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Venice Vaporetto Routes

ACTV public water bus lines in Venice and the Venetian Lagoon

An ACTV motoscafo passes beneath the Calatrava Bridge on Venice's Grand Canal.

ABOVE: An ACTV motoscafo passes under the Calatrava Bridge near Venice's Piazzale Roma.

By Durant Imboden

The Venice waterbus route tables below list public boat lines that are of most interest to visitors. Unless otherwise indicated, vaporetti and other water buses are operated by Venice's public transit authority, ACTV.

Important: Before boarding a water bus, read "Things to know" after the route tables below.
Also see our other vaporetto articles under Venice Local Transportation.

Venice waterbus route tables:

City Center
1	The No. 1 local line (see Vaporetto Line 1 - Grand Canal) zigzags between 20 stations on its way from the Piazzale Roma to the Lido. 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, but its open decks tend to be jammed from April through October and on weekends. Tip: To avoid crowds of daytrippers, take the No. 1 toward San Marco late in the evening.
2	This semi-express line runs from San Zaccaria (just above the Piazza San Marco) through the Giudecca Canal to the Piazzale Roma, and the railway station. During the day, boats continue up the Grand Canal to Rialto, with a smaller number continuing to San Marco (Giardinetti). Note: This line also runs in the opposite direction, so read the placards or electronic signs before boarding.
2/	Linea 2/ is separate from Linea 2. It runs between Piazzale Roma, Ferrovia, and Rialto (or vice versa) and is a convenient way to reach hotels in the Rialto Bridge area from airport buses, taxis, and the railroad station.

Circolare (Circular) Routes
4.1 4.2	No. 4.1 is a counterclockwise circolare route that runs from Fondamente Nove to the San Michele cemetery, Murano, the railroad station, Piazzale Roma, Giudecca, San Zaccaria, then back to the Fondamente Nove and Murano with more than two dozen stops along the way. No. 4.2 covers the same route in a clockwise direction. Note: Early in the morning and late in the evening, the routes are abbreviated. See the timetables at the boat stops or the Actv Web site for details.
5.1 5.2	Motoscafi lines 5.1 and 5.2 cover the same route in two directions:. No. 5.1 is a counterclockwise route that connects the Lido to Fondamente Nove, on the northern or lagoon side of Venice's historic center. From there, it continues through the Cannaregio Canal to the railway station and Piazzale Roma before heading up the Giudecca Canal and continuing on to San Zaccaria, Giardini, and S. Elena on its way back to the Lido. No. 5.2 is a clockwise route that serves the same stops. Note: Early in the morning and late in the evening, the routes are abbreviated. See the timetables at the boat stops or the Actv Web site for details.
6	No. 6 runs from Piazzale Roma to the Lido via the Giudecca Canal with stops at Zattere, Giardini Biennale, and S. Elena. (Boats also go in the opposite direction.) It runs seven days a week during the main tourist season; before late May and after early September, it doesn't operate on Sundays.
3	The "Diretto Murano" boat service connects the Piazzale Roma and the railroad station to the five boat stops on the glassmaking island of Murano.
9	This small-boat passenger ferry runs between Burano and Torcello.
Seasonal Routes (spring to early fall)
7	The No. 7 water bus runs from San Zaccaria (platform "D") to several stops on the glassmaking island of Murano.
10	Linea 10 operates between Lido SME and Zattere via San Marco Giardinetti. (No service on Sundays.)
18	Boats of Linea 18 connect Murano with the agricultural island of Sant'Erasmo and the Lido di Venezia. Service is infrequent, and the line operates only during a short period each summer.

Lagoon Routes (Burano, Torcello, etc.)
12	From the Fondamente Nove, widebodied vaporetto-style boats run to Murano, Torcello, Mazzorbo, Burano, Treporti, and Punta Sabbioni. These are the boats you'll ride if you take our do-it-yourself Venice islands tour, which uses public transportation and is far cheaper than guided tours.
14	Boats on this line depart from San Zaccaria Pietà above the Piazza San Marco, go to the Lido, and continue to Punta Sabbioni in the Venetian Lagoon. Like route 22 (see below), route 14 is convenient for guests at campgrounds near Punta Sabbioni.
15	Line 15 is identical to Line 14, minus the Lido stop. (It's a direct express service between Venice and Punta Sabbioni or vice versa.)
22	Linea 22 runs from Punta Sabbioni to Ospedale, Fondamente Nove, and Tre Archi (Cannaregio Canal) in Venice's historic center. Service is extremely limited, but the boat is worth considering if you're staying at a campground on Punta Sabbioni and want to catch a boat for Venice early in the morning.
20	No. 20 connects San Zaccaria with the islands of San Servolo and San Lazzaro degli Armeni, where the Armenian monks offer a monastery tour.
13	This off-the-beaten-path motoscafo line starts at Fondamente Nove in Venice, stops in Murano, and then calls at the untouristed islands of Vignole, Lazzaretto, and San Erasmo. Some boats continue to the commuter park-and-ride lot at Treporti. Boats also run in the return direction.
11	This route offers a coordinated autobus and waterbus service from the Lido to Pellestrina and Chioggia. See our Venice to Chioggia article.
Car Ferry
17	No. 17 is an automobile and passenger ferry between Venice's Tronchetto parking island and the Lido di Venezia.
Night routes
N	The ACTV runs special "Night Routes" that offer abbreviated services during the wee hours. For details, visit www.actv.it.

Special routes
Terminal Fusina	Terminal Fusina runs two pedestrian boat lines from its parking lot at Fusina, on the mainland to the south of the Mestre-Marghera industrial zone. One line (16, Linea Fusina-Venezia) connects with Zattere (on the Giudecca Canal, side of Dorsoduro. The other (Linea Venezia-Alberoni) runs to the Lido's Alberoni beach.
19	Linea Clodia leaves Chioggia for Venice in the morning, with return service to Chioggia in late afternoon. It's useful if you're staying in Chioggia or the resort of Sottomarina and want to make a day trip into Venice.
Alilaguna	See our Venice Airport Boat article for information on Alilaguna, which connects Marco Polo Airport to the city center, Murano, the Lido di Venezia, and the Marittima cruise terminal.

Things to know:

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

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 seasonal (typically summer or, occasionally, spring through fall).

4. ACTV has a Web site where you can download a printable route map and detailed timetables in PDF format. Click here for details.

5. In theory, if you board at a stop that doesn't have a ticket office or machine, you can approach the conductor immediately after boarding and ask for a biglietto. Otherwise, you could be fined heavily for traveling without a ticket. But read this first.

Venice ACTV ticket reader

6. Be sure to validate your ticket before boarding the boat. Hold your ticket close to the electronic reader (see photo) until you see a green light flash or hear a beep.

7. You can save money on public transportation by purchasing a 24-hour to 7-day travel pass from any ACTV ticket booth or vending machine.

A more expensive option is the tourist office's Venezia Unica Tourist Pass (formerly the Venice Connected card) which has a complicated pricing scheme but offers services beyond transportation.

We recommend the ACTV passes, which are easier to buy and are a better value for most visitors. For more detailed advice, see "Which Venice transportation pass do I need?"

8. If you're staying in Venice for an extended period or plan to visit several times within a five-year period, consider buying a Venezia Unica long-term stored-value card, which will let you purchase vaporetto tickets at cheap residents' rates.

9. 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 larger vessel, sometimes with two decks, that is used for commuter service to locations such as 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 require going down stairs to enter the cabins) have been redesigned with wheelchair areas on the street-level entry decks.

Please note:

"Seasonal routes" are services that operate during the main tourist season (typically April into October) and sometimes on public holidays or during Carnival.
Routes are subject to change, although we do update this table several times a year.
"Special routes" are boat lines that aren't included in the normal ACTV fare zone. You'll need to buy a ticket even if you have an ACTV Tourist Travel Card or Venezia Unica pass.

If you've used public transportation in Venice previously, don't be surprised if some boat stations look unfamiliar. ACTV has built several large stations in the last few years, and platforms have been renumbered or shifted around at major existing stations such as Piazzale Roma, Ferrovia, and Rialto.
Click here to download ACTV maps and official timetables in PDF format. (Also consult the local timetables on station platforms, which sometimes are more up to date than the official published timetables.)

Also see:

Vaporetto line 1 (Grand Canal)

ACTV maps, timetables, and apps

Venice vaporetto and bus fares

Buying vaporetto tickets

ACTV ticket machines

"Which Venice transportation pass do I need?"

Venice local transportation index

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo. Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

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