Waterbus line 2 Venice

Venice is a city without streets. But there are many islands and canals. That is why the public transport in Venice consists mainly of ships. These ferries are called water buses or in Italian vaporetti (singular vaporetto). As in a bus system, there are several water bus lines in Venice that run regularly on a certain route. This article is about the vaporetto line 2, a ferry line also frequently used by tourists.

Line 2 is currently (summer 2020) running with a new, limited timetable due to the corona pandemic. The vaporetti of line 2 no longer run through the whole Canal Grande Venice, but only to Rialto. On the route between Rialto and San Marco (Accademia, Salute, etc.), only line 1 is still in operation.

In simple terms, the ferries from Rialto on the Canal Grande pass through Venice Central Station and bus station Venice to the end of the canal. Then they continue along the edge of the island of Venice. The vaporetti also stop 4 times on the way at all piers on the island of Giudecca and once on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The last stop is then near St. Mark's Square. The vaporetti of line 2 goes back the same way.

Tickets waterbus line 2

The one-way tickets of the waterbus tickets are not exactly cheap. It is worth buying a time ticket Venice for almost every tourist. There are tickets for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours and for 1 week. With these tickets you can use the vaporetti and also busses and trams in the districts on the mainland for an unlimited time. Nowadays, many tourists buy these tickets online at home in peace and quiet before their journey. On this english website you can find the tickets, buy them online and get the current prices.

Exact course of the waterbus line 2

Line 2 starts in Rialto next to the famous Rialto Bridge. The water buses run without stopping on the Grand Canal until the central station of Santa Lucia (name of the bus stop Ferrovia). Next stop is the bus station of Venice (Piazzale Roma). Part of the vaporetti starts only here. Afterwards, the tour continues through the port of Venice and to the terminal of the cruise ships (Tronchetto). Next stop is for the first time on the Island Giudecca (Sacca Fisola). Now it's back to Venice with two more stops (S.Basilio and Zattere). Again it goes to the island Giudecca with the three further stops along the island (Palanca, Redentore, Zitelle). Crossing the Island San Giorgio, we reach the final stop near St. Mark's Square (S. Zaccaria). Here the water buses of line 2 turn around and return on the same way.

Route waterbus line 2 Venice: Rialto - Ferrovia (central station) - Piazzale Roma (bus station) - Tronchetto (2 stops) - Sacca Fisola (Venice) - Zattere (Venice) - Giudecca (several stops) - San Giorgio Maggiore Island - San Marco

Status of all information July 2020

Travel times of line 2 (examples)

Total distance (Rialto to Piazza San Marco): 55 minutes. Line 1 is much faster on the Grand Canal from Rialto to Piazza San Marco.

Rialto to the train and bus station: 10 to 15 minutes

From the station to St. Mark's Square: About 40 minutes

From the train station to Giudecca Island: 20 to 50 minutes. The waterbuses of line 2 stop 4 times on Giudecca. Depending on the bus stop, the journey times are very different.

From the train station to San Giorgio Maggiore Island: about 45 minutes

Island San Giorgio Maggiore to the Markus Square: only about 3 minutes driv

Journey times waterbus line 2 Venice

The vaporetti of line 2 in Venice run from about 5 a.m. to midnight. At night there are also ships on this route with different line names (night lines).

At present, the ships of line 2 run in both directions approximately every 12 minutes during the day. However, this is only between the bus station in Piazzale Roma and the terminus in San Marco near St. Mark's Square. The two stations Rialto and Ferrovia (Venice Central Station) are only served by every 2nd vaporetto of line 2. so about every 24 minutes. However, you can take another line between Piazzale Roma and Rialto (for example the vaporetto line 1).

Status of all information July 2020

 

Short film vaporetto line 2 Venice (Youtube)