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Venice access fee: where things stand now

Venice charged day-trippers 5 to 10 euros until July 2026. How the fee worked, why you can visit for free right now, and what’s planned for 2027.

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People crossing a bridge over a canal in Venice on a clear day
Photo by Levi van Leeuwen on Unsplash

If you’re heading to Venice in the coming months, you can walk in without paying anything. The access fee the city charged on selected days from April to July stopped on July 27, 2026, when this year’s trial ended. The city’s official site says any future charge depends on a new decision by the city.

That decision is being debated, and the price could change a lot. In September 2026, the official in charge of Venice’s budget said the current 5 to 10 euros no longer deter anyone and that the city wants a higher fee from 2027. The figure being floated is 30 euros.

Why Venice charges visitors to get in

Venice gets around 30 million visitors a year, and many only come for the day. They arrive by train, bus or cruise ship in the morning, walk the historic center and leave in the afternoon without spending a night. As the city sees it, these visitors crowd the narrow streets and bridges, push up the cost of living for residents and leave little money in local businesses.

The fee was designed to discourage that kind of trip on the busiest days, not to charge every tourist. That’s why overnight guests have always been exempt.

How it worked in 2026

The trial started in 2024 and ran again in each of the next two years, adding days each time: there were 54 in 2025. In 2026, the fee applied on 60 days between April 3 and July 26, mainly weekends and long holiday weekends, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors booked their day on an online platform and got a QR code on their phone. It cost 5 euros if you booked ahead and 10 euros if you left it to the last minute. Codes were checked at arrival points such as the train station and bus terminals, with random checks in the center and fines of up to 300 euros for anyone caught without one.

Residents, overnight guests, people coming to work or study, and anyone arriving outside charging hours were exempt.

In the first trial, in 2024, the city issued 485,062 passes and collected 2.4 million euros. Critics say the scheme hasn’t done enough to deter day-trippers; city officials argued the scheme struck the right balance between managing crowds and keeping the city open.

What could change in 2027

In an interview published on September 21, 2026, Venice’s budget and tax councillor, Michele Zuin, said that after three years of trials, the fee should take on a more permanent structure. In his view, 5 or 10 euros are “within everyone’s reach” and don’t put anyone off. “There was even talk of 50 euros, but maybe it could be 30,” he said. The idea, he explained, is that a higher price would lead someone who already knows Venice and is thinking of returning on a packed holiday, such as May 1, to pick a different day trip instead.

Nothing is settled yet. The amount has to be agreed with Italy’s national government and parliament. The city is also considering adding March and September to the calendar, something Zuin says hoteliers have asked for too. More days also mean more cost: the fee needs staff at arrival points, inspectors and municipal police, and that bill grows with every date added.

The fee isn’t the only rule: guided groups

While it debates the fee, Venice has already changed the rules for visitors in groups. Since August 1, 2024, each tour guide can lead no more than 25 people, according to the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Loudspeakers, which guides used to address large groups in the narrow streets, have been banned. Groups of more than 10 people must use earpieces with radio receivers. And groups can no longer stop on bridges or access ramps, where they block other people.

On the first day of the rule, officers fined three groups of more than 25 people. According to Simone Venturini, the city’s tourism councillor, the goal was better coexistence between tourists and residents and less crowding in certain parts of the city.

If you travel independently, nothing changes. If you book a guided tour, expect smaller groups and a guide speaking through your earpiece, not a megaphone.

Planning your visit

  • For now, there’s no fee. Since July 27, 2026, you can visit Venice without paying or claiming an exemption.
  • Before a 2027 trip, check the official site, cda.ve.it, which publishes dates and prices once they’re approved.
  • Staying overnight is still the way to avoid paying. Overnight guests were exempt during the trials.
  • If the fee returns, book early. In the trials, last-minute bookers paid double.
  • Go on a weekday if you can. The charging dates were concentrated on weekends and holidays.
  • On a guided tour, expect groups of up to 25 people and an earpiece to follow the guide.

FAQ

Do you have to pay to enter Venice?

Not at the moment. The 2026 charging period ended on July 27, and any new fee depends on a decision by the city.

How much was the Venice access fee?

In 2026, 5 euros for those who booked in advance and 10 euros for last-minute bookers, on 60 selected days between April and July.

Who didn’t have to pay the Venice fee?

Residents, overnight guests, people going to work or study and anyone arriving outside charging hours, among others.

Will the Venice fee go up in 2027?

The city wants a higher fee. Its budget chief mentioned 30 euros, but the amount hasn’t been set and depends on the Italian government.

Is there a limit on group size in Venice?

Yes. Since August 1, 2024, guided groups can have no more than 25 people, and guides can’t use loudspeakers.

Venice has the opposite problem to many small Italian towns that sell houses for 1 euro to attract residents. One charges to get fewer people; the others pay to get more.

Sources

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