What is the best mode of transport in Venice for you?

For transport in Venice, you essentially have 4 choices:

• Walking: Free and often the fastest
• Vaporetto (water bus): Ideal for longer distances
• Water taxi: Fast but expensive (more details about water taxis in Venice)
• Gondola / Traghetto: Mainly for the experience

My advice per situation:

• Staying in the center (San Marco / Rialto) → walking + sometimes vaporetto
• Hotel outside the center (Lido / Mestre) → take a vaporetto pass
• With suitcases → vaporetto or water taxi
• Short stay (1–2 days) → walking everywhere + 1 single ride on a vaporetto
• 3+ days → day pass often more economical

Unsure? Scroll down a bit; I explain everything simply per mode of transport.

Common situations (and what to do)

Transportation in Venice with my various tips. Well, for me, it's all well and good. But for the first time in Venice, you will undoubtedly ask yourself this question.

"Can we only get from A to B in Venice by gondola?" In this article, I tell you everything you need to know about transportation in Venice.

Money-saving tip: Venice is compact and walkable. Often I prefer not to use a vaporetto. But, of course, you need a boat when you are going to a nearby island. So my advice is to walk as many as possible.

You will discover small alleys and bridges that make the city romantic. To avoid getting lost, get a guidebook with a map of Venice...

Details Transport in Venice: The Vaporetto Boat

In Venice, the vaporetto acts as a kind of public transport bus on the water and stops at many stops. In Venice, you mainly use the vaporetto boat (public transport on the water).

This is the ultimate mode of transport in Venice! These boats sail along the Grand Canal and take you to Lido, Murano, Burano, and Torcello. There is a whole network of routes.

The vaporettos function as water buses on the water. Therefore, you need to buy public transport tickets. I usually buy these online in advance. That way, I at least already have them in my pocket. These public transport tickets are also valid on the bus or tram.

Please note! When purchasing online, you will receive vouchers via email or in the app. At a vaporetto or regular bus ticket machine, you scan the QR code or enter the PNR code indicated on the voucher.

A usable ticket will then come out of the machine. The validity of the ticket begins immediately when you scan it on the bus or at the vaporetto gates.

The vaporetto is therefore the public transport in Venice. There is no getting around it. The boats run back and forth across the Grand Canal and to the surrounding islands.

The vaporetto boat as transportation in Venice

Vaporetto stops are usefull for a smart transportation in Venice

The vaporetto is the public transport inside Venice. The water buses go up and down the Grand Canal and the surrounding islands. Perfect transportation in Venice if you need to go from one point to another. Read more in my article about the Waterbus in Venice >

The Vaporetto boat, which stops at every station on the Grand Canal, is line no. 1. The Grand Canal is the main waterway that runs through Venice. It is the most beautiful route in the world on a boat. Taking the vaporetto from Piazzale Roma to Piazza San Marco is about 45 minutes. A total of 20 lines serve you in and out of Venice. A single water bus ticket costs € 9,50 in the ticket machine, including the price of luggage up to 150cm. The ticket is good for 75 minutes. During this time, you can change vaporetto lines.

The popular Travel Cards are the best solution if you want to explore Venice and the surrounding areas. This ACTV service allows unlimited travel, except for Alilaguna and the ACTV routes 16, 19, 21, and Casino routes. Purchase the TravelCard tickets online and use your smartphone. Online tickets are more expensive but it is convenient to have it. 

2. TIP: Venice Vaporetto Tickets | TRAVELCARD PRICES

To use public transport in Venice, you can purchase these tickets. 

Tourist Travel Card: 

Price of 1 ticket € 9,50 (75 minutes) in the machine or ACTV desk. Or online via Tiqets.com €12,00.

• €25,00 - €35,00 1 DAY TRAVELCARD
• €35,00 - €40,00 2 DAYS TRAVELCARD
• €45,00 - €50,00 3 DAYS TRAVELCARD
• €65,00 - €70,00 7 DAYS TRAVELCARD

Mor information ACTV service >

You can buy the tickets at the Hello Venezia ticket agencies and various self-service ticket machines, e.g., Piazzale Roma, Rialto, Venice Marco Polo Airport, and Punta Sabbioni.

Another option is to buy your tickets online: Buy the vaporetto tickets upfront and use your smartphone to enter the vaporetto boat. 

If you do not have a ticket, buy a card from the conductor to avoid a fine. Are you getting on board the vaporetto boat? Slide the tickets on the white reader on the platform and jump in. Want to do a gondola, which you have seen in guide books, etcetera? Read how to...

Platform to hop on a Vaporetto boat

Another boat is not a public service but more a Hop-on Hop-off boat. Here you can get tickets for the hop-on Hop-off service. Discovering the city from off the water is ideal!

Regular timetables mean that a boat is never far away. Their comfortable seating and panoramic views ensure you'll always be traveling in style. You'll also enjoy a complimentary walking tour with a 5-language audio guide.

What you can do is a tour of the Grand Canal. Because I have a partnership with Tiqets.com (they have a helpdesk for questions), I have special tickets for a time on the Grand Canal.

You'll always find your way back if you follow the Grand Canal. The architecture, the buildings, and the super cozy traditional restaurants are great if you encounter them unexpectedly!

3. ...Get on the Gondola

Traghetto Gondela Canal Grande Venice

Venice is a city built on water, and exploring it by boat is an experience like no other. The most iconic boat in Venice is the gondola, which is often used for romantic rides through the city's narrow canals.

However, there are also many other types of boats that you can take to explore Venice and its surrounding areas. In this article, I give a picture of the different Boats in Venice. The boat in Venice is the means of transport, not only for transporting people but also for all kinds of other services.

It is an ideal picture of transportation in Venice. A romantic gondola ride… TIP! If possible, find a quiet area to take on a gondola. These rides are mostly more extended and less expensive.

A ride costs between € 85 and € 125 for 40 minutes, depending on where you start and how busy it is.

I don’t like it when it is too busy in Venice, and you collide with another gondola. The canals are narrow. If there is a lot of traffic, your gondola ride goes slowly, and the 40 minutes are over before you know it.

Another possibility is to share a gondola with a discount ticket inclusive a Serenade. This ticket you can purchase online via your smartphone and show it before you enter a gondola. There are even tickets where you will receive a romantic melody. 

Think Venice, think water transportation, think luxury, think about...

VENICE WALKING GUIDE IN PDF ? - Download the route straight through Venice.
Check my shop on Etsy. 

4. ...Transportation in Venice by Water Taxi 

Luxury... But great if you need to be somewhere fast and comfortable. Notably, a Water Taxi is super on hot days and with small children. Often you can order a taxi at your hotel reception desk.

Surprisingly, a lot of people fit in a luxury taxi boat. A group of eight people is possible. But, don’t forget this kind of transport is quite expensive. Check if you can book a water taxi >

A water taxi from;

• Piazza San Marco - Piazzale Roma will cost you between € 65 - € 100;
• Piazza San Marco – San Marco Airport will cost you around € 105 - € 135 (30 minutes).

5. The Venice Connected Card

The Venice Connected Card? Is the "Venice Connected Card" convenient? The Venice Connected Card (formerly the Venice Card) offers an a la carte transport package and other services. However, it is a frustrating pricing scheme bound to a specific time. You can purchase it in advance. 

Buying a Connected Card in advance means that you need to plan all sights. I prefer when I'm in Venice to purchase a Venice Travel Card. For the entrance to a museum, I pay separately.

You've read about transportation in Venice. There is plenty to explore. Discover Venice on my site and get more information about this beautiful Italian city.

Home >  Transportation in Venice >

• Venice transportation by car. Is that possible?
• Transport with the Vaporetto – How does it actually work?
• Water taxi in Venice, why would you do it?
• Is the "Venice Connected Card" convenient?
• The Boat in Venice? And the 10 best boat trips
• The waterbus Venice is like the city bus in a municipality center
• How is public transport in Venice arranged?

Hi! I’m Rudmer. As a passionate fan of Venice, I keep discovering this magical city with a smile. My motto? “Keep exploring!” ✨ With my experience, I help travelers and groups make their stay in Venice truly unforgettable.

Looking for unique Venice group tours and private experiences? Get in touch, and I can arrange for your group: I

• Exclusive hotels in Venice for groups
• Tailor-made Venice boat transfers
• Private Venice gondola rides
• Unique private concerts in Venice
• Restaurants – from fine dining to casual local spots

Hi I’m Rudmer. As a passionate fan of Venice, I keep discovering this magical city with a smile. My motto? “Keep exploring!” ✨ With my experience, I help travelers and groups make their stay in Venice truly unforgettable.

Looking for unique Venice group tours and private experiences? Get in touch, and I can arrange for your group: I

• Exclusive hotels in Venice for groups
• Tailor-made Venice boat transfers
• Private Venice gondola rides
• Unique private concerts in Venice
• Restaurants – from fine dining to casual local spots

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Order our Top 5 Venice mini Guide

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