Motoscafo and vaporetto on Grand Canal Venice's vaporetti or water buses are operated by ACTV, the local transit authority. To ride them, you'll need a single-fare ticket, a Tourist Travel Card, a VeniceConnected pass, or--for extended stays--the iMob CartaVenezia stored-value card.

ACTV tourist travel card Most tourists buy ACTV single-fare tickets or Tourist Travel Cards (which offer better value than the standard ticket, if you plan your boat trips to maximize your savings during the 12-hour to 7-day validity of your travel card).

Here are three ways to buy tickets (and, in the first two cases, Tourist Travel Cards):

Fermata ACTV - S Zaccaria
Pieta From an ACTV or Hellovenezia ticket office. You'll find a biglietteria or "ticket point" at most larger vaporetto stations, such as Piazzale Roma, Ferrovia (along the water by the railroad station), Rialto, San Marco Vallaresso, and Zaccarìa (on the waterfront above the Piazza San Marco and the Doge's Palace). See list of ticket offices. Business hours vary, but if the ticket point is closed, you can use a machine.

ACTV ticket machine sign From a ticket-vending machine. Touch-screen machines are now available in many ACTV locations, either to replace manned booths or to provide backup at busy times or after hours. For illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to use the machines, see our ACTV Ticket Machines article.

Linea 1 vaporetto - Venezia From the boat attendant. If you board a vaporetto or motoscafo at a stop that doesn't have a ticket point or machine, ask the attendant for a ticket (biglietto) as soon as you're on board. Don't dawdle: If you're caught without a ticket, you'll be liable for a hefty fine.

rechargeable ACTV ticket Tip: The old cardboard ACTV tickets have mostly been replaced by rechargeable tickets such as the biglietto ricaricabile shown here. If you pay for two or three tickets at a newsstand or ACTV ticket counter and you're handed only one biglietto, don't worry--several fares are stored on the ticket, and you can present it for recharging when you want to buy more fares.

For more information about riding Venice's water buses, please see:

Venice Vaporetto Routes

Venice Vaporetto Fares

ACTV Ticket Machines

We also recommend that you look at:

Arriving in Venice

Venice Local Transportation Index

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Hotel Advice:

Location can be important in a car-free city with 400+ bridges, especially when you're walking with luggage. Before you book, see:

Hotel Recomendations by Area
Find hotels that are handy to the airport, railroad station, cruise port, or Piazza San Marco, and in Mestre.

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Read our tips on choosing the right sestiere or district. Then view individual hotels and their surroundings in large satellite photos and aerial close-ups.

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