How much do you really use the Vaparetto in Venice?

We never used the vaporetto our first few visits to Venice. We enjoyed the walks and seeing the various canals. Perhaps just a 1-day pass for visiting the islands. The vaporetto has a stop near the train station. Different vaporettos make different stops.

We used it constantly on all of our three trips to Venice.

I just like joy riding on them.
Yes, it takes you to Santa Lucia station. The stop name is "Ferrovia".

I used Vaparetto twice in a 3-night stay. Once to do the Rick Steves Grand Canal audio tour, and once to get to the train station for onward travel.

I also use the vaporetto a lot when in Venice. The pass is a true 24-hour or 48-hour pass, so the 2-day pass might cover both of the trips between the train station and your lodgings provided they're within a 48 hour period (e.g. arrive late morning on day 1 and depart mid-morning on day 3). Think about how localized your sightseeing will be on day 2 and timing of your trips to and from the train station. That should help you reach the right decision regarding the best pass for your visit.

I was just there in May & got the 72 hour pass. I used it quite a bit. Much more than I thought I would.

Long ago we used one ticket for the Grand Canal trip and a drop off at our apartment. However, it was very expensive (in our mind and at the time - 7E even back then) so didn't buy more pay per use rides. I wish we had and saved a lot of walking and backtracking when we needed to do boring stuff like laundry and internet cafes.
If you like to put 7+ miles on the fitbit each day and don't mind dead ends and getting lost, you may not care to use it. If you need to pamper your feet, legs or hips by that section of your trip, it may well be worth getting the 2 day card. You only need to use it twice on the second day to make the 2 day pay for itself.

I have visited Venice many times, always using the vaporetto many times. I find it fun, scenic (can't beat the views), and for the number of trips quite inexpensive. Venice is a city of boats. I like to see the boats up close, and on the Grand Canal there isn't a Fondamente all the way along. I know most of the buildings along it quite well now.

You can't get to S Giorgio and its fabulous bell tower on foot.

We bought 3 day passes with expectations we would go to Burano and Murano. Because of complications during our stay in Venice we only used the passes three times in two days: train station to hotel, San Marco to San Giorgio, San Giorgio to Rialto. Pass cost €40 vs individual trips at €7.50. Had our plans played out, the pass would have been the most convenient and saved us money.

So to answer your question, I’d buy the two day pass. It’s only €10 more than the one day (€30 vs €20) and your sightseeing options are open if you don’t want to walk from one end of Venice to the other.

It kind of depends on where your hotel is located and how much you like walking (and the time of year, in case of weather, acqua alta, etc.).

Example: On our second and last visit (September), we stayed in a hotel almost directly across the canal from the train station so we didn't use the vaporetto coming and going. However, we did use it one day to go to the islands and another day to "sightsee" from the water.

We were just in Venice for our second visit
We were only there a day and a half got the 48 hour pass, used it 7 times including trip to Burano.
That would have cost 52.50 we had paid separately each ride costs 7.50euros, the 48 hr pass is only 30 euros, that’s a huge savings.
We also walked almost 7 miles in that short time

The vaporetto is fun, convenient, great views, and gives you a nice break off your feet when you are simply too hot and tired to enjoy “getting lost” again.
You can go anywhere you like to Burano, Murano, Torcello, Lido, S Giorgio Maggiore, train station, etc

We got the 72 hour pass and it paid for itself. Yes we used it alot. We also like waking, but there is alot to see and walking takes longer. Plus you can't walk to Burano, Lido or San Giorgio for example. I would recommend it unless you are not planning on seeing all that Venice has to offer.

I like walking AND taking the vaperettos. After all, they are a great way to experience Venice from the water so. I also recommend the tragetto (I took one near the Rialto Bridge I think) for a cheap gondola experience. Venice is so wonderful, just stay away from San Marcos during the day when the cruise ships and day trippers are there. Once the sun sets, the town is magical. I usually travel solo and I felt comfortable walking the narrow little streets at night.

Joy riding is a great term for it! We love to hop on a vaparetto and take it to a random stop and get off. No maps, no idea where we are, except that we're away from the crowds. Then we wander. And of course, night-time rides down the Grand Canal are magical.

I get the 7 day pass and make sure they don't make any money off of me! Early morning, to watch Venice wake up. Late morning to relax in between walking through different neighborhoods. After lunch to get me back to the hotel for a nap and shower. Dusk to watch evening descend and the lights come up. Dinner time, both before and after, just because I can. Late night, to enjoy the peace and quiet you can find on the Grand Canal - not to mention peeking into the palaces. And of course, getting to and from Murano, Burano and Torcello. If it's really hot and humid, I ride round trip to the Lido just for the breeze. Yep, I get the most out of the pass!

in 1.75 days, we used it twice....once for a big loop (to see the sights) and the second time to get to where our sailboat was docked. If we had been there longer, we would have likely taken the loop a second time (in the evening), and likely would have used it to see some of the places a bit further from the St. Marks area. But, as others have said, walking is part of the enjoyment in Venice, too. We just purchased tickets at the little booth where we boarded each time we rode.

We had a three day pass and used it a lot. We took it to the hotel from the bus, from the Rialto Bridge later at night after a food tour, went to Murano and just down the canal late at night taking in the sights. We would walk lost and just hop on a vaporetto having no idea where it was going. We even ended up on island that was a cemetery (which was actually pretty interesting). We walked a lot but it was nice to just hop on a vaporetto and see where it took us. We even took it to the train station on our last day. We definitely got our money's worth!

Thank you! I’ll get the 2 day pass. :)

Check your timing.

If you are there two days, that make three nights, so if you want to use it to go both from and to the train station, you might run out of hours.

Does anyone have the official site to order these passes or have official information ? I googled it but so many different sites popped up....No idea which is the official site. Thank you

All the info you need will be on the official site but there is no need or benefit to purchase in advance
Just get your pass when you arrive either at airport or train station

Also you must validate your pass each and every use by passing it in front of machine til it beeps as you enter the floating docks
Www.actv.com

I was in Venice a little over a month ago and got a three-day pass. I don't think every stop has a ticket machine so there is the convenience aspect as well. For me it was worth it because I used it to go to Murano and also just riding for fun along the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal. Bear in mind it might not be that easy to find an uncrowded boat to ride just for the fun of it depending upon the route and the time. The Grand Canal ride is obviously great but so jam-packed most of the time that it won't be an enjoyable ride. The only time I found where it was enjoyable was from the train station back to St. Mark's in the mid-evening, probably around 9 p.m. The #1 back toward the train station from St. Mark's was packed even later than that, seemed to be day trippers headed back to the train station. You can ride the line that goes on the Giudecca Canal in the evening without crowds and it's relaxing but not as scenic. On my day of departure my hotel advised I walk instead of take the Vaporetto to the train station because I would probably end up waiting for several boats to come and go before I got on. So I could have gone with a 48 hour pass. Of course this was all in early May, if you are going in December it would probably be a lot different. I think it's worth it to buy the pass.

Like ChristineH and some other posters, I find I walk a lot and take vaporetti a lot. So for me, the pass is a great deal. Because I used it to go to San Michele (the cemetery island) as well as from the train station to my hotel, and other places, my 72 hour pass paid off in the first day!

Do note that unlike most cities, the passes for Venice are measured in hours rather than days (the 7 day pass is an exception). Depending on the exact time of your arrival and departure, for a "2 day stay" you may need a 48 hour pass, or another duration may work better.