Venice Boat Passes
 

Are the one or three day vapretto passes dated? If they are not checked, can a one day pass theoretically be used for another day?<BR>

You put them in a machine that dates/times them the first time you use it (rather like those found at the trains). These machines are easily found at the vaporetto stops and are to be used each time you ride if you have an individual ticket. The beauty of a pass is only having to use it (the date/time stamp machine) the first time. The tickets are rarely checked as you ride the vaporetto, but the fines are stiff enough if you are caught cheating that it isn't worth the risk.

One thing to remember is they aren't really for that number of days, but rather for that many 24 hour periods. In other words if you first use it at 11:30 AM on the first day, the three day pass can be used for four days -- up until 11:30 AM on that fourth day.

Hi Dan,<BR> If you try to cheat the bus company and are caught with an unstamped ticket you will not only pay a hefty fine, but you will lose almost a whole day going through the bureaucracy.

I know you didn't ask your question with the intention of cheating, but someone is bound to tell you you can and they are right. We have been to Venice several times and we have never had our tickets checked or ever seen anyone who has, BUT with the exception of the 1st time out of ignorance, we did not have our ticket stamped. I would not rsik the very small amount of money you have paid for legitimate transportation with the very hefty fine they can levy against you AFTER they have ruined your entire day keeping you waiting at the police station. Besides, Americans have a bad enough reputation world wide right know without ripping off the Venitians!! Venice transportation is great fun as long as it isn't 95 degrees and rush hour when you get to know your fellow travelers a little too well! For anyone clautrophobic, be sure to stand near the rail so you can breath and not freak out -they load them up like cattle cars!

I have been to Venice a couple of times and have ridden the vaparettos many times. The first trip I never saw anyone check a ticket, but on the second trip, one day I saw a uniformed officer come on the boat and check all tickets. Several people were caught with unvalidated tickets or none at all. I don't speak or understand Italian, but I can assure you I would not have wanted to have been one of those without a valid ticket!

I don't necessarily think it's just Americans who can have bad reputations when they travel. It's an overgeneralization. There are gross, unmannered people in ANY culture who travel. That being said, it is obviously very, very gauche to ride without a ticket on any means of public transportation because it is stealing pure and simple. For example, I can assure you many people do so on the streetcars (trem) in Amsterdam and they are not Americans. Just break down and buy the tickets and validate them before you board. Otherwise, it's everyone else who pays in the long run and the public transportation service won't have a negative budget balance sheet in the future. Moreover, you will have done the right thing.

I will add from personal experience that when you purchase the pass and stamp it for the first use, make sure the correct day of the week is stamped: the stamp will show a two-letter abbreviation for the days of the week<BR>lunedi (Mon), mardi (Tues),etc<BR><BR>We arrived on a Thurs last time and stamped our 3 day passes the same day, but we didn't realize that the stamp indicated VE for venerdi, Friday.<BR>We ended up losing a day's use of the pass. And we WERE asked to show them by the way.

I don't necessarily think it's just Americans who can have bad reputations when they travel. It's an overgeneralization. There are gross, unmannered people in ANY culture who travel. That being said, it is obviously very, very gauche to ride without a ticket on any means of public transportation because it is stealing pure and simple. For example, I can assure you many people do so on the streetcars (trem) in Amsterdam and they are not Americans. Just break down and buy the tickets and validate them before you board. Otherwise, it's everyone else who pays in the long run and the public transportation service won't have a negative budget balance sheet in the future. Moreover, you will have done the right thing.

I was in Venice in September for three days. I saw them check twice in just those three days. One lady was getting off at the train station to leave and she tried to cheat and was caught. There was a lot of screaming going on. I don't know what happened to her, but I certainly wouldn't risk it. Besides, it's only fair. You ride, you pay.

One other thing to check if you are traveling with other people. We got a 3 day pass for 4 people that was less expensive than buying two passes for 2 people each. The guy at the booth at the Tronchetto explained it to us. This was in 1999 and it saved a few bucks. Check to see if they still do this.<BR><BR>Plus: Why cheat? The cost is so reasonable it is simply not worth it for what you save.

When you purchase one and three day passes at vaporetto ticket offices, the tickets are pre-stamped. There is also a 7-day pass. If you plan on using the ticket beginning the next day, be certain to specify that you want an UNSTAMPED ticket (or better yet, wait to buy it until the next day!!!).

I agree with simply buying the ticket for the whole amount of time you will be there. Frankly..the cost of almost everything in Venice is high so to save a few euros on the vaporetti tickets seems rather silly. Besides..why waste time while there going through the hassle of bailing yourself out if caught.

Do you need the vaporettos at all? I walked everywhere, except when I took the ferry to Murano.

I'm a walker too, John, but I certainly needed the vaparetto to and from the train station to my hotel right at the Rialto stop -- can't imagine doing my luggage up and over all those dozens of little bridges to walk there.<BR>Also with a pass, it just becomes a great way to relax or to see the other sides of the islands. Also to take a trip to Burano or to Lido, as well as Murano -- all included on that cheap pass. Much of Venice is prettier from the grand canal than the perspective you can get walking.