Blog - Life in Italy

When arriving in Venice you might feel a little confused at the beginning…this city after all has no cars, no taxis and you’ll immediately start feeling the unique (and charming) atmosphere of a city living on the water.

It worths to make up your mind in advance on how to get around in Venice so that you can feel yourself immediately at home at your arrival.

Here below is a short-guide about “vaporetti/waterbuses”. Please take a look at it as we believe it will make your acquaintance to the city much quicker and smoother!

We also recommend not to bring too many heavy luggages/trolleys with you on your trip, in fact you’ll soon find out that Venice requires a good amount of walking, getting on waterbuses and crossing bridges. Keep your luggage to a reasonable and comfortable level!

Waterbus or “Vaporetto”
The public boats called vaporetti and motoscafi run almost constantly, and you'll seldom have to wait more than a few minutes for one to come along.
For convenience, "vaporetto" is often used as a generic synonym for "water bus," but technically there are different types of boat:

• the "vaporetto," a flat-decked boat used on routes such as No. 1 (Grand Canal) and No. 2;
  
• the "motoscafo" (used for routes that go into the Lagoon);
  
• and the "motonave" (a large double-decked vessel that looks like a ship and is used for commuter service to the Lido, Punta Sabioni, and Treporti).

Vaporetto Line No. 1: The waterbus line you'll use most often is the No. 1, it runs up and down the Grand Canal and stops more than 20 times from Piazzale Roma (close to our Venice Office) to Santa Lucia Train Station, and then towards Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. It's popular with tourists because it offers a leisurely tour of the Grand Canal and offers a quick way to get from one side of the canal to the other.

Vaporetto Line No. 2: This express line runs from San Zaccaria (above the Piazza San Marco) through the Giudecca Canal to the Piazzale Roma, and the railway station. It has fewer stops compared to line #1 so you can prefer it to line #1 (if your destination stop is on the line #2 as well as line #1) as it takes shorter.

Other Vaporetto Lines: There a number of other Vaporetto lines: Circular Routes (41,42,51,52,61,62), Seasonal Routes, Lagoon, etc please refer to Actv (the Venice public transportation system) printed timetable (orario) booklet that you can get at any ticket booth.

Where can I buy tickets for Vaporetto?
You have different ACTV booths (local transit company):
•    outside the Train Station of Santa Lucia (Ferrovia stop)
•    very next to the main bus station (Piazzale Roma stop)
•    at other major vaporetto stops: San Marco/Vallaresso, Rialto, Accademia, San Tomà and San Zaccaria.

How much does it cost?
The standard waterbus or autobus fare is about €6,50.
However, if you plan on traveling extensively by public transportation, you can save money with a 12h/24h/36h or 72-hour "tourist travel card”.
The validity starts from the moment in which you validate the card for the first time.
With Travel Cards you’ll be able to use almost any vaporetto line in Venice for the duration of the card. Ask at the booth for a vaporetto map and the supported lines.

How does the whole thing work?
Along the canals are the vaporetto stops. You’ll see some landing docks (which is not the vaporetto itself) where you are supposed to wait for the next vaporetto to arrive.

Before entering the waiting area you are required to pass your ticket or travel card on some dedicated machine. Just tap your card on it, no need to punch it. The reader will show a green light and will show on the display the validity of your card (i.e. the expiry time/date).

Inside and outside the waiting area are some panels that will tell you which vaporetto is approaching and at what time is it supposed to arrive. If there is more than one landing, you’ll first need to identify the correct one, then board when the boat arrives.

You might also be requested by the conductor to show your ticket when onboard the vaporetto. Always make sure to validate your ticket before boarding the boat.

If you board at a stop that doesn't have a ticket office, approach the conductor immediately after boarding and ask for a ‘biglietto’ (ticket) otherwise you could be fined for traveling without a ticket.

How do I get from here to San Marco/Rialto/etc?

Again, you basically will have to identify by which vaporetto stops you are, which vaporetto line will get to your destination stop (most probably you’ll use line n.1) and the direction to your destination. The vaporetti have little signs on the front of the ships telling you which line they are and where they are going.
Once on the vaporetto the attendant will be announcing the approaching vaporetto stop name loudly before stopping, giving you enough time to prepare and get off. A schedule with specific times, stops, and direction is located at the entrance of each landing.

Enjoy Venice!