How to Take a Traghetto in Venice: An Alternative to the Gondola

So you’ve heard of taking a traghetto in Venice, and you’re wondering how to make that happen. You’ve come to the right place!

Technically, the word traghetto means ‘ferry’ in Italian, but in Venice, the word is often used to generically refer to the public gondolas that make short crossings across the Grand Canal.

There are only four bridges that cross the Grand Canal in Venice, so the traghettos are there to offer five more crossing points.

They will most likely be busiest during peak commute time as they are commonly used by locals going to and from work.

When we spent two days in Venice, we opted to take a traghetto ride rather than a traditional 30-minute gondola ride, and were happy with our choice- but the experience isn’t the same.

The traghetto is quite different from the gondolas you can book, so I’m making this guide to help you know what to expect with a traghetto ride, how much it costs, and how to do it.

If you’re looking for even more unique things to do in Venice like the traghetto, be sure to check out my guide: 11 Unique Things to Do in Venice Italy

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➡️ 2-HOUR WALKING TOUR + GONDOLA RIDE: We didn't take this tour, but if we had decided to book a gondola ride, I totally would've done it in combo with this walking tour with a local. The experience has 5 stars on Viator and seems like a great way to get the most out of your gondola ride as possible. 


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Map of Venice Traghetto Stops

You can use the interactive map below to find all of the traghetto stops in Venice.

Google Maps indicates the five traghetto routes via a faint, blue dotted line crossing the Grand Canal. I’ve indicated the crossings for all five traghetto routes on my Google Map below.

You can click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner of my map to have it open in your own Google Maps app so you can easily reference the crossings while you are in Venice.

You can also click on the arrow in the top left corner to see a list of the names of all of the points on the map.

You can reference this map on the City of Venice website to see where I obtained the information.

How to Use the Traghetto in Venice

Using the traghetto gondola in Venice isn’t difficult, but to help ease your mind, below is an explanation of how to do it!

The Venice Traghetto is Only For Crossing the Grand Canal

Upon arrival in Venice, you’ll realize that boarding points for the classic gondola rides are all over the city, however, a traghetto boarding point can be slightly more difficult to find since there are only a few on each side of the Grand Canal.

My first point is to remember that a traghetto is ONLY for crossing the Grand Canal. So, if you’re trying to find a traghetto boarding point in the small canals throughout the city, you won’t find any.

You can refer to my Google Map above to reference all five/ten locations to board the traghetto in Venice.

I recommend downloading my map into your own Google Maps to easily find the traghetto routes on-the-go in Venice because Google Maps doesn’t always pull up the stops when you search ‘traghetto’.

Look for a sign that says Traghetto

Anytime you’re looking for a Venice traghetto location, you’ll see a sign that says ‘traghetto’ over or next to the boarding point.

Alternatively, if the sign says ‘gondola service,’ it means you’re in the wrong place. ‘Gondola service’ signs are for the traditional 30-minute gondola ride, not the traghetto crossing the Grand Canal.

However, if you think you’re in the right spot for the traghetto but only see a ‘gondola service’ sign, keep looking because you may be close.

When we got on the traghetto right near San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), the traghetto stop was cozied up next to a traditional gondola stop plus a vaporetto stop, so we weren’t sure we were in the correct place, but then we noticed the traghetto sign and knew we’d found it (there will always be a traghetto sign).

Wait for the traghetto to arrive if it’s not there

If the traghetto is at the pier when you arrive, just wait a few minutes. It’s just one gondola that crosses back and forth as it gets loaded so it may be on the other side of the canal.

You can probably even look across the Grand Canal to see it loading passengers or crossing.

Pay the gondolier

A traghetto ride in Venice costs €2 for visitors and €0.70 for residents. It must be paid in cash (preferably exact change) to the gondolier as you board the boat.

You don’t need to stand to cross on the traghetto in Venice

I’ve read so many things online that say to stand during the crossing; however, our gondoliers specifically asked everyone to sit.

Sure, if you’re a local who crosses on these all the time, they may stand, but I don’t think the gondoliers want to take any risks with a tourist tipping the boat or falling down (based on my experience).

Maybe if the gondola is very full, they would expect you to stand.

Venice Traghetto Price

A traghetto ride in Venice costs €2 for visitors and €0.70 for residents.

It must be paid in cash (preferably exact change) to the gondolier as you board the boat.

Venice Traghetto Opening Hours

Below are the opening hours of the various Venice traghetto locations in Venice (as taken from the City of Venice website).

Traghetto Dogana: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm

Traghetto Santa Maria del Giglio: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm

Traghetto San Toma: 8.30 am to 7.00 pm Monday to Friday & 9.00 am to 6.30 pm Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

Traghetto Carbon: 9.00 am to 12.00 pm Monday to Friday. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays

Traghetto Santa Sofia: 8.30 am to 7.00 pm Monday to Friday & 9.00 am to 6.00 pm Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

Traghetto vs Gondola

I recommend the traghetto if you are looking to experience one of the many unique things to do in Venice, or if you simply want to save on some walking or want a more convenient way to cross the Grand Canal.

I enjoyed the traghetto because it felt more like experiencing how gondolas were historically used in Venice rather than like taking a ride at Disneyland, which the 30-minute gondola rides can sometimes feel like (but a lovely ride!).

If you’re choosing between a traghetto vs. a gondola, keep in mind the traghetto ride is only a couple of minutes long, you’re sharing it with other people, and the traghettos don’t have the same fancy seats that the gondolas do (if that’s important to you).

However, the traghetto is MUCH less expensive (for a much shorter, shared experience).

If you want to ride a gondola in Venice, you CAN book a 30-minute tour in advance (or longer if you choose); however, from what I’ve seen, the options online are usually tours where you pay per person for a shared gondola ride, or it’s an overpriced private ride (when booking in person at the boarding point in Venice, all of the tours have the same price).

There are SO many gondola boarding points throughout Venice, and all of them have the same sign indicating the price. For a 30-minute private tour, the price is the same no matter what boarding point you go to, which is €90 for a daytime ride or €110 for an evening ride.

If you’re traveling solo, choosing a shared gondola ride will definitely save you some money if you don’t mind experiencing the gondola with others.

If I were going to take a gondola ride, I’d book this combo experience of a 2-hour private walking tour in Venice with an included 30-minute gondola ride. It has WAY better reviews (5 stars!) than just the classic 30-minute gondola ride you can book.

✨🚣‍♀️ CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE PRIVATE WALKING TOUR + GONDOLA EXPERIENCE 🚣‍♀️✨

And those are my tips for riding the traghetto in Venice! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions- I’ll be sure to get back to you!

✨ LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT VENICE, ITALY? 

🇮🇹  Venice in Two Days: Our Tried and True Itinerary

✨ 11 Unique Things to Do in Venice Italy

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