Living Venice

Mar 19, 2009 ACTV, vaporetto, & city transit, Instructions for Use, Worth Noting

If you’re a frequent visitor to Venice, or coming for an extended period of time (even two weeks), you may want to look into obtaining either a CartaVenezia or a Tessera di abbonamento long-term resident transit card.

The cost is €40 if you live outside the Veneto. A CartaVenezia will allow you to purchase any ACTV tickets and passes at the resident rate, including a month’s pass, a carnet of 10 tickets for €10, a single ticket at €1.10 and the traghetto ticket good for a single stop only across the Grand Canal (not to be confused with the private, gondola traghetto, which costs 50 cents). The CartaVenezia is good for three years and can be renewed for €10. The Tessera di Abbonamento is restricted to only the one-month pass (good for the entire calendar month).

Apply at the interior Piazzale Roma office, entering from the street or the fondamenta side. You’ll need your passport; passport photos will be handy but are not necessary, as they can take your picture there at the counter.

Once inside, look for the machine that issues tickets for your place in line, and press the second, red button (imob CARDS REQUEST). Take two numbers spaced a bit apart (one to request and pay for the form, the second to submit the completed one and get your pass).

You’ll request and pay for the form at the winder where your first number is displayed.; step away from the counter to fill it out. You need only complete the top part of the form:

Cognome: last name
Nome: first name
Codice fiscale: leave blank unless you have one
Comune di Nasciata: enter state and country of birth
Data di nascita: birth date in the dd/mm/yyyy format   sesso: sex
Indirizzo residenza: residence address, street then no° street number
Località: blank CAP: zip code
Comune: City
Provincia: State
Telefono fisso: land line Telefono cellulare: cell
If you have a working cell phone in Venice, enter the number; if it is not an Italian cell, enter the “+” followed by country code and cell number. likewise if you use your normal home phone numbers.

Keep an eye out for when your second number is displayed and present your completed form at that window. They’ll take your application (and your picture if necessary), enter all the info into the computer, and spit out your pass a few minutes later.

Be sure to request some transit tickets or monthly pass at this time, they can be loaded into your pass as well.

One caveat: As Piazzale Roma is frequently quite busy, it will likely take some time to complete the process; at least when you leave, though, you will have your pass.

NOTE:
You may also apply at the Tronchetto location where there will be many fewer people, but it will be necessary to arrive WITH your passport photo in hand (at least at this writing).

For more info on the CartaVenezia and the tessera di abbonamento option, check actv.it, or call HelloVenezia: +39 041 2424. Just press the option for English and transportation and you’ll get to the person who can answer your questions.

Tags: ACTV, cartavenezia, tessera di abbonamento, vaporetto, vaporetto pass