Venice public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Decide by rides, not by days. A single ACTV ticket covers 75 minutes of travel, so two short hops in one window can share one ticket. If you plan three or more vaporetto rides in a day — say San Marco to Murano, back via Fondamenta Nuove, then out to the Lido — a 24-hour pass is cheaper than three singles.

Walking changes the maths. Rialto to San Marco is about 10 minutes on foot; a vaporetto detours around the Grand Canal and can take longer once you count the wait. Use the pass for the long legs: to Murano, Burano, the Lido, or across to the train station with luggage.

If you are in Venice for two nights and mostly walk, skip the pass and buy singles as you go. If you are based on the Lido or plan a Murano and Burano day, take the 24-hour or 48-hour pass and start it on the morning you leave.

ACTV runs the vaporetti and the land buses on the mainland. Fares below are 2026 estimates for the urban zone; confirm at the ticket machine or the AVM Venezia app before you buy, since Venice adjusts fares often.

Buying on board costs more than buying at a machine or in the app, and some stops have no seller at all, so load a ticket before you reach the platform.

At the main stops — Piazzale Roma, Santa Lucia train station, San Marco, Rialto — you will find ticket machines and staffed ACTV booths. Machines take cards and cash; queues build before 10:00 and after 17:00.

The AVM Venezia app sells the same tickets and passes on your phone; show the QR code at the gate. Some turnstiles at the busiest stops accept contactless bank cards directly, but coverage is uneven, so do not rely on it as your only plan (check).

Paper tickets and passes must be validated in the machine at the stop before you board. Inspectors do patrol the vaporetti and issue on-the-spot fines for unvalidated tickets.

The urban fare covers Venice's historic centre, the Lido, Murano, Burano and the mainland at Mestre and Marghera. That means a single ticket or pass gets you to Murano and Burano without paying extra, though Burano is a long ride — about 45 minutes from Fondamenta Nuove via Murano.

Trips beyond the urban zone, including Marco Polo airport by Alilaguna or the ACTV airport bus, are priced separately. If you are staying on the mainland and commuting in, check whether your hotel is inside the urban zone before buying a pass.

The vaporetto network is run by ACTV; the Alilaguna airport water buses are a separate company with their own tickets.

Marco Polo (VCE) sits on the mainland; you reach Venice by water bus, land bus or water taxi. The Alilaguna water bus runs to San Marco, Rialto and the train station, takes about an hour or more depending on the line, and costs around €15 (2026 estimate). It is the scenic option and drops you near your hotel if you are in the centre.

The ACTV bus 5 or 45 runs to Piazzale Roma in about 20–30 minutes for around €10 (2026 estimate). From Piazzale Roma you walk or take a vaporetto onward. This is the fastest and cheapest route if you are staying near the station or Piazzale Roma.

A water taxi is private, fast and expensive — expect €100 or more to the centre, more at night or with luggage. It is worth it only for groups or if you have a lot of bags and a hotel on a canal.

From Treviso (TSF), a separate bus runs to Venice's Piazzale Roma in about 40–70 minutes; check the operator's schedule on arrival.

Travel light on the vaporetti. Boats are crowded in summer and at commuter hours, and luggage takes space; some lines restrict large bags.

Validate before boarding, every time. The fine is more than the ticket and inspectors do not accept excuses.

Plan around the tide. Acqua alta can close low-lying walkways and reroute vaporetti; check the city's tide forecast on high-water days.

If you are staying on the Lido or planning Murano and Burano, start your pass on the morning you leave, not the evening before — the clock runs from first validation.