How to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy
Last updated on January 11th, 2026.
The vaporetto (water bus) is the most popular, and most economical, way of getting around Venice.
They operate in the same way as other transport modes, the main difference being that this one runs on water.
And while it may sound like a straightforward topic, not everyone is aware of how to use the vaporetto.
So, this short, yet helpful Venice travel guide, aims to do just that.
In this post, I’ll be outlining how to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy.
Adding my two cents as a local, I’ll also be sharing my travel tips that you won't find in any other guide.
One of the best places to visit in Italy, use this article to help plan your Venice Italy trip.
What is a vaporetto?
As mentioned above, the vaporetto is a waterbus that services the intricate waterways in and around Venice. Like standard buses, you’ll find different vaporetto routes and stops.
The stops are white steel cabins that have a yellow banner with the vaporetto stop name printed in black print.
The word ‘vaporetto’ derives from the Italian word ‘vapore’, which means steam. In the past, boats were powered by steam engines, hence the ‘steam’ connection. Today, modern vaporetto typically uses diesel engines or electric motors.
A great advantage of taking the vaporetto is that it connects locals and visitors to different parts of Venice.
Stay close to the Grand Canal or explore as far as the vaporetto route will take you. Some of the most popular routes include the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello as well as Lido di Venezia.
Jump to:
How to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy
Where to buy tickets for the vaporetto in Venice
There are several ways to buy tickets for the vaporetto in Venice Italy.
Piazzale Roma is the first place that many visitors find themselves when arriving in Venice. A hub for trains, buses, airport shuttle buses and cars, it’s almost always buzzing with activity.
At Piazzale Roma are several ticket booths (biglietti del transporto pubblico) and authorized vendors from which you can buy vaporetto tickets.
Another popular place to buy tickets is the ticket office when you exit Venezia Santa Lucia train station. Descend the big staircase that leads to the Grand Canal and turn left. Look for the sign 'Ferrovia A B' and 'biglietteria' (ticket office).
Buy vaporetto tickets online
My preferred method of getting vaporetto tickets is to buy them online.
Lines get extremely long at ticket offices in Venice especially during the peak tourist season. Purchasing tickets in advance means avoiding all of that. What's more, having prepaid tickets means zero stress come the day of your trip.
Having bought vaporetto tickets several times in advance I can attest that some routes also cost less. For a direct vaporetto from Venice (near Santa Lucia train station) to Burano I heard a price of €25 ($26/£21) per person at the ticket office.
Instead, I paid for 3 tickets online, €9.50 ($10.35/£8.13)* each, and took the same direct route. We validated our tickets as normal and had no issues on our journey.
How to collect prepaid tickets for the vaporetto?
If you've bought tickets in advance for the vaporetto it's very simple to collect them. Go to any ticket machine around Venice, select your language and then click on 'collect tickets'.
For companies like Viator and Get your Guide scan the QR code that was sent to you via email or on the respective app using the machine's scanner. Once done the machine will automatically begin printing out your vaporetto tickets.
I recommend downloading the app/s beforehand because it keeps all of your online tickets in one place.
Buy on board
Another thing that many visitors don’t know about visiting Venice is that you can buy vaporetto tickets on board. I discovered this after finding out that the closest vaporetto machine to me was out of service during one visit.
Stuck in a remote part of Venice, I jumped onto the next available vaporetto and immediately told the conductor. He told me that it wasn’t a problem and that I could pay on board.
How much does a vaporetto ticket cost?
There are different ticket types to use the vaporetto. They are:
A single ticket
A single ticket for the vaporetto costs €9.50 per person but this lasts for 75 minutes. This means that you can hop off one and onto another during this time period.
Other vaporetto ticket types
Should you plan on staying longer in Venice, it may be smarter to buy one of the following vaporetto tickets. They are:
- 24-hour ticket: €25 ($27/£21)*
- 48-hour ticket: €35 ($38/£30)*
- 72-hour ticket: €45 ($49/£38)*
- 7-day ticket: €65 ($71/£56)*
You can also buy these tickets directly from the Venezia Unica (Venice tourism) website.
Knowing which ticket best suits your needs is an important part of how to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy.
How do I validate my vaporetto ticket?
On board each vaporetto is a machine that will validate your ticket. Hold the ticket close to the machine and wait to hear a beep or to see a green light. This will indicate that your ticket has been validated.
At some vaporetto stops, like S.M.E for Lido di Venezia, you may see these machines inside the station terminal.
Don’t forget to validate your ticket for each vaporetto journey.
Map of Venice Italy
How frequent are the vaporetto in Venice Italy?
Speaking from personal experience, I’ve never had to wait longer than 10 minutes for a vaporetto.
There have been occasions where I’ve seen passengers denied boarding if the vaporetto is already full. This could happen on popular routes, like from the train station to Piazza San Marco.
Should it happen, fret not, there’s usually another vaporetto heading in the same direction not too far behind.
On board the vaporetto
There are a limited number of available seats inside once you board the vaporetto. Towards the back are four outdoor seats but they usually get snapped up quickly particularly in summertime.
Many visitors prefer to stand to get a good view of the Venice attractions along the Grand Canal. Should you decide to stand, be sure to hold tightly onto the railing and keep an eye on your belongings.
Another thing to take note of is your phone/camera. Incidences of phones falling into the canal aren’t everyday occurrences but they do happen.
Be aware of others
My last thought on this section of how to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy is to be aware of others.
Winter in Venice can get extremely cold, and unsurprisingly many passengers prefer to sit inside the vaporetto. Should you also visit Venice in winter, don’t forget to close the door behind you to keep the warmth locked in.
I made this mistake during my first Venice trip many, many moons ago. Very young and unaware, I can still recall the grimacing looks from many disgruntled locals.
Is it worth taking the vaporetto in Venice Italy?
It is 100% worth taking the vaporetto in Venice.
Not only is it a unique mode of transportation but it’s also a fun way to experience Venice. An affordable way to see Venice by boat the 75-minute time limit allows for at least two rides.
Tips on how to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy
Buying a single ticket can be enough
A single ticket can suffice if visiting Venice for one day.
Visiting by foot is really the best way to see Venice and to explore its narrow streets, bridges and piazzas.
What we usually do in Venice is to walk from the train station to a further away quarter like Dorsoduro. Once tired and ready to go we take the vaporetto from the stop 'Salute' back to the train station.
It's a good way to utilize the ticket and to give your feet a rest after a long day of walking.
Carefully read the vaporetto routes
Like fast-track trains, there are some vaporetto routes that will surpass the smaller stops.
This can be helpful if your destination is en route but not so great if it’s not. If anything, it can be a big hindrance if you’ve limited time in Venice.
A good example of this was when we took the vaporetto back from Burano to the train station. There's no direct vaporetto so the journey involves at least one change. While the conductor on board said it would stop at San Marco the route also stopped at around 10 other local stops.
So, instead of being on the vaporetto for around 30 minutes as expected we were on it for nearly an hour. Because of this, seeing the route beforehand is a must when learning how to use the vaporetto in Venice.
Popular vaporetto stops in Venice Italy
The following are some popular vaporetto stops along the Grand Canal and just outside Venice to take note of.
- San Marco (for Piazza San Marco)
- Rialto Mercato (for the Rialto market)
- Rialto (for Rialto Bridge)
- San Samuele (to explore the San Marco neighborhood and to visit St. Mark’s Basilica)
- Salute (to visit St. Mary’s Basilica and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection)
What are your thoughts on this guide on how to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy? Would you like to visit Venice one day? Let me know in the comments below.
*information correct at time of publishing
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.
Like this post? Pin it!
Hi - thanks for all the great info. We bought ACTV tickets online for our upcoming trip. We were delivered vouchers by email with PNR codes. Can we enter these codes onboard or do we need first to go to a land-based machine? If we do go to a machine on land, does that print the ticket in advance so we can then validate later onboard?...or does it validate right then so we need to head straight to the boat?
sorry for the complex question, but firsttimer with the vaporetti!
luv ur blog
Hi Lee, thank you so much for your message and lovely comment. For prepaid tickets, go to any machine by a vaporetto stop. I cover this in detail under 'buy vaporetto tickets online' in the article. Select your language, then click on collect tickets. I'm certain you can type in the PNR code if you haven't received a QR code to scan. It should work the same way. The machine will then print out your tickets. When you see the barrier for the vaporetto, scan your ticket and the gates will open. The staff speak English and they will also help if you get lost. Have a wonderful time here!
This guide on navigating the vaporetto in Venice is incredibly detailed and helpful! Your clear instructions and personal insights make the Venetian water bus system seem much less daunting. It’s great to have such practical advice, from buying tickets to choosing the right routes, and even tips on onboard etiquette.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, it's something so basic for visitors but not many realise how to use it.
I've never heard of this. What a cool way to get around! Venice is such a neat city, it is nice to have a water taxi for travel.
The water taxis are expensive. This is about taking the vaporetto which is the water bus
We love travelling around Venice and the nearby islands by vaporetto. Until they do their one day strikes! They are relatively expensive as public transit goes. But a full day ticket would allow us to hop and off at will. A good guide for first time visitors.
Thank you! And I totally agree. If visiting for the day you can ride it once and probably walk the rest.
This is a super helpful guide for sure. I'll be bookmarking it so that when I plan my Venice trip, I'd come back to learn about using vaporetto to get in and around the state. Thanks for putting this together!
Thank you! I hope it helps 🙂
That’s so informative post on how to use the vaporetto in Venice Italy. I am this post will help people who are planning a trip there.
Thank you, it's something that many people don't think about before visiting
Great Vaporetto tips for Venice! I'll definitely keep your advice on buying tickets and getting around the water buses in mind.
Thank you so much!
We are planning a visit to Italy so this is really useful to us and will deffo help. thank you so much xx
That makes me very happy to read!
We plan on going to Italy this summer!! Definitely gonna have to grab one of those tickets! Sounds amazing.
That's great! Get these in advance, it will help you skip the long lines 🙂
A water bus does sound like a really great experience - thank you for these tips and tricks on how to use one.
It's a good way of getting around Venice
Thank you for letting us all know about the vaporetto boats. I am a complete novice when it comes to visiting Venice so having this knowledge is so helpful!
You're so welcome. It's really something basic but that not many visitors are aware of
It's a wonderful way to explore the city. So many things I've learned just from this pot alone! Wow, Lisa, the wonderment of Italy never ends.
Thank you Laura! I hope you can visit one day 🙂
I, as a curious traveler will never forget why I stepped onto the Vaporetto. As it glided through the sun-kissed canals, I marveled at the ancient palazzos and secret bridges that whispered tales of centuries past. With each gentle sway, the Vaporetto carried me not just across the lagoon, but into the heart of a city where dreams floated like gondolas, and every ripple held a promise of adventure.
I am so happy you have great memories of your time here 🙂
That sounds like a fun way to get around. I would definitely use the vaporetto, especially now that I know how.
They are the cheapest way to see the city too 🙂