Venice Vaporetto and Bus Fares

ABOVE: An Actv motoscafo in the Cannaregio Canal.

The fares listed on page 2 of this article are for visitors to Venice and its suburbs. Prices for single boat trips are outrageous, so consider buying a 12-hour to 7-day Tourist Travel Card or a Venice Connected (formerly Venice Card) pass. Of the two, the Tourist Travel Card is easier to buy and is usually the better value.

Important:

• You must validate tickets before use. For paper tickets, look for a yellow stamping machine near the walkway that leads to the floating vaporetto platform. (In buses, stamping machines are inside the bus doors or--in busy places like the Piazzale Roma--at the bus stop.)

• A new "Imob" system of electronic tickets is being phased in over a period of several years. If you have a Tourist Travel Card or another type of electronic ticket, hold the ticket within 6 cm (about 2½ inches) of the Imob reading device, which will beep when it registers your fare. (If you've bought a 12-hour to 7-day Tourist Travel Card, you're supposed to "bip" the ticket the first time you use it and each time you travel. You can check the card's validity by holding it up to the Imob reader and pressing the "?" key.)

• If you're at a vaporetto stop without a ticket counter, buy a ticket from the conductor on the vaporetto platform as you board to avoid a fine. (On land, buy bus tickets at Actv offices or at the nearest tobacconist.)

• A single waterbus ticket is good for 60 minutes in one direction, which means you can transfer as long as you aren't headed back toward your starting point. (On land buses, the ticket is valid for 75 minutes.)

• On water buses, you're allowed to carry one piece of luggage with a combined length, width, and height of 150 cm (60 inches) or less. For more luggage, or for a bigger bag, you may need to pay a supplement. (Ask the agent in the ticket booth or the boat conductor as you board.)

• The Cartavenezia card is worth the steep non-resident fee if you're staying in Venice for a while, since it offers huge discounts on public-transportation fares. (It used to be available only for residents and students, but tourists can now buy it at HelloVenezia ticket offices.) See the Actv's English-language fares page for information.

• The standard (non-Cartavenezia) fare tables on page 2 were last updated in January, 2010.

Money-saving tip:

• Venice is a compact and walkable city, and you shouldn't need to use the vaporetto often unless you have trouble walking, are pressed for time, or are going to an island (such as the Lido or Murano) outside the historic center. Our advice: Walk when you can, and organize your schedule to make the most efficient use of a tourist travel card.

Checking fares:

The Water and Land Bus Fare Tables on page 2 show what you'll pay for single tickets, carnets, and Tourist Travel Cards.

Next page: Water and land and bus fare tables