Hi All - Is it worth it to get the Venice vaporetto card for unlimitted vap travel? I will be there for 2 1/2 days (1 full day devoted to St. Marks where I don't envision I will be using the vaporetto much). What do you think?? Thanks...

We were in Venice for 2 1/2 days, too, and got the 72 hour vaporetto passes. We were glad we did. We used them to go down the Grand Canal from the train station (to our hotel), over to Murano, up and down the Grand Canal plus over to Lido after dinner one night just to see the buildings lit up at night and enjoy the "cruise", from St. Mark's to the Accademia area, and finally back to the train station. Did we get our money's worth? I don't know. It was just nice to be able to hop on them and not worry about "is it worth paying for this trip?" By the way, no one ever checked our passes the whole time we were there, though we did see others occasionally getting checked by the conductor on the vaporetto.

Another vote for the pass. The vaporetto rides (as lots of other things in Venice) are pretty expensive. I was in Venice 2 years ago: the first day used the vaporetto tickets... the second morning I got the 3 day pass! It is expensive but worth it, especially if you want to go and visit Murano, Burano, Torcello, Santa Maria della Salute (the beautiful church in front of San Marco Square) or if you intend to take more than 3 vaporettos a day.

Imavolio - I will add another vote for the vaporetto pass. Riding the vaporetto is just as much fun as anything else in Venice and is part of the experience. It is nice to know you can just get on and off any time you want. I think the pass was one of the best deals in town the last two times that we were there. Have fun. Jackie

We found Venice to be a walking city. We simply planned our water trips (Murano, Santa Maria della Salute) for the same day and purchased a 24 hour ticket. The rest of the time we walked, but we stayed in San Polo, within walking distance of the train station. We planned to use the vaporetto (within the 24 hours) to go back to the train station, but after waiting half an hour, we just walked back to the station.

Another vote for the pass. I too purchased a 72 hour pass. I would walk until I was tired and take the valparetto back to the stop by my hotel. I did get checked by the conductor several times for my ticket. Also, I used the valparetto to go to Murano and Burano. I think it is a good deal.

I just paid ride by ride. I was in Venice 5 days and only used the vaporetto to get from and back to the train station, and one time along the Grand Canal. I'm not advising that it is the best economy, but for me not being much of a pre-planner this seemed easiest. I did not find the tickets expensive (as one poster commented), maybe ~4USD or so?

One time tickets are now 5 Euro, so I would definitely get a pass.

Get the pass. Walking all day is quite tiring. When you have the pass, your touring options are unlimited. The system is very efficent. By the way, the small island of Burano (not Murano) is also included in the pass. This is the island of lace makers. It is a sweet small place and well worth the trip going there.

eri, are you saying that Murano and Torcello are not included in the pass? I thought all three islands were included, is that incorrect? Where do you buy this pass?

SusanP - We bought a 24 hour pass for 10.50 Euro back in May. We were able to use it for all 3 Islands and to get back to our parking ramp the following day. Other than that we had no need to use the vaporetto. Walking around is easy.

The pass can be used to go to Murano and Torcello as well as to Burano.

We walked around for a day, and then got a one day pass and went to Burano, Murano, and Torcello.

It's a treat to be able to do Venice in more than a day trip. Venice has a totally different feel after 6pm when the day-trippers are gone. We were there for 3 nights and did get the 72hr vaporetto pass. While it was fun to walk and get lost in the city, Venice is beautiful on the waterfront and the best seats in town (for views and values) are the ones in front of a vaporetto. With 2.5 days and a pass, you'll have the freedom and plenty of chances to just hop on and soak in its beauty while cruising around.

Have a nice trip!

Without knowing more (like how you are entering and leaving Venice, where you're staying etc.), it's impossible to advise you. Here's the site with the fares listed

http://www.actv.it/eng/vapo_tariffe....0187788c5dd0f2

Your choices are apparently
>5 euros for a Grand Canal ticket for 90 minutes,
>6 euros for a one-day return water bus ticket valid until midnight on the day it is first stamped, and only along the Grand Canal.
>One-day Travel Card for € 10,50 , valid from 24 hors from the time of stamping.
>Three-day Travel Card for € 22,00 with a 72-hour validity from the time of stamping.

Since the travel cards are for hours, not days, if you time things well, a 24 hr card could service you for 2 days.

These price differences don't seem much for one person, but in multiples it can add up.

I'm a major walker and do a lot of walking in Venice. In many cities I don't use much public transportation, but walk instead. In Venice, however, I always do the vaparetto passes and easily get my money's worth.
And for an early riser, it is a wonderful way to see the city, when most of the gondolas and small boats are transporting and unloading goods along the Grand Canal. At night it's fantastic too, as everything looks great from the canal. With a pass, you can hop on to just cut off the big "curve" in the Grand Canal, but an individual ticket would be such a waste for such a tiny hop.

Get the pass. You will use it and be glad you had it.

We were in Venice 2 1/2 days and mostly walked. We had read about how charming and fun the vaperetto was and found them too crowded to enjoy any view, hot, stuffy, slightly nauseating between the fumes and the motion. My teenage kids, who usually would complain about walking much farther would beg me "NO, please let's walk - not another vaperetto." There are really not much different than city buses. Yes, this is the minority report. Take it for what it's worth.

Joelle

Joelle, I'm glad you said it! I hadn't thought about it specifically but maybe that's why I wasn't hopping on and off them all day long. They did work great as a means to get in from the train station, but for scenic tours left a bit to be desired. I agree.

The only time I found them crowded was during the middle of the day.

As Patrick said, they are a great way to watch the city come alive in the morning, marvel at the light and shadows at dusk, and look back on the city from the harbor at sunset.

Maybe its all in how you use them - basic transportation or that and also
an "event" in themselves at certain times of the day.