Several questions about vaporetto passes in Venice
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:26 AM
#1
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Several questions about vaporetto passes in Venice
I have several questions about vaporetto passes in Venice:
1. Where does one buy them? We will be arriving at the train station.
2. I have read on this board that there is a difference between a 3 day pass and a 72 hour pass. True? If so, do I need to figure out how to say "72" in Italian to buy one?
3. If you bought a pass in Venice, did you compute whether you saved money or not buy purchasing the pass? How did it work out?
Thank you!
1. Where does one buy them? We will be arriving at the train station.
2. I have read on this board that there is a difference between a 3 day pass and a 72 hour pass. True? If so, do I need to figure out how to say "72" in Italian to buy one?
3. If you bought a pass in Venice, did you compute whether you saved money or not buy purchasing the pass? How did it work out?
Thank you!
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:36 AM
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1. Tickets are available at the kiosks by the docks.
2. What do you need a 3 day pass for? Venice is a walking city, and really isn't that big. While in Venice I took the vaperetto once and that was just for the trip down the grand canal. (Also, with all the squares and trattorias around, walking off your meals might be better for you anyway!
2. What do you need a 3 day pass for? Venice is a walking city, and really isn't that big. While in Venice I took the vaperetto once and that was just for the trip down the grand canal. (Also, with all the squares and trattorias around, walking off your meals might be better for you anyway!
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:38 AM
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If you are arriving at the main train station, you can buy the passes down the stairs as you walk out towards the vaporettos themselves. You will see several booths there where you can also see the signs telling you what kind of passes you can purchase.
We bought 72 hour passes and I don't think there is any difference between that and a 3 day pass. They are one and the same, I believe.
We most certainly did save money by buying these passes. Since each ride costs 5 Euros and these passes are 22 Euros if I remember correctly, no matter how you figure it, you do save. Also, having these passes with us meant that whenever we were too exhausted to continue walking and wanted a break for a few vaporetto stops, we just hopped on without worrying about how much it was going to cost us.
Another plus - you can decide to take a "self-guided" tour down the canals just because you feel like it, for an hour or half an hour, whatever. Whenever you feel like you just need a break.
Have a great time !!
We bought 72 hour passes and I don't think there is any difference between that and a 3 day pass. They are one and the same, I believe.
We most certainly did save money by buying these passes. Since each ride costs 5 Euros and these passes are 22 Euros if I remember correctly, no matter how you figure it, you do save. Also, having these passes with us meant that whenever we were too exhausted to continue walking and wanted a break for a few vaporetto stops, we just hopped on without worrying about how much it was going to cost us.
Another plus - you can decide to take a "self-guided" tour down the canals just because you feel like it, for an hour or half an hour, whatever. Whenever you feel like you just need a break.
Have a great time !!
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:48 AM
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I wonder if I have caused confusion by my comments here about "remember a 3 day pass can really be more than that. It is for 72 hours, so if you validate it on Monday at noon it's good until Thursday at noon which seems more like 4 days." In any case they are the same, just two ways of looking at them.
Why buy a pass? I'm a major walker, but with a pass it's amazing how often I use it. First of all no trip to Venice is complete for me without a trip to Murano, Torcello, or Burano or all three. We go out to Lido, perhaps to catch the bus and ferry to Chiogia. And although I walk all day, I'm not opposed to sitting on a vaparetto at 7:30 in the morning cruising along to watch all the venders delivering their goods, or at midnight to get a final glimpse of the Grand Canal by moonlight. Or after walking from Dorsoduro all the way to somewhere like Madonna Dell'orto, it's really nice to hop on a boat to take the very long ride back around to Zattere. I really get my money's worth out of a pass.
Why buy a pass? I'm a major walker, but with a pass it's amazing how often I use it. First of all no trip to Venice is complete for me without a trip to Murano, Torcello, or Burano or all three. We go out to Lido, perhaps to catch the bus and ferry to Chiogia. And although I walk all day, I'm not opposed to sitting on a vaparetto at 7:30 in the morning cruising along to watch all the venders delivering their goods, or at midnight to get a final glimpse of the Grand Canal by moonlight. Or after walking from Dorsoduro all the way to somewhere like Madonna Dell'orto, it's really nice to hop on a boat to take the very long ride back around to Zattere. I really get my money's worth out of a pass.
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:49 AM
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The 72-hour and three day passes are indeed one in the same and the time allotted is 72 hours from when you validate the pass on your first ride. So, it's not a day to day pass, but rather a "72 hour" pass that can begin it's 72 hours at any time of any day.
I agree that Venice is very much a walking city and we only rode the vaporetto once on our first trip. However, our last trip was a week long and we very much liked having the 72-hour pass in order to traverse the city quicker when we had plans in a specific area. Once we had the passes, we made a point to use the vaporetto more often during that time.
You just have to decide if you will be using the pass enough to warrant buying it and bear in mind that single rides are 5 euro each for 90 minutes. I think we paid 22 euro each for the 72-hour pass this past October.
No, you do not need to know how to say "72" in Italian. It would be nice, of course, but the vendors will understand what you want.
Have a great trip!
I agree that Venice is very much a walking city and we only rode the vaporetto once on our first trip. However, our last trip was a week long and we very much liked having the 72-hour pass in order to traverse the city quicker when we had plans in a specific area. Once we had the passes, we made a point to use the vaporetto more often during that time.
You just have to decide if you will be using the pass enough to warrant buying it and bear in mind that single rides are 5 euro each for 90 minutes. I think we paid 22 euro each for the 72-hour pass this past October.
No, you do not need to know how to say "72" in Italian. It would be nice, of course, but the vendors will understand what you want.
Have a great trip!
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:50 AM
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You may be confusing the vaparetto pass and a Venice Card. The vaparetto bus which is known as a 3 day pass actually is good for 72 hrs. from the first time you use it. It "starts" when you first use it, not when you bought it. You just have to remember to get it stamped to activate it.
There are 2 different Venice cards, one includes transportation & bathrooms and the other includes some museums.
http://www.venicecard.com/index_eng.jsp
It used to be judged not worth the money. I don't know if that's still the case. I also don't know how that one counts the days.
We bought a 3 day pass for our 5 day visit and certainly saved money. But it's true Venice is a walking city and some people never get on a vaparetto. I think that's unfortunate b/c the city looks totally different from the water.
There are 2 different Venice cards, one includes transportation & bathrooms and the other includes some museums.
http://www.venicecard.com/index_eng.jsp
It used to be judged not worth the money. I don't know if that's still the case. I also don't know how that one counts the days.
We bought a 3 day pass for our 5 day visit and certainly saved money. But it's true Venice is a walking city and some people never get on a vaparetto. I think that's unfortunate b/c the city looks totally different from the water.
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:52 AM
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First - I do buy a day or multiday pass in Venice and dutifully try to stamp/validate it. I am aware of the fine for not doing so, BUT has anyone ever seen them check to see if you have one? Has anyone ever seen anyone but a few obvious tourists use a ticket? Last time in Rome I bought a day pass and used the busses all day. I never found one that had a ticket stamping box that worked and at the end of the day my pass was still not stamped. I did not see anyone else try to use it. People just got on and off. Now Germany--that is another story.
Apr 19th, 2006, 11:58 AM
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Basingstoke1:
Admittedly, tickets are not checked very often in Italy, but do bear in mind that most of those Venetians or Romans whom you do not see stamping their passes probably have monthly passes - for which they pay comparatively far less than tourists do for one- or three- or four- or how-many-ever-days.
Admittedly, tickets are not checked very often in Italy, but do bear in mind that most of those Venetians or Romans whom you do not see stamping their passes probably have monthly passes - for which they pay comparatively far less than tourists do for one- or three- or four- or how-many-ever-days.
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:07 PM
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The question of whether vaporetto tickets ever get checked has been discussed here and the consensus is that yes, they do check, and that they seem to be increaasing checks. At some stations and some times, they check for a ticket before you can board. This happened to me twice on my last trip.
The locals in Rome and in Venice normally have monthly transport passes, so the fact that you don't see them stamping tickets doesn't mean that they're travelling for free. For that matter, once you stamp a 72-hour ticket once, nobody will see you stamping it again. BTW, I've normally been able to stamp my Rome bus tickets, but sometimes the machines are temperamental and won't work if you try to withdraw the ticket too quickly or slowly.
The locals in Rome and in Venice normally have monthly transport passes, so the fact that you don't see them stamping tickets doesn't mean that they're travelling for free. For that matter, once you stamp a 72-hour ticket once, nobody will see you stamping it again. BTW, I've normally been able to stamp my Rome bus tickets, but sometimes the machines are temperamental and won't work if you try to withdraw the ticket too quickly or slowly.
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:08 PM
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Eloise and Statia
I am not advocating not being lawful and I dutifully buy my ticket, but don't you find it curious that they don't seem to care? In Germany where for example the underground in Frankfurt is on the honor system, I always see a conductor checking tickets. In a day of riding about a half dozen busses in Rome, not one person approached the driver with their ticket.
I am not advocating not being lawful and I dutifully buy my ticket, but don't you find it curious that they don't seem to care? In Germany where for example the underground in Frankfurt is on the honor system, I always see a conductor checking tickets. In a day of riding about a half dozen busses in Rome, not one person approached the driver with their ticket.
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:09 PM
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Since we are traveling with three kids (ages 15, 13 and 10) AND since our time in Venice will be the last three days of eleven in Italy, I have the feeling that we will probably be riding the vaporetto more than if it was just my husband and I.
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:21 PM
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While I wouldn't usually get a pass since I enjoy the walking, we bought passes for our most recent visit to Venice.
Why?
We would arrive and depart by vaporetto
= 2 Grand Canal trips x 5 euros = 10 euros
We would ride the full length of the Grand Canal at least once during the day and once at night
= 2 Grand Canal trips x 5 euros = 10 euros
The pass was 25 euros in March, 15 euros with the Rolling Venice card discount for my 20-yr-old niece.
We figured we would probably take at least one more boat, so the pass was worth it. We ended up taking boats alot more because we had the pass.
With kids, I think you'll be riding more anyway.
Why?
We would arrive and depart by vaporetto
= 2 Grand Canal trips x 5 euros = 10 euros
We would ride the full length of the Grand Canal at least once during the day and once at night
= 2 Grand Canal trips x 5 euros = 10 euros
The pass was 25 euros in March, 15 euros with the Rolling Venice card discount for my 20-yr-old niece.
We figured we would probably take at least one more boat, so the pass was worth it. We ended up taking boats alot more because we had the pass.
With kids, I think you'll be riding more anyway.
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:32 PM
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missypie,
Since you posted questions about the vaporetto passes, I had a question of my own, if I may intrude. My question may be of interest to you and, hopefully, some knowledgeable person will respond to mine:
Scenario: Let's assume you purchase a 72-hr. pass at the Venice airport (or train station) and you board Vaporetto No. 1 for your ride to (let's say) San Marco. Is there an extra charge for your luggage on the vaporetto?
I did not pay an extra charge the last time I visited Venice, but Rick Steves book indicates that a person can be fined if they get "caught" without paying a fee for their luggage. His travel book says a piece of luggage costs 3,50 euro, and if you are fined it will cost you 23 euro.
Can anyone help?
Since you posted questions about the vaporetto passes, I had a question of my own, if I may intrude. My question may be of interest to you and, hopefully, some knowledgeable person will respond to mine:
Scenario: Let's assume you purchase a 72-hr. pass at the Venice airport (or train station) and you board Vaporetto No. 1 for your ride to (let's say) San Marco. Is there an extra charge for your luggage on the vaporetto?
I did not pay an extra charge the last time I visited Venice, but Rick Steves book indicates that a person can be fined if they get "caught" without paying a fee for their luggage. His travel book says a piece of luggage costs 3,50 euro, and if you are fined it will cost you 23 euro.
Can anyone help?
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:46 PM
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Another useful thing to remember is that the #1 criss-crosses the Grand Canal. So with your pass you can hop on the vaporetto just to get across if you're not near one of the bridges and are feeling exhausted and/or footsore.
Apr 19th, 2006, 12:57 PM
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basingstoke1, I do see your point. In answer to your question I have actually had my ticket checked a couple of times and I have seen other passengers checked. Of course, it's not a frequent thing, but it does happen. I guess it would be hard for them to check every single passenger all the time and they hope that people will be honest. I'm sure there are those that take plenty of "free rides" but it's really not worth the risk of a fine and/or embarassment, at least not to most of us. I'm not implying you would do that, but I'm sure there are people out there who do.
