If you land at Marco Polo and want to reach Venice on the water without paying for a water taxi, there is only one scheduled option: Alilaguna. It is not an ACTV service and does not accept vaporetto passes: it is a private company with its own fares, its own lines and a group of related businesses that also sell the more expensive alternative. This review explains what you are buying, how long it takes and when something else makes more sense.
Disclosure. We have no commercial relationship with Alilaguna, Bucintoro Viaggi or Venicelink. We earn a commission only on bookings made through our links to Tiqets and GetYourGuide, at no extra cost to you. Prices were read on the official website in September and can change.
Who Alilaguna is
Alilaguna S.p.A. is based at Isola Nuova del Tronchetto 34 and is the only private company running scheduled public boat transport between the airport, the cruise terminal and the historic centre. According to the history on its website, it was founded in the late 1990s by a group of tour operators and started in 1999 with four boats on the Red Line. Today it reports a fleet of about 80 boats (the site says 79 on one page and 80 on another), 11 of them hybrid; they are low, enclosed motor launches, not open-deck vaporetti.
What Alilaguna’s own site doesn’t say: Bucintoro Viaggi S.r.l., a travel agency at San Marco 4267/a, describes itself as “owned by Alilaguna” and runs Venicelink, whose terms call it a trade mark of Alilaguna Spa. The same group therefore sells the €18 scheduled boat, shared and private water-taxi transfers, shared gondola rides and island trips. That is not a problem in itself, but it is worth knowing when you compare offers.
Lines and fares
| Line | Route | When |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Airport, Murano, Fondamente Nove, Ospedale, Lido, Arsenale, San Zaccaria, San Marco, Zattere, Giudecca Stucky, Tronchetto, Ferrovia | All year |
| Orange | Airport, Madonna dell’Orto, Guglie, San Stae, Rialto, Sant’Angelo, Ca’ Rezzonico, Santa Maria del Giglio | All year |
| Red | Airport, Murano, Fondamente Nove, Ospedale, Lido, San Zaccaria, San Marco Giardinetti | Summer only |
| Green | Trip to Murano, Torcello and Burano | Daily except 25 December |
| Ticket | Official price |
|---|---|
| Airport ↔ Venice | €18; return €32 |
| Airport ↔ Murano | €10; return €18 |
| San Marco ↔ Murano, Ferrovia ↔ San Marco | €10; return €18 |
| 24 / 48 / 72-hour pass (all lines except the Green) | €40 / €60 / €80 |
| Green Line island trip | €25 |
Children under 6 travel free with an adult; the return leg is valid for 30 days. The ticket includes one suitcase up to 160 cm in total dimensions and one hand item; each extra piece costs €4. Holders of the Venezia Unica/IMOB card pay reduced fares (for example €10 airport–Venice), but for a visitor that card costs far more than it saves. Fares rose recently after years without change: according to local press, the airport single went from €15 to €18.
How to buy and how to travel
You can buy at Alilaguna ticket offices (timed passes are sold only there), on the online shop at shop.alilaguna.it, on Venezia Unica, on Venicelink and on platforms such as Tiqets. From the terminal to the boat dock is a 7–10 minute walk.
Journey time is the weak point. The Blue Line is a stopping service, not an express: to San Marco it usually takes 60–75 minutes, and the Zattere or the station are further still. The Orange Line is the most convenient for Cannaregio, Rialto and the Grand Canal. In summer, according to the official timetables, the Blue runs from the airport from 5:20 to 0:20 and the Orange from 8:35 to 23:05; in winter the times change, so check the seasonal PDF on the website. Travellers often report boats packed with suitcases at peak times and, occasionally, having to wait for the next boat at intermediate stops.
The Green Line island trip
The Green Line is an excursion, not a transport line: it leaves from Santa Lucia, Zattere and San Marco Giardinetti, calls at Murano, Torcello and Burano with about 45 minutes on each island, and takes four and a half hours from San Marco (five and a half from the station). It costs €25, free for young children (under 6), with commentary in Italian, English, French, Spanish and German depending on the departure, and needs a minimum of 4 participants. It is one of the cheapest trips in the lagoon; if you’d rather go at your own pace, our pages on Murano, Burano and Torcello explain how to get there by ACTV vaporetto.
Cancellations and changes
The website publishes no refund rule for scheduled tickets or for the Green Line: treat them as non-refundable. The 30-day open return still gives flexibility on the date of your journey back. If you buy on Tiqets, the Alilaguna ticket can be cancelled free until the day before.
Languages and support
The website is in Italian and English. Support answers on +39 041 2401 701 from 9:00 to 17:00 and at info@alilaguna.it and support@alilaguna.it. Venicelink has a helpdesk in Italian and English on +39 041 240 1715.
What we like
- The price: €18 per person against €140–160 per boat for a private taxi.
- You arrive on the water, directly at Rialto, San Marco or the Lido, without going via Piazzale Roma.
- A reasonable luggage allowance is included.
- The €25 Green Line is a cheap way to see three islands in half a day.
What to watch out for
- It’s slow: on the Blue Line allow at least an hour to San Marco.
- No integration with ACTV: the vaporetto pass is not valid.
- The link with Bucintoro and Venicelink is not disclosed on Alilaguna’s site.
- Crowded boats when flights arrive, with little room for suitcases.
Official or reseller?
-
from €18 per person
Book on Tiqets -
from €12 per person
Book on Tiqets -
from €39 per person
Book on Tiqets
On Tiqets the Alilaguna ticket costs €18, the same as the official price, with free cancellation until the day before: for once the platform costs no more and adds flexibility. The alternatives for getting into town are the ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma (€12 on Tiqets, about 20 minutes) or ACTV’s Aerobus (€10), both covered in our ACTV and Venezia Unica review, and the shared water taxi at €39 per person. If there are 3 or 4 of you with suitcases and you want to arrive at your hotel’s door, a private water taxi makes sense: prices and consortia are compared on taxi.venice.it. For the full picture, see our page on Venice transport.
Who it’s for
Alilaguna suits solo travellers and couples with light luggage, staying near a stop and in no hurry. If you are staying in Cannaregio or along the Grand Canal, the Orange Line is a convenient link. Families with lots of suitcases, or anyone arriving late in the evening, should compare shared and private water taxis.
Verdict
Alilaguna does one thing well: it takes you by boat from the airport to the historic centre at a modest price. It is slow, not integrated with ACTV, and belongs to a group that also sells the expensive alternative, without Alilaguna’s own site saying so. Buy the ticket if you have time and little luggage, ideally with free cancellation; for an island trip, the Green Line remains one of the cheapest offers in the lagoon.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Alilaguna from the airport to Venice?
On the official fares the airport–Venice trip costs €18 and a return €32, with the return leg valid for 30 days. Airport–Murano costs €10. Children under 6 travel free with an adult.
How long does Alilaguna take to reach San Marco?
The Blue Line, which stops at Murano, Fondamente Nove, the Lido and San Zaccaria, usually takes 60 to 75 minutes to San Marco. The Orange Line instead runs up the Grand Canal to Rialto and Santa Maria del Giglio.
Is the ACTV pass valid on Alilaguna boats?
No. ACTV tickets and tourist passes are not valid on Alilaguna lines, and vice versa. The exception is a few ACTV lines run with Alilaguna boats, such as line 13, which require ACTV tickets.
How much luggage can I take on Alilaguna?
The ticket includes one suitcase up to 160 cm in total dimensions and one hand item. Each extra piece costs €4, paid before boarding; pushchairs and shopping trolleys travel free.
What is Alilaguna's Green Line?
It is an organised trip to Murano, Torcello and Burano, with about 45 minutes on each island. It leaves from Santa Lucia, Zattere and San Marco Giardinetti, takes four and a half hours from San Marco and costs €25; a minimum of 4 participants is required.
Are Alilaguna, Bucintoro Viaggi and Venicelink the same company?
They belong to the same group. Bucintoro Viaggi states that it is owned by Alilaguna and runs the Venicelink website, whose terms describe it as a trade mark of Alilaguna Spa. The group also sells shared and private water taxis, gondola rides and tours.
Alilaguna or a water taxi?
Alilaguna costs €18 per person but takes an hour or more and drops you at a stop. A private water taxi from the airport usually costs €140 to €160 per boat when booked directly with the consortia, but gets you close to your hotel in about half an hour.