The vaporetti (water bus) service is run by ACTV (Azienda Comunale per il Trasporto di Venezia – www.actv.it) ,as is all public transport in Venice, and it pays to buy your travel tickets up front when you arrive, and particularly so if you are planning on spending a day or a few days in the city. Single trip fares can be fairly steep, especially if you are only going a stop or two at a time, therefore buy a day pass or a three-day pass which should prove much more economical.

Don’t forget to validate your ticket before use though, at the yellow stamping machines on the boardwalk leading to the platform where water-buses are concerned, and on the buses themselves on land. Pleading ignorance, even for tourists is unlikely to help you avoid a hefty fine which could throw your budget into chaos.

The main tourist office is by St Mark’s Square where tickets can be purchased, as well as provide most other helpful information on the city, including finding accommodation, and the majority of the attendants will understand English. There is also a tourist office right outside St Lucia train station and although always busy, it is a smart move to get your transport pass on arrival in order to get up and running immediately.

Note the biglietto a tempo (day pass) and biglietto tre giorno (three-day pass) do not extend to the Alilaguna which is the airport boat from Marco Polo airport to the city.

Did you Know?!?

It is thought the first public water-bus service, the original incarnation of what is known today, was introduced on September 15, 1881.