Great report! Thanks for posting!

Does the Venice Connected public transport pass include the traghetto?

Nope. (Explanation for those unaware: treghetti are operated by one or two gondoliers in about the same type of boat without the trappings. They are sort of like school crossing guards in a boat for a fee).

We never used one. WE SHOULD HAVE!

By day four, I started noting behaviors of the locals (hard at first to see among the tourists in August). And they employed treghetti frequently. I noticed the locals walked a pretty brisk pace, practically stepped onto the boats without breaking step, and stepped off just as easily. There are six crossing areas. Here's an article I bookmarked:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411174975038299.html
but for pricing, just note that this was 10/08.

Thanks very much, AlessandraZoe!

Tour book that I have (2009) indicates that it is .50 Euros.

Wonderful report! Sounds like the trip was well thought out.
Two weeks from today I will be in Venice and can't wait.

The idea of free transport at the airport now is definitely a savior - but this time we're arriving by train and staying in Cannaregio.

Where are you staying in Cannaregio? I will be at the Residenzia Cannaregio. Anyone know of this former monastery?

Just to make sure I understand....

I can buy the 72h passes on "venice connected" for $28 EUR each.....I am taking the train from Florence to Venice and will arrive around 9pm....will I be able to pick up our "passes" at the train station that late? Will there be a water buss available that late....where do I go to check the schedule...I will be going from Train station to the Hilton.....On the way back, we are leaving from the airport, so if I understand, I can take a water bus to Piazzale Roma and then a bus to the airport (all included with the passes), again, where do I go to check times....

This pass would also cover water buses to Murano/Burano right?

Your report was very educational! Can you help me with transportation question?
My husband & I are going to Venice for 3 days in October. If we are mostly walking, with the idea of doing your recommended nightly Grand Canal vaporetto ride (3 trips at most) and one trip to Murano, is the Venice Connected card or the ACTV tourist travel card the better route? I doubt we'll be doing many musueums except Glass one on Murano. Thanks!

alpinemccain: I'm very sure the vaporettos will be running from the train station that late (we were riding at around 10 pm or so from the casino, and our vaporetto came from that direction), but I have no idea of the ticket or pass hours in that area since I was never at the station. If I were you, I'd Google the station name and "vaporetto" or Google "ACTV Ticket Office Hours" etc. Quite frankly, if you were arriving that late, I'd just buy one ticket (6.50 E pp) to your hotel for the evening and then either buy there or validate the pass you bought online needed for the rest of your stay the next day. By the way, is the Hilton the one that has the private vaporetto? I can't remember. Again, since I haven't been...

As to your other question, passes would cover Murano/Burano. I did not put this in my report, but... We knew we did not want to see a glass-blowing demo and I had no desire to see Murano. We LIVE in a glass-blowing area of the US with strong ties to Venetian artisans, and glass-blowing demos are part of yearly school field trips for school kids. But I did want to see Burano. We had just seen lace making in Belgium, and I wanted to compare the Burano stuff.

To do that, however, we had to go to Murano first. We had to switch boats AND docks there, something that would not have been laborius on a nice day, but one that was horrific in 90+ temp. Most any guide book will give you specifics of what you're supposed to do.

The Burano museum is really small there (in fact, I'm not even sure what we saw WAS the museum), but I loved watching the ladies work and the island itself is so darn cute.

Dawn: The Venice Connected site/service is merely the official online Venetitian "shopping cart" for several city products, one of which <u><b>includes</u></b> ACTV transport passes. Your trip to Murano would be good on any type of hourly/day transport passes which you purchase--and you could just buy individual transport tickets or passes in Venice.

To summarize, you could use Venice Connected just to buy your transport, or just to buy museum passes, or just to buy toilet cards, for that matter. Or you can choose to buy your transport passes for full price when you get to Venice.

I bet you your hotel might offer free transport and admission to Murano (you may not always get the free transport BACK, though). Everyone wants you to buy glass! Free casino admission is easily arranged at any hotel desk, too, for the very same reason.

alpinemccain: I just wanted to make sure I at least had a GRASP of the arrangements at the Hilton Molino Stucky. Yep, just jump on a vaporetto that's going to the Guideccia stop (and FYI, not only LOOK at the vaporetto signs but also ASK!). In fact, coming in that late, I'd splurge--and I am really cheap--on a water taxi to take you directly to your dock.

The Hilton has a complimentary shuttle to/from both stops near St. Mark's Square, which really doesn't have much to do with your arrival, but something that might impact the type/length of time for the transport pass you purchase. As I've said to posters above, chances are most of your touring the first day will be centered around St. Mark's Square and the island of San Marco. If you already have transport to and from St. Marks/San Marco as part of your hotel's services, perhaps you might want to invest in the pass only from your second touring day onwards. Just do the math and see what works for you.

I bought the 72-hour boat/bus pass online yesteray. The casino admission was free with it. You spend x amount of euros and they throw it in.

JoAnn--it's just admission for one person. Your hotel will be able to provide you with all you need, I'm sure.

Yep... all I need is one. Thanks!

Thanks! This was great. My mother and I are looking at a short visit there in 2011? (I think 2010's out I am out of vacation and she's having major dental work eat her "fun money")

I printed this and put it in my file folder!

thanks for the information!! very helpfull!

the hilton does have a free shuttle, therefore I might rethink the passes...

Not sure yet on Murano/Burano....it's just that if I spent 1 full day walking around St. Marks/San Marco and we are not into "museums/churches", I figured these islands would be a good way to spend our second full day.....

alpinemccain - there is a vaporetto that leaves from Fondamenta Nove - I think it is the LN - that does make stops at Murano and then continues on to Burano. You don't have to change boats or docks.

And definitely cross the Grand Canal at least once on a treghetto - it's so much fun! Last November the cost was still just .50 euro. And try to do it standing up like the locals.

You are incredible! Thank you for taking so much time to share your very clear information. 3 of us are going to Italy next month. We had our "Venice" meeting yesterday. Boy were our heads swirling regarding the choices of tickets offered in Venice. Grazie! The only 2 things that may still be an issue are the high demand of water transportation for All Sts Day and the museum pass rate change in the middle of our stay-Sat Oct 31 and Sun Nov 1.

Good luck--I so sympathize with having to deal with changes, etc. against relative unknown information. If it's any help, August 15 was a holiday when we were there. Yes, the vaporettos were more crowded that day--it was a weekend AND a holiday. But we still managed to do OK. So I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, too.

And how kind of you to send a compliment my way to boot!

I'm so happy I found this thread! DH and I took our first trip to Venice last October. We loved it, but spent our few days wandering and just being amazed rather than recording all our highlights (I cobbled enough together to make a meager trip report, but...)

We're taking our kids and grandsons back over Christmas and this report will be a HUGE help! Thank you so much for your careful research and kind recommendations.

Add anything additional you think might be of help!

MelJ, If you have kids in Venice, here's a treasure hunt that they might enjoy.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-teenagers.cfm

We spent Christmas in Venice, and I did some scribbling, a trip report of sorts, an alternative to the usual guide books. It might give you some ideas.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...st-verbose.cfm