Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At smaller stops, check the charts and signs to figure out which dock your boat will
use. Signs on each dock show the vaporetto lines that stop there and the direction they are
headed: Along the Grand Canal, a #1 or #2 boat might be headed toward St. Mark's Square
(signposted
SanMarco
),orback toward the mainland (signposted
Ferrovia, Piazzale Roma,
or
Tronchetto
). Sorting out the different directions of travel can be confusing, especially as
boats on some circular routes travel in one direction only (true for lines #5.1 and #5.2, plus
the non-Murano sections of lines #4.1 and #4.2).
To clear up any confusion, ask a ticket-seller or conductor for help (sometimes they're
stationed on the dock to help confused tourists), or look at the most current ACTV timetable
(in English and Italian, free at ticket booths but often unavailable—can be downloaded from
the ACTV website,
www.actv.it
).
These are your ticket and pass options:
IndividualVaporettoTickets:
Asingleticketcosts€7.Ticketsaregoodforonehourin
one direction; you can hop on and off at stops and change boats during that time. Tickets are
electronic and refillable—don't toss your ticket after the first use. You can put more money
on it at the automated kiosks and avoid waiting in line at the ticket window. The fare is re-
duced to €4 for a few one-stop runs
(corsa semplice)
that are hard to do by foot, including
the route from San Marco to La Salute, from Fondamente Nove to Murano-Colonna, and
from San Zaccaria-M.V.E. to San Giorgio Maggiore.
VaporettoPasses:
Youcanbuyapassforunlimiteduseof
vaporetti
:€18/12hours,€20/
24 hours, €25/36 hours, €30/48 hours, €35/72 hours, €50/7-day pass (pass is supposed to be
validated each time you board by touching it to the small white machine on the dock). Be-
cause single tickets cost a hefty €7 a pop, these passes can pay for themselves in a hurry.
Think through your Venice itinerary before you step up to the ticket booth to pay for your
first vaporetto trip. The 48-hour pass pays for itself with five rides (for example: to your
hotel, on a Grand Canal joyride, into the lagoon and back, and to the train station). Keep
in mind that outlying stops, such as Santa Elena and Biennale, are unstaffed—another good
reason to buy a pass. And it's fun to be able to hop on and off spontaneously, and avoid long
ticket lines. On the other hand, many tourists just walk and rarely use a boat.
Anyone under 30 years old can get a 72-hour pass for €18 if they also buy a
Rolling
by buying the
CartaVenezia
ID card (€40/5 years, which lets you ride for €1.10 per trip).
See
www.actv.it
for details.
Passes are also valid onACTV'smainland buses,including bus#5tothe airport (butnot
the airport buses run by ATVO, a separate company).
VaporettoTips:
Forfun,takemyGrandCanalCruise.Boatscanbeliterallypackeddur-
ing the tourist rush hour (during mornings heading in from Piazzale Roma, and in evenings
