The vaporetto dell’Arte service has been eliminated as of fall 2013.

_______________

The Vaporetto dell’Arte debuts June 1, and with any luck will allow curious ticket holders to travel more comfortably,  and more informed.

A local will only lament the arrival of yet another vaporetto water bus traversing the Grand Canal, and after the failed attempt at the resident-only line two years ago, you can understand their skepticism. But this new hop-on, hop-off city tour might just help distribute the tourist vap traffic a bit more appropriately, freeing  sightseers from the more cumbersome arrival and departure traffic—we can only hope.

The Vaporetto dell’Arte resembles hop-on, hop-off buses in other cities like London or Rome, with some notable differences. Each of the 80 seats on this colorful vaporetto is equipped with its own monitor; you can select your language and use the earphones to listen to the presentation between stops. There is more ample outside seating compared to a normal vaporetto, and with your purchase, along with the earphones, there’s a kit with a map, a booklet with instructions and route, and offers from associated organizations (Venice city museums, Biennale, Fenice , Guggenheim, Cini and Prada Foundations, and more) for Vaporetto dell’Arte ticket holders.

The Vaporetto dell’Arte stops have be selected to make them convenient for sightseeing and for criss-crossing the city more efficiently; though that will likely depend on exactly what it is you intend to visit (the Ghetto, Ca’ Rezzonico, Bevilacqua, Querini Stampalia and Palazzo Grimani don’t seem terribly convenient to any of the included stops, which are San Stae, Ca’ d’Oro, San Samuele, Accademia, Salute, San Giorgio, and San Marco, of course; Arsenale and Giardini when the Biennale’s on). Forza, corraggio.

Some particulars:

• the pass is good for 24 hours, so you’re covered for two full days of sightseeing.
• the cost is €24, or €15 for seniors or kids 12 and under; you can also combine this pass with any regular  pass for €10.

• purchase the Vaporetto dell’Arte and other travel passes from veniceconnected.com,

Note, too, that

• the starting point is the Ferrovia train station, not Piazzale Roma; the line ends at San Giorgio Maggiore (or Arsenale or Giardini).
• the vaporetto departs every 30 minutes from any stop; when you arrive, check the next departure times.

For complete information, see the official web site, vaporettoarte.com

_________

By the  way, the VAP MAP has been updated to reflect the new line, and the new Alilaguna and ACTV stops.