Getting around in Venice – Vaporetti

In Venice you have the option of moving around on foot (something truly magical) or using the ACTV vaporetti and motoscafo water-bus services.

The vaporetti water-buses in Venice make it possible to reach all the major areas of the city and those not-to-be-missed monuments. The vaporetto and motoscafo water-buses also make it easy to cross over to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello as well as the smaller islands.

Main waterborne routes
The main waterborne routes served by the vaporetto water-buses in Venice are those that operate along the Grand Canal, the Giudecca Canal and the northern Lagoon.

CITY CENTRE ROUTES

These are Routes 1 and 2 that cross through the heart of the city, that is to say the two most innermost waterways, the Grand Canal and Giudecca Canal. These are slower routes that provide an opportunity to take in the buildings that line the Grand Canal or to reach the most picturesque parts of the city, like the island of Giudecca. They connect some of the more important parts of the city, namely Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto and the Station with Rialto, the Academy Bridge (Ponte dell’Accademia), the Salute and St. Mark’s.

CITY ORBITAL ROUTES

The routes in question, namely 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, and 6 all operate a circular route along the city’s perimeter. Taking one of these will get you quickly from Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto to areas such Fondamenta Nuove, Murano, the Arsenal (Arsenale), the Lido, the Gardens (Giardini) and the Zattere. Jumping aboard one of these routes allows you to enjoy a Venice that is very picturesque, given that a large part of the journey takes place on the open Lagoon.


LAGOON ROUTES


These are the connecting routes that operate to the Lagoon’s most important islands such as the Lido (17), St. Servolo (20) and Pellestrina (11). They all leave from St Zaccaria (St. Mark’s)


N ROUTE

The waterborne routes operated by the vaporetto water-buses in Venice and bearing the letter N are night-time services. There is in fact a night service that connects all the most important points of the city. They begin running at around midnight and operate until 5 in the morning.

For official Map Routes in Venice Click here