Unlimited public transportation for 1 to 7 days
Venice's standard single-journey vaporetto fares are obscenely high, but there is a way to limit the damage:
Buy a Venezia Daily Pass or a 2-, 3-, or 7-day Ticket, which allows unlimited travel on nearly all ACTV land and water services (not including the airport, but see "airport transportation" below).
You can buy a pass or multi-day ticket at any ACTV/Venezia Unica ticket booth or multilingual self-service ticket machine.
The pass or ticket will be activated (and the clock will begin ticking down) the first time you swipe the card against an electronic ticket reader at a vaporetto station or on a land bus.
Prices:
One day: €25,--
Two days: €35,--
Three days: €45,--
Seven days: €65,--
Airport transportation:
For an extra €7 (one-way) or €13 (round trip), you can travel between Venice Marco Polo Airport and the city with your pass or multi-day ticket by ACTV land bus.
At the airport, buy your ticket at the Public Transport counter in the arrivals hall, and look for the No. 5 "Aerobus" to Venice's Piazzale Roma at the curb outside the terminal doors. (Note: Be sure to board the ACTV No. 5 Aerobus, not the ATVO "Venezia Express" coach.)
Rolling Venice (ages 14-29):
You can get an even better deal if you're 14 to 29 years of age:
The Rolling Venice Card is valid for 3 days of unlimited ACTV boat and bus
travel within the city (not including the airport). Total cost
for the stored-value card plus transportation is
€33 (€6 for the Rolling Venice ID card and €27 for transportation).
For an extra
€7 (one-day) or €13 (round trip),
you can include airport transportation on ACTV's No. 5 "Aerobus."
Buy Rolling Venice at any ACTV/Venezia Unica ticket office or booth.
Venezia Unica city pass (for frequent users):
The Venezia Unica stored-value card for frequent users will cost you €100
just for the empty card if you're a visitor from outside Venice or the
Veneto region.
However, the card is valid for five years and lets you buy
single fares, "carnets" of 10 rides, and commuter passes at ultra-cheap resident rates.
It's a great value if you come to Venice often or are staying in the city for a
month or two and plan to ride the vaporetto regularly.
Buy the Venezia Unica city pass for frequent users at any full-service Venezia Unica/ACTV ticket office in Venice or the surrounding region. (Bring your passport and be prepared to fill out a lengthy form.)
Note: This "frequent users" pass is not the same as the Venezia Unica tourist pass for short-term visitors, which is designed for tourists and is more complicated to buy than ACTV's own daily pass and multi-day tickets.