Venice public transport: what you need to know

The city of Venice is unique both in its history and in its special appearance. The historic center is completely surrounded by water and has a fish-like shape on top.

Venice consists of endless canals: the main one is the famous Grand Canal, which crosses the historical center of the city and divides it into two parts; but it is also characterized by its narrow kalli, campi, fondamenta, salizzade and small islands connected by the same number of bridges, as well as the monuments and works of art that are stored here.

If you are planning a trip to these seats, buy a Venice Pass and take advantage of all the benefits offered. In addition, the lagoon consists of no less than 62 islands, including large ones including Burano, Murano and Giudecca, as well as other smaller ones. Let's find out together how you can use public transport to get around Venice and visit this wonderful, world famous city.

The Venice Lagoon can only be traveled on foot (even bicycles are prohibited in the historic center) or along waterways thanks to the typical “water bus”: the vaporetto. In addition to this, there are several boats that can take you to the main points of the city and all the other islands around it. We'll show you the modes of transport that come in handy for getting around the city when you can't or don't want to walk, so you can feel like a real local and discover all the public transport options for getting around Venice.

Of course, the city is well connected to the mainland by various non-water modes of transport such as train, bus, tram and car. All this is possible thanks to the Ponte della Liberta, a railway and road bridge about four kilometers long that connects the historical center of Venice with the mainland. This is the only accessible route for car traffic, arrival is limited to Piazzale Roma and the island of Tronchetto, where there are car parks to park your car. Thus, from Venice Marco Polo Airport it will be possible to reach the city center by public transport buses or by sea thanks to Alilaguna.

The most common means of transport of historical tradition in Venice is, of course, the gondola. The image of the city has always been associated with this famous mode of transport, which, before the advent of motorized transport, was the most suitable and used Venetian ship for transporting people. Today you can enjoy a magnificent gondola ride along the canals of Venice, admire the city and its historical palaces from the waters of the lagoon, but not only! In fact, there are special gondolas for crossing canals. It also offers a romantic view of the landmarks and is highly sought after by tourists.

The Vaporetto is a distinctive feature of this city: a real symbol of movement in Venice, along with gondolas. It can be described as a water bus and is the easiest way to get around the city. Like local buses, water buses connect all areas of the city with lines and schedules that meet the different needs of citizens. They are served by the public transport company ACTV, which also serves transport in the mainland areas of the municipality of Venice. The most useful routes for visitors are routes 1 and 2, the city center lines that cross Venice and follow mainly the waterways of the Grand Canal or the Giudecca Canal. Mobility in the lagoon is guaranteed for 24 hours. From approximately midnight to five o'clock in the morning, the night service network, marked by line N, is active.

Another very convenient planned government service is the Alilaguna company. Its network consists of four lines connecting the Marco Polo Airport terminal and cruise terminal with the center of Venice, Lido, Murano and Punta Sabbioni. From its stops you can easily reach any destination in the city, saving time and being able to admire the surrounding landscape from a privileged vantage point. The Green Line, in particular, takes you on a tourist trip to the islands of Murano, Torcello and Burano.

Venice, due to its physical structure, is not a suitable location for road transport. It does, however, add to the charm of any visit, which can be planned using public transport to get around with ease. If you decide to arrive by car, you can use paid parking on the mainland, near the bridges leading into the city, and then continue by tram from Piazzale Roma: this will not be a cheap solution, especially in high season. Another option is a ferry that will take your car from Piazzale Roma to Venice Lido, from where you will have to travel by public transport or on foot.