Is Vaporetto Water Bus day pass worth it in Venice?

The day we went to Murano, Torcello and Burano we bought the 24 hour vaporetto pass. The following day we had time left on the pass to get us to the train station on our day of departing Venice. The other days in Venice we just walked everywhere. Walking and getting lost is part of the charm of Venice.

You should easily get your moneys worth from the three day pass even if you are doing a great deal of walking. The trips to Murano and Burano would be covered by the pass and it is very convenient to ride whenever you feel like walking... There is also an element of convenience...if you have the pass you do not need to wait in line for a pass every time you want transportation.

We were in Venice for 4 nights and easily got our money's worth on a 3 day pass. Did the Rick Steves canal tour, went to Murano and Burano (with a stop at the Cemetery Island), went to San Georgio Maggiore and a few other rides made it well woth the cost.

Will you be using vaporetto to get between the train station and your hotel (with bags) ? Factoring that in, plus the ability to take an extra night ride along the Grand Canal just for the views, we find it is worthwhile to buy the multi-day pass.

You don't say the ages of the people involved, but a vaporetto is welcome sight to tired bodies, young and old alike. We bought a 3 day pass for the 3 days after our arrival late afternoon on day 1 of 4 days in Venice. While we didn't visit the other islands, we did take an evening trip up the Grand Canal and used this handy transport at least twice a day. Getting lost in Venice is very real, and after plodding around for hours (our adventure lasted 2 hours) finding a vaporetto stop was a relief. We also worked it out that our 3 day pass (starting the first time it is validated) covered the morning that we needed to take it to the train station. It was SO worth it in my mind.

Orto is not exactly in the mainstream of where most people go for the "key tourist attractions".

While walking and strolling around Venice is so much of the fun, there are a whole shedload of bridges between Orto and the Frari, Dorsoduro, San Marco, the Arsenale, Rialto, the Ghetto or many other areas. Will the kids be up for that? How about you?

You may find that the vaporettos give those tired knees and feet a rest. They are also unique, scenic, and the Grand Canal and other canals served by the boats are completely different from the water.

Every year when I return to Venice, time after time, I take several trips up and down the Grand Canal to see the old and original buildings only viewable from the water along much of its length. Evening and night journeys are magical because of the views into the houses with the many chandeliers shining out. Beautiful.

Also impossible without the boat is a visit to San Giorgio Maggiore across the basin from San Marco. The view from their tower is uncrowded, there is an elevator, the view is incomparable because you can see all of the Square, S Marco, the Doge's Palace and the tower in the Square. I love it.

The 3 day pass is not three times the price of the 24 hour one. The more days you add the cheaper per day it gets.

It is dramatically cheaper to get a longer pass at the beginning rather than adding another day when you decide that, yes, you really do need one.

As Nigel pointed out, being near the Orto stop means that you will be well outside the usual tourist paths. And it's about a 20 min hike from the train station. The Dorsoduro, San Marco and Castello sights are even farther away. While the distances may seem trivial in the morning, my guess is that by late afternoon you might be delighted at the thought of riding a vaporetto instead of walking for another half hour. We think that the 3 day vaporetto pass can be a very good thing, especially if going to S. Giorgio Maggiore and the other islands.

1 ride is 7.50 EUR
1 day (24 hr) is 20 EUR
2 day (48 hr) is 30 EUR
3 day (72 hr) is 40 EUR

Train station to Orto, 3 trips get to Murano, then Burano, then back to Orto, Orto to train station is 5 trips. 5 trips is 37.50 EUR, or if you bought a day pass to see Murano and Burano plus trips from/to train station, that is 35 EUR. Just spend the 40 EUR and be done with it. Like Nigel said, a ride up and down the Grand Canal is worth it, and going to San Giogio Maggiore to go up the bell tower is another reason.

A 2day/48 hr pass €30 should suffice for your 3 nites. The clock does not start ticking until you activate for your first ride. If you use it four times it pays for itself.

If your first ride is at noon on a Friday, the pass will be good until noon on Sunday (48 hours) as long as your last ride is finished by noon on your last day.

I would get a 72 hour pass for sure. Madonna del Orto is quite a long way from anywhere you might like to visit, and you will save a heap of walking and many bridges.

Download the app Chebateo (Which Boat) and you can select your departure and arrival stops, Orto and Colonna on Murano for example, and the app will give you timetables and boat changes. I have used it frequently.

Nigel has said it best (as he usually does). You'll be glad for the flexibility that pass gives you. I'd add that, unlike Nigel, I made a lot of mistakes with the vaporettos -- getting on one going the wrong direction, getting on one that didn't stop where I was going, etc. Without the pass each mistake would have cost me a cool 7.50 euro -- painful indeed. With it, each mistake became a new adventure, sometimes fun and sometimes not to fun, but always "free."

Thanks, Dick -- nice to know I'm not the only one to get on a vaporetto going the wrong way (and like you, I was using a pass so not out €7.50 extra, just a few minutes of time.)

Trust me - even if you have been to Venice many times - it is easy to make a mistake and get on the wrong direction. I've done it several times, says he.