Thanks everyone for great information!!!!
We have three nights and four days in Venice; our accommodation is near San Marco Sq.
Our accommodation is near a vaporetto station - should we buy a 48 hour pass? Where do we get those? Online or when we arrive?
Skip the Line tickets - is this a good idea and where and should we get those ? Online or when we arrive?
Would love any information you can share.
Thanks!
Yes, and Yes.
In regard to your other question of how to get to the airport:
Yes, I always get a pass in Venice to cover my stay. You can buy them when you arrive. You can add on a 1-way bus ticket to the airport for an extra 6 EUR. I'd get a 72 hour pass with the airport bus adder if your trip looks something like this.
You arrive on day 1 at say, 11 am, at Santa Lucia train station. Buy you pass for 46 EUR pp for the 72 hours plus airport bus outside the station to the left at the Hello Venezia office or at the main vaporetto ticket office on the water a little further left. Take the No 1 vaporetto at say, 11:30 am, to your hotel location near San Marco. You scan the pass as you get on the dock. Day 2 and 3 tour Venice. Day 4 take the vaporetto to Piazzale Roma in the morning. From there board the No 5 bus to the airport. They go every 15 minutes and it takes about 24 minutes to get to the airport. As long as you get to the airport before 72 hours from the time you first validated it, you are OK. So you need to get to the airport before 11:30 am on Day 4.
I am not familiar with these. I assume you can buy them in advance.
Buying a vap passon line is a bad idea. You have to exchange your on-line pass for a real pass when you get to Venice, by keying the pnr number into a frequently unreliable machine.
Just by it when you get there. On line purchase costs the same as paying cash. There is no saving of either time or money.
Skip the line - can’t comment.
I agree about waiting to buy the pass until you arrive. If you are flying into Marco Polo, I'm pretty sure you can buy your vaporetto pass at the airport along with a ticket for the bus that takes you into Venice.
You must tap your vaporetto pass on the big pad EVERY SINGLE TIME you get on board. Watch what others are doing. There's a whopping fine if you forget.
You'll want to study up on the vaporetto routes, as they have the equivalent of express (only a few key stops) and local routes (every single stop along the way). You will always need to know which direction you're wanting to go in order to get on the correct vaporetto. Look at a map for that. Also, if I remember correctly, the vaporettos display all their stops along the side of each boat.
Get the 72 hour pass.
I don’t undetstand the constant reminders to validate your ticket. At none of the stops that I used could you enter without tapping your ticket on the machine ( unless you sneaked under the turnstile as I saw one person do )
All you need to know about Venice.
For a good informative tour of the city, try these free tours. Do tip the guide.
What sights were you hoping to skip the line for? If you want to see the Doge's Palace, you can always buy a combo ticket at the Correr museum - for us at least, there was no line at all at the Correr (which we enjoyed I more than I thought we would) and the combo ticket allowed us to skip the line at the Doge's. Our first time in Venice, we went to the Doge (yes, we went twice) and didn't have a combo ticket and stood in line a good hour.
I'm not sure what other places you may be able to skip the line at...
I reserved a time slot for the Basilica and the Campanile Tower. Recommend seeing the Basilica when it is lit - I think the time is 12:15 - 12:30 p.m. - but please confirm on their website.
Purchase skip the line tickets here.
For the Basilica, Doges and Bell Tower
https://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/
With your reservation for St Marks, they will send you directions and map to access the skip the line door.
Second the recommendation to see the mosaics lit. To see the museum and Terrace overlooking the square, you have to purchase tickets (5€) inside.
