# The Grand Canal on the line 1 vaporetto Vaporetto · whole Grand Canal · €9.50 ticket · All year Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/veneto/venice/things-to-do/grand-canal-vaporetto-line-1 · Revisado: 2026-11-11 Dónde: Venice Line 1 is slow, and that is the good thing: it stops at almost every landing stage and leaves time to look at the palaces, the Rialto market and the Accademia bridge. Line 2 does the same canal with fewer stops. ## Why do it and who it suits The Grand Canal is the main street of Venice, and almost all its palaces were built to be seen from the water. From the vaporetto you see them as they were conceived: Gothic and Renaissance façades, private landing stages, gondolas, delivery boats and the comings and goings of a city that still moves by water. It is also the cheapest way to do it: a public transport ticket, with no excursion or guide. It suits everyone, including families with small children, who travel free up to age 6 and often enjoy it more than any museum. If you are looking for silence or an explanation of every palace, it is not the plan: it is a scheduled boat, sometimes full, with announcements over the loudspeaker and people getting on and off. ## Where to sit The outdoor seats, on the boats that have them, are the ones everyone wants, so the way to get them is to board at the first landing stage, at Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia, and wait for the next boat if the one that arrives is full. If you are standing, position yourself by the railing on the canal side, not in the door area, which is where people get on and off. ## Tickets and passes The 75-minute ticket costs €9.50 and covers a full journey with time to spare. If you are going to use the vaporetto three times in the day, the 24-hour pass, at €25, already pays off. There are 2, 3 and 7-day passes for €35, €45 and €65. Young people aged 6 to 29 can get the Rolling Venice, at €6, which entitles them to a 72-hour pass for €27. With each ticket you can take up to three items of luggage free, provided the sum of their three dimensions does not exceed 150 cm each. Larger suitcases are not accepted. Folded pushchairs travel free and, if they fit, open ones too. Dogs travel free, one per passenger, muzzled and on a lead or in your arms. Don't board without a validated ticket: there are inspectors and the fine is paid on top of the price of the journey. ## When to go First thing in the morning the canal is quiet, the light is soft and the boats are half empty. At dusk and at night, with the palaces lit up, the trip changes completely and is worth repeating. The worst is mid-morning and the return in the afternoon, when day-trippers and residents coincide. In winter special timetables apply. From 2 November 2026, line 2 shortens its journeys along the Grand Canal at certain times, to San Marco Giardinetti or to Rialto, while the notice does not cut line 1, which remains the one that runs the whole canal. If you want to go quickly in winter, check the timetable. ## If it rains or there is fog The vaporetto runs in the rain, and the closed cabin lets you see the canal under cover. In dense fog or acqua alta above 95 cm, ACTV modifies the service and some lines change route: check the notices on the website or the app before setting out. ## Paso a paso ### Before · Buy your ticket At the Venezia Unica ticket offices and machines at the landing stages, or in the AVM Venezia app. If you buy it on board, ask for it as you get on. ### Boarding · Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia Start at one of the ends so you get a seat. Validate the ticket at the reader before entering the landing stage; if you have it on the app, activate it at least three minutes beforehand. ### The route · From the Scalzi bridge to the Salute You pass under the Rialto bridge, opposite Ca' d'Oro and the market, under the Accademia and come out into the St Mark's basin with the Salute on your right. ### Getting off · San Marco or the Lido Get off at San Marco – San Zaccaria, or continue to the Lido if you want a beach in season. ### Return · On foot or on the same boat If you have a pass, go back in the opposite direction and look at the other bank. If not, return on foot via Rialto. ## Qué llevar - Your validated ticket: there are checks - Something warm in winter: it is windy on deck - Patience at peak times - Luggage within the limit: three items of 150 cm at most ## Consejos ### A multi-day pass if you move around a lot With three journeys a day, the one-day pass already pays off. If you are aged 6 to 29, the Rolling Venice (€6) gives a 72-hour pass for €27. ### Travel first thing or at dusk In mid-morning the vaporetti are full and the outdoor seats are taken early. ### Watch for fog and acqua alta In fog or high tide above 95 cm, ACTV modifies the lines. Check the notices before setting out. ### Do it twice One trip out in the morning and one back at night. With a 24-hour pass you don't pay more. ### Buy on the app You save the machine queue, but activate the ticket a few minutes before boarding. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does the vaporetto cost? The 75-minute ticket costs €9.50. The 1-day pass costs €25; the 2-day, €35; the 3-day, €45; and the 7-day, €65. ### Do children pay? Not up to age 6 on Venice's urban services. ### Does it go to the airport? No: the services to Marco Polo airport have a separate fare and are not included in the normal passes. ### Is line 1 or 2 better? Line 1 for looking, because it stops almost everywhere. Line 2 for getting there sooner. ### Can I board with a suitcase? Yes, up to three items free per ticket if each does not exceed 150 cm adding its three dimensions. ### Can dogs board? Yes, free, one per passenger, muzzled and on a lead or in your arms. ### How long does the journey take? Count on nearly an hour from Piazzale Roma to San Marco, depending on water traffic and stops.