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Teddy bear on Alilaguna boat

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Venice Vaporetto Routes

ACTV motonave in Venice

ABOVE: An ACTV motonave passes a cruise ship in St. Mark's Basin. (See our Vaporetto Water Buses article for more information on boat types.)


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Venice's waterbus routes change from time to time. This means that published map and guidebook descriptions of boat lines, which are operated by the transit agency ACTV, are frequently out of date. We suggest printing the accompanying route tables and taking the page with you to Venice.

Please note that routes are subject to change and seasonal variation. When in doubt, check the timetables at the vaporetto stops.

Things to know:

1. At smaller stops, boats will come from both directions. Pay attention so you'll board the right waterbus!

2. Occasionally, a boat will ignore certain stops or will terminate its run before the end of the line. The placard or electronic signboard on the boat will indicate any such deviations. (Either that, or the conductor will shoo you off.)

3. Some lines are defined as "summer only," but "summer" usually means April through October on the Venice tourist calendar.

ACTV No 1 vaporetto4. ACTV has a Web site with timetables for the routes shown in this article. You can also download a route map in PDF format.

5. If you board at a stop that doesn't have a ticket office, approach the conductor immediately after boarding and ask for a biglietto. Otherwise, you could be fined heavily for traveling without a ticket.

imob ticket reader6. Be sure to validate your ticket before boarding the boat. If your ticket has a magnetic stripe, hold it up to the electronic reader (see inset photo) and wait for a "beep." If you've given an old-style paper ticket, insert it in the yellow stamping machine and listen for a "thunk."

ACTV Tourist Travel Card7. You can save money on public transportation by purchasing a 12- to 72-hour Actv Tourist Travel Card from any vaporetto ticket booth. A more expensive option is the tourist office's Venice Connected pass (formerly the Venice Card) which has a complicated pricing scheme but offers services beyond transportation. We recommend the Actv Tourist Travel Cards, which are easier to buy and are a better value for most visitors.

8. If  you're staying in Venice for an extended period or plan to visit several times within a three-year period, consider buying an Imob (CartaVenezia) card, which will let you buy vaporetto tickets at cheap residents' rates.

Vaporetto and motoscafo9. For convenience, "vaporetto" is often used as a generic synonym for "water bus," but technically there are three 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; see photo at top of page); 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).

10. Most ACTV boats are now wheelchair-accessible. Vaporetti on the most popular routes (1 and 2) are flat-decked boats where wheelchairs, strollers, and baby carriages can roll on or off easily, with a hand from the boat conductor if necessary. In recent years, motoscafi (which have cabins inside the hull) have been redesigned with wheelchair areas on the entry decks.

For more information on specific boat lines, see our Actv waterbus route table on page 2.

Also see our articles on Venice Vaporetto and Bus Fares, Buying Vaporetto Tickets, and ACTV Ticket Machines.

Next page: Vaporetto Route Tables

Updated November 2, 2011


In this article:

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Hotel tip: Location can be important when choosing a hotel in Venice or on the mainland. Before booking, read our No. 1 Warning and Venice Hotel Recommendations by Area.


Venice canal reflections

A water taxi ride to Venice Airport
Venice Railroad Station: a vaporetto view
Free boat trips to Murano
A warning about water taxis
Long lines at Venice Airport
Need to pee? Prepare to pay
The perils of overpacking
Flood warning: the sound of sirens
Venetian daily life


Maggie in Venice

From Maggie in Venice:

A dog's life in Venice
A Beagle boards a water bus


Venice cruise review:


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