeforesteppingaboard.Gondolasarealsosubjecttoadditionalcharges.Theywillchargeyouforanhourevenifyourtriponlylasts50minutes.