A Guide to Riding the No. 1 Vaporetto in Venice

Venice may be a car-free haven, but that doesn’t mean it lacks public transit.

Indeed, Venice still has buses — they just operate on the canals instead of roads.

Venice’s water buses are called vaporetti, and a visit to Venice wouldn’t be complete without experiencing at least one vaporetto journey.

The most popular vaporetto in Venice is line number 1, which travels the length of the Grand Canal and beyond. Riding the number 1 vaporetto is a great experience whether or not you’re actually using it to get somewhere!

During my first visit to Venice — an entire glorious week — I made a point of riding the full length of the number 1 vaporetto line to see what it’s like and how to have the best experience on it. And I loved it so much that on a more recent visit to Venice, I did it all over again a couple of times!

In this guide, learn all about riding Venice’s number 1 vaporetto line — including how to get a ticket, where to board, and how to snag one of the best seats.

Buying a Vaporetto Ticket

Like buses in most cities, you will need to buy a ticket in order to ride the vaporetto. You can buy two types of vaporetto tickets: single-use or daily/multi-day pass.

A single-use ticket is valid for 75 minutes from the time of validation (more on that in a minute). These tickets cost €9.50 each. If you just want to ride the number 1 vaporetto, and no other vaporetto journeys, I recommend buying a single-use ticket.

A daily or multi-day pass, on the other hand, provides unlimited vaporetto rides for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, or 7 days — your choice. Longer cards cost more to buy, but are a better value. For example, the 7-day card costs a little over twice as much as the 1-day card, but it’s valid for 7 times longer.

You can purchase a vaporetto ticket at certain of the stops (particularly at popular locations like the train station and near St. Mark’s Square). You may also be able to purchase a single-use ticket from a conductor on board the vaporetto. (Be sure to let them know you’ve boarded without a ticket right away so you don’t accidentally get slapped with a fine!)

Alternatively, you can buy tickets on the AVM Venezia official app. This is a particularly handy option if you want to avoid keeping track of a paper ticket for one or more days.

Read more about vaporetto ticket options here.

Where to Board the No. 1 Vaporetto Line

The number 1 vaporetto line runs between Piazzale Roma (near the northern end of the Grand Canal, where buses arrive in Venice) and the Lido — a long, narrow island just next to Venice.

Number 1 vaporetti stop at a number of places on both sides of the Grand Canal, as shown in this map:

You can catch the number 1 vaporetto at any of these stops.

Some vaporetto stops have multiple piers because many different vaporetto lines stop there. When this is the case, be sure to look for signs telling you which vaporetto lines stop at each pier. If you are on the wrong pier, you won’t be able to board your vaporetto when it arrives!

For example, at Piazzale Roma, the number 1 vaporetto line stops at pier G.

I have tried to indicate the correct pier for each stop in the map above, but always check the signage at each stop just in case things have changed!

Boarding a vaporetto is easy. After you’ve identified the right pier, scan your ticket to validate it and wait at the pier until your boat arrives.

Keep in mind that unless you are waiting at the end of the line, number 1 boats that stop at your pier may be traveling in either direction. Be sure to pay close attention to the signage on the sides of boats that come to the pier to make sure that you board a boat traveling in the direction that you want.

When your boat pulls up to the pier, all you have to do is step onto it. If seats are available, take whichever one you like — however, it may be standing-room only. You may even need to squeeze!

A conductor may check your ticket after you board.

How to Get the Best Seat on the No. 1 Vaporetto

Number 1 is the busiest vaporetto line in Venice. Boats are often full, and it’s common to step onto a vaporetto that’s standing-room only. Plus, even if there are seats, most of them will be inside the boat, where the views can be meh and air circulation can be limited.

Instead, for the best spot on the number 1 vaporetto, you want one of the rare seats in the open-air front or back of the boat (not all boats have seating in the front — just scope out what type of boat you’re on when you board!).

There are only a few seats in these areas, and they are tough to snag. But they are worth the effort, especially if you plan to ride the entire length of the number 1 line (which takes about an hour!): you get to sit down, enjoy a wide, largely unobstructed view of the Grand Canal, and feel plenty of air to keep you comfy on those hot Italian days.

Some things I saw from my seat in the back of the number 1 vaporetto

If you want to ride the number 1 vaporetto in one of these lucky seats, like I did, here’s how to give yourself the best chance:

First, board the number 1 vaporetto heading toward the Lido. Anywhere will do: if you have lots of time to devote to this particular vaporetto experience, feel free to board it as early as you can (that is, as close to Piazzale Roma as you can) to give yourself more chances to snag a seat.

But personally, the first time I did this, I boarded at Salute, which is actually pretty close to the Lido end of the line — so don’t stress if you don’t have 2+ hours to spend on this vaporetto ride and need to board closer to the Lido.

Second, sit or stand as close to the front or back of the boat as you can, and keep an eye on those seats in the open-air areas. Be ready to jump if a seat opens up!

Third, when the boat reaches the end of the line at the Lido, don’t get off unless they make you.

Most people who ride the number 1 vaporetto the whole way to the Lido will disembark there because they are staying on the Lido, or live there, or otherwise are specifically traveling to the Lido.

As long as you are permitted to stay on the boat while it prepares to turn around and go back to Venice, this is almost certainly going to be your best chance to get one of the good seats.

That was the case for me: every time I’ve ridden the number 1 vaporetto, almost everyone else got off at the Lido, including most of the people who were sitting in the front or back of the boat. I took the opportunity to claim one of those seats, and got to stay there for the entire hour-long ride back to Piazzale Roma! (And yes, I’ve done this multiple times!)

So: fourth, snag one of the open-air seats when they become available! Do it quickly, because people will soon board the boat from the Lido pier and you will start traveling back to the main part of Venice.

If you’re lucky enough to be on a boat with seats in both the front and the back, and even luckier enough to get to choose between them, well — you can’t go wrong. Both are great options! But I’d personally recommend sitting in the back if you’re riding at sunset (more on that below!) and otherwise riding in the front.

Fifth, and finally: enjoy the views, the fresh air, and the chance to sit down!

No, riding the vaporetto this way doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get one of the good seats. But it does give you your best chance!

Riding the No. 1 Vaporetto at Sunset

No matter when you ride the number 1 vaporetto, it’s a wonderful journey. The Grand Canal is incredibly beautiful, with plenty of gondolas and other types of boats traveling alongside your vaporetto and gorgeous Venetian architecture lining the way. If you take the trip the whole way to and/or from the Lido, you’ll also get wonderful views of the famous Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, plus the picturesque island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

But I think the number 1 vaporetto ride is especially lovely at golden hour and sunset, when those buildings are aglow and all of Venice feels even more romantic.

To time your ride for sunset, try to catch a number 1 vaporetto that is scheduled to leave the Lido approximately 90 minutes before the sun will set on your given day. If you go much earlier, you may have harsher afternoon lighting instead of a golden hour glow; if you go much later, at least some of your ride may be in the cooler hues of twilight instead of the warm light of sunset.

See a video from my own sunset ride on the number 1 vaporetto here:

Final Thoughts

Riding the number 1 vaporetto line is one of the most quintessential Venice experiences — but you can improve your experience quite a lot by taking the boat the whole way to the Lido and snagging one of the open-air seats, if available.

Plus, one final recommendation: instead of purchasing just a single-ride ticket, grab a one-day pass and take full advantage of it. Take a vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore and enjoy the view from its church tower, catch a random boat to nowhere, etc. Get to know Venice from the water!

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