Venice Vaporetto 48hr Pass

[Av8tor]

In doing my research for the multi-day passes, I found that after purchasing online, you pick the pass up at the airport. My question is:

 

When does the clock start? Is it from pick-up at the airport or from the first time you use (activate?) the pass on a boat?

 

I'd like to pick the pass up upon arrival at Marco Polo, but won't be using it until AFTER our cruise, two weeks later.

[dogs4fun]

The clock starts when you activate your pass. You don't activate the pass on the vaporetto. You activate at the machines located at the vap docks before you board the water bus.

Edited February 5, 2014 by dogs4fun

[TMLAalum]

The clock starts when you activate your pass. You don't activate the pass on the vaporetto. You activate at the machines located at the vap docks before you board the water bus.

 

We activated our 48 hour passes at the Piazzale Roma stop for the vaporetto to Murano, which didn't arrive til over 30 minutes later. Based on that our passes timed out sooner than we thought at the end of our stay in Venice when we were headed back from St. Mark's Square to return to the ship. We took a risk and boarded anyway, but our nerves took over so we left the vaporetto at the San Toma stop and walked back to the Piazzale Roma. It was a delightful walk along small canals and tiny alleys.

[euro cruiser]

I've stopped getting vaporetto passes as I found I don't use them enough to justify the cost. Venice is a walking city ... but I see the purpose of a pass for a first time visitor. Once you have the "lay of the land", so to speak, you too may find that you don't use the vaporettos as much as you thought you would.

[agabbymama]

Oh my euro cruiser, you must be younger and much more fit than I am.

 

We purchased the 72 hour pass for our 3 days there post-cruise, and used them about 8 round trips back & forth to San Marco, and made a round trip out to Murano. We didn't make it to Burano because of wind, rain, high waves in the lagoon. We could have done with a 48 hour pass, but thought 2 nights/ 3 days in Venice (not thinking it was actually only 2 days as we left early the third morning) and thought it was well worth the money.

 

We enjoyed riding along the Grand Canal just for the fun of it, but we did go twice for walking tours that left from Rialto Bridge once and San Marco the other time. And once we even took the vaporetto in the wrong direction and made all the outlying stops for people going home from work (ha ha).

 

Just wandering and getting lost isn't my idea of fun, and not advisable when you want to get from Piazzale Roma to San Marco or Rialto to meet a tour at a specified time.

[Hlitner]

As has been posted, the timed passes are generally activated the first time you use them when you scan the pass over the scanner located at the pier. However, if you purchase the pass at the ticket office located at the Piazale Roma, we have noticed that sometimes the ticket clerk will actually scan and activate the pass as he hands it to you through the ticket window. This does not ever happen if you simply buy your ticket from one of the ticket vending machines.

 

Hank

[cleobella]

Does anyone know how much a pass costs?

[mapleleaves]

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/buying-vaporetto-tickets.htm

[Av8tor]

We activated our 48 hour passes at the Piazzale Roma stop for the vaporetto to Murano, which didn't arrive til over 30 minutes later. Based on that our passes timed out sooner than we thought at the end of our stay in Venice when we were headed back from St. Mark's Square to return to the ship. We took a risk and boarded anyway, but our nerves took over so we left the vaporetto at the San Toma stop and walked back to the Piazzale Roma. It was a delightful walk along small canals and tiny alleys.

 

Don't you have to scan your pass for every ride? If so, I wouldn't have worried about it if the pass had scanned OK when boarding at St Mark's Square....

[dogs4fun]

Don't you have to scan your pass for every ride? If so, I wouldn't have worried about it if the pass had scanned OK when boarding at St Mark's Square....

 

No, you only scan (activate) your pass once ... at the dock before your first ride. You are "good to go" for the remainder of your timed pass.

Our passes were checked several times aboard the vaporettos (by a plain clothes attendant with a hand held scanner) during our recent 5 days in Venice. So ... make certain that your pass is activated! :)

Edited February 6, 2014 by dogs4fun

[Hlitner]

Actually, you are required to scan your card (we have seen a few ignore this requirement) every time you get on a vaporetto. It is very simply (you just sweep it over top of the scanner) and, as long as your cards is still valid, you will get a green light. Once your card has expired you will get a Red light.

 

Hank

[General Max]

You can also pick up your passes at the train station.

[Hlitner]

As I mentioned previously, those timed passes are also easy to get out of any vaporetto ticket vending machine. Those machines are pretty easy to use, have instructions in English, and avoid having to wait in a queue at one of the staffed ticket offices. The last time we were at the P. Roma we saw folks waiting for a long time at the ACTV ticket office while we just walked up to a machine, put in our money, and got our ticket. Finally somebody in the line asked us about the machines...and the ticket queue got somewhat shorter as folks started using the machines :).

 

Hank

P.S. We have never met a queue we liked :)

Edited February 6, 2014 by Hlitner

[dogs4fun]

Actually, you are required to scan your card (we have seen a few ignore this requirement) every time you get on a vaporetto. It is very simply (you just sweep it over top of the scanner) and, as long as your cards is still valid, you will get a green light. Once your card has expired you will get a Red light.

 

Hank

:rolleyes: Guess I & my cohorts are some of the "few" that have ignored this requirement. We had no problem with the "vaporetto police" though.

There are now some turnstiles where you must insert your card to pass through the turnstile (Lido, S Marco Vallaresso are two that I remember).

[TMLAalum]

As has been posted, the timed passes are generally activated the first time you use them when you scan the pass over the scanner located at the pier. However, if you purchase the pass at the ticket office located at the Piazale Roma, we have noticed that sometimes the ticket clerk will actually scan and activate the pass as he hands it to you through the ticket window. This does not ever happen if you simply buy your ticket from one of the ticket vending machines.

 

Hank

 

This might have been what happened to us since we bought our passes at that ticket office!

 

Actually, you are required to scan your card (we have seen a few ignore this requirement) every time you get on a vaporetto. It is very simply (you just sweep it over top of the scanner) and, as long as your cards is still valid, you will get a green light. Once your card has expired you will get a Red light.

 

Hank

 

Yup. We got the RED X. We did try to buy a one ride ticket but the machine was balking so we took a chance and boarded anyway. Leaving the vaporetteo at San Toma was a blessing in disguise!

 

BTW we were there over all Saints weekend, and the crowds were beyond what we'd experienced the summer before. I wondered if we'd boarded a sardine can instead of a vaporetto!!

[Hlitner]

This might have been what happened to us since we bought our passes at that ticket office!

 

 

 

Yup. We got the RED X. We did try to buy a one ride ticket but the machine was balking so we took a chance and boarded anyway. Leaving the vaporetteo at San Toma was a blessing in disguise!

 

BTW we were there over all Saints weekend, and the crowds were beyond what we'd experienced the summer before. I wondered if we'd boarded a sardine can instead of a vaporetto!!

 

Many European transportation systems operate on a partial honor system where only random checks are made to ensure compliance. So, it is often possible to cheat various systems like the vaporettos, trams, buses, and even certain train lines. However, there are always random checks and the fines (on the spot) can be quite severe. Guess you got lucky :).

 

Hank

[Ron98GT]

In doing my research for the multi-day passes, I found that after purchasing online, you pick the pass up at the airport. My question is:

 

When does the clock start? Is it from pick-up at the airport or from the first time you use (activate?) the pass on a boat?

 

I'd like to pick the pass up upon arrival at Marco Polo, but won't be using it until AFTER our cruise, two weeks later.

 

Do you know where to pick-up the tickets at the airport?

 

If you wait and purchase the tickets in Venice using a machine, does the machine accept cash or do they require a chip-and-pin credit card?

 

thanks,

[Hlitner]

The last time we were at the airport you could pick-up tickets in the main part of the terminal near the exit door (this is where you will be when you get your luggage and clear customs (if any). Ironically, the last time we were that airport there was a labor strike and the ticket kiosk was closed...which had quite a few folks upset.

 

As to the vending machines, yes they do take Euros or credit cards. We have never tried using our credit card but, if the machines are like most European vending machines, they will not work with a US issued magnetic strip credit card.

 

At the Piazale Roma there is also a ticket booth where you can buy tickets from a human, and I guess one could also go inside the ACTV office and also purchase tickets there...although there is often a queue in that office.

 

Hank

Edited February 8, 2014 by Hlitner

[Av8tor]

Thanks everyone for all the replies! Armed with this info, I know enough to make transportation plans for our 4 days in Venice. If we don't pre-order passes to pick-up at the airport, we'll just get Euros at an ATM at the airport and buy the passes from the vending machines. That is if I can't get a chip & PIN credit card from my bank (I've heard that they do offer them on request - we'll see)...

[Alex71]

Is there any advantage in buying the tickets online? It's my understanding from what I've read on the ACTV website that all one gets is a voucher for the ticket, with which one still has to claim the actual ticket.

 

We will be staying at the Mestre Novotel and looking to use the day pass already for the bus to Venice, but it seem an online purchase will not allow us to print out a ready to use ticket.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Alex71

[keenercam]

This is helpful information. Thank you for sharing it. Am I correct that once you buy the pass you can use it for any of the vaporetto routes? Or do you buy a route-specific 48 hour pass?

[Hlitner]

Yes, you are correct. The pass is good for unlimited use on all the vaporetto lines including the longer runs out to the other islands such as Burano.

 

Hank

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[keenercam]

Thank you, Hank!

[Signor John]

:rolleyes: Guess I & my cohorts are some of the "few" that have ignored this requirement. We had no problem with the "vaporetto police" though.

 

For what it's worth, my wife and I have had our tickets inspected any number of times on Venice's vaporetti. The inspectors do sweeps from time to time, so be forewarned.

[magnet1640]

Thanks everyone for all the replies! Armed with this info, I know enough to make transportation plans for our 4 days in Venice. If we don't pre-order passes to pick-up at the airport, we'll just get Euros at an ATM at the airport and buy the passes from the vending machines. That is if I can't get a chip & PIN credit card from my bank (I've heard that they do offer them on request - we'll see)...

 

We bought our 72 hour passes at a desk at the airport without pre-ordering online, and it was the same price. We activated on our first vaporetto stop.