Question about water bus in Venice
 

Hi we will be taking the train from Florence to Venice to stay one night. Our hotel is off of St. Marks square. I think a water bus is the most affordable way to go. Do we need to buy tickets ahead of time? Is it fairly easy to navigate? I’ve never been to Venice so any info would be great. Thank you!

The official website of Venice, and every guidebook to that city, has comprehensive information on the vaporetti and how to use them. Presumably your hotel has staff and a website to explain that to you, too.

You get off the train, walk to the Grand Canal and buy your tickets from a booth or a machine, then go to the correct landing. Be prepared to rush, as everyone else will be in a hurry. Know where you need to get off and be prepared to rush again. When you disembark you will be lost unless your hotel is right on the Grand Canal or has given you explicit directions.

There are a few different vaporetto lines that stop near Piazza San Marco to one side of the piazza or the other. Your hotel's website will have directions from the train station, including which vaporetto line and stop to use.

As StCirq mentioned, when you walk out the front of the train station, the Grand Canal is right in front of you and there are ticket booths and boat landings for the different vaporetto lines. Your biggest decision: Should you buy a one-ride ordinary ticket (7,50 euro for one ride) or an unlimited ride timed ticket? You say you will visit for one night. Do you need to return to the train station to depart? The timed tickets are for a set number of hours and may offer good value depending on your plans:
- 20,00 € - 1 DAY TICKET (24 hours)
- 30,00 € - 2 DAYS TICKET (48 hours)
- 40,00 € - 3 DAYS TICKET (72 hours)
- 60,00 € - 7 DAYS TICKET
PRICES | ACTV

There is no point buying vaporetto tickets in advance. No cost saving, and you have to exchange your voucher for a ticket anyway.
No matter which ticket you buy, single ride or a 24 hour pass, you have to validate your ticket as you walk onto the vap pontoon. You MUST do this each time you ride. Just watch how others do it, it is simple.

Carting luggage around Venice is a pain with multiple bridges to cross. You might consider oganising your luggage so that you leave your big bag at the luggage storage at the station and just take a smaller bag to your hotel. As you leave the station, there is a luggage storage place down the steps to your left.

Maybe I don't know what a water bus is. Is it the vaporetto? When we landed at the train station this past September, we just walked past the ticket booths and got on a smallish water taxi. Paid the guy around 60E & he drove us to the private water dock associated with the place where we were staying. He told us what the price was before we told him where we were going - so I assume it's the same fare regardless of where you travel in Venice. Did the same (with a reservation) to return to the train station. You can purchase a ticket online in advance and save a few Euros.

Stu Dudley

I guess a water bus is a vaporetto. We were anxious to get to the apt, & wanted a reliable service to get us to the train station after our 1 week in Venice - so that's why we paid for the water taxi. When we got to the apt, we purchased a 1 week vaporetto ticket. We spent a LOT of time just going up & back on the Grand canal at different times of the day just to get different sun exposures on the fabulous mansions on the Canal.

Stu Dudley

A water bus is a vaporetto. What you took is a water taxi, lots more expensive but possibly lots more convenient. The vaporetti can, IMO, actually be a huge PITA, though they are cheap. I had a bad foot when we were in Venice last, and trying to squueze past all those always-rushing Italians getting on and off the vaporetti wasn't my favorite part of the trip.

We had planned to take the vaporetto back to the train station from the Apt to catch our train to Florence. But after a week of riding the vaporetto up & down the Grand Canal perhaps 25 times - we decided on a water taxi. I conked my head getting into the water taxi however!!!

Stu Dudley