Numerous websites claim that in one of the most popular tourist cities in Italy it is not possible to ride a bicycle or other wheeled vehicle. We checked whether this is actually true.

For example, the magazine told its readers that bicycle riding was banned in Venice "Around the World", newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" and thematic portal Travel.ru. The authors of the notes emphasize that the decision taken is aimed at freeing up street space and is valid for both local residents and tourists. According to media reports, violating the ban will result in a fine of €50 to €500.

On the official website of the Venice government there is chapter, dedicated to “prohibited behavior.” According to the decision of the local authorities, “to maintain the cleanliness and urban landscape, as well as for reasons of safety and public hygiene,” the commission of certain actions will entail fines ranging from €25 to €500. The measures on this list prohibit, in particular, eating and drinking on embankments, diving into canals, walking half-naked or in a bathing suit, and feeding pigeons and seagulls.

The mentioned list also includes a ban on using a bicycle when moving around the city, even if you are not riding a bicycle, but rolling it next to you. Violation of this rule may result in a fine of up to €100. Rolling a bicycle (but not riding it) is only allowed in a small area around the Santa Lucia train station. Two-wheeled transport is also possible transport by public transport to the mainland or the islands of Lido, Pellestrina and Sant'Erasmo and ride there without restrictions. This ban actually applies - for example, in 2019, for violating it fined two tourists from Great Britain.

The answer to the question of whether it is possible to travel around Venice on other wheeled vehicles can be found in the Regulation on Police and Urban Security, adopted in 2019. Article No. 40 of this document dedicated the use of not only bicycles, but also scooters, skateboards, Segways, mopeds, hoverboards and other similar types of transport. This article expressly prohibits their use when moving around the historical center of Venice. As in the case of bicycles, it is permissible to ride them around the station, ports and on the islands.

In 2014, several of the world's leading media reported, that the Venice government has decided to go further and ban... suitcases with wheels! The city authorities, who planned to impose a fine of up to €500, were allegedly unhappy with the noise created by millions of tourists coming to Venice, and feared that such bags could negatively affect the steps of historical stairs, embankments and bridges. True, later local authorities statedthat they were misunderstood - in fact, we are not talking about tourist suitcases, but about carts for selling ice cream, souvenirs, etc.