Tips for Venice

Hi everybody, :)

do you have some tips for me about Venice? Monuments, masterpieces, famous alleways...and so on?

Thanks!

Things to see Piazza San Marco, Doges Palace (recommend behind the scenes tour), Guggenheim Museum, La Fenice (Opera House), Grand Canal by Vaporetto # 1 all stops or # 2 semi express from Piazzale de Roma or Ferrovia (St Lucia Station) to Piazza San Marco. A visit to the islands of Murano (glass blowing) or Burano (lace work) by Vaporetto. Getting lost in Venezia is half the fun . Walk from Piazza San Marco to Piazzale de Roma or Ferrovia (St Lucia station.) Just follow the directional signs on the buildings . Take a gondola ride if you have deep pockets .

Pre book admission tickets (date and time specific) for Doges Palace and Guggenheim Museum via website at tickitaly to avoid queuing for hours .

Trains arrive and depart at Venezia - St Lucia station on the Grand Canal .

Check out La Fenice website to see if there is an opera on whilst you are in Venezia . One of the worlds most famous Opera houses .

Venice is made for DIYers (Do it Yourself ers) but it does help to have a decent guide book in hand (one with good street maps). We recommend the Rick Steves guide although there are certainly some other decent books. We also strongly recommend taking advantage of the excellent Vaporetto system (these are the public water buses) that can take you anywhere around the island of Venice or out to any of the other islands in the Lagoon. The key to using the Vaporettos is buying the appropriate timed pass before your first journey. They are sold for 12 hours, 24, 36, 48, 72 etc. The timed passes can save you a lot of money if you plan on using these water boats.

And we would also remind folks of the wonderful 'People Mover" system that runs between the cruise port and the Piazale Roma. The P. Roma has a large Vaporetto docking area (the Vaporettos are also known as ACTV) so getting to this large square gives you access to all that is Venice. The People Mover is a new, small, overhead train that only costs 1 Euro per ride (you do need to have Euros). Our only caution is that its about a 5-10 min walk to get to the People Mover station at the port.

Our basic "tip" for anyone is that Venice can only be truly seen on foot! Those who have mobility issues, or who just refuse to walk, will be very handicapped in what they can see and do. While its possible to access a lot of the city via the vaporettos, there is a much larger area that is somewhat "interior" and can only be seen by walking. So we strongly recommend that folks wear their most comfy walking shoes and have fun browsing though many of the back streets away from the primary tourist areas of St Marks Square and Rialto Bridge.

Hank

Just one update, they took a price increase on the People Mover in December, it's now Euro 1,30.

From the ACTV web site:

PEOPLE MOVER

Starting from 20 December 2013, the People Mover officially becomes the third local public transport network, after the land and waterborne network.

In order to also favour a gradual interoperability of tickets, the People Mover single ticket fare is raised to 1.30 euros (from the previous 1 euro).

In order to use the service, customers may use both the specific People Mover ticket that can be purchased at the automatic ticket machines inside the three plant stations (validity: 30 days after issue), or the Actv S.p.A. single ticket (including the 10 ride-booklet).

http://www.actv.it/en/movinginvenice/prices#C8

1) Have a spritz! It's a typical Venetian aperitif..

2) Cross the Grand Canal with a gondola (traghetto) for only €2. Along the Grand Canal there are six boarding points.

3) Visit the “Libreria Acqua Alta” in Castello district: it's a bizarre bookshop where old gondolas are used as shelves! Books are everywhere and they're even used as staircase!

4) Visit St. Mark's Basilica, one of the most magnificent monuments in Venice! Its construction began around 1000 BC. If you want to avoid the long waiting time, prebook your entrance with the “skip the line” ticket!

Hi everybody, :)

do you have some tips for me about Venice? Monuments, masterpieces, famous alleways...and so on?

 

Thanks!

Have a good...no great...map is all I can say. Do some reading,and lots of info here on this board.

Borrow a book from the library and determine what YOU want to see and do.

Better yet, buy Rick Steves 'Mediterranean Cruise Ports' or Ann Viponds "Mediterranean by cruiseship'. Both books discuss ports, excursions, activities, sights, and DIY options. Take the book with you and keep it in your daypack as reference during the day.

Hi everybody, do you have some tips for me about Venice? Monuments, masterpieces, famous alleways...and so on? Thanks!

Welcome to these Cruise Critic Boards. Lots of smart and helpful people here. Don't be shy!! Keep asking questions!! Also use the SEARCH function to check on past postings about certain ports, including Venice.

Below is a link to an earlier posting that I did with many, many visuals and details about options and potentials for Venice. Plus, a few visual samples are below to prove why we love Venice so much.

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 40,598 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 179,867 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

In front of the Accademia Art Museum in Venice, here is an artist on that wooden bridge over the Grand Canal making a painting. Lots of such great views can be experienced all over this historic city.:

This is a mask shop hidden on the back-streets of Venice. We had discovered this great place in 1999 and were lucky to find it again as we explored a little off of the typical tourist streets of Venice. They have such delightful and creative designs serving more of a professional customer base. It is not just a tourist place with imported “stuff”. These are the “real” deal that made this art famous in Venice. It is called Tragi comica. Their web address is http://www.tragicomica.it. :

Don’t miss the sail-out and/or sail-in for Venice. This was our view from the top of our ship as we approached the historic center of Venice. On a beautiful day, as we enjoyed, this is so spectacular!!!:

From the interior of Venice’s St Mark’s on the second/upper level, here is a view that shows how much on this church is covered in these opulent, gilded Byzantine mosaics. Notice the details in the floor of this famed Basilica. Don't missing going up to this higher level to see much more up there. We hooked with a private guide who took us up here and avoided the wasted time waiting in the longer lines.:

This is a Venice parish church called Chiesa di San Moise on Campo San Moisè. It has an elaborate Baroque facade that is covered in designs that one travel book describes as having “scrumptious icing flourishes of carved-stone ornament”. This 1660’s facade is on a church site dating back to the 9th century and that honors Moses. At the right is the modern front of the five-star Bauer Hotel that is connected with an older palazzo fronting the Grand Canal.:

With our ship’s overnight schedule, having an overnight there allows time to sample the evening orchestras on San Marco Square playing to the crowds. Great fun at night in a wonderful setting.:

As in the last photo Terry posted in the immediately preceding post, be sure to go one evening after dinner to St. Mark's Square to enjoy the dueling orchestras. No charge if you do not sit down and imbibe! Truly an unforgettable experience.

The secrets behind the scenes tour of the Doges Palace is excellent; you need to book this online in advance of your visit.

Beautiful pictures. We will be there in October staying at the Bauer.

Here is a very important tip... Do not use the street side ATMs

And do not feel sorry for apparantly homeless bums sitting around hiding under blankets

They have iPads under those blankets with a minuscule camera watching your every move at the ATM.

Trust me

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What ATMs do you recommend to be used? Only at a bank?

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Beautiful pictures. We will be there in October staying at the Bauer.

CintiPam: As in the last photo Terry posted in the immediately preceding post' date=' be sure to go one evening after dinner to St. Mark's Square to enjoy the dueling orchestras. No charge if you do not sit down and imbibe! Truly an unforgettable experience. [/quote']

 

Appreciate the nice comments from our Texas friend, Happy2BCruzing. Hope you love your upcoming time in Venice. Impressed that you will be staying at the five-star Bauer Hotel. Great location!!

 

Yes, agree with Pam from Cincinnati. Enjoy that Battle of the Bands in his super historic "living room" of Venice. No need to sit down and buy their over-priced drinks and/or food. Just walk around, soaking up the world-class setting and "show"!!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 71,378 views for this fun posting.

Beautiful pictures. We will be there in October staying at the Bauer.

The Bauer is really nice- we stayed there too on our first trip to Venice. We were in Room 405 I believe, which faced the gondola stop on the canal. So you could hear the gondoliers singing. Our room was lovely. The lobby of the Bauer looks a bit sterile but the rooms are very nice. You can take a water taxi right to the hotel, which I really recommend.

Hi everybody, :)

do you have some tips for me about Venice? Monuments, masterpieces, famous alleways...and so on?

 

Thanks!

Recalibrate your concept of how wide a road should be. Our first trip, we would look at a map, count the roads until our next turn and constantly make a mistake. Little nothings, no more than a shoulder wide gap between buildings, were often roads with names.

Accept the fact that you'll get lost, and when you are lost, trust the force. And I mean the literal force! Quite often jumping into the flow of the people walking in a particular direction will lead you close to where you want to go. If you need to ask directions, do not ask the people to your left and right. They're likely to be tourists, too. Instead, go into a shop to ask directions. (Make sure you politely greet the clerk before asking your question anywhere in Europe.)

Look up on the sides of buildings for guidance. You'll often find arrows and destinations painted on the sides of buildings especially at intersections.

I'm impressed we are staying at the Bauer. We are normally Holiday Inn or Days Inn customers but we decided to splurge on this trip and I liked the location. Will be here for a couple of nights and then boarding our cruise ship.

Thanks for the nice review of the Bauer.

For those that do not bother to carefully read the guide books we would offer one gem of info. The street signs in Venice are normally painted on the corner of buildings and they are well above normal eye level. So when folks are looking all around for some kind of street sign, what they want is often a few feet above their head. There are also quite a few signs (painted on the buildings) pointing the way to either S. Marco or Rialto.

Hank

What ATMs do you recommend to be used? Only at a bank?

 

 

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If you must withdraw cash do it at an enclosed lobby/vestibule type bank ATM

Just like the numerous ones we have at home and during regular banking hours if possible. I have heard of cases where the ATM eats your card and a bank manager needs to retrieve it for you

Look also at the name of the bank.

In other words use a real bank and not a freestanding street side ATM that anyone could tamper with ( I.e. put a skimmer on)

I don't use airport ATMs either but many others here do with no issue

Also do not use your regular monthly checking ATM card for any reason

Fund a special travel checking account and use the ATM card associated with it

Fortunately I found out that my card was cloned about 12 hours before embarkation so I had time to call my bank to report it

Of course my acct was frozen and I no longer could access my money

Fortunately I travel with at least 2 credit cards and a bunch if euro purchased from home and I prepay whatever I can so I was fine

I did have my regular checking ATM card with me as my ultimate emergency backup ATM card should I desperately need cash and it was my only option also I only used the cloned ATM to get some extra cash " just in case" which was stupid on my part because everywhere took my credit card and a really did have enough cash. I am not a newbie traveler and am still angry with myself for my blunder.

Btw I have no fear of carrying large sums of cash as I take numerous precautions

I didn't take my own advice though when using that street side ATM in Venice

My bank cap 1 also gave me a difficult time getting my money back and it took almost 2 months. The bank mgr was useless but an efficient intelligent teller helped me out and got my money after he made 1 call! Go figure

However the posters here will swear by ATMs and rightly so, just use a bank one!!!

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Ask questions before sitting down and ordering at a restaurant. Is there an extra charge for water? bread? service charge? sitting down? music? Be clear before you order.

Water is not free (around 5- 10 Euros for a large bottle), nor is the bread (10 Euros a basket)

If you order water, the will ask "gas" or "no gas". That means fizzy (gas) or flat water (no gas). They don't do tap water as a general rule. Wine can be as cheap as the water they serve. You can sometimes get a carafe of the house wine with pizza and it's not expensive.

Good tips. Any advice on getting from the airport to the Best Western Ala near S. Marco? Will have lots of luggage so wondering if a private water taxi is best and what the cost might be.

Good tips. Any advice on getting from the airport to the Best Western Ala near S. Marco? Will have lots of luggage so wondering if a private water taxi is best and what the cost might be.

We have never understood why so many folks choose their Venice hotels BEFORE considering the issue of how to get there with luggage :). And given the location of your hotel your options are very limited. A private Water Taxi from the hotel to the closest dock to your hotel (not sure if your hotel has a private dock) is going to be your best option (given that you have lots of luggage) and you can expect to pay over 100 Euros for that water taxi. If you simply walk down to the Water Taxi dock at the airport you might luck out and be able to share a water taxi with some others, but most likely you will need your own boat.

The other option is to use a combination of different things, but this will be difficult with luggage. If you can handle all your luggage you could take the express ATVO bus from the airport terminal directly to the Piazale Roma. From there you would have to walk over to the vaporetto (ACTV) pier and take the #1 Vaporetto to the Giglio stop...from where you still have to walk over 100 yards. Getting on the vaporettos with lots of luggage is not fun and we do not recommend it!

A 3rd option is to take the Alilaguna Blu Line from the airport to their St Marks Square stop and then you would still need to transfer to the #1 Vaporetto to get closer to your hotel. But this would cost you over 15 Euros per person and mean you have to drag yourselves along the crowded quay (near St Marks Square) between the Alilaguna stop and Vaporetto Stop (and I think this involves at least one bridge).

So, you have discovered why some of us always opt to stay in a hotel in or very close to the P. Roma. This is the easiest place to access with luggage (because of the excellent ATVO buses).

Hank

Grego- from the airport you can definitely take a water taxi to the hotel, which is advisable IMO because you are a newbie to Venice and this will get you to the hotel without getting lost. The first time we came to Venice we did the water taxi and it was really cool and a great introduction to Venice. It's pricey (100 Euros) but on the heels of a flight- you'll be so tired.

The other option is the Alilaguna that will drop you of at San Marco. From there, you will roll you luggage through the square and exit through an alley on the far left end (top of the square). You'll need to take the map with you. It's not a difficult walk if you have roller bags. There will be lots of activity in the Square.

Thanks to Rebeccalouiseagain and Hlitner for the replies.

First of all, this is our third voyage involving Venice in which we have stayed at hotels close to San Marco either pre or post cruise, so we aren't newbies but you wouldn't have guessed that from my post. We chose thus hotel because we are traveling with relatives who haven't been to Venice before and wanted a hotel near San Marco for the 3 nights as a base before we embark on the Regal Princess.

Your information was good and helpful. In the past we had fellow travelers with us and took a private taxi directly to the hotel which saved a lot of schlepping. We figured we would do the same thing again and was wondering what the rates were now so we could plan on how much cash we needed.