Vaporetto line 12: Murano, Burano and Torcello

Where line 12 goes

Line 12 starts at Fondamente Nove, the quay on the northern edge of Venice facing the cemetery island of San Michele. Its first stop is Murano Faro, by the lighthouse on the glass island. From there it crosses the open lagoon to Mazzorbo and Burano. From Burano the line continues to Treporti on the Cavallino peninsula, in the daytime with a change of boat at Burano, and two evening boats reach Punta Sabbioni.

For a visitor that makes it the one line for a day on the northern islands: Murano for the glass furnaces, Burano for the coloured houses and the lace, Torcello for the cathedral. In the daytime the boats leave every 20 minutes, and the ride to Burano takes 41 minutes.

Stops and journey times

In the daytime the boat from Fondamente Nove ends at Burano pontoon C, and the connection to Treporti leaves from pontoon B a few minutes later. Travellers bound for Burano simply step off; the change only matters if you continue to the Cavallino side.

Departures from Fondamente Nove

The first boat leaves Fondamente Nove at 04:20 and the last at 22:25. Between 10:00 and 17:40 a boat leaves every 20 minutes; before and after, the interval is mostly 30 minutes.

After the last line 12 boat, the night line NLN connects Fondamente Nove with Murano, Burano and Treporti, with departures between 23:20 and 02:57. For the departure you are about to catch, check the board at the stop: it lists the next boats and their destinations.

Boats back from Burano

Boats back to Venice leave Burano from pontoon C. In the daytime they run every 20 minutes from 11:12 to 18:12, call at Mazzorbo and Murano Faro and reach Fondamente Nove after 41 minutes. The last boat leaves Burano at 00:10 and arrives at Fondamente Nove at 00:53.

Torcello and line 9

In the current timetable line 12 only calls at Torcello on the morning boats, those leaving Fondamente Nove between 04:20 and 08:40, and on the evening boats from 17:40. On the earliest boats Torcello is a request stop: tell the crew to get off, and to board there call the toll-free number 800 845 065 at least 20 minutes before the boat is due.

In the daytime the link is line 9, a shuttle between Burano pontoon A and Torcello. It leaves Burano every 15 minutes from 09:30 to 17:45 and Torcello from 09:40 to 17:55; the crossing takes five minutes. Coming back in the evening, the line 12 boats leaving Burano from 18:25 call at Torcello first and then run straight to Venice.

Getting to Fondamente Nove

From the railway station or Piazzale Roma, the circular lines reach Fondamente Nove in 20 to 30 minutes: line 5.2 or line 4.2, both from pontoon D at Ferrovia and at Piazzale Roma. From San Marco, line 4.1 leaves San Zaccaria from pontoon E and runs along the eastern edge of the city to Fondamente Nove in 33 minutes. Line 3 runs from Piazzale Roma and the station directly to Murano, and line 12 picks you up at Murano Faro for Burano. The routes side by side are on Venice to Murano and Venice to Burano.

Tickets for the island day

Line 12 belongs to the ACTV urban network, and every standard ticket covers it out to Treporti and Punta Sabbioni. A trip to Burano and back is two rides of 41 minutes, plus the ride to Fondamente Nove and back to your hotel: four rides at €9.50 each cost more than the €25 for the 24-hour ticket. For a stay of several days the 72-hour ticket is the better buy, and the whole ladder is on vaporetto tickets and passes.