VENICE: Finally, the time has come: it’s time for Venice to charge for entry. From April 25, the floating city will implement the much discussed entry fee for day trippers.
The fee has been under discussion for years. Although it is expected to expand in scope, for 2024’s pilot run it will only be applied on certain days during the high season, between April 25 to July 14.
It’s not just day trippers who need to worry, though. Although people staying overnight in the city won’t have to pay the charge, if they’ll be in town on those dates, they will still need to register for an exemption.
On January 16, the city council unveiled its online platform to process bookings and exemptions. So how do you register to pay the fee if you’re just coming for the day? And how do you register an exemption if you’re staying overnight? We booked some of the first tickets when they were released today. Here’s what to know.
The fee is charged for day visits between 8.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. For 2024, it’s a flat 5 euros ($5.45) per person per day.
For 2024, the city has exempted the fee for those traveling to most of the lagoon islands, including visitor hubs Murano and Burano, as well as the Lido, home to the city’s beaches. However, most visitors to Murano and Burano will have to pay the fee anyway, since most arrive by taking vaporetto ferries from the city center.
People transiting through Piazzale Roma (the bus terminus), Tronchetto or the Stazione Marittima (where small cruise ships still dock) will be exempt, as long as they don’t cross into the “Old City.”
