Chioggia : Unveiling City Charm By Boat

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Nina M.

July 16, 2024

Our boat rental experience was outstanding. We used public transport to get there from Venice Airport, taking a public bus and then walking 10mins or so to the base – it was flat, so easy to bring our small cases. We were met at the base and checked in to our boat by a lovely young lady and a boat tech. They showed us what was what and let us leave our cases at the base so we had more space on the boat. Our boat was just right for our family of 4 – 2 bathrooms, 2 cabins, a small kitchen with fridge. We went for a little test drive to try it out. If going again, I’d like to recommend both adults try the test drive, and I’d ask more questions or practice more than once with mooring, perhaps trying mooring from the back and the sides. We’d never been on a houseboat before and didn’t really know what we were doing, and we only practised tying up from the back. Reversing a boat is very tricky, and our first day out alone trying to moor was ‘interesting’ to say the least. But together we got the hang of it. A squall came up on the third evening, which we also felt unprepared for – a quick chat about what to do in the event of a squall would have helped us I think. So I would recommend asking more questions about that, or having a little more direction from the techs before setting off. They gave us navigation maps and good advice about our schedule – we thought we’d try the Brenta Canal, but with our lack of experience ended up switching to a route that took us to Pellestrina, Burano, Venice and back, and it was perfect: relaxed and not too much driving. We opted to get going quite early each morning, when ‘traffic’ was lighter on the waterways and finding a moorage was easier where we wanted to go. The boat was well equipped with kitchen equipment for our needs, but bring washing up liquid. In hindsight I would recommend opting for the grocery service before coming aboard unless you are arriving by car – having food and snacks and drinking water aboard would have been helpful. As it was, we could walk to different little stores to stock up as we went. The cabins were comfortable, and the bathrooms did the job, although I would also recommend bringing a bathroom cleaning product if there for the week. For two nights we moored at Sant’Elena Marina in Venice, and that was an outstanding moorage: location, cleanliness, friendliness. We stayed at Burano for one night – be prepared that it is a different town after the last ferries return to Venice in the early evening. The island returns to locals and it was challenging to find somewhere to eat. We stayed in Pellestrina for 2 nights and it was a gem. Celeste’s restaurant was outstanding, and the beaches on the other side of the island were the best we experienced in all Italy. It was a truly adventurous first boating holiday for our family. Rendevous Fantasia were great to deal with for bookings and information in general. I hope one day we can come back!

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Steve L.

June 29, 2023

We booked a 7 day charter on one of Charterboat’s TipTop barges. The boat was very well prepared and in immaculate condition. We were very well briefed on the workings of the boat and navigation before we departed by very friendly and warm staff. All boat functions worked as they should and were perfectly adequate for a long trip with all berths occupied. The boat sailed and handled exceptionally even when we were caught in the lagoon in a big storm. The bow thruster made all manoeuvring very manageable through the locks and coming alongside jetties. The hot water showers were exceptional. The maps provided by Charterboat were very detailed and easy to comprehend making the many channels of the lagoon easily navigable. Lastly, I managed to damage the hull accidentally and I was charged a very reasonable amount for the repair. I cannot recommend Charterboat highly enough.

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Tamás L.

August 03, 2021

Very nice boat rental service, friendly employees, nice boats great service. Had fantastic holidays in Venice with wonderful views on the city and the lagoon. An absolute recommendation! We made one not five-star-worthy observation, though: The home-port in Chioggia is very loud even with very little wind. So it is smarter not to sleep there at all, not at the arrival and also not on return from the cruise but instead look for a more quiet place for the first and last night like Alberoni or Le Vignole e.g. p.s. Thanks for the next time tip to stay near Piazetta Vigo. We didn't recognize that mooring was allowed there. We will do next time, and there will be a next time for sure.