How to use Vaporetto (Water Bus) in Venice

When you are in Venice, the easiest and also the cheapest way to get around is to take a water bus, vaporetto in Italian. This expansive Venice public transportation managed by ACTV has a network of 160 water crafts and over 100 boarding points carries more than 190 million passengers per year and is an essential part of the complete Venice experience.

You can take the ACTV Water Bus for instance From St. Mark’s Square to Lido to Santa Lucia Train Station to Murano and all of the famous sights of Venice the ACTV Water Bus can take you. When you arrive at the ACTV water bus station go to the ACTV Ticket Machine and follow these steps:

1) Select Language
2) Select Collect Tickets Purchased Online
3) Scan your digital ticket next to the scanner at the bottom left of the machine
4) Collect your tickets

At the entrance gate, tap your ticket on the grey ticket validator
If the QR scanner is not working, tap the on-screen keyboard and enter your PNR code. Your ticket(s) can be used for 3 months from the date of purchase.

And what is the schedule? Generally, the ACTV water bus / vaporetto service runs from 5 am until 11 pm with special night service at some locations and with changing schedules depending on the season, day of week, and holidays. Check with ACTV timetables to find exact schedule for your stop.

And then couple of tips: The terms water bus and vaporetto are often used interchangeably so you might see one or both of these terms in your trip research. Avoid water bus Line 1 if possible. This makes every stop, so it is slow and often completely filled with tourists and their luggage.

Water Busses are not to be confused with water taxis. Water Taxis are just like regular taxis in that they may get you to your destination faster, but they are also more expensive. They are much smaller than the water busses and usually have a yellow stripe to be easily identified.

ACTV is the official public transportation authority in Venice.