Italy’s infamous floating city is not your average city, so you’ll need to abandon the usual “rules of the road” when visiting.

Fortunately, this guide will cover the ins and outs of how to get around Venice without a car so you can navigate like a pro.

Ready to explore this one-of-a-kind city? Let’s dive in!

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Absolutely! Venice is one of the most walkable cities in the world (if you don’t mind climbing lots of small foot bridges, that is). It’s also easy to access various corners of the city on water, whether that’s via vaporetto, water taxi, gondola, or private boat.

First, you’ll have to define what “worth it” is for you. If dropping 100+EUR to have a bucket-list experience is worth it to you, then yes.

But if you’d rather spend your money on other activities in Venice (think famous museums, mouthwatering restaurants with some of the best food in Venice, etc.), then you’ll probably want to pass.

In short, we skipped this experience (largely because we were traveling Venice with a toddler) and I don’t feel as though we’ve missed out.

As you (probably) already know, you can’t drive in Venice, so what are the options for getting around?

The short answer: By boat or by foot.

That said, not all boats are created equally. Fortunately, I’ve broken down each of the various water vessels you can expect to find while in Venice, from inexpensive in-and-out journeys to leisurely (and considerably more luxurious) options.

We’ll also touch on what you can expect while walking around Venice – and whether this is an ideal mode of getting around. (Spoiler Alert: We walked almost everywhere!)

Traveling by vaporetto – my personal boat of choice – is the most cost-effective means of transportation throughout Venice (aside from walking, of course)!

Vaporetti are Venice’s public water buses and they’re operated by ACTV (Azienda del Consorzio Transporti Veneziano). Think of them as Venice’s main public transportation system.

They run on lines along the Grand Canal as well as out to the neighboring islands of Murano and Burano.

When it comes to purchasing vaporetto tickets, there are a variety of options (and a variety of opinions on what’s most cost-effective).

Essentially, you can purchase a Vaporetto Pass (of which there are several varieties) or you can opt for single/individual tickets.

Vaporetto ticket types include:

• Single Ticket – One ride that’s valid for 75 minutes of travel (post-validation)
• 24-hour pass – Unlimited rides for 24 hours (beginning after the first use)
• 48-hour pass – Unlimited rides for 48 hours
• 72-hour pass – Unlimited rides for 72 hours
• 7-day pass – Unlimited rides for a single week

You can check vaporetto prices and current timetables here.

While your instinct may be to grab a Vaporetto Pass (a.k.a ACTV Tourist Travel Card)  as soon as you arrive, it may not actually be worth it. You’ll want to do a bit of calculating first to see if it’s worth the expense.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to decide whether a Vaporetto Pass is worth it:

• How many days will you be in Venice?
• Where is your accommodation located? (And how close is it to your desired attractions?)
• How much walking do you anticipate doing vs. hopping aboard a vaporetto?

After calculating this for our family trip to Venice with a toddler, I discovered it was actually cheaper to purchase single-use tickets, as we’d be able to navigate to most of the places on our itinerary on foot.

Keep in mind that where you decide to base yourself is a major factor impacting this decision. (We were in a central area, so this made it much easier to explore by walking.)

Speaking of bases, I’ll be putting together a dedicated guide to the best neighborhoods to stay in while in Venice (including all of the details about our apartment on the border of the San Marco and Castello districts), so keep an eye out for that!

If you prefer a private experience on the water – and have some extra room in your budget – you may want to consider traveling by water taxi.

As pricing can range anywhere from about 50 – 100+EUR depending on the duration and distance, this is definitely one of the priciest solutions to how to get around in Venice.

That said, in moderation, these rides can save you time and hassle, particularly if you’re just arriving or departing Venice and are traveling with hefty luggage. Water taxis can actually drop you off directly at your accommodation, provided it has a private dock.

When looking for a water taxi, keep an eye out for a yellow flag, ensuring that the boat is authorized by Comune di Venezia. 

You can purchase tickets for a water taxi in a couple of different ways:

• Via your hotel concierge (if you have one)
• In person at one of the water taxi stations (locations include: Piazzale Roma, Piazza San Marco/San Zaccaria, Santa Maria Lucia Railway Station, Marco Polo Airport, Stazione Marittima (Venice Cruise Terminal), and Lido di Venice)
• Online in advance, such as via Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia

I wanted to include gondola rides in this guide as they are technically a means of transport, but they’re more for the novelty (and one-time experience) than they are a regular means of travel around the city.

If you do decide to splurge on a gondola ride, make sure you have deep pockets, as they don’t come cheap. Unfortunately, there isn’t one official site listing uniform pricing for gondola rides, so you’ll want to shop around to get the best rates. You can find rates and tariffs posted directly at the gondola stations.

Keep in mind that there are various factors that can affect the price of your ride, including the length of the ride, the time of day, whether you wish to add a serenade, etc. Prices are calculated by boat, not by person.

You can take a look at some pricing examples here (though be mindful that you may find different rates posted as you walk around).

Gondolas leave from various departure points – or stazi, as they’re known in Italian – throughout Venice.

Common gondola stations (stazi) throughout Venice include:

• St. Mark’s Square/Basino Orseolo – Easily accessible from the square, this stazi provides connections to both the Grand Canal and smaller canals
• Hotel Danieli – Also known as “Riga degli Schiavoni”, this stazio easily connects to the quieter, eastern canals
• Riva del Carbon – Located near the Rialto Bridge, this is an ideal spot for accessing the Grand Canal routes
• Santa Maria del Giglio – Located next to Gritti Palace and near the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio where it borrows its name, this stazio is ideal for viewing the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
• Accademia Bridge – Located in the Dorsoduro district next to the Ponte dell’Accademia Bridge, gondolas depart from the Grand Canal and connect with smaller, inner canals
• Campo Santa Maria Formosa – A quieter alternative to others on this list, this stop is ideal for a peaceful ride through smaller back canals

Personally, we decided to skip the gondola experience as were traveling with our 2.5-year-old and didn’t think it would be appropriate (or very enjoyable) with her on board.

Plus, there are no life jackets aboard the gondolas, so it’s very much so an enter-at-your-own-risk situation!

If you’re looking to get your steps in, you may want to focus on exploring Venice on your own two feet. We did quite a lot of walking while we were here and – minus the huge hurdle/hassle of lifting our stroller over constant bridges – we found the city easy to navigate by walking.

Here are some things to keep in mind about walking around Venice:

• Venice is relatively small, so you could feasibly walk from the “head” to the “tail” of this fish-shaped island in approximately one hour
• The city has 400+ bridges, so you’ll be climbing up and down pretty much constantly
• With the exception of wider piazzas, there are many narrow and winding stone alleyways
• If you want to get around on foot for the majority of your trip, focus on your home base and find an accommodation within reasonable walking distance of the sites you most want to visit

If you’re entering or leaving Venice by train, you’ll do so from the city’s main station: Venezia Santa Lucia.

You can check out the current train schedule here.

If you arrive by train, you’ll have a couple of options for getting around from there (besides walking). You can either hop aboard a vaporetto (Lines 1 & 2) or take a private water taxi directly to your hotel.

We entered Venice by train from Varenna in Lake Como, but we sprung for a private driver for our departure, as our next stop was Lake Bled in Slovenia. I can highly recommend the services of Go Opti (not sponsored at all, btw), as they were punctual and easy to communicate with.

We met our driver at the Venice People Mover, which is an automated and elevated shuttle train connecting Piazzale Roma, Marittima Cruise Terminal, and Tronchetto parking island.

To reach the People Mover, we took the Line 2 vaporetto from San Zaccaria (as this was closest to our accommodation). The ride took roughly half an hour.

Venice is both an incredibly walkable city and one that’s easy to hop about on by your boat of choice. Though it may be difficult to imagine getting by without a car for several days, trust me, when you get swept up in the magic of the city, a car will be the furthest thing from your mind.

I hope this guide has helped you sort out how to get around Venice with ease. What transportation-related questions do you have for me? Let me know in the comments below!

Ready to explore Venice with newfound confidence? Check out my other guides:

• What to Eat in Venice: Foodie Guide to Italy’s Floating City
• 7 of the Best Cafés in Venice Where You Can Sit, Sip & Savor
• Venice with a Toddler: Key Travel Tips & Family-Friendly Attractions