Lagoon ferry services downgraded during 12 December strike—Line 17 runs on reservation only

Venice’s municipal operator ACTV issued a rare ‘reservation-only’ protocol for the Tronchetto–Lido car-ferry (Line 17) during the 12 December general strike. Six round-trips were guaranteed as part of Italy’s minimum-service obligation, but residents had to pre-book slots by 23:59 on 11 December via the AVM portal. Non-resident vehicles were accepted only on a space-available basis at each sailing.

The lagoon ferry is a critical link for expats and business travellers who base themselves on the Lido but commute to mainland meetings or Venice Marco Polo airport. With taxis unable to board without reservations, several relocation companies switched clients to water-taxi launches that cost up to €140 one-way—four times the ferry fare.



ACTV’s strike notice illustrates a broader challenge: Italy’s ‘essential-services’ legislation protects only a bare minimum of runs, and reservation windows can close before many travellers even learn of an industrial action. Mobility advisers should therefore monitor AVM/ACTV RSS feeds and consider pre-booking refundable slots whenever a national strike is announced.

Normal schedules resumed at 05:00 on 13 December, but ACTV warned of possible residual delays as crews rotated back on duty. The company is exploring a QR-code boarding system to speed up check-in during future strike-day minima, with pilot tests due in Q1 2026.