How to travel around Venice – Complete Venice transport guide

In a city where the streets are actually waterways, it goes without saying that the transportation methods available will also be unique. In this article, we will describe all the ways you can get around Venice during your trip.

Spoiler alert: if you prefer exploring places with your own two feet, yes, you can walk everywhere in Venice. But we’ll cover it in detail below.

How to get around Venice?

Venice is a car-free city, the only options to move around are through land or water. Here are the few transport options you will have for getting around Venice’s city center and the neighboring islands.

Vaporetto

The Vaporetto service is the public transport of Venice that operates through a waterbus system. They have designated stations located all around Venice, distributed along multiple Vaporetto lines. This transport system offers connections not only within the Venice city center but also to other islands of the Lagoon.

Tickets can be bought online, at the ticket booth, or directly at the boat (even though that may come at an extra price). Here are the ticket prices:

• Single ticket: 7,50 €, worth 75 minutes
• Daily pass: 21,00 €, worth 24 hours from the initial validation
• 2-day ticket: 30,00 €
• 3-day ticket: 40,00 €
• 7-day ticket: 60,00 €

Check the timetable on ACTV’s official website.

Traghetto

The traghetto service is an affordable transport alternative to cross the canal from one point to another. Differently from the Vaporettos which have multiple stops for each line, the Traghettos just go back and forth between two established points. There are a lot of Traghetto stops along the Grand Canal, for instance at Punta Della Dogana and at the Rialto fish market.

The traghettos are small boats that look like gondolas. They carry a small number of people at a time, which depends on the size of the boat available. However, waiting times are very short because the ride is quick and direct. 

The traghettos are mostly used by residents, as many tourists often don’t know about them. Single crossing tickets are 2,00 €, and you don’t have to buy the ticket upfront.

Gondolas

It is impossible to talk about Venice without mentioning gondolas. Even though you can book a gondola for going from one place to another, they are usually sold as an experience instead of a transport method. In fact, most of the gondola tours make a loop ride, but this can be negotiated with the gondoliere before boarding.

There are gondolas of different sizes, but the most common ones carry 2 to 4 people at a time. It is possible to share a gondola to try to lower the price of the ride, which is usually quite high. You can expect to pay roughly:

• 80 € for a half-hour tour
• 100-120 € for a half-hour tour during the night or sunset

Pro tip: The price will also depend on the location that you board, as most tourist spots usually have higher prices. Make sure to always negotiate everything upfront!

Water taxi

Of course, Venice has its own taxi system too. Just instead of yellow cabs, you will find boats.

Going around Venice with the water taxi service is the most expensive transport alternative, but it is also the fastest and most exclusive one. The water taxis can normally park on any public deck in the city, which means you are not restricted to official stations such as with the Vaporettos.

The prices vary depending on many factors, such as the company provider, the route, and the time of day (at night the rides are more expensive). As of general reference, you can expect to pay between 100 – 150 € for coming from the airport to the city center.

Pro tip: We recommend booking your water taxi ride through your accommodation if provided. Most hotels and experienced hosts have the right contact that will be able to offer you a practical water taxi solution for getting around Venice.

Walking

Getting around Venice on foot is definitely the most practical and affordable option. Since there are no cars, the streets aren’t paved, but they are made of stones that make them very accessible, even with a stroller or luggage.

Continue reading the following sections to know more about getting around Venice on foot.

Can you walk everywhere in Venice?

If you want the short answer: yes, you can easily walk everywhere in Venice and do all your touring on foot. Venice is quite compact as a city, so the most important attractions are all located within a 20 minutes walk of each other. To cross the main island of Venice from top to bottom, you will need less than 1h – and that is taking the longer path.

The only things you will not be able to reach by foot are the attractions located outside of Venice’s main island, such as the Giudecca neighborhood, Lido, and the islands of Murano and Burano.

How to cross the Grand Canal in Venice

The Grand Canal crosses Venice from top to bottom. You have essentially two options for crossing the Grand Canal: either by foot through one of the bridges or by boat.

By foot: There are only four bridges that cross the Grand Canal in Venice: Ponte della Costituzione, Ponte degli Scalzi, Ponte di Rialto, and Ponte dell’Accademia (in this order, from top to bottom). 

By boat: If you won’t be close to one of the four bridges, you may prefer to cross the Grand Canal by boat. Your options are to take a Vaporetto to a station on the other side of the canal, ride on the Traghetto or cross with a gondola. No one will book a boat taxi just to cross the canal, as the crossing takes literally 1 minute.

Friendly reminder: During festive holidays and celebrations, some boat services may not be available in the Grand Canal. In these cases, you should cross the Grand Canal through one of the bridges.

How to get around Venice with luggage

Venice is not a practical city to travel with luggage, especially the large ones. If you can avoid carrying a lot of weight with you, that will be the best option. Backpacks and carry-ons are easy to stroll around, so you should have no trouble getting to your hotel with them.

For people coming to Venice carrying large suitcases, here are the best options:

• Stay in a hotel in or near Piazzale Roma so you won’t have the hustle of dragging your luggage to the city center.
• Pick a hotel close to a Vaporetto station (ideally on the same block) and use the Vaporetto service to get there.
• Leave your large piece of luggage in a storage facility at Piazzale Roma or the train station, bringing along only the small bag.
• Get a porter to transport your luggage to your hotel. They stay right outside of the train station, but it is not a very reliable service as many times, there will be none available. I would give preference to one of the options above.

What to avoid when going to Venice with luggage?

When planning your trip to Venice, the first thing you need to have in mind is the location of your accommodation. Walking along the alleys is pretty easy even with a large suitcase (the only annoying thing can be the crowds during high season, but you can avoid the main streets). However, the bridges may give you a hard time if you are carrying a heavy piece.

Aim for staying in a hotel that is located in the same block as a Vaporetto station to avoid carrying your suitcase through any bridge. There are several hotel options alongside the canals.

Here are 3 options of accommodations where you have a Vaporetto station close by, without any bridges on the way:

• Hotel A La Commedia – accessible through the Rialto stop
• Hotel Giorgione – accessible through the Ca’ D’oro stop
• Palazzo Veneziano – Venice Collection – accessible through the San Basilio station

Getting around Venice with luggage – Vaporreto vs Alilaguna boats

If you are debating between the Vaporetto and the Alilaguna boats when going to Venice with luggage, choose the Vaporetto. The Alilaguna boats offer a direct connection between Venice city center and the Airport Marco Polo, which may be tempting considering the convenience.

However, their boats are considerably smaller and often get crowded, because most passengers will also be traveling with their belongings. During the high season, it is not uncommon to have people miss the boat because there is simply no space left for extra passengers plus luggage.

The most recommended alternative to moving between Venice and the airport with luggage is to use the Vaporetto service until Piazzale Roma and, from there, take a bus to the airport. The Vaporetto boats are quite larger (see image below) and, even if they also get full, not everyone riding on them are travelers so there is much more movement and space being freed up. 

Read also: The best airports for traveling to Venice

Additional tips:

• The Vaporetto boats are emptier outside of rush hours.
• If you have multiple lines to choose from, try avoiding the main ones, as they are the most crowded lines.
• Buy your ticket in advance to save time.
• You may be asked to put your luggage in a designated compartment if the boat is full.
• You may be charged an extra ticket if your luggage is too big.

What is the most economical form of transport in Venice?

The cheapest transport mode in Venice is the only one that is free – your legs. If you want to save money on transportation, walking is by far the best option to get around Venice.

However, we know that walking several kilometers per day is not an option for everyone. When comparing all the boat transport options to get around Venice, the most economical form of transport is the Vaporetto. The price for a single ride with the boat system may be quite pricey, but you can easily save some money by buying the day ticket or another one of the available packages.

Continue reading about how to organize your trip to Venice

Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Venice

Best Day Trips from Venice

Best Time of Year to Visit Venice

Perfect Day Trip to Chioggia

Looking for a tour option?

If you are still looking for tours and inspiration on what to do in Venice, check out a few options below!