Combo (Save 5%): 1-Day ACTV Water Bus Pass + Doge’s Palace Tickets

The one-day tour my group and I took was really great. As soon as we arrived, we exchanged our purchase for a ticket. The tricky part was that no one could tell us where the kiosk was to exchange the ticket. We walked back and forth several times inside and outside the Veneza Mestre station, but to no avail. We expanded our search to the block where the station was located and the surrounding area, and that’s when we found the exchange machine, under the shelter at the bus stop between the Venice Mestre train station and the Flixbus bus stop (here’s a tip). After the exchange, another struggle to validate the tickets. Because no one, not even the staff at the train station, knew where to validate them. One person told us we had to validate them on the bus. As soon as a bus stopped, we validated our tickets, but I almost got hurt because of the bus driver’s rudeness—he slammed the door right in my face when he realized we weren’t going to ride the bus. I felt there was a lack of step-by-step information. After all, the people who buy this day pass are usually tourists, not locals. After that incident at the bus stop, we went to the station. We looked for the platform for the next train to Venice Santa Lucia. We went to the platform but couldn’t find the place to validate our tickets to board the train. A passenger helped us by telling us that the validator was in the corridor, before going up to the platforms. So we did just that. We had a little trouble at first, because you don’t just tap it—you have to insert the card and slide it to the side until the two green lights at the top of the machine light up. The card is validated for the train as soon as it comes out with the validation date stamped on it and a small hole. After that little hassle, it was all fun. We went to the island of Murano to watch a demonstration of how glass artifacts are handcrafted. Then we headed to St. Mark’s Square, where we took a gondola ride, and then continued to Venice Santa Lucia, from where we took the train to Venice Mestre station. The ticket is very useful, as it makes getting around easier without having to buy a pass for every trip (which wastes time in lines with each purchase) and saves money, since we took the train twice and the boat three times for €25.00. So here’s a tip for those who will exchange their card at Venice Mestre: go directly to the city bus stop, where there’s a machine to exchange your online purchase for a physical pass (select the language and follow the step-by-step instructions). After getting the card, go to the train station and in the corridor leading to the platforms, you’ll find the validator (green in color, when I went). Don’t forget to validate your ticket before boarding the train, as there are constant inspections.

All I can say is: GOOD AND AFFORDABLE. Everything went smoothly, from buying the ticket online to traveling by bus and vaporetto. The service is excellent. The vaporettos and buses run on time. We really enjoyed the vaporetto trips... you can hop on and off wherever you want. The stations are well marked, so you can't get lost. We'll be back. Thank you very much.