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Venice: Waterbus and Mainland Bus Pass
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The beauty of Venice is a hard-won treasure. Its historic centre, which as you know can only be walked around, puts a strain on anyone who is not used to walking for hours: better to resort to public transport to get from one part of the city to another.
Thanks to the vaporetti, the famous Venetian ‘water buses’, you can travel along Venice’s main communication routes, i.e. its canals. They are a very efficient means of transport, connecting all the nerve centres of the city, but also a fascinating way to admire the city from the water: the only true way to see the city through the eyes of the Venetians.
In addition to waterbuses, Venice’s complex public transport system includes other means of transport, some of which you may find useful during your holiday.
Our guide to public transport in Venice contains all the information you need to avoid unnecessary walking and to have more energy and more time available for your sightseeing: a list of the public means of transport in service in Venice, lines and timetables of the most useful waterbuses for tourists, buses and waterbuses to the airport, types of tickets and subscriptions, tourist cards and tips for saving money.
What means of transport do Venetians use to get around the city when they cannot or do not want to walk? And which of them are useful for those visiting the city?
Let’s look at them all in detail.
The vaporetto is more than a means of transport: it is a symbol of Venice, on a par with the gondolas. It certainly does not have the romantic charm of the latter but it is one of the identity elements of this very special city.
The simplest way to describe the vaporetto is to call it a bus on water. They are operated by the public transport company ACTV, which also manages transport in the mainland areas of the municipality of Venice. Vaporettos perform exactly the same function as a local bus: they connect all areas of the city according to routes and timetables designed for city users.
There are 16 vaporetto lines in operation, and of these some are particularly useful for visitors because they allow them to reach the city’s main attractions without the hassle of walking up and down bridges and narrow calli.
Little known to tourists, the ferry gondola is a popular means of transport for Venetians. It is a special type of gondola, much larger than those on classic tourist tours and manoeuvred by two gondoliers instead of one, which makes a service across the Grand Canal. Nor should it be confused with ‘ferry boats’, which are motorised vehicles.
Unlike classic gondolas and ferry boats, parade ferries (this is the ‘official’ name for ferry gondolas) are not used to navigate canals but only to cross one. So why do Venetians love them so much? Because they are a practical and cheap way to move quickly from one bank to the other without having to walk long distances to find a bridge.
Rides last a few minutes, the ticket for non-residents costs €2.00 and is bought from the gondolier.
The gondola ferry stations are located at Punta della Dogana, Santa Maria del Giglio, San Tomà, Carbon and Santa Sofia. Pay attention to the timetables because they change depending on the stazio.
The ferries or ferry boats in Venice are… real ferries! Yes, you got it right: big motor boats capable of transporting cars, campers, buses.
They are of little use to tourists because they serve to connect Tronchetto with the islands of Lido and Pellestrina and the Cavallino coastline. It does not make much sense for a tourist to spend the money for the ferry to take the car to the two islands, which can be easily toured by bike or on foot, or to the coast, which can be easily reached by land.
We mention this because the ferry is the only means of transport you can take if you want to visit the island of Pellestrina from Lido (or vice versa): in this case you can buy passage without a vehicle.
Be careful not to confuse the ferries serving Venice with the ferries leaving Venice for Croatia and Greece: the embarkations are at different points.
Another means of transport that is still little known to tourists but can instead be very useful to those arriving in Venice by car is the People Mover, the most modern and fastest of Venice’s public transport.
It is a land funicular on a monorail that connects the island of Tronchetto with Piazzale Roma via the maritime station (cruise terminal). You will need it if you park your car in the Tronchetto garage park: in just 4 minutes you can reach the terminus and start your walking tour of the city.
Rides are very frequent, one every seven minutes, and run from early morning until late evening.
The water taxi is a motorboat with a driver that operates exactly like a taxi we are used to, the only difference being that it moves along the canals instead of on the road. They are private vehicles, so they are not operated by the public transport company ACTV, but they are one more option to consider when getting around Venice.
The water taxi is a convenient and fast means of transport because it takes you exactly to the point you want, avoiding waiting at stops and walking from the stop to your destination. The downside is the cost: water taxi fares in Venice are steep, the stuff of movie stars.
But how can you ride a bike in Venice? Yes and no. Bicycles are forbidden in the city centre, even if they are hand-guided. The only exception in the historic centre is the route between Piazzale Roma and the central railway station; the municipal garage in Piazzale Roma is equipped with a bike park, perfect for cyclists arriving in Venice on two wheels.
On the other hand, it is possible to cycle around the islands of Lido and Pellestrina, the only ones with roads also open to cars.
We do not recommend renting a bike if you are only in town for a short time because you will already have quite a lot to do, but if your stay is prolonged, give it a thought. Cycling on an island in Venice is a fascinating experience that allows you to experience the city like a local: why not take advantage of the public bike-sharing service?
If you have booked a hotel in the non-lagoon areas of Venice (Mestre, Marghera, Favaro Veneto and Chirignago-Zelarino), perhaps attracted by a particularly convenient offer, you may need buses and trams to get to Piazzale Roma and from there start to get around Venice on foot or by vaporetto.
They can also be useful to get to Venezia Mestre station and from there take a train to the centre of Venice or back home.
Some tickets and subscriptions are valid both for the vaporetti and for buses and trams on the mainland.
Of all, the vaporetto is definitely the most used means of transport by tourists to get around the centre of Venice. Using it is very easy, just like a bus!
You wait for the vaporetto at the landing stages scattered around the city, which function exactly like bus stops. When the vaporetto docks, priority is given to disembarking passengers after which you can board. Once the vaporetto is near the stop you are interested in, approach the exit to be ready to disembark. It is not necessary to book stops.
Which waterbuses should you take to reach the main attractions in Venice? Here are the most useful lines:
The lines to the islands can also be used to travel to the centre, but they generally make longer journeys and are therefore slower.
Map of Venice's waterbus routes in PDF formatVaporetto timetables vary depending on the lines and the season.
The main lines, such as the so-called ‘city centre lines’ (1 and 2) generally operate from 5 am until 11 pm. At times when they do not operate, a night line is in service that stops in the main parts of the city and is generally sufficient for the needs of tourists.
It is always a good idea to check timetables on official websites and apps, especially if your hotel or B&B is located in an area off the main tourist routes. Also watch out for possible changes of lines due to works in progress or events; don’t forget bad weather and fog: these can also affect the public transport service.
Vaporetto tickets can be bought at ACTV kiosks around the city, at authorised retailers (bars, newsagents, tobacconists, other shops and some tourist information offices) and at ticket machines located at the main stops.
It is also possible to purchase an electronic ticket via the Venetian mobility app AVM Venezia Official App or on the Venezia Unica website.
You can also buy your ticket when you board, but this is a custom not to be encouraged because if all tourists bought tickets on the vaporetto it would create endless queues. Remember that the vaporetto is not a tourist boat but a public means of transport that citizens use to go to work, school or carry out other daily tasks: be respectful and try to keep inconvenience to residents to a minimum.
Vaporetto tickets must be validated on the validator each time you board a vaporetto. Simply bring your ticket close to the validator located at the entrance to the landing stages and wait for the green light to appear.
If a yellow or red light appears, your ticket is not valid.
Venice airport is located on the mainland about 13 km from the city centre and is well connected to the city centre by public transport.
The aerobuses of the companies ACTV and ATVO (a company serving the entire eastern Veneto region) connect the passenger terminal to Piazzale Roma; runs are very frequent and the journey time is about 20 minutes. In both cases it is possible to buy tickets online to save time on arrival.
Another option is to take a vaporetto from the private company Alilaguna, which provides connections to the centre of Venice and the islands of Lido, Murano and Burano.
Water taxis are convenient but very expensive; you can save considerably by purchasing a shared transfer service online.
Public transport in Venice is notoriously expensive and weighs heavily on the cost of a holiday. The price of a single vaporetto ticket is 9.50 euro and with this you can only travel for 75 minutes!
Let’s take a detailed look at the different types of tickets and passes to see which is the most suitable solution for the holiday you are going on.
The price of single tickets, valid for a single journey, varies depending on the means of transport used. They range from just over one euro for buses and trams on the mainland and Lido to 9.50 for waterbuses.
The navigation ticket is the most used by tourists: it is the vaporetto’s one-way ticket and lasts 75 minutes. It is allowed to change lines as long as the total duration of the trip does not exceed this time limit; remember to validate your ticket when changing lines.
Please note: the duration of the ticket starts from the moment it is validated.
It is possible to buy a navigation ticket valid for two waterbuses: it does not save money (the price is exactly the same as the sum of two single tickets) but it saves time for those who already know they want to take the waterbuses twice.
Day tickets allow unlimited travel on all ACTV transport in the centre of Venice and Mestre. More precisely, they include all vaporetto lines (excluding 16, 19 and Casino), the buses and trams of the Mestre urban network and the Venice Lido bus.
At an additional cost of € 10.00 one way (€ 18.00 return) it is possible to add the bus connection to Venice Marco Polo Airport. In any case, the Alilaguna boat lines and the People Mover are not included.
There are day tickets valid for 1, 2, 3 and 7 days.
A day ticket saves money if you use the vaporetto at least 3 times a day.
To determine whether it is convenient or not you have to think a little about what use you intend to make of public transport. In general, the purchase of day tickets is recommended for those who do not like walking, those who have booked a hotel far from the main tourist attractions and those who want to reach the islands (Murano, Burano, Lido) by public transport instead of visiting them with a private boat tour.
For the classic walking tour of Venice departing from the station and arriving at St Mark’s it is not necessary to buy a day ticket: most tourists walk out and return by vaporetto. In this case it is sufficient to purchase a single-ride ticket.
Children up to six years of age can travel free of charge on ACTV urban means of transport operating throughout the municipality of Venice.
Discounted fares are available for children over the age of six and students up to the age of 29 in possession of Carta Ateneo or Rolling Venice card.
There are monthly and annual passes for public transport in Venice but these are designed for regular customers and are not convenient for the occasional visitor.
You will come across three cards with similar names mentioned on websites and tourist guides: Venezia City Pass, Venezia Unica and Carta Venezia. What are they? Will you need them?
Let’s try to shed some light on them.
Venezia City Pass and Venezia Unica are actually the same thing and the correct name is actually City Pass Venezia Unica: it is the official tourist card of Venice; it is an electronic card and is valid for 5 years.
The standard card (sometimes referred to as Tourist City Pass or San Marco City Pass) includes the following attractions:
However, you can create your own tailor-made card that includes fewer or more attractions, depending on your interests. You can also load tickets for public transport (single or daily), including airport transfers, onto the card.
Some confusion arises from the fact that the City Pass Venezia Unica acts both as a classic tourist card (with attractions and/or public transport, depending on how you compose the card) and as a season ticket for public transport.
In the second case you only pay the cost of the means of transport according to the prices in force on the date of purchase: in practice the card is simply the medium onto which your tickets are loaded; it is rechargeable, so you can load other tickets if necessary.
However you have made up your card, it entitles you to discounts in car parks, public toilets (remember that in Venice you have to pay for those too!), shops, exhibitions, events, tours and other services. The full list of benefits is available on the official website.
Another great advantage of the card is that it allows you to skip the queues at museum ticket offices and vaporetto ticket offices.
Although in theory this personalisation of the card is a great advantage, in the practical process of buying it on the official website it is a bit cumbersome. If you are interested in the standard card, we recommend purchasing it on other authorised sites, which have a much more intuitive interface.
Carta Venezia is an old card that was issued to residents of the Veneto region to take advantage of tickets at a much lower price than the ordinary ones. It was replaced by Venezia Unica, but the name Carta Venezia is now used to indicate the discounted fares that are still in force.
In theory, even non-residents of the Veneto region can qualify for the Venezia Unica city pass and in this way take advantage of the special Carta Venezia fares, but the cost of qualification is so high that you will hardly be able to pay it off.
The only situation in which you might consider doing this is if you have a particular reason why you plan to return to Venice on many occasions and use the vaporetti every time.
Imob was a smart card introduced to simplify the use of public transport in Venice. It too has been replaced by Venezia Unica: we mention it only because this name still appears on some sites and guides.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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