I paid $120 for my family to take the ferry around Venice. The unlimited passes were a total waste of money.
- I seek advice from others when I'm traveling to new cities, but I felt led astray in Venice.
- Everyone I spoke to, in addition to people on the internet, said I should buy a ferry pass.
Whenever I visit a new place, I like to seek out advice from those who have visited before.
While I was planning a family trip to Venice, many sources on the internet and people in real life said springing for an unlimited ferry pass was essential. Because Venice is built around a series of canals, ferries are the city's main form of public transportation.
Now that I've wasted over $100, though, I can say the passes weren't worth it for my family.
I enjoy taking public transportation when visiting a new city.
Like hundreds of thousands of fellow residents, I am an avid public-transportation user at home in Washington, DC. But I also often rely on it when I travel.
I've purchased passes for unlimited rides on public transportation everywhere, from Paris to Vienna. Even when I don't have to, I sometimes use subways or buses in a new place just for the experience.
It's usually inexpensive, efficient, and an interesting look into local life. Trying it out almost always adds to my experience.
This is to say that when I heard the advice to get a vaporetto pass first thing after arriving in Venice, I didn't ask many questions.
The price completely shocked me.
Right after I got off the train in Venice, I headed to the vaporetto station.
The three-day unlimited passes for me and my two children cost over $120 — about $49 for mine and about $36 for each of my kids.
I also had to provide official documentation of my kids' ages to get them their discounted passes and was told to carry it with me at all times in case I was questioned later.
The price of the unlimited passes shocked me. But I was even more surprised to learn that a single ride costs $10. On the bright side, at that rate, we'd start saving money after taking just four rides or two round-trip journeys.
I handed over my credit card and put the paper passes in a hidden pocket where I knew I wouldn't lose them.
Lo and behold, we hardly used the passes during our trip.
Venice is a very small, very walkable town.
Although the boats can be convenient, they're far from essential. I quickly preferred walking through the narrow, charming walkways, discovering new cafés, gelato shops, and historic buildings around every corner.
I thought the vaporetti would enrich my experience in the Italian city, but I would've missed out on so much if we didn't walk around.
One vaporetto ride is fun, but my family didn't need the pricey pass.
Even though I wish I hadn't bought pricey passes, I'm glad that I had the chance to ride a vaporetto. It was a fun experience.
All of the boats we took had small outdoor decks. Although it wasn't exactly the same as a gondola ride, standing on the deck was still lovely — especially when we got to take in some nice views of Venice at night.
However, I think one ride would've been enough for us. The price for a single ticket is steep, but based on what we needed, I still would've come out $90 ahead.
If you're planning on visiting nearby islands like Murano, Burano, or Lido di Venezia, the ferry is a much cheaper option than hiring a water taxi. It's also a nice way to get a taste of Venice's storied canals.
But I don't think buying an unlimited pass makes sense for tourists. I'm still not sure why so many people recommended it to me.
Walking around the small city was far more interesting to us, so we could've saved a lot of money on the passes.
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