Venice’s historic centre has no road transport: your everyday choices are footpaths and boats. Santa Lucia railway station, Rialto and St Mark’s are connected by pedestrian routes, while ACTV water buses carry you along the Grand Canal and out to the lagoon islands. Choose your journeys before choosing a ticket, especially if your accommodation involves several bridges.
Walking, water buses and other transport
| Criterion | Walking | Water buses | Traghetti | Water taxis | Mainland buses/trams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Useful journeys | Default within historic centre | Islands; waterfronts; fewer bridges | Grand Canal crossing | Luggage; shared private journey | Mestre–Piazzale Roma |
| Walk left | Entire journey | Landing to destination | Both canal banks | Usable landing to destination | From Piazzale Roma |
| Cost | Free | €9.50 single; passes available | €2 visitor crossing | Typically €60–€100 centrally | €1.50 single |
With luggage, count the bridges between the landing and your accommodation, not just the boat journey. Sightseeing gondola rides are excursions, rather than everyday transport.
ACTV boats have equipped spaces and independent wheelchair boarding, with capacity for one wheelchair. Priority entrances are at Piazzale Roma F, Ferrovia B, Rialto C, Lido S. Maria Elisabetta A/B, Murano Faro and Burano.
Walking between the station, Rialto and St Mark’s
| Walk | Distance | Moving time |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Lucia–Rialto Bridge | about 1.6 km | about 22 minutes |
| Rialto Bridge–St Mark’s Square | about 500 metres | about 7 minutes |
From Santa Lucia, follow signs for Rialto, then San Marco for St Mark’s Square. Rialto Bridge itself has steps: wheeled luggage still needs lifting, and bridge crossings interrupt an otherwise straightforward walk. Allow extra time for crowds, pauses and wrong turns.
There is no single duration for walking around all of Venice: the centre branches into neighbourhoods rather than forming one circuit, and lagoon islands require boats. These central legs connect landmarks, not the whole city.
Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Water buses on the Grand Canal and lagoon
| Line / departure terminal | Direction | Window | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Piazzale Roma · daily | Lido S.M.E. | 05:01–23:41 | Day 12 min; evening 12/20/30 min |
| 1 · Lido S.M.E. · daily | Piazzale Roma | 04:36–23:06 | Day 12 min; evening 12/20/30 min |
| 2 · S. Marco–S. Zaccaria · daily | Rialto | 04:55–23:16 | Generally 12 min; morning/evening 20 min |
| 2 · Rialto · daily | S. Marco–S. Zaccaria | 06:37–23:36 | Generally 12 min; morning/evening 20 min |
| 12 · Fondamente Nove · daily* | Punta Sabbioni via Burano | 04:20–22:25 | Generally 30 min; evening 45–60+ min |
| 12 · Treporti · daily* | Venice | 05:40–23:55 | Variable |
| N · S. Marco–S. Zaccaria B | Lido S.M.E. | 23:30–04:30 | 20 min to 00:30; then 01:00, 01:30, 02:30, 03:30, 04:30 |
| N · Lido S.M.E. D | S. Marco–S. Zaccaria | 23:23–04:03 | 20 min to 00:03; 00:19, 00:33; 30 min from 01:03 |
A vaporetto is a water bus. Lines 1 and 2 serve the Grand Canal, while N provides night transport. *Some line 12 departures run Monday–Saturday only. For the return from Burano, board towards Fondamente Nove. Late departures from Punta Sabbioni towards Venice are 22:41 and 23:41.
| Line | Boarding landing | Direction / destination |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrovia E; B from 21:05 | Rialto / Lido |
| 2 | Ferrovia B | Rialto |
| 12 | Fondamente Nove | Burano / Punta Sabbioni |
| N | Ferrovia B | S. Marco–S. Zaccaria / Lido |
From Santa Lucia, line 1 to Rialto takes about 16 minutes, including access to Ferrovia. From the Fondamente Nove ticket-point area, line 12 to Burano takes about 44 minutes, including the short walk to the landing.
Luggage limits use length + width + height: free allowance is two pieces up to 120 cm each and one up to 150 cm. Extra luggage costs one passenger ticket per three pieces, but nothing over 150 cm is permitted. Crowding or safety can prevent carriage.
Marc Ryckaert ( MJJR ) · CC BY 3.0 · Edited
Traghetti across the Grand Canal
| Day | Operating hours |
|---|---|
| Monday–Saturday | 08:30–18:00 |
| Sunday / public holiday | 09:00–18:00 |
- Visitor fare
- €2 per person per crossing
- Payment
- Gondolier on boarding
A traghetto is a short gondola-ferry crossing. Santa Sofia–Pescheria takes you across the Grand Canal to the fish-market side, rather than along it on a sightseeing ride. An ACTV ticket does not pay for this crossing. Outside its operating hours, use Rialto Bridge to cross on foot, and allow for its steps if carrying bags.
Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Private water taxis
- Request in person
- Municipal taxi stand or public/private landing
- Radio taxi
- 199 48 49 50
A private water taxi can carry your party and luggage to a usable landing. Expect roughly €60–€100 for a central journey, rising with distance, night travel or waiting. Agree the destination landing before setting off: canal access determines the remaining walk, and a waterfront hotel does not necessarily offer usable boat access. Venice water taxi costs and hiring tips explains fare arrangements when you are considering a private boat.
Buses and trams from Mestre
| Operating day | First / last departure | Day / evening interval |
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 07:09 / 00:24 | Generally 10 / 15 min |
| Sunday / public holiday | 06:53 / 23:38 | Generally 15 / 15 min |
| Line | Stop | Direction | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Mestre Centro A4 | Venezia | Piazzale Roma |
| T1 | Piazzale Roma | Favaro Veneto | Mestre Centro |
T1 from Mestre Centro to Piazzale Roma takes about 21 minutes, including the short access walk from the interchange. At Piazzale Roma, continue on foot or by water bus: mainland buses and trams stop at the edge of the historic centre. Lido buses serve that island’s road network, while the People Mover links Piazzale Roma, the maritime terminal and Tronchetto.
Kihij · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Tickets, passes and validation
Single tickets and short-stay passes
| Ticket | Price | Validity from first validation | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated single | €9.50 | 75 minutes | Urban boats + road network |
| Road-network single | €1.50 | 75 minutes | Municipal buses, trams, People Mover |
| 24-hour pass | €25 | 24 hours | Urban boats + road network |
| 48-hour pass | €35 | 48 hours | Urban boats + road network |
| 72-hour pass | €45 | 72 hours | Urban boats + road network |
Road coverage includes Lido and Pellestrina buses. Boat coverage excludes routes 16, 19 and the Casinò route, and Alilaguna and suburban services are outside these tickets. Airport journeys are excluded, but passes accept an airport-bus supplement of €7 one way or €13 return.
Transfers are allowed within single-ticket validity, but tickets cannot be shared. Passes run continuously from first validation, not by calendar day.
- Within 24 hours, three separately paid boat journeys at €9.50 cost €28.50: the €25 pass is cheaper.
- Within 48 hours, four separately paid boat journeys at €9.50 cost €38: the €35 pass is cheaper.
- Within 72 hours, five separately paid boat journeys at €9.50 cost €47.50: the €45 pass is cheaper.
Venice vaporetto pass prices and break-even develops the calculations around your planned journeys and first validation.
Buying and validating your ticket
Fondamente Nove has an ACTV ticket point for your island journey. Buy through Venezia Unica agencies, ticket points, machines, authorised sellers or online. Alternatives include the AVM Venezia Official App, WhatsApp Chat&Go, contactless cards and boat purchases by digital payment.
- Name
- Fondamente Nove water-bus stop
- Location
- Fondamente Nove 5040, Venezia Maps
- Essential fact
- ACTV water-bus landings on the northern waterfront of Venice’s historic centre.
Do
- Validate physical tickets before water-bus or People Mover access; on buses/trams, immediately after boarding. Repeat at every change and wait for confirmation.
- In the app, open My tickets → To be activated. Activate at least 3 minutes before bus/tram boarding; for boats scan the dynamic QR face-up and await green confirmation.
- Keep your ticket for inspection; present the same contactless card/device used to pay, or its last four digits.
Don’t
- Board with an unactivated app ticket.
- Skip validation when changing vehicles.
- Rely on screenshots or printouts for inspection.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: services and fares and charges.
- URBANO WEB INVERNO 2026.xlsx — Linea T1 timetable
- Da sabato via libera al servizio delle gondole da parada anche al Giglio, alla dogana e al Carbon. Estesi gli orari per Santa Sofia e San Tomà
- City of Venice — fares and charges
- AVM/Actv — service
- Libretto orari navigazione — Linea 12
- Orario linea N dal 2025 11 04.xls
- Orario linea 1 dal 2026 09 14
- LINEA 2 — S.MARCO/S.ZACCARIA – GIUDECCA – TRONCHETTO – P.LE ROMA – FERROVIA – RIALTO
- LINEA N — S.ZACCARIA – CANALE GIUDECCA – CANAL GRA
- AVM/ACTV — service
- Accessible Mobility | ACTV
- Taxi acqueo | Comune di Venezia
- Venice Urban Services | ACTV
- Urbano Venezia con Venezia Unica
- Search | ACTV
- EMV – Europay, MasterCard and VISA Payment | ACTV
- Actv public transport ticket purchase solutions
- AVM S.p.A. – Azienda Veneziana della Mobilità — service
- AVM/Actv; after 60 days, the Municipality of Venice or Metropolitan City of Venice may determine the increase. — fares and charges
