Public transport in Venice 2021: types, descriptions, prices

Today, Venice, located on 119 islets and surrounded by 150 canals, can be called a monument of history, architecture, art and culture. Its charm is so great that having been here once, you can “get sick” with a Venetian fairy tale for life. The uniqueness of traveling through the “city on the water” is also that you can move either on foot or along the canals. Riding on narrow sidewalks, even on a bicycle, is difficult, and every year, unfortunately, this is becoming more noticeable (according to scientists, the water level here is constantly rising, and therefore projects are already being developed to save the Italian pearl).

Water transport in Venice

The only city in the world where public transport runs only on water is Venice. You can walk along it, but for this you need to live here. To view its remarkable masterpieces, it is best to take a trip along the canals. There are 3 types of Venetian transport: taxis, gondolas and vaporetto.

Having approached Venice by bus or car, everyone heads to the landing stage located on the banks of the canals. They (berths) are usually painted white with a bright yellow stripe, on which the name of the stop is indicated in black, and are equipped with 2 gangways-bridges. One is designed to enter the ship, the second – to leave it.

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Taxis are quite expensive, a gondola is more suitable for a short romantic swim, and a vaporetto is the most common form of transport. This beautiful word denotes a river tram or a motor ship, plying with numerous stops along an extensive system of canal streets. “Vaporetto” literally translates as “steamboat”, and although all these single-deck ships have long been working separately, the old name stuck with them.

Depending on the route features, small, medium and large vessels are used. Where there are bridges, vaporetto float lower. For tourists, the cost of travel on motor ships is higher than for local residents, but the impression of the trip compensates for all costs. 22 vaporetto routes have been developed, providing travelers with the opportunity to see all the significant objects of the city and visit the popular islands.

Venice water bus lines

Line 1, running along the central Grand Canal, connects Piazzale Roma, where tourists arrive by bus and car, with Piazza San Marco. Water transport of the 1st line is on the way, taking into account stops of 45 minutes, reaching the final destination – the beach island of Lido. This central route takes you to the hotels, admiring the magnificence of the Venetian buildings along the way; if desired, make a stop and continue the trip further to the desired place.

Vaporetto Line 2 also runs along the Grand Canal, it is convenient to use the train arriving in Venice at the Venice railway station, next to which there is a pontoon ferry where you can take water transport at the Ferrovia stop. From it to the final station, the river tram goes 25 minutes, stopping at 8 of the largest crowded points; in the beach season it sails to the Lido beaches.

Following the 2nd line, you can get off at all the piers from Tronchetto to about. Judecca. Sometimes, during busy hours on the Grand Canal, a real multinational carnival of tourists sailing in vaporetti, gondolas and taxis is spontaneously organized, a kind of celebration for those who have found the opportunity to come to a unique city that, like Aphrodite, rises among the water.

Line 3 of the water route provides trips to the famous island of Murano, starting at the railway station, you can swim along it to Piazzale Roma and the bus station located on it, and then go around to the territory of the island with 5 stops. For those aspiring to Murano, line 3 is the most convenient route around the city, where there is no heavy traffic and congestion, which happens on the main channel.

Water lines 4.1 and 4.2 in total make up a circular route around the adjacent islands of Murano and San Michele, where the Island cemetery is located on the latter. Motor ships of line 4.1 move in one direction (clockwise) around the mainland of the city, and lines 4.2 in the other (counterclockwise) Total stops of the circular route 9. If necessary, there is an option from the north of Venice (Fondamento Nove) to the south (Fr. Giudecca) sail along other branches of the central canals, bypassing the Grand. Lines 5.1, 5.2, 6.3 also connect the mainland with the islands of Lido and Murano. There is a night line N following the same route.

The Lagoon special circuit line runs along the lagoon, connecting its islands and Venice with them. On its branches 11, 13, 17, 18, 20, N you can swim to the islands of Burano, Tocello, C. Frasmo and 6 other islands.

Line 12 connects the starting stop of Fondamento Nove with three island territories: Murano, Burano, Torcello, with a sailing time of 50 minutes. The longest route from Murano to about. Burano – 35 minutes. The starting point can be reached on foot or by vaporetto lines 4.1, 4.2. If you walk, the path will run through one of the 6 districts of Venice-Cannaregio, which houses the former Jewish ghetto, now a museum.

In a quiet and peaceful corner, there is a beautiful church of Santa Mari di Nazareth, dedicated to the Catholic Mother of God. Here you will also have the opportunity to see another church, Madonna dell'Orto, which houses the tomb of Tintoretto (the real name of the artist Jacopo Robusti).

In Cannaregio there is a beautiful “House of Gold” or Santa Sofia Palace, which in Italian sounds like Ca de Oro. This building is the embodiment of the graceful beauty of architecture, which is created by thin graceful columns connected at the top with an openwork stucco pattern. The house was built in the 15th century by father and son Bon. As a result of repeated reconstructions, the palace lost its original features, but the reconstruction carried out by the new owner, Baron Georgo Franchetti in 1894, returned the building to its former historical appearance.

Probably, many people know the name “Murano glass”, which originates just on about. Murano, where the factories of the famous Venetian “products” are located. Many tourists come here who are interested in the technology of blowing masterpieces from multi-colored glass in order to buy some kind of glass work of art for themselves. Each of the 4 small factories has its own shop selling authentic Murano products: vases, jugs, trays, dishes, various souvenirs.

The route of the 14th line leads to the island beaches of Lida, you can take the vaporetto of this line at the San Zaccaria stop. After stopping at about. Lido, vaporetto sails to Punta Sabbioni, which is known as a wild beach. People come here with tents and other equipment for sea recreation.

Vaporetto ticket prices

The cost of travel on water buses is inversely proportional to time: the longer the time period, the lower the cost of tickets. A 60-minute trip costs 6.5-7 euros, and a 12-hour trip costs 18. If you plan to spend 2-3 days in Venice with full-fledged excursions, then it is more profitable to purchase a ticket for 25 euros. In this case, a Travel Card is issued, providing unhindered entry to any vaporetto on any line, which will greatly facilitate travel, in addition to tangible savings. All arising questions, problems will be promptly solved by the person on duty available at each stop.

Trips along the waterways of Venice are joyful emotions and impressions that leave an unforgettable mark on the soul.