What is a Vaporetto?
The picturesque and iconic vaporetto is the most widely used means of transportation in Venice, operating 24 hours a day and covering the entire Venice lagoon, including its islands. During the day (until about midnight), ferries operate every 10 to 20 minutes at most, while nighttime lines are less frequent, every 30 to 40 minutes to an hour depending on the destination to be reached.
Lines 1 and 2 are the most used by tourists as they connect Piazzale Roma/train station to Rialto and St. Mark’s Square.
A trip on these two lines is worthwhile because they cross the entire majestic Grand Canal. On the Vaporetti you will always see the words ACTV or Venezia Unica, which are the operators of the public water transportation system.
Variety of tickets
The waterbus has 4 types of tickets, depending on validity. Validity begins from the time the ticket is validated at the pier entrance.
Below you will find the fares and ticket types. By buying online, you won’t have to wait in line at ticket offices and avoid standing in line with hordes of tourists.
Vaporetto tickets
Vaporetti lines
There are as many as 25 vaporetto lines (22 daytime and 3 nighttime). We briefly list here the main lines to reach the most famous places such as St. Mark’s Square, Rialto, Murano, and Burano. Click on the “Overview of Vaporetti Lines” page to see the routes and schedules of each line in detail.
Line 1
This is the oldest line in Venice and is also the slowest. It starts from Piazzale Roma and goes all the way to Lido di Venezia. Its slowness is due to the fact that it stops at every landing station along the Grand Canal. It has the great advantage that, due to its slowness, it is not much used by Venetians or those living in the city (who prefer to walk), so it is never overcrowded.
Hours of service:
Piazzale Roma — > Venice Lido: 5:00 a.m. until midnight
Venice Lido — > Piazzale Roma: from 4:36 a.m. until 11:08 p.m.
Main stops and duration:
Piazzale Roma / Santa Lucia Station:
→ Rialto Bridge: 20 minutes.
→ Accademia Bridge: 30 minutes.
→ St. Mark’s Square: 45 minutes.
→ Giardini della Biennale / Arsenale Gardens: 1 hour.
→ Venice Lido: 1 hour 10.
Line 2
This is the fastest line and therefore the most used by Venetians and tourists. In high season it is practically always crowded, especially in the morning and between 5 and 7 in the evening. It too connects Piazzale Roma / Ferrovia to St. Mark’s Square, but it takes half the time of Line 1 because it makes few stops.
Line 2 is divided into three routes:
- Piazzale Roma / Ferrovia → San Marco Giardinetti (basically the stop in front of the Royal Gardens in San Marco Square).
- Piazzale Roma / Ferrovia → Rialto (it is like a non-stop shuttle service between the train station or Piazzale Roma and the Rialto Bridge, it takes just under 10 minutes to get there). Both routes operate year-round, with more frequent service in summer.
- Piazzale Roma / Ferrovia → Venice Lido. Route active only from May to October.
Tip to avoid queues or getting stuck: if you are at the train station, head to board at Piazzale Roma (waterbus departure point), this way you guarantee your seat on board. In high season it often happens that the vaporetto skips the Santa Lucia stop because it is already crowded.
Hours of service:
Piazzale Roma — > St. Mark’s Square: from 5:00 a.m. until 11:47 p.m.
St. Mark’s Square — > Piazzale Roma: from 4:55 a.m. until 11:16 p.m.
Main stops and duration:
Piazzale Roma / Santa Lucia Station
→ Rialto Bridge: 10 minutes.
→ Accademia Bridge: 20 minutes.
→ St. Mark’s Square: 25 minutes.
→ Giardini della Biennale / Arsenale Gardens: 30 minutes.
→ Venice Lido: 40 minutes.
Line 3, 4.1, 4.2, 12 (Murano, Burano, Torcello)
Line 3 is the direct vaporetto to Murano and departs from Piazzale Roma, stopping only at Santa Lucia Station and then continuing directly to the glass island in less than 20 minutes. It is obviously very crowded in spring and summer. One suggestion is to take it from Piazzale Roma instead of the train station, because you will have a better chance of finding a seat since it is the starting point. In high season it may happen (as already mentioned for Line 2) that, depending on how many passengers are on board, Line 3 skips the train stop to go directly to Murano.
Hours of service:
Piazzale Roma — > Murano: from 6:20 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Murano — > Piazzale Roma: from 6:41 a.m. until 6:45 p.m.
Line 12: This line starts from Fondamenta Nove (the second most important landing place in Venice) and goes to Murano and Burano. It passes every half hour and the boat is much larger than regular steamers: it can accommodate hundreds of people. One critical point needs to be specified: in peak season this disembarkation station has the longest queues, so it is advisable to go there early in the morning (before 9 a.m.) with tickets already purchased, to ensure that you do not have to queue for an hour.
Hours of service:
Fondamenta Nove — > Burano from 4:20 until 10:25 p.m.
Burano — > Fondamenta Nove: from 5:00 until 23:55.
Main stops and duration:
Fondamenta Nove → Murano: 10 minutes.
Fondamenta Nove → Burano: 45 minutes.
Murano → Burano: 35 minutes.
Lines 4.1 and 4.2: These are among the most used by Venetians as they pass through very residential and less touristy areas, such as the Cannaregio district or Giudecca Island. This vaporetto is the best option for going to Murano as it is usually not too crowded with tourists. If your goal is to reach the Glass Island, then it is advisable to take it from the Ferrovia, Piazzale Roma or, if you are in Canareggio, from secondary disembarkation stations such as Sant’Alvise or Madonna dell’Orto, because in this way you will avoid the long lines at Fondamenta Nove and almost certainly be guaranteed a good seat on the vaporetto.
Hours of service:
Piazzale Roma—-> Murano: 5:06 a.m. to 8:56 p.m.
Murano — > Piazzale Roma: from 4:37 until 11:47 pm.
Main stops and duration:
Fondamenta Nove → Murano: 10 minutes.
Piazzale Roma / Railroad
→ Fondamenta Nove: 15 minutes.
→ Murano: 30 minutes.
→ St. Mark’s Square: 20 minutes
→ Giudecca: 10 minutes.
St. Mark’s Square:
→ Giudecca: 10 minutes
→ Murano: 30 minutes
by Giudecca, Murano, Piazza San Marco and Piazzale Roma / Ferrovia.
Night Line
Is it possible to admire all the beauty of Venice from a boat without the crowds of tourists? Maybe without spending too much? The answer is yes! Take a ride on the night lines after midnight and you can admire the entire Grand Canal in its full magnificence, illuminated by twinkling lights. Around midnight the steamboats are almost completely empty, it almost becomes a private tour. The Grand Canal night line follows the same route as Line 1 and stops at every landing station.
Hours of service:
Lido S.M.E — > Piazzale Roma from 11:23 pm to 4:03 am.
Piazzale Roma — > San Marco Zaccaria from 00:10 to 4:50.
The last night line is the direct “Fondamenta Nove → Murano.” For details of the schedules of the latter two lines, see the “Overview of Steamship Lines” page.