Vaporetti in Early May--How Crowded?

We were in Venice last May, and most of the city is crowded. So yes, the Vaporettos get crowded too. But not every one, and not at all times. Try using the busier ones, like the Grand Canal, early or late. And use the ones to the out islands during the day. Some other advice I've seen here is to do things before or after the cruise ships are in port.. St Mark's at noon is a madhouse, but go there at 7:00 am and it will be all yours. The further you get from the touristy areas, the more peaceful Venice becomes.

It is the same with all advice with regards to Venice.

If you go where and when the crowds are going it will be busy, sometimes very busy.

If you board at Rialto or Rialto Mercato others will also be getting off.

If you board at rush hour, train and plane catching time in the morning, and worker going home time in the evening, it will be very crowded - the first with fellow tourists and the latter with both tourists and workers, many of whom live on the mainland so they have to commute to work. The other time they are very busy is at cruise ship emptying time and cruise ship reloading time.

If you go opposite to the flow, in the early morning and in the evening you can almost have the boat to yourself. Often times I have found that going around the island instead of through the middle is easy.

So just like staying off the main thoroughfare between the station to Rialto and Rialto to St Marks, you can find quiet and peaceful times both walking around and using the vaporetto system.

I didn’t find them especially crowded. There are ‘t really that many seats available. Sometimes there will be two that come along in quick succession, making the second much less crowded.

I don’t know what you would consider too crowded. Yes, maybe you won’t always be able to secure a seat for yourself, but for sure a vaporetto will never be as packed as a city bus or subway at rush hour in a typical large city (like here in SF or NYC for example).

I have never felt squeezed like a sardine on a vaporetto like I have on city buses and subways (and I’ve been to Venice in July in most occasions). The reason is simple. Unlike buses and subways, where as many people as possible try to squeeze in, on the vaporetto the captain and the crew strictly enforce the maximum capacity limit for the boat for safety reasons. They don’t want to run the risk of sinking the boat.

So whenever the vaporetto reaches near the passenger capacity limit, the crew closes the gate and forbids the rest of the passengers in line on the floating dock from boarding. You then have to wait for the next vaporetto to board. In July that happens often at the most popular stops, in May I don’t know.

Below is the typical crowd ness of a vaporetto. As you can see in all images very few people are actually standing up, and most of them are outdoor near the exit probably because they are getting off at the next stop or because they want to take photos. If you go indoor it’s even less crowded and seats are often available.
https://images.app.goo.gl/EBXNjd5rshddwCUi7

We were in Venice the first week of May last year. We got 3 day vaporetto passes and found that we combined walking with using the vaporetto. Before 10 am they are not shoulder to shoulder, but once the cruise ship travelers arrive, it is more of a challenge, particularly around St. Marks Sq and the Rialto. As was mentioned before, when the boat fills to a certain capacity, you will be denied boarding and have to wait for the next one. That is usually a short wait. Just a heads up, May 1 is a European holiday, and Venice can be even more crowded than usual! We found this out!

Thanks for the informative replies. I can definitely handle the level of crowdedness in the photo and the part about how they limit the number boarding is especially helpful. Guess I will have to find something else to worry about.

I found it interesting to ride with the Venetians in the morning - and by 'Venetians' - I mean the kids heading off to school! My mom and I went out early (6:30am) to St Marks and were heading back to our room around 7:30-8am for breakfast and shared the vaporetto with a lot of school kids - just interesting to see since it's usually tourists on the vap's any other time. A little glimpse of everyday life in Venice.

If you have expectations to sit at the front on each ride you will definitely be dissapointed. It is an inevitability that the RS hoard will occupy the front seats on each major vaporetto route...we have all read that this is the best way to see the canals with the least effort so we all aspire to land a seat. If you want to be at the front of the boat, ride early, ride late or stay on and hope to work your way into a seat. May is a busy time in Venice.... as is June, July, August.....
Regardless, the pass is a great deal. The vaporettos are a great way to get around. Not all of the seating is at the front, most of it is inside and that seating is not at all crowded. The standing room in the middle...that's a bit shoulder to shoulder and filled with folks trying to get into one of the prime seats in the front or off at the next stop.

It's worth mentioning that holding a multiple day pass can make a huge difference in getting on or off the boats. Folks that buy point of use passes need to wait in line to buy tickets. Fols with passes scan then and get in queue right away...

Or watch in real time.
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/rialto-canal-grande.html

Some of the boats have a few seats in the front, but in some, the pilot's cabin takes up the whole space. That's probably safer since tourists in the front sometimes stand and block the pilot's view. Often the open part where you board is very crowded, yet if you go through the doors to the enclosed section you'll find lots of seat. And for scenic views, the open area at the rear has a few seats too.

I just want to emphasize, and expand on, three things other posters have already said.

Nigel: Often times I have found that going around the island instead of through the middle is easy. YES. While the boats around the island are smaller than the ones that go through the Grand Canal, they can be less crowded sometimes. They certainly have a higher locals to tourists ratio even in the middle of the day.

Nicole P: I found it interesting to ride with the Venetians in the morning - and by 'Venetians' - I mean the kids heading off to school. YES. I found the same thing later at night - when I took a vaporetto from San Marco to Zattere after dinner, it was filled with local teenagers headed out for the night.

Chani: Often the open part where you board is very crowded, yet if you go through the doors to the enclosed section you'll find lots of seat. And for scenic views, the open area at the rear has a few seats too. YES. Particularly on the smaller boats that don't go through the Grand Canal, everyone tends to stay in the open section; fight your way through them and go through the doors, and it can be nearly empty. And while the rear section isn't exactly a secret, it's easier to get seats there than at the front.

Also remember that, just like a local bus, people are getting off and on at each stop. If you get on and you can't find a seat, just wait a bit. Of course, as Nigel says, if you're going at peak times in peak directions, on the number 1 down the Grand Canal, the majority of the passengers may be going from Ferrovia to San Marco or vice versa, and you may not get a seat for this stretch. Past San Marco to the Lido, the vaporetto is much emptier. And if this boat is really crowded at Ferrovia headed to San Marco, and you have an unlimited vaporetto pass, just go the other way to Piazzale Roma (usually pretty empty) and re-board there - the first stop.