Recently arrived Venice Film Festival advice from a veteran journo…
“The festival adds two special vaporetto lines — Line 20 and Line MC — that you can use to get from the city to the Lido Casino. They will give you a card when you collect your press badge. This festival card allows you to ride free on these two lines during the entire festival. But ONLY on these two lines, not on any others — those you’ll still need to pay for.
Line 20 – https://lovevenice.net/vaporetto-routes-timetables/vaporetto-water-bus-line-20/
Line MC – https://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/avm/navigazione/Actv_nav_linea_MC.pdf
“Because these lines only run during the 2 weeks of the festival, it’s hard to find specific info on them now. They only update in August. But they will show up on Google Maps. Line 20 runs regularly all day between the main island and the Lido. These are the only two lines that drop off at the festival location directly behind the Casino.
“All of the others drop off at the Lido S.M.E. station, which is a full 20-minute walk to the screening area plus you have to go through security when you get to the festival grounds, etc.
“From the Lido, Line MC goes to a station called Zattere, which is actually near where you guys live in Dorsoduro. However, Line MC only runs at night — from 6:30 pm until 1 am. It also runs during the day sometimes but not in the morning. And that schedule won’t be out until August.
“Secondly, Line 20 (which is the main line that runs all day) ONLY goes from San Zaccaria (at San Marco) to the Lido Casino and back. So if you want to catch this in the morning every day you have to get over to the San Zaccaria station, which is a good 30-minute walk from your Dorsoduro apartment. That or you’ll have to pay for another vaporetto line to get there.”
Update: I’ve just bought a one-week vaporetto pass, and I’ll probably get another one for the second week. All I’ll need to do to avoid the long walk is to jump on Line #1 at Ca Rezzonico. Line #1 goes from Ca Rezzonico to San Zaccaria every morning, and frequently…easy.
“The first screening usually starts at 8:30 am every day. Sometimes at 8:15 and sometimes at 8:45. The boat takes 20 minutes. The last morning boat you can take leaves at 7:45 am. If you catch the next one at 8:15 am you won’t make it to the screening on time. The first boats — 7:15, 7:30, 7:45 am — are ALWAYS full during the festival, and there is always a huge line of people, including students, just trying to catch the boats so they can get a good spot from which to stare at the red carpet all day.
“We’ve had fights with these gawkers and lookie lous because we can’t wait in the line and need to get to our screenings. There is also a very early boat at 6:45 am, but only one.
“I recommend to everyone coming to the Venice Film Festival to stay somewhere within a 10-15 minute walk to the San Zaccaria station. This way you won’t have to pay any extra money for extra vaporetto boats or won’t get caught in the wasted time going to/from your apartment all the way to the Lido island where the festival takes place. Everything happens there and there’s no other easy way to get there.
“After the morning rush it’s very, very easy to catch a boat any time of the day on Line 20. It’s just that early morning chaos and those giant queues that give us headaches every year.”
