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    Recommended Reviews - ACTV

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    Bus station
    Michael W.

    The primary public transportation in Venice is ACTV. We purchased the two-day unlimited water bus tickets when we were in town. It is very reliable on their schedules. They're the same as the bus service on the land. Sometimes we have to change the water bus. Sometimes we have to wait in line at the water bus pier. I saw many tourists ride in the water bus in Grand Canal and enjoyed the ride and taking pictures. So those water bus lines are jam-packed all the time. Try to avoid those lines if you're going to the outer suburbs of other islands.

    typical view from water bus window
    Meredith R.

    Like a schtunk, I fell in June -- stupid freak accident! -- and tore the hamstring in my right leg which, three months later, impeded my mobility in what is a very walkable city. Cost-effective solution: passes to the water bus! The two day pass cost I believe about $30 per person. Timing is everything. During off hours, seats were easy to come by. Late afternoon, people were packed like sardines both inside and outdoors. (Having braved years of NYC rush hour subways, I wasn't phased.) There are plenty of "bus" stops in Venice and the boat will likely take you pretty close to where you want to be. Important to note the various routes. Even fully mobile, I would use the water bus on future trips.

    Michael M.

    Good Venice transit system. Consists of buses, trains, light rail and water . Clean and punctual. Get unlimited riding pass for 24 hours.

    My ticket to board the waterbus!
    Porsche C.

    All Aboard! Welcome to the ACTV Vaporetto! This water taxi was convenient to get around the City and explore the other islands in Venice. My friends and I took this to Burano, and it was self-explanatory. We bought a round-trip ticket and was informed that the taxi would be arriving shortly. We knew when it was time to board because we all looked like a herd of cows trying to hurry and get on the water taxi; it was fun to watch and be involved in. Honestly, it was confusing to know when it was our turn to get off, luckily some young kids seemed like they were coming from school, we were able to ask them when it was our turn to get off. For the most part, many of the people we came across in Italy were very nice and open to helping. If you are interested in visiting both Murano and Burano, you should buy a day pass which will enable you to go to both islands at any time of the day. The water taxis come with specific numbers on it that relate to the destination of the journey. If you take bus#2, you can go from St. Marks to Santa Lucia which takes about 35 mins and is usually on time. We were able to purchase tickets at the ticket booth as the agents speak English. There is also kiosk at the train stations that you can use to use to purchase your tickets. From Venice to Burano it took about 45 mins and was a very safe ride. We had several stops along the way, and we were the last stop. We were able to get a seat; however, we did see some people one we made a couple of stops, that had to stand up because it started to get crowded. There are no designated spaces for one to store their luggage, so I recommend finding a seat along the wall if you are carrying luggage. **P. S-Make sure you always keep your ticket with you. You don't want to get fined by the ACTV inspectors as that's a big fine. This is the best way to get around the City! I will recommend the waterbus system to anyone that comes to Venice. This is a great way to orientate yourself and see the city.

    Isabella B.

    ACTV stands for "Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano", which is translated as Venice's public transportation authority. Considering that Venice is made up of small islands separated by canals, traversing the city by bus or light rail would be impossible. Therefore the equivalent of a bus in Venice are these boats called vaporetto. Unless you have plenty of disposable income or money set aside for your trip to afford water taxis, vaporetto will be your main form of getting about the city unless you plan on walking everywhere. What a vaporetto does is move people from one part of Venice proper to another via the Grand Canal or move people from the city to one of the outlying islands such as Murano/Burano/Torcello, Giudecca or Lido. Note the differences between the different boats used for transport about the island. 1. The Alilaguna boats shuttle people between Venice and the nearby Marco Polo airport (VCE). There is no direct vaporetto line to VCE and back. 2. Traghetto only transports people to the other side of the Grand Canal in areas not connected via a bridge. 3. A gondola takes 1-6 tourists across the smaller canals. It is also priced just as extravagantly as a water taxi so YMMV. Just like everything else in Venice, prices for vaporetto tickets are super expensive compared to other forms of public transportation. A single ticket good for 75 minutes costs €7.50 and a pass covering a 24-hour period costs a whopping €20. Tickets can be bought at machines in the more popular stops; if a stop doesn't have a machine you can purchase them at any bar tabacchi but you have to pay for the ticket in cash. Use the ticket readers located in the entrance to the waiting area for the stop to validate your ticket otherwise you risk paying a big fine (the staff actually check ticket statuses from time to time). Board when the boat actually stops, there's no barrier on some of the stops preventing you from falling into the water! There are also about 21 lines ACTV maintains but in practicality the tourist only has to know a handful of these lines. #1: The workhorse line, it navigates from the bus station Piazzale Roma and the train station Santa Lucia all the way to Lido via Grand Canal. It passes through every major stop near a hotel or a tourist attraction, most notably the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. Because it stops everywhere line #1 can be used as a budget-friendly version of a gondola ride, but if you're gonna do this I would buy a day pass. I recommend doing this only AFTER you've unloaded your bags and staked a good spot along the boat with a good audioguide (Rick Steves has an excellent version). #2: A variation of line #1 except it makes fewer stops and also passes by Giudecca. I would use this line when you have bags as it gets to San Marco and Rialto faster and vice versa. I've also used this line to get to the Hilton hotel in Giudecca where they have a great rooftop bar. #4.1/4.2: This takes you to Murano from Venice Fondamente Nove. #12: This takes you from Venice Fondamente Nove to Murano, Burano and Torcello. Some boats may not stop at Torcello. Three tips for a hassle-free and fun vaporetto ride. 1. Some boats have seats near the bow. This is the best seat for a good view if you don't like standing. If there's no seats I'll stand near the doors so I can still get a good view as well as get out of the boat more quickly. 2. Beware of pickpockets. It is advised that you wear backpacks at the front to avoid this situation. This was a non-issue as I had a hidden pocket and my backpack didn't contain anything valuable or essential. 3. When getting off at Piazza San Marco use the San Zaccaria stop to get off as opposed to the San Marco stop. San Zaccaria puts you closer to the piazza itself (and is the reason why "Piazza San Marco" is in parenthesis next to the stop name). Personally I only used the vaporetto a handful of times. Due to the cost I mainly walked everywhere but I did purchase two day passes. For a 24-hour period I was able to joyride the Grand Canal using Rick Steves' audioguide and in the following day be able to sleep in and get to Piazza San Marco on time for a scheduled tour in the morning. I've also used another day pass to get to my dinner reservation on time in the evening and get back to my hotel as I knew it would be getting dark and didn't want to walk back in the dark. I finally used a single-ride ticket to the train station when I had a suitcase and backpack with laptop. Those situations I felt paying the vaporetto fare was justified.

    view from bus
    Coco L.

    Agree with others that the water bus is not cheap It's a little confusing on the stations as you need to know which direction is the water bus. We had to jump off of one as realize it was the wrong direction There isn't a lot of options for tourist, so their tourist pass was for several days. So we got the 24hr pass which was €20. They had 1 hour for €7, 12hr for €18, etc. The ticket counters outside of the train stations take credit cards. If they have bus maps for tourist or better options, it would be a little better.

    Sam S.

    The best and cheapest way to get around Venice and neighboring islands. The ferries are good and whilst it's not cheap it's cheaper than the other alternatives like private water taxis. The service is pretty reliable and whilst it can be busy at times it tends to stop all over the island. Unless you are prepare to walk your only other option is to hop on the the ferry and many parts of the island do not have cars or other modes of transport. User this service a lot and found it good.

    View from ACTV boat on the way to Burano.

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    ACTV Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - ACTV

    Venice is a wonderful city, the people are friendly and gracious dealing daily with a huge volume of tourists.

    Mentioned in 28 reviews

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    Coop. Gondolieri S.maria del Giglio - Antonio was fantastic.

    Coop. Gondolieri S.maria del Giglio

    3.0(2 reviews)
    1.0 km

    From Santa Maria del Giglio, the tour heads towards the Accademia Bridge, to see Palazzo Barbaro…read morethen making a u-turn on the Canal Grande to pass by Palazzo Ca' Corner and d'Annunzio red "casetta". Entering the Rio di Santa Maria del Giglio to Piscina Fenice, where the theatre of the same name is located, the ride passes Rio di Verona and Rio dei Barcaroli past Mozart's home. Continuing along rio di San Moisè again to the Grand Canal in front of the Chiesa della Salute, the tour returns to its origin at Santa Maria del Giglio. Approximate 35 minutes We booked a gondola ride with serenade but as it was three gondolas going out together, the couple on one gondola got the accordion player and the singer. The singer sang about 3 to four songs in Italian. Very good singing. Our gondola rider looked angry the entire time and was either talking to the other gondoliers, on the phone, or smoking. He did smile once when the boat was a bit rocky and my travel buddy and I almost came off our seats. He found these gold bits in the river (must have fallen off the gondola) and picked one up and momentarily sang to it. The gondola ride was not as chilly as I expected and I'm grateful that it had stopped raining. The gondola experience was really nice. Thoroughly enjoyed it though I wish the singer had sung a song from phantom of the opera as the gondola ride reminded me of this scene from phantom of the opera where this gondola is rowed across the stage on a starlit night.

    Photos
    Coop. Gondolieri S.maria del Giglio - Antonio was very nice and he shared his guns.

    Antonio was very nice and he shared his guns.

    Coop. Gondolieri S.maria del Giglio - Very nice Gondola!

    Very nice Gondola!

    Coop. Gondolieri S.maria del Giglio - Great Gondola ride with Antonio.

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    Great Gondola ride with Antonio.

    Vaporetto - Heading to the Venice train station

    Vaporetto

    4.1(35 reviews)
    0.4 km

    One of the reasons Venice is so magical is the fact that it's surrounded by water…read more In a city with canals in place of roads, it only makes sense that public transportation consists of watercraft. This vaporetto means "little steamer," after the city's original system of steam-powered motorboats, and takes visitors along the main canals, to the outer islands, and around the lagoon. Although often crowded, it's by far the least expensive way to get around (other than walking). Tickets are one price, regardless of the length of the journey. Last Sunday, my partner, our friends, family members, and I used this transport to take us to the island of Murano. The travel agency has given 2-day tickets for us. However, the rudeness of the staff, especially on Murano, who think that the Venetian dialect is the world language, and the difficulty in understanding which line to take to go where one wants. Utterly overcrowded to the point of being dangerous. We managed to get where we wanted, but the maps were very difficult to interpret. Too bad there is no alternative.

    The main means of public transport in Venice is the vaporetto. There are numerous lines in all…read moredirections, so first remember which line your hotel is close to and whether you are going to or back from your hotel. The operators are mostly helpful so ask before getting on the boat. Don't worry if you get on the wrong one! There are a lot of stops and they tend to arrive every 10 minutes or so. It is way more economical and practical to buy multi day passes if you are staying more than a day. You will be jumping on and off them multiple tines per day. On board, you can only buy a day pass. For multi day pass go to a ticket office. A single trip ticket is 9.5 euros, day pass 25 euros, 2 day pass 35 euros and 3 day pass is 45 euros. For the airport, you need Alilaguna which requires a different kind of ticket, 18 euros per person. Water taxies and gondolas are pretty expensive, more than 100 euros.

    Photos
    Vaporetto - On the boat heading to Murano

    On the boat heading to Murano

    Vaporetto - Passengers

    Passengers

    Vaporetto - Heading to the Venice train station

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    Heading to the Venice train station

    people mover

    people mover

    3.7(7 reviews)
    0.4 km

    This is a public transit train system connecting Piazzale Roma and the Cruise Port. You can arrive…read moreto Piazzale Roma via taxi (water or road), bus or car. If you arrive by car there is paid parking available. Depending on where you stay in Venice, the walk to Piazzale Roma can be very easy as well. Why use it? Because it cuts your walk to the cruise port in half once you arrival at Piazzale Roma. Of course, this really only benefits you if you are staying in the Centro Storico di Venezia (central historic) area. That may not seem like much, but when you are dragging luggage it helps! The ride takes about 3-5 minutes and cost €1.50 per person. The cost to get to the port via taxi is expensive and the bus is timely, not to mention awkward depending on the size of your bag(s). All this train really does is get you across the bridge and tracks, but doesn't get you as close as you would think to the cruise ships. No matter how you choose to get to the cruise port of entry point...all modes of transportation end up in approximately the same place. With that said...I need to inform you that once you arrive at the port, depending on where your terminal is, you may still have close to a mile walk to get to your ship. It is what it is! It's the same in reverse! If you arrive via cruise ship you'll need to walk to the People Mover station. Depending on where your terminal is...it could be close to a mile walk. Then it will take you to Piazzale Roma. From there you can walk to your hotel, grab a water or regular taxi (depending on where you are staying and which side), or the public water bus. The train station is a short walk from Piazzale Roma as well. Please note: there are people to hire to help you with your luggage if needed at the Cruise Terminal(s), the main port entry point and at Piazzale Roma. You can buy tickets at a kiosk or ticket booth located outside the People Mover station. Please keep in mind that depending on the time of year, there may be a line and can be timely. If you wish to buy your tickets in advance for a peace of mind, have it "done" or whatever, then I suggest going to http://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/people-mover-0 and buying it/them online. Or you can go to http://www.veneziaunica.it/ if you plan to purchase other modes of transportation for your stay along with tours if you wish...gotta love one stop shopping! You will get a code and you can exchange that code for a ticket at any designated kiosk ACTV station...it's really easy.

    Going to the cruise port (or going back from there into town) this is a convenient and cheap way to…read moreget there. Especially if you arrive from the train station, it's a good option. If you are in good health then you can easily walk the distance from the Train Station to this People Mover station. It's about a 10min walk. Lots of "helpers" will offer you to transport your luggage from the train station to the people mover station. If you are still strong, then there's no need to do that...and the prices are hefty. It's useful for elderly or diabled people though. The only obstacle in the way is the Ponte della Costituzione. You gotta climb those stairs with your luggage. The People Mover itself is easy, get your ticket at the machine for 1.50 Euros and wait for the next train. They arrive within a few minutes. It's a short ride. Once you exit it depends where your ships docks. It still can be quite a distance to walk from here. But beats (price-wise) most other options.

    Photos
    people mover
    people mover - Look for this sign to help you get to the People Mover

    Look for this sign to help you get to the People Mover

    people mover

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    Stazione Venezia Santa Lucia

    Stazione Venezia Santa Lucia

    3.7(85 reviews)
    0.4 km

    Amazing station, busy and well organized. Support reps help you either Trenalitalia tickets…read morepurchase and info. I pay and go in Frecci lounge to chill and coffee w snacks there.

    Stazione Venezia San Lucia is the main railway station in Venice that is a main gateway connecting…read moreVenice to other visits. We took a Trentitalia train from Venice to Rome. We came to the train station early in the morning to drop off our luggage at the Left Luggage office. Prices: First 4 hours - 6€ From 5th to 12th hours - additional 1€ per hour More than 13th hours - an additional 0,50€ per hour Our train ride was under 4 hours away so we didn't have to worry about the additional charges. We left 2 carry-on suitcases and a backpack, so that we can enjoy exploring the city in the morning before our train ride in the afternoon. With Venice being congestion and having a lot of stairs, it's not comfortable dragging luggage around everywhere. It was actually really fortunate that we came early to leave our stuff here because later in the morning, some of the waterbuses declined passengers with luggage due to space limitations. When we took the waterbus back, some folks were turned down and they probably missed their train ride because of it. Also, while we were at the station, there were plenty of businesses to buy meals and snacks for our train ride. I recommend coming early to prevent missing your train and also so you can settle in and pick up snacks for your train ride.

    Photos
    Stazione Venezia Santa Lucia - Carnival museum at waterfront

    Carnival museum at waterfront

    Stazione Venezia Santa Lucia - In Legami inside train station

    In Legami inside train station

    Stazione Venezia Santa Lucia - In Legami inside train station

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    In Legami inside train station

    ACTV - publictransport - Updated May 2026

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