Can't seem to book using their site. I guess the commerce app is down. Can I buy this while in Europe? Do I need to buy in advance or can I get it there?

Hi MrB - You can buy it on arrival in Venice at the APT (- Tourist Info) Office.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

hello,
Can someone explain to me the advantage of purchasing a Venice Card. I was on the web site and couldn't see how you save much, if any money with it. Also, does the Venice Card (either Blue or Orange) include the Secret Itineraries tour? Thanks.

fca52-

No, neither Venice Card covers the Secret Itineraries tour.

And you're right, most folks here don't think the Venice Card is particularly a good deal, so it's not mentioned here much.

Sorry to disagree, but the Venice Blue Card is an EXCELLENT deal-simply for the transportation costs alone-and this is particularly true when you are there for 7 days.

Consider this:

Venice Blue-7 days-all forms of transportation-vaporettos, land buses-55.90 Euro all inclusive.

ACTV Travel Card for 24 hours: 15 Euro.

15 x 7=105 Euro, as opp. to 55.90-quite a difference

ACTV 72 hour Travel Card: 30 Euro
2 ACTV 72 hour Cards for 6 days = 60 Euro

You come out WAY ahead if you buy the 7 day Blue card-once you buy this card, you can change to whatever vaporetto you want, whatever land bus you need-Venice Lido, Mestre, included- most times you don't have to show it, just have it with you-and it is valid from the time it is stamped, not just the day it is purchased.

ACTV travel cards (the ones you buy at the vaporetto stops) are only a better value if you are buying a 48 hour pass: (25.00 Euro as opposed to Venice Blue 48 hour pass: 33.90 Euro.

If you are staying 6 days or 7, the Venice Blue Card is your better value, and the cheapest transportation ticket.

www.venicecard.com/prezzi_eng.jsp

http://www.actv.it/english/navigazio...iffe_vaporetto

I guess it depends on how often one needs to ride the vaporetto.

When we were in Venice in 2005 for 5 days, we preferred walking than taking the vaporetto. I think we only took it twice. (We even walked all the way and back to Giardini for the Venice Biennale.)

Well, if you are staying in Castello or San Marco, and walking to Giardini, that's not so far, however, if you are staying in Castello and want to go to San Stae or the train station, that's another matter.

I use the vaporetto daily-because I love it-love cruising the Grand Canal day and night (but esp. at night) and this last trip used the land bus to Mestre, so I got my money's worth, and then some.

But the Venice Blue Pass is great for all the different island trips you can take: To the Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido islands of course, but then there's the islands of the spirit: the Island of San Lazzaro (the Armenian monastery island-quite beautiful and interesting) plus, San Francesco (the Franciscan island-I've heard VERY peaceful and interesting-I'm sure, the Franciscans always seem to have the most lovely churches and/or monasteries-that will be the next trip), San Servolo, Sant Erasmo, etc. (this is why I don't understand it when people say there isn't enough to do in Venice-quite apart from the artistic patrimony of its churches)

There are other tiny vegetable growing islands, and an island where they do artistic work-all available to visit over a series of days, very inexpensively with the Blue Card. The Blue Card also has some reductions, etc., but I've never used it for that.

Mr. B-you can also buy the Venice Card on your arrival at the Venice airport (VCE) just down to the left from the doors you take to get to the bus/taxis.

topping for scrb

Thanks.

So does the Orange card work out for the free entrance to the museums?

I haven't looked at the prices yet but it's 26 euros more than the 7-day Blue Card.

Does it let you skip queues at the more popular sites?

scrb-quite frankly, I think the Blue Card is a better deal -I believe I once had an Orange Card, but I don't feel I got my money's worth from it because I didn't go to all the museums/churches that are available with the card-it depends-you need to look at all that it offers, and think about how much of it you want to see-it would allow you to go on in to the museums ahead of those who are waiting for tickets.

Well looks like Palazzo Ducale and Ca' Rezzonico alone make up over 16 euros so if the Orange card gets you in, it's paid over half the difference (26 euros more than the Blue card).

But it doesn't list the Ca' d'Oro or the Accademia so these places must not be run by the city like the other sites included with the Venice Card.

You do get a discount for the Guggenheim but it doesn't say how much.

I can't tell how much of a reduction you get at the churches (if any in the case of San Rocco which only seems to offer discounts to junior card holders).

Have to add up the discounts to see if they make up the difference.

Also, can you use the 7-day card to enter some of these sites more than once? And do you skip the queues?

Secret Itineraries you would still pay separately?

SI you would still pay separately, yes. I believe you may enter within that 7 days as often as you wish, because the Orange Card is not stamped anywhere you go: only when you first use it, to indicate the date and time of its validity-from then on, you just show it, and they check it to see if it is still valid.

From searching around, it appears it's only one entry to the major sites and the discounts are described as minimal.

But are there other ways to purchase admissions to the popular sites in advance so you can skip the queues?

There aren't really that many queues in Venice (this isn't Florence and the Uffizi) except for the Basilica di San Marco and the Doge's Palace, and possibly Accademia, and only at Accademia if there happen to be a lot of schoolchildren groups. So if you have an advance ticket to the Doge's Palace, with the SI tour, then you will skip the queues.

They actually responded. You can click on each of the site you're interested on their site and it will show how much reduction. But it appears the reductions are only available to Junior (under 30 years old) card holders.

Do you get the Venice Card stamped before you board the vaporetto for the first time or on board?

Also, does the Venice Card include trips on the vaporetti which go to Murano, Burano and Torcello?

scrb-did you read my post above? (smile) I say, that's why it's a good deal! Yes, you must get it validated before getting on the vaporetto.

Sorry, it's a bit confusing because on slowtrav.com, they say get it "punched" before boarding the vaporetto and then once you're on board, get it "stamped" in the yellow box.

Maybe they're talking about different kinds of tickets or passes.

Actually, I'm just thinking-I got it punched initially, while I was on the Alilaguna, and then you do validate it on board, so that would be correct.

So punch before and then stamp on board to validate?

Talk about confusing. Oh well you only have to do it once.

Looks like if I pick up the Card at the airport, I could use the ACTV Bus No. 5 to get to the Piazza le Roma.

But the ATVO shuttle is suppose to be better for taking luggage.