Vaporetto tickets in Venice: day passes, prices and when they pay off

A single ride is valid for 75 minutes in one direction, transfers included. Time passes usually come as 24, 48 and 72 hours plus 7 days, and start from first validation rather than purchase.

Rule of thumb: from three rides a day the 24-hour pass beats single tickets. If you mostly walk and take one boat to an island, singles are cheaper.

Line 1 runs slowly along the whole Grand Canal and is the cheapest panoramic ride in town. Line 2 is the faster link towards the station and Giudecca.

For Murano, Burano and Torcello use lines 12 and 14 from Fondamente Nove. Marco Polo airport is served by Alilaguna or water taxi, not by the vaporetto, and needs its own ticket.

Validate every ticket at the pillar on the pontoon before boarding, including each ride on a time pass. Checks are frequent and fines cost far more than the fare.

One large piece of luggage is normally free; extra pieces may carry a surcharge, which matters on arrival and departure days.