A Vaporetto pulling into station. Photo: Tom Meyers
Transportation around Venice can be very expensive — and I’m not even talking about usingwater taxis, which have a pricing system (yikes!) of their own. I am talking about “public transportation,” which in Venice mostly means taking the vaporetti (water buses) up and down the Grand Canal.
A single trip ona vaporettocosts €7.50 (valid for 60 minutes),whether you take the boat for one stop or for a whole Grand Canal tour.Fortunately, there is a system designed for tourists that will help you save someserious money.
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Tourist Travel Cards
In recent years ACTV (Venice’s bus and boat system) realized that they had to come up with a tourist transportation card, so they created several different types of “time-limited travelcard,” each valid for a different period of time.
Travel cards are availablefor:
1 Day:€21
2 Days: €30
3 Days:€40
7 Days:€60
There is also a three-day youth card (for people between 18-29 years old) that costs €28. (Prices are accurate as of June 2022. Visit the ACTV website for current prices.)
With thesetravel cardsyou can hop on and off any vaporetto (including those to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello) and on all buses traveling within the city of Venice (including to Mestre and Marco Polo Airport). These cards eliminate the need to queue every time to buy a ticket andto carry change with you.
The tickets are not exactly cheap, but considering you have unlimited use of the transport system,they arewell worth it. Just think how much it would cost if you wanted to visit Murano-Burano and Torcello and you had to pay for every single trip!
To learn more about the tickets, including instructions on how to use them, check out this handy ACTV webpage in English.
Where to buy Tourist transportation tickets
You can buythesetransportpasses at any vaporettostop (there are usually ticket offices at the stops, otherwise you can buy on boardand they almost always speaks English), in Piazzale Roma (in the ACTV ticket office), or in any tobacco shop thatdisplays the “ACTV” sign. Here’s a full list of ticket offices.
You can also buy them online.
Tip: Consider Venezia Unica City Pass
In 2009, the Comune di Venezia introduced a combined card, City Pass Venezia Unica, for transport, museums, parking, and even Wi-Fi connections and access to public toilets. The prices vary because you can create your custom combination, depending on your needs during your trip. However, you cansave up to 30% on a variety of museum passes. The savings varydepending onthe period (low season, high season, special events,etc.).
Unfortunately, the card can only bepurchased online and must be purchased more than two days before your arrival date in Venice. So the earlier you book it, the greater the saving. Since there is an initial cost just to buy the card, this pass is ideal for frequent visitors or those coming for a longer stay. For more information and to buy a card, visit the official website.
