Yellow Tappy reader, green light, beep. Three rules — validate every boarding, re-tap on every transfer, never forget the airport bus is separate. Here is the full workflow.
Booked via GetYourGuide
Same on every line, every variant, every age. Three actions per boarding.
Use the electronic sign above the pontoon entrance to confirm the line and direction. Big stations (Piazzale Roma, San Marco, Fondamente Nove) have several pontoons.
Hold your physical ticket flat against the yellow Tappy reader for about half a second. Green light + beep = validated. Red light + double beep = try again or check the time of your ticket.
Even with a 7-day ticket: every time you board a new vaporetto, bus or tram, tap the Tappy reader again. This is for ACTV statistics, not for charging you — the clock does not restart.
Since April 2025, ACTV accepts contactless credit cards directly at the yellow Tappy reader. Tap the card, ride, the system charges you the best fare over the next 24 hours.
This is useful for casual riders (two to three trips a day, no plan). For a multi-day trip with several rides per day, the 24-hour or 72-hour Vaporetto ticket is still cheaper.
Since 1 July 2024, ACTV no longer sells tickets on board the vaporetto. You must have a valid ticket or contactless card before you tap the Tappy reader. Buying online via voucher is the safest route — no machine queue, no cash handling.
The "AVM Venezia Official" app (iOS, Android, free) shows live departures, disruption alerts and a journey planner. No account needed for live info. You do not need it to ride — but it saves time when planning routes around strike days or acqua alta (Venice's seasonal high-tide flooding, mostly October through March).
No — the GetYourGuide voucher is for redemption at the TVM, not for direct boarding. Once you have the physical ACTV ticket from the machine, that is what you tap on the Tappy reader. Apple Pay / Google Pay also work as tap-to-pay (separate "best fare" charge).
ACTV uses the tap data for line-occupancy statistics and rider analytics — it is not a re-charge. With a multi-day ticket the clock keeps running. If you forget to re-tap and get checked, the fine still applies because technically you boarded without a "validated" entry.
Try tapping again, holding the ticket flat. If it stays red, check that the ticket has not expired and that you are on the right line. Show the ticket to the captain on board — they can confirm it manually.
Official ACTV ticket via GetYourGuide. Use on any day. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before use.
Check availability · From €9.50 →
