Venice, Italy, famous for its streets of water, provides several types of boat for public transportation. Most famous is the flamboyantly designed gondola. Navigated by a gondolier standing at the stern, it typically is used by individuals and couples. (For an extra fee, the gondolier might serenade you.) Similar boats called traghetti, propelled by rowers, are common sights on the Grand Canal of Venice; they function as ferries, carrying passengers between specific points on either side of the canal. Vaporetti are much larger, motorized Venetian ferries.

Wheeled transport also can provide a special delight for tourists. Rickshaws—small, two-wheeled, one- or two-passenger buggies drawn by a human bearer on foot—have been used for centuries, mainly in Japan. They still provide short-distance transportation, but more common now is the pedicab or velotaxi—basically, a long, pedaled tricycle with a passenger seat in the rear. Pedicabs also are used in Europe and provide a novel taxi and guided tour service in some North American cities.

Very similar to the pedicab is the pedaled samlor of Thailand and Malaysia. A motorized, three-wheeled mini-taxi, the tuk-tuk, has evolved from the samlor. In some countries, citizens use innovative variations of the tuk-tuk as their primary mode of travel.

Horse- and ox-drawn carts still furnish “taxi” service in India and Asia. Dogsleds carry people long distances over snow and ice in the far north.

The most exotic form of travel is on the back of an animal. Hunters and excursionists on safari still can ride elephants in certain parts of Africa and India. In desert countries, camels provide transportation for police officers, school children—and tourists. Continue reading →