Venice's historic centre is entirely car-free, which is either the best or most disorienting thing about visiting, depending on your patience for getting a little lost.
Walking
Most of Venice is genuinely walkable — the historic centre is only about 3 km end to end — and walking is how you'll see the most. Expect narrow calli (streets), frequent dead ends at canals, and yellow directional signs pointing toward San Marco, Rialto, Piazzale Roma and the ferrovia (train station) at every major junction. Comfortable, flat-soled shoes matter more here than almost anywhere else in Italy — cobblestones and bridge steps add up fast.
Vaporetto (water bus)
Run by ACTV, the vaporetto network is Venice's public transport backbone. A handful of lines matter most to visitors:
| Line | Route | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piazzale Roma → Grand Canal (all stops) → Lido | Slow, scenic Grand Canal transit |
| 2 | Piazzale Roma → Giudecca Canal → San Marco → Lido | Faster Grand Canal alternative |
| 4.1/4.2 | Circular routes via Murano | Reaching Murano |
| 12 | Fondamente Nove → Murano → Burano → Torcello | The island-hopping line |
A single ticket costs around €9.50 and is valid for 75 minutes of travel in one direction; multi-day tourist passes are usually better value if you're taking more than 3–4 rides a day.
Water taxi
Private water taxis are fast and comfortable but expensive — think of them as the equivalent of an airport taxi rather than routine transport. Always confirm the fare (or that the meter is running) before you set off.
Gondola
Gondolas are a tourist experience rather than a transport option — a fixed-price, roughly 30-minute ride along a set route, official rates posted at each gondola stand (stazio). The exception is the traghetto, a stripped-down gondola that locals use to cross the Grand Canal standing up, for a couple of euros.