Venice Public Transportation: How to Get Around the Lagoon

In Venice, Italy, public transport is easy to use: cars do not circulate, so visitors mainly travel on foot or by ACTV vaporetto. Venice public transportation includes water buses serving the historic centre and the lagoon; the basic ticket is valid for 75 minutes, while passes are available for 1 to 7 days.

Venice lies across a lagoon made up of 62 islands, including Burano, Murano and Giudecca, connected by bridges and waterways. The city is linked to the mainland by the Ponte della Libertà, the main road and rail connection to Venice.

The Grand Canal divides the historic centre into two parts and is one of the city's most iconic waterways. Venice also offers an extraordinary concentration of monuments and works of art it holds.

If you are planning a trip to these places, buy your Venice Pass and take advantage of all its concessions. 

If you're wondering how to get around Venice, Italy, the first thing to know is that the historic center is completely car-free. Once you arrive, you'll explore the city on foot or by vaporetto, Venice's public water bus, making it easy to cross the Grand Canal and reach the lagoon islands. It's one of the best ways to experience like a true local

Venice is connected to the mainland by the Ponte della Libertà, a four-kilometer road and railway bridge that provides the city's only access for cars, buses and trains.

If you're arriving by train, Venice Santa Lucia is the station in the historic center, while Venice Mestre is the mainland station, from which you can reach Venice in just a few minutes by train or bus.

If you're driving, vehicles stop at Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto, where you'll find the city's main parking areas. From Tronchetto, the People Mover — an automated shuttle — connects Tronchetto, Marittima and Piazzale Roma in about 4 minutes, with a one-way ticket costing €1.50. 

For a shorter trip, our guide to a weekend in Venice will help you make the most of your time before diving into the city's slower rhythm. To discover the places and experiences not to be missed during a short trip, check out our guide to the best things to do in Venice.

And to simplify your visit, the Venice Pass remains a convenient way to combine attractions and transportation during your stay.

If you're looking for the best Venice Airport to city center transport, Venice offers several reliable options depending on your budget, luggage and where you're staying. Buses are the fastest choice for Piazzale Roma, while Alilaguna Venice vaporetti and water taxis are ideal if your hotel is near the canals.

Choose the ACTV Line 5 Aerobus or the ATVO Express Bus if you're traveling with heavy luggage and want the quickest connection to Piazzale Roma. Pick Alilaguna Venice if your hotel is close to San Marco, Rialto or the lagoon islands and you want a scenic arrival by water. If you're arriving late at night or staying near a canal with lots of luggage, a private water taxi is the most convenient — although it's also the most expensive option.

The vaporetto (water bus) is a distinctive feature, a true symbol and the easiest way to get around Venice, on a par with gondolas.

It can be described as a bus on water and is the easiest way to get around the city. Like local buses, waterbuses connect all areas of the city according to lines and timetables that meet the various needs of citizens. They are operated by ACTV (Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano), the public transport company that also handles transport in the mainland areas of the municipality of Venice.

For visitors, the most useful routes are:

• Line 1: Piazzale Roma → Lido, stopping at all the main stops along the Grand Canal, including Rialto and San Marco, near the Doge’s Palace.

• Line 2: A faster route connecting Piazzale Roma, Rialto, San Marco and Tronchetto, with fewer stops than Line 1.

• Lines 4.1 / 4.2 and 5.1 / 5.2: Circular routes around the historic center, also providing connections to Murano and other parts of the lagoon.

• Line N: The night service, operating from around midnight until 5:00 am and keeping the city connected after the daytime network winds down.

During the day, services generally run every 10–20 minutes, although frequency varies depending on the line, stop and time of day. The lagoon transport network operates 24 hours, with daytime routes complemented by the night service.

If you plan to use the vaporetto several times during your stay, an unlimited ACTV pass can be more convenient than buying individual tickets. For a week in Venice, the 7-day pass is particularly useful if you are planning to explore the islands as well as the historic center.

If you're looking for Venice public transport tickets price information, ACTV offers several ticket options for traveling around Venice by vaporetto, bus, tram and People Mover. From single tickets to multi-day passes, choosing the right option depends on the length of your stay and how often you plan to use public transportation.

Check the official ACTV fares page for the latest fares and ticket conditions: prices updated September 2026.

If you're wondering how to buy bus tickets in Venice, the process is straightforward, but remember that buying a ticket is not enough: you must also validate or activate it correctly before traveling.

1. Buy your ticket. You can purchase ACTV tickets at Venezia Unica ticket offices, automatic ticket machines at stops and piers, authorized retailers, the official AVM Venezia Official App, the Venezia Unica website and authorized partner apps such as MyPass Venezia. Tickets are also available through other official digital channels.

2. Validate your ticket before traveling. For physical and electronic tickets, validation is required at the appropriate reader before boarding or accessing the floating pier. Even multi-day passes must be validated at the beginning of the journey and when changing service or vehicle. Tickets purchased through an app follow the app's activation procedure before boarding.

3. Don't travel without a valid ticket. Failing to validate a ticket, traveling with an invalid ticket or being unable to show a valid travel document during a check can result in an administrative penalty, in addition to the regular fare. ACTV advises passengers to check the successful validation through the reader's visual and acoustic signals.

4. Buying on board. On-board ticket sales are available only on certain services and under specific conditions. On the waterbus network, where this option is available, the ticket must be requested when boarding, is issued already validated and can be paid for by POS. On mainland buses, on-board tickets are available only on certain days and time slots, while tickets cannot be purchased on board trams or People Movers.

Choosing the right Venice vaporetto pass depends on how often you plan to use public transportation. If you only need a couple of rides during your stay, individual 75-minute tickets may be the better choice.

If you're planning to hop on and off the vaporetto throughout the day, however, an ACTV pass can quickly work out cheaper. The same applies when comparing the Venezia Unica City Pass options or the discounted Rolling Venice Card available to travelers aged 6–29.

As a general rule, the more you use public transportation each day, the more convenient a pass becomes — with the break-even point depending on the length of your stay.

Alilaguna Venice is another convenient scheduled water service for getting around the lagoon. Its network connects Marco Polo Airport with the center of Venice, the Lido and Murano through three main airport routes: the Blue Line, the Orange Line and the Red Line, which operates seasonally. The Green Line is a dedicated sightseeing excursion connecting Murano, Torcello and Burano.

For reaching the main lagoon islands by ACTV vaporetto, these are the most useful connections and approximate journey times from central Venice:

• Murano: Line 3 from Piazzale Roma takes around 15–20 minutes; Lines 4.1 and 4.2 also connect the island with central Venice.

• Burano: Line 12 from Fondamente Nove takes around 40–45 minutes.

• Torcello: Line 12 also serves Torcello from Fondamente Nove, taking roughly 45–50 minutes depending on the service.

• Lido: Lines 1, 5.1 and 6 connect central Venice with Lido; the fastest services take around 30–40 minutes from Piazzale Roma, while Line 1 is slower because it follows the Grand Canal.

• Giudecca: Line 2 provides a direct connection from Piazzale Roma and central Venice, with the crossing taking around 10–20 minutes depending on the stop.

Alilaguna can be particularly useful when arriving from the airport or staying near one of its stops, while ACTV is generally the more practical choice for moving between the islands and the historic center.

A water taxi in Venice is a private motorboat that takes you directly to a designated landing point or, when available, the pier closest to your accommodation. From Marco Polo Airport, expect to pay roughly €120–140 per boat, depending on the destination, passengers and any applicable supplements. For trips within the historic center, fares vary according to the route and service.

A private water taxi can be worth the extra cost if you're arriving late at night, traveling with four or more people, carrying bulky luggage or staying somewhere that is not conveniently served by an ACTV pier. Splitting the fare among several passengers can make the difference particularly worthwhile.

Don't confuse the three services: a water taxi is a private motorboat booked for your journey; a traghetto is a traditional gondola used for short crossings of the Grand Canal; and a vaporetto is Venice's public water bus, operating on scheduled routes. They are three different ways of getting around Venice.

Less well known is the gondola traghetto, a gondola wider than normal ones, suitable for accommodating a larger number of passengers and maneuvred by two gondoliers. It allows you to cross the Grand Canal at speed without having to walk long distances to find a bridge, at the low price of €2.

The stazi, or gondola ferry stops, are located at Punta della Dogana, Santa Maria del Giglio, San Tomà, Riva del Carbon and Santa Sofia. A cheap way to get around Venice by public transport!

The main traghetto stops are:

• Punta della Dogana: approximately 9:00 am–6:00 pm

• Santa Maria del Giglio: approximately 9:00 am–6:00 pm

• San Tomà: approximately 8:30 am–7:00 pm Monday to Friday; 9:00 am–6:30 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

• Riva del Carbon: approximately 9:00 am–12:00 pm Monday to Friday; closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

• Santa Sofia: approximately 8:30 am–7:00 pm Monday to Friday; 9:00 am–6:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

Service times may vary, so check the latest information before planning your crossing.

The most common means of transport of historical tradition in Venice is certainly the gondola. The city's image has always been associated with this famous means of transport, which, until the advent of motorized vehicles, was the Venetian ship most suitable and used for transporting people.

Today you can enjoy a magnificent gondola tour through the canals of Venice, to admire the city and its historic palaces from the waters of the lagoon, but not only! There are in fact special gondolas for crossing the canals. It also gives a romantic view of the sights and is highly sought after by tourists.

A gondola ride is a tourist experience with a fixed fare, not a form of public transportation. For crossing the Grand Canal, see the section on the traghetto.

Due to its physical conformation, the city of Venice is not a suitable place for car transport. This, however, adds charm to any visit that can be planned with public transport used to get around with ease.

If you decide to arrive by car, you can use the paid car parks at Piazzale Roma and Tronchetto, as cars cannot enter the historic center. From Piazzale Roma, you can continue on foot or by vaporetto to reach the historic center. The tram connects Mestre with Piazzale Roma but does not continue into the historic center. 

Another option is the ferry-boat, which will transport your car from Piazzale Roma to Venice Lido,  the only island in the historic center where vehicles can circulate. From the Lido, you can continue by public transport or on foot.

Traveling around Venice by ACTV is generally straightforward, but a few practical rules are worth knowing. Each passenger with a valid ticket can carry up to three pieces of luggage free of charge, subject to ACTV’s size limits. Additional or oversized items require a separate ticket, while luggage must never block seats, passageways or other passengers.

ACTV services are designed to accommodate passengers with reduced mobility. Wheelchair users have designated spaces on vehicles, while some waterborne services and boarding facilities provide accessible solutions. Passengers using wheelchairs have priority, and designated spaces must be made available when needed.

Strollers and prams can be carried on board, but outside designated wheelchair spaces they generally need to be folded. On waterborne services, unfolded strollers may be allowed when crowding and safety conditions permit.

During high tide, ACTV can modify routes, suspend individual stops, introduce replacement services or split lines to maintain safe operations. Check the official service updates before traveling, especially when tides are particularly high.

At busy times, consider extra time for boarding: popular piers can become crowded, so consider an alternative line or nearby stop when available.

The Venice Access Fee is a municipal charge for certain day visitors entering Venice’s historic center on designated dates and during specific hours. 

In 2026, the trial applied on 60 non-consecutive days from April 3 to July 26, between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm. The fee was €5 when paid by the fourth-last day before the visit, rising to €10 for later payments.

The key point for travelers is that the Access Fee and ACTV public transportation tickets are completely separate. 

Buying an ACTV ticket or pass does not exempt you from the Access Fee, while paying the Access Fee does not give you access to ACTV buses, vaporettos or other public transport services. Overnight guests, residents and other eligible categories are not subject to the charge — although some exemptions require registration.

The Access Fee is checked through a QR-code or proof of exemption at designated control points. The 2026 trial has now ended, so no payment or exemption request is currently required until further provisions are announced. For full details, see our dedicated guide to the Venice Access Fee.

The best way to get around Venice depends on where you want to go, but 2 options cover most situations: walking and taking the vaporetto. On foot, you can explore the historic center at your own pace, while the vaporetto comes in handy for longer journeys and trips across the lagoon.

There are 4 main ways to pay for public transportation in Venice: you can buy tickets from Venezia Unica machines or ticket offices, use the AVM Venezia app, use authorized digital channels, or pay by contactless card where available. On some services, you can also purchase a ticket directly on board.

Venice has an integrated public transport network covering the historic center, mainland and lagoon islands. ACTV operates vaporettos, buses, trams and the People Mover, so getting around is generally straightforward. You will probably walk most of the time, but public transportation makes longer journeys and island visits much easier.

A 24-hour vaporetto pass costs €25, and its validity starts when you first validate it. If you plan to take several journeys during the day, this can be more convenient than buying individual tickets. It is especially useful if your plans include visiting one or more of Venice's lagoon islands.

The 7-day ACTV travel pass costs €65 and is valid for 168 hours from first validation. For a week-long stay, it can be a practical choice if you expect to use vaporettos regularly. Shorter passes are also available, costing €25 for 24 hours, €35 for 48 hours and €45 for 72 hours.

You can explore most of Venice without taking a boat. Walking is actually one of the best ways to experience the historic center, as you can wander through the calli, cross its many bridges and discover different neighborhoods at your own pace. You’ll only really need public transport for longer journeys or trips to the lagoon islands.