Venice: Take a late gondola ride

Go in the late afternoon or early evening hours, when the Grand Canal isn’t so heavily trafficked. Avoid low tide, when the odors of the canals are at their worst. It’s best to start from a station on the Grand Canal, because the lagoon is usually choppy. Make it clear that you want to see the smaller canals, and agree to a price and length of ride before you start. Few tourists know about the two-man gondolas that ferry people across the Grand Canal at various fixed points; they are the cheapest and shortest gondola ride in Venice, and can save a lot of walking. The fare is €0.50, which you hand to the gondolier when you get on. Look for traghetto signs.