HELP! Venice public transit info

[Amanapoppy]

Thank you! for the detailed information. It gives me a good perspective now.

[dkata]

"Unfortunately already booked into Rialto!"

 

 

Why unfortunate? Looks like a great hotel and it's only 100 feet from the Rialto Vaporetto Stop. Take the ACTV bus from airport to P. Roma. Walk 100 feet to P. Roma vaporetto stop. Buy 2 or 3 day pass from ticket booth. The ticket booth takes credit cards and the clerk speaks English. Take the #2 Vaporetto from the P. Roma to Rialto stop. Walk 100 feet to you hotel.

You just have to be able to wheel your luggage on/off the Vaporetto and with your luggage you'll want to stand in the main area. I wouldn't even try to wheel my luggage to the seating area, especially if the vaporetto is crowded. And if it is crowded, you'll only get as far as the standing area. If you can't stand the crowded conditions or having to stand with you luggage, then hire a private water taxi at around 100 euro.

Murano is a place to visit, but not a central place to use as a base for Venice.

[Hlitner]

We are booked in at the Rialto Hotel, what would be the easiest transport transfer from airport to hotel and hotel to cruiseport

 

The "easiest" would be to use a water taxi from the airport's pier directly to your hotel, but that is quite expensive (at least 100€). Otherwise, and assuming you can handle your luggage, you need to use a combination of travel modes. From the airport walk outside the main entrance, cross over to the next walkway, and this is where you can catch the express ATVO bus to the Piazale Roma. You can get the bus ticket in advance online, or at a machine located close to the bus stop (or at a staffed kiosk inside the airport near the exit). Once at the P. Roma if you look towards the Grand Canal (hard to miss) you will see a large ACTV sign which is the office for the vaporetto company. You can purchase a vaporetto ticket (either single trip, 24 hour, 48 hour, etc) at the ticket office or from the adjacent vending machines. You can then take the #1 or #2 vaporetto (in the direction of Rialto...which is towards your right when looking at the canal). You many get charged an additional small fee if you are carrying more than one piece of luggage. Once your vaporetto arrives at the Rialto stop simply walk off the boat and to your nearby hotel.

 

Rialto is actually a pretty decent location as there are lots of shops, cafes and restaurants in that area.

To get to the port you would reverse the process taking the #1 or #2 vaporetto to the P. Roma. You will then have to cross the large square to the People Mover Station where you can take the People Mover over to the port (there is a long walk from the station to the terminal). An alternative is to catch a land taxi at the P. Roma to the cruise terminal. The drive is less than 1 mile, but the taxis usually want at least 20€. If you can get a shared taxi then the cost might only be 5€ per person.

 

Some cruise lines have operated a shuttle bus between the P. Roma and the cruise terminal...but we have never been lucky enough to catch one...or even see one.

 

Hank

[Amanapoppy]

"Unfortunately already booked into Rialto!"

 

 

Why unfortunate? Looks like a great hotel and it's only 100 feet from the Rialto Vaporetto Stop. Take the ACTV bus from airport to P. Roma. Walk 100 feet to P. Roma vaporetto stop. Buy 2 or 3 day pass from ticket booth. The ticket booth takes credit cards and the clerk speaks English. Take the #2 Vaporetto from the P. Roma to Rialto stop. Walk 100 feet to you hotel.

You just have to be able to wheel your luggage on/off the Vaporetto and with your luggage you'll want to stand in the main area. I wouldn't even try to wheel my luggage to the seating area, especially if the vaporetto is crowded. And if it is crowded, you'll only get as far as the standing area. If you can't stand the crowded conditions or having to stand with you luggage, then hire a private water taxi at around 100 euro.

Murano is a place to visit, but not a central place to use as a base for Venice.

 

Thank you dkata, for the directions

"Unfortunately" as another hotel was suggested.

[Amanapoppy]

The "easiest" would be to use a water taxi from the airport's pier directly to your hotel, but that is quite expensive (at least 100€). Otherwise, and assuming you can handle your luggage, you need to use a combination of travel modes. From the airport walk outside the main entrance, cross over to the next walkway, and this is where you can catch the express ATVO bus to the Piazale Roma. You can get the bus ticket in advance online, or at a machine located close to the bus stop (or at a staffed kiosk inside the airport near the exit). Once at the P. Roma if you look towards the Grand Canal (hard to miss) you will see a large ACTV sign which is the office for the vaporetto company. You can purchase a vaporetto ticket (either single trip, 24 hour, 48 hour, etc) at the ticket office or from the adjacent vending machines. You can then take the #1 or #2 vaporetto (in the direction of Rialto...which is towards your right when looking at the canal). You many get charged an additional small fee if you are carrying more than one piece of luggage. Once your vaporetto arrives at the Rialto stop simply walk off the boat and to your nearby hotel.

 

Rialto is actually a pretty decent location as there are lots of shops, cafes and restaurants in that area.

To get to the port you would reverse the process taking the #1 or #2 vaporetto to the P. Roma. You will then have to cross the large square to the People Mover Station where you can take the People Mover over to the port (there is a long walk from the station to the terminal). An alternative is to catch a land taxi at the P. Roma to the cruise terminal. The drive is less than 1 mile, but the taxis usually want at least 20€. If you can get a shared taxi then the cost might only be 5€ per person.

 

Some cruise lines have operated a shuttle bus between the P. Roma and the cruise terminal...but we have never been lucky enough to catch one...or even see one.

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank, Thank you so much. This will set us going.

 

One more question please.... Does the alilaguna (is this the same as the vapareto ) not go to Rialto direct.

 

Regards

[roothy123]

This is mostly just for people reading this who are staying at a hotel in the San Marco/St. Mark's Square area and coming from the airport to the P. Roma area:

 

I have a few pictures of the area around P. Roma, taken from Google Earth. Here is one: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/image/161131898

 

I forget which vaporetto stops are right across from the "Coop" store, and occasionally the city makes changes to which vaporettos come to each stop. However, it will at least give you a visual from above of the P. Roma area once you get off the ATVO bus. It may also give you an idea of how far you need to walk with your luggage. There are also a couple of other screenshots before/after the image above that may possibly be helpful in giving you a feel for the area.

 

There are a number of vaporettos that go to the whole San Marco/St. Mark's area, so it's confusing. There's one stop called San Zaccaria that worked well for our hotel (Rio) but it is a little farther away from the actual St. Mark's Square and a few of the hotels, so it may not be better than the stops marked "San Marco." However, if you're near a vaporetto station that has a vaporetto going to San Zaccaria, you could easily walk, without luggage, to St. Mark's from that stop. It's a little tedious, but I found that looking at the ACTV and Alilaguna schedules and then looking at Google Earth (or perhaps just plain Google) helped me figure out just which vaporetto would be best to use.

 

Alilaguna goes right to/into the port, but I forget how close it goes to San Marco/San Zaccaria. If you decide to take the Alilaguna from the airport to the port, post again and I'll find a diagram of the port which shows where the Alilaguna stops.

 

In using taxis or other transportation in Venice, and really in any European city, make sure the driver understands that you want the "port" or "cruise port." Occasionally one will only hear the word "port" and assume you need the airport!

 

Occasionally, a small cruise ship docks in the San Basilio area. If you're on a small ship (maybe 1,000 passengers or smaller?) you might want to make sure you're docking in the regular Statione Maritima.

[GottaKnowWhen]

...One more question please.... Does the alilaguna (is this the same as the vapareto )...

 

The Vaporetto is not the Alilaguna. Two different services.

Just because, here is a photo primer to some of the Venice water transport:

 

Vaporetto (#2 Line at the S. Tomo bus stop)

 

Alilaguna

 

Water taxi

 

Delivery Van

 

Ambulance (try not to get a ride in one of these)

 

And a couple of ACTV Vaporettos on the Grand Canal at dusk along with a few gondolas just for local flavor...

 

Stan

[cruisemom42]

Hi Hank, Thank you so much. This will set us going.

 

One more question please.... Does the alilaguna (is this the same as the vapareto ) not go to Rialto direct.

 

Regards

 

As already answered, Alilaguna and the vaporettos (run by ACTV) are two different lines.

 

The vaporettos "specialize" in providing transportation around Venice and her outlying islands (Murano, Burano, etc.). They are like your local buses -- lots of stops, can be very crowded, not very fast from point to point.

 

The Alilaguna line has fewer routes and fewer stops on those routes. So I guess you could say it's like a "local express" service. It is more focused on getting you to various transportation hubs within Venice than on having a complete route.

 

So....Alilaguna has lines that go to and from the airport, and one line that goes to the large port (Stazione Marittima) where most cruise ships dock.

 

There is service from the airport to Rialto via the Alilaguna Orange Line. So you can take this service direct from the airport to the Rialto stop on the Grand Canal. Most hotels give directions on how to proceed on foot from here.

 

Unfortunately, the Alilaguna Blue Line, which goes to the port, does NOT have a stop at Rialto.

 

Map of the Alilaguna routes: https://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/lines-map#&gid=1&pid=1

 

Map of all the ACTV and Alilaguna routes: http://www.actv.it/sites/default/files/ultimamappa.pdf

[blmjcs]

Great information! Thank you

 

 

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[Amanapoppy]

This is mostly just for people reading this who are staying at a hotel in the San Marco/St. Mark's Square area and coming from the airport to the P. Roma area:

 

I have a few pictures of the area around P. Roma, taken from Google Earth. Here is one: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/image/161131898

 

I forget which vaporetto stops are right across from the "Coop" store, and occasionally the city makes changes to which vaporettos come to each stop. However, it will at least give you a visual from above of the P. Roma area once you get off the ATVO bus. It may also give you an idea of how far you need to walk with your luggage. There are also a couple of other screenshots before/after the image above that may possibly be helpful in giving you a feel for the area.

 

There are a number of vaporettos that go to the whole San Marco/St. Mark's area, so it's confusing. There's one stop called San Zaccaria that worked well for our hotel (Rio) but it is a little farther away from the actual St. Mark's Square and a few of the hotels, so it may not be better than the stops marked "San Marco." However, if you're near a vaporetto station that has a vaporetto going to San Zaccaria, you could easily walk, without luggage, to St. Mark's from that stop. It's a little tedious, but I found that looking at the ACTV and Alilaguna schedules and then looking at Google Earth (or perhaps just plain Google) helped me figure out just which vaporetto would be best to use.

 

Alilaguna goes right to/into the port, but I forget how close it goes to San Marco/San Zaccaria. If you decide to take the Alilaguna from the airport to the port, post again and I'll find a diagram of the port which shows where the Alilaguna stops.

 

In using taxis or other transportation in Venice, and really in any European city, make sure the driver understands that you want the "port" or "cruise port." Occasionally one will only hear the word "port" and assume you need the airport!

 

Occasionally, a small cruise ship docks in the San Basilio area. If you're on a small ship (maybe 1,000 passengers or smaller?) you might want to make sure you're docking in the regular Statione Maritima.

 

Hi Roothy 123

 

A very big Thank You!!

 

I really appreciate the energy to the responses you and all the cruises have put in to get me sorted with the transport in Venice. I had no idea it can be all so confusing. But I can already feel my cruisefeet.

 

I am on the HAL, which I believe is the smaller ship.

[Amanapoppy]

The Vaporetto is not the Alilaguna. Two different services.

Just because, here is a photo primer to some of the Venice water transport:

 

Vaporetto (#2 Line at the S. Tomo bus stop)

 

Alilaguna

 

Water taxi

 

Delivery Van

 

Ambulance (try not to get a ride in one of these)

 

And a couple of ACTV Vaporettos on the Grand Canal at dusk along with a few gondolas just for local flavor...

 

Stan

 

Hi Stan

 

A very big Thank you, and much appreciated!

 

These pictures is really getting my juices flowing. This will be my first visit to that part of the world.

 

Regards

 

Ayesha

[Amanapoppy]

As already answered, Alilaguna and the vaporettos (run by ACTV) are two different lines.

 

The vaporettos "specialize" in providing transportation around Venice and her outlying islands (Murano, Burano, etc.). They are like your local buses -- lots of stops, can be very crowded, not very fast from point to point.

 

The Alilaguna line has fewer routes and fewer stops on those routes. So I guess you could say it's like a "local express" service. It is more focused on getting you to various transportation hubs within Venice than on having a complete route.

 

So....Alilaguna has lines that go to and from the airport, and one line that goes to the large port (Stazione Marittima) where most cruise ships dock.

 

There is service from the airport to Rialto via the Alilaguna Orange Line. So you can take this service direct from the airport to the Rialto stop on the Grand Canal. Most hotels give directions on how to proceed on foot from here.

 

Unfortunately, the Alilaguna Blue Line, which goes to the port, does NOT have a stop at Rialto.

 

Map of the Alilaguna routes: https://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/lines-map#&gid=1&pid=1

 

Map of all the ACTV and Alilaguna routes: http://www.actv.it/sites/default/files/ultimamappa.pdf

 

Hi, Thank you so much for the clarity. This is truly appreciated.

 

I will put my sights on the Alilaguna Orange Line from the Airport for sure.

 

Regards

[roothy123]

The Vaporetto is not the Alilaguna. Two different services.

Just because, here is a photo primer to some of the Venice water transport:

 

Vaporetto (#2 Line at the S. Tomo bus stop)

 

Alilaguna

 

Water taxi

 

Delivery Van

 

Ambulance (try not to get a ride in one of these)

 

And a couple of ACTV Vaporettos on the Grand Canal at dusk along with a few gondolas just for local flavor...

 

Stan

Great pictures, Stan - especially the one of the Grand Canal! Was that from a hotel, top of Rialto Bridge, or what? Love it - so Venice-y!

[GottaKnowWhen]

Great pictures, Stan - especially the one of the Grand Canal! Was that from a hotel, top of Rialto Bridge, or what? Love it - so Venice-y!

Thanks. There is a 6-story department store (in what used to be a Post Office building) just up Canal and to the right of the Rialto. There is a terrace on top, open to visitors. Controlled, they let about 20 on the terrace at a time, you get 10 minutes or so before they shoo you off to make room for the next 20. Takes a bit of careful planning to be in the group of 20 that is outside before/during sunset. This shot is not my favorite of the set I did from there but it best shows the boat traffic...

[Hlitner]

Hi, Thank you so much for the clarity. This is truly appreciated.

 

I will put my sights on the Alilaguna Orange Line from the Airport for sure.

 

Regards

 

Oops. I should have also mentioned the Alilaguna Orange line as a good option to Rialto. It does take about an hour, but the ride is nice :). It runs about once every 30 minutes and makes sense. Just be prepared for a nice walk from the luggage area (at the airport) to the airport pier.

 

Hank

P.S. Now I will go whip myself with some fresh pasta for forgetting all about that Orange Line :).

[PIPER50]

Yep and that would be the "ATVO express buses. They depart from right outside the main airport exit (just cross over to the pedestrian island where you can find the bus and a ticket vending machine). You can also buy ATVO tickets inside the terminal at the kiosk near the exit. I believe the buses run about every 20 minutes, they are luxury coaches, have plenty of luggage storage underneath, and its a nice comfy way to get to the Piazale Roma.

 

Another option is to purchase your ATVO bus ticket in advance (online) where you even get a small discount. Here is a link to their site:

http://www.atvo.it/en-venice-airport.html

 

Hank

This thread has been so informative. I have now purchased my ATVO bus tickets in advance which I have printed off. How do I get this paper document validated? Do I just hand it to the bus driver? I notice that there is a small bar code on the paper - do I put that into the ticket validating machine? Any help with this would be much appreciated :)

[Grandma Cruising]

If I remember correctly you have to use a machine at a vaporetto stop to get the actual tickets. I think you have to type in the voucher number.

 

 

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[pompeii]

Thanks. There is a 6-story department store (in what used to be a Post Office building) just up Canal and to the right of the Rialto. There is a terrace on top, open to visitors. Controlled, they let about 20 on the terrace at a time, you get 10 minutes or so before they shoo you off to make room for the next 20. Takes a bit of careful planning to be in the group of 20 that is outside before/during sunset. This shot is not my favorite of the set I did from there but it best shows the boat traffic...

 

Beautiful photos, Stan! We found out about this terrace while chatting with someone on the Rialto bridge. DH happened to notice people standing up on top of a building and the person told us how to get up there. We went up in the middle of the afternoon and it wasn't as atmospheric as yours at dusk but the views were still fantastic. We waited 5-10 mins or so to be let out there. Well worth looking for it. The name of the store is Fondaco dei Tedeschi.

[Hlitner]

If I remember correctly you have to use a machine at a vaporetto stop to get the actual tickets. I think you have to type in the voucher number.

 

 

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Have no clue about vouchers (we do not pre purchase vaporetto tickets. At nearly all the vaporetto stops there is at least one ticket vending machine (it gives instructions in multiple languages) where one can purchase a 90 min ticket (essentially a single trip ticket) or any of the various day tickets (sold for 24, 48, 72 hours, etc). In most cases the day tickets make the most financial sense and the more days...the less cost per day. There are also staffed ticket booths at many of the major stops where one can purchase the same tickets from a human :). The Piazale Roma (the vaporetto stop most convenient to the cruise port) has an outdoor ticket window, several ticket vending machines, and an inside "ACTV" office where they can handle questions (and also sell you a ticket. The vending machines accept both Euros and chipped credit cards as do the human ticket sellers.

 

Once you have a ticket (which is actually like a card) you simply swipe it over the scanner found at every vaporetto entrance. The first time you swipe a new ticket you will get a green light and that starts the clock on that ticket (such as 90 min, 24 hours, etc). If you buy the ticket at a ticket booth the clerk might swipe your ticket at the time of purchase...thus starting the clock.

 

Everytime you use a vaporetto you should swipe your ticket (you just move it over the scanner) and will get a green light as long as the ticket is still valid. We do not know of any good reason to purchase vaporetto tickets in advance except for those who choose to purchase one of the City Passes which include admission to various sites plus use of vaporettos.

 

Hank

[Troban]

Hank, you info above was great, wondering if you could how we should get from cruise ship to the Boscollo Venezia, it’s the Orta stop I think.

[Hlitner]

Hank, you info above was great, wondering if you could how we should get from cruise ship to the Boscollo Venezia, it’s the Orta stop I think.

 

Had to do what you have already done, and look at the maps :). You sure did pick a place that is not easy to get to on public transit :). It looks to me like your best bet is the Line 4.2 or Line 5.2 from the Piazale Roma to the Madonna Orto Stop. You would use the People Mover from the port to the P. Roma...but will have to deal with some walking to get to the People Mover terminal....and then across the P. Roma to the vaporetto (ACTV pier. And it looks like that leaves you with about a 150 yard walk to get to your hotel. All doable if you are mobile and can easily handle your luggage.

 

Otherwise, you can mortgage the kids and "invest" in a private water taxi which can take you directly to your hotel's pier. I am intrigued by your hotel and why you made that choice. It looks like a fabulous property (which would make us happy) but the location is best left to those of us with no mobility issues. In simple terms its a location for those who love to walk (which would be me).

 

Hank

[roothy123]

Had to do what you have already done, and look at the maps :). You sure did pick a place that is not easy to get to on public transit :). It looks to me like your best bet is the Line 4.2 or Line 5.2 from the Piazale Roma to the Madonna Orto Stop. You would use the People Mover from the port to the P. Roma...but will have to deal with some walking to get to the People Mover terminal....and then across the P. Roma to the vaporetto (ACTV pier. And it looks like that leaves you with about a 150 yard walk to get to your hotel. All doable if you are mobile and can easily handle your luggage.

 

Otherwise, you can mortgage the kids and "invest" in a private water taxi which can take you directly to your hotel's pier. I am intrigued by your hotel and why you made that choice. It looks like a fabulous property (which would make us happy) but the location is best left to those of us with no mobility issues. In simple terms its a location for those who love to walk (which would be me).

 

Hank

I was just looking at that, too (even though not asked) and agree with Hank - the 4.2 in the direction of Murano is the only vaporetto I could see that doesn't require tons of walking, although maybe I missed the 5.2. I plugged Stazione Marittima and Boscola Venezia into ACTV's routing service and that's what it gave me. It looks like the vaporetto from P. Roma to the hotel is about a half hour, including the 3 minutes of walking that ACTV's routing lists for getting from Orto to the hotel. The route from the 4.2 stop to the hotel looks doable with no bridges and not much opportunity to get lost, but with luggage it would likely be more than 3 minutes. I did a screenshot of the area if that would be helpful. To go from the hotel to the port, take the 4.1.

[roothy123]

I was just looking at that, too (even though not asked) and agree with Hank - the 4.2 in the direction of Murano is the only vaporetto I could see that doesn't require tons of walking, although maybe I missed the 5.2. I plugged Stazione Marittima and Boscola Venezia into ACTV's routing service and that's what it gave me. It looks like the vaporetto from P. Roma to the hotel is about a half hour, including the 3 minutes of walking that ACTV's routing lists for getting from Orto to the hotel. The route from the 4.2 stop to the hotel looks doable with no bridges and not much opportunity to get lost, but with luggage it would likely be more than 3 minutes. I did a screenshot of the area if that would be helpful. To go from the hotel to the port, take the 4.1.

Checked the route maps - 5.2 does go to Orto from one of the vaporetto stops at Piazalle Roma.

[Troban]

Had to do what you have already done, and look at the maps :). You sure did pick a place that is not easy to get to on public transit :). It looks to me like your best bet is the Line 4.2 or Line 5.2 from the Piazale Roma to the Madonna Orto Stop. You would use the People Mover from the port to the P. Roma...but will have to deal with some walking to get to the People Mover terminal....and then across the P. Roma to the vaporetto (ACTV pier. And it looks like that leaves you with about a 150 yard walk to get to your hotel. All doable if you are mobile and can easily handle your luggage.

 

Otherwise, you can mortgage the kids and "invest" in a private water taxi which can take you directly to your hotel's pier. I am intrigued by your hotel and why you made that choice. It looks like a fabulous property (which would make us happy) but the location is best left to those of us with no mobility issues. In simple terms its a location for those who love to walk (which would be me).

 

Hank

 

Well, I have Marriott points, but it’s taking them and a little cash.

 

But low cost, not touristy, want real feel of Venice, plus I think easy to get to airport when we leave, it was just getting there that’s going to be challenge. Not extremely fit but already using kids inheritance for the Med cruise so we will be toting our own stuff the cheap way. Thanks

[Troban]

I put info in on Rome2rio as someone suggested and I get this, is this doable? Ok, can’t post pic but it shows a 10 min boat trip, straight from dock..not trusting it tho, you guys sound like you know.