Need Advice For Venice

[BubbaBoo]

My friend and I need some advice on what is 'must to do' in Venice on a short period of time (1pm until 7am the next morning, the ship leaves at 8am). So any suggestion, etc would be so appericated for us first timers in Venice!

*Neither one of us couldn't take more than the 2 weeks off of work for the cruise/travel to spend more time there.

 

Thanks! :D

[irc2100]

We're in a similar cruise layover, but we've been there before. There's a reason everyone takes a Gondola ride - nothing says Venice like a Gondola. Walk the streets, Have a Bellini at Harry's, Dinner at Da Fiore or one of the other great restaurants. Walk some more, have some gelato. Hang out in St. Marks Sq. Also sunrise in Venice is spectacular.

[calberry]

We loved just walking and gawking (with no agenda...how can you be lost when don't know where you are going?), but I would also like to recommend hopping on a vaparetto and riding (at least) the length of the Grand Canal...amazing!

 

See some pix our 3 days in Venice before our cruise.

 

http://calberrymedcruise.blogspot.com/2007/09/post-15-rest-of-day-one-in-venice.html

 

Enjoy,

 

Steve

[rebeccalouise]

Venice is a museum. There is no other place in the world like Venice. There is nothing modern about Venice- it is ancient and you can invision life there 1000 years ago.

 

Just walk from Piazzle Roma (near where the ships dock) to St. Mark's and back. You will go over the Rialto Bridge on the way and see so much this way. Don't bother with the gondola- rip off. The vaporettos make many stops and it takes a while to travel up the Grand Canal. They aren't very comfortable. Just walk- you'll really get a good feel this way.

 

As for Do Forne Restaurant and Harry's Bar- been to both and they were $$$$. I would just amble around, stop for gelati (wonderful!), have dinner in one of the small eateries (look at the menu before sitting down) along route and then have some apres-dinner drinks in St. Mark's Square watching the dueling orchestras. Drinks run about 10 Euros (even for a bottle of coke) but you can't beat the ambiance. Harry's Bar was a major disappointment. Go, you'll see what I mean. The 12 Euro Bellini was good but the place is nothing special IMO- bland and small and no shorts allowed.

[AF-1]

Ah, Venice, what a great place. Take the water taxi (vaparetto),. from the cruise terminal, u can get off at st. marks square, walk around, have lunch, then take water taxi back. I was there last month and the water taxi costs, 15Euro for half day travel. That would work fine.

[LHT28]

Ah, Venice, what a great place. Take the water taxi (vaparetto),. from the cruise terminal, u can get off at st. marks square, walk around, have lunch, then take water taxi back. I was there last month and the water taxi costs, 15Euro for half day travel. That would work fine.

 

There is a difference in Water TAXI & Water BUS.

I am wondering how you got the water TAXI so cheap.

You can buy a vaporetto Pass for 24 hrs for 16E for the water bus

 

http://www.hellovenezia.com/jsp/en/tariffe/index.jsp

[Travel to Ports]

My friend and I need some advice on what is 'must to do' in Venice on a short period of time (1pm until 7am the next morning, the ship leaves at 8am). So any suggestion, etc would be so appericated for us first timers in Venice!

*Neither one of us couldn't take more than the 2 weeks off of work for the cruise/travel to spend more time there.

 

Thanks! :D

 

Should I assume that you will start your cruise in Venice and will arrive in Marco Polo at 1 pm? Should I also assume that you have a deposit down, or even worse, have already paid? Don't know if you have some intention to see any of Venice, or if its just the start?

 

Apparently you are arriving from Seattle and shouldn't I assume that you will have 14+ hours of jet lag? You basically are giving yourselves no time to see Venice. Options: If you really want to see Venice, and have this only the 10-day or 12-day cruise, select a cruise that has an overnight in Venice within the cruise, not at beginning or end and take 2 ship's tours (then won't worry about getting lost, just stop spending money now to pay for them) -- some of these itineraries are roundtrip Rome, so you will miss Spain and France, and maybe won't do Athens or Turkey, but you can't do everything. If you are stuck on a Venice-start itinerary,does your cruise line offer pick-up at Marco Polo with luggage to ship with you onto a tour (at least if you become disoriented or pass out, you will be supervised, not walking around by yourself). If you actually have only a couple of hours (with many more hours in most of your ports) visit St. Marks Square (your ship may offer round-trip ferry pass once you are on board), do the Basilica, walk to/over Rialto bridge (don't get lost, you'll miss your ship).

 

Fundamentally, if you can't get off more than 2 weeks, you are young. Young people (under 55) don't have to be so impatient. You can do a west mediterranean or an east mediterranean and perhaps pick a 10-day itinerary. Start in a person-friendly city where you can get a functional 2-night hotel room and a full day of sightseeing in that city. We are going to do a Barcelona to Venice itinerary next May, have read a travel guide for each city and have selected an apartment in each for 3 or 4 nights before/after cruise = more than 3 weeks.

 

Best of luck in your preparations,

David

[twoatsea]

bubbaboo, I think it depends a lot on what you & those with you like to do & see. The first time we did not have time to tour St. Mark's Basilica & while standing outside looking in, I longed to stand at the top & look over everyone in the square. Had to wait until the next year's trip.

 

So, if you don't care about such things, then as others have said, just wander around. However, if you want to see the basilica, I recommend making a free reservation so you can avoid the line (& save time) & go inside.

 

We also loved the view from the bell tower which is a few steps across from the basilica. It is an awesome view & usually the line in the afternoon is not bad.

 

I would not want to leave without seeing the Rialto Bridge, walking across, & browsing thru the tourist shops.

 

I also would want to take a vaporetto ride, the #1, which is the slow one all along the Grand Canal. Get a Rick Steves tour book for about $10. He has a good explanation of what one is seeing when taking the #1.

 

Venice is not known for great food. Since you eat on the ship, I would just indulge in gelato & maybe grab a pizza slice or panini to keep you going.

 

Of course spend some time wandering around.

 

Lastly, I would pay the about $100 (maybe 100 euros by now) for me & mine to take a romantic gondola ride. Sure it is tourist cheesy, but so what; you are in Venice afterall! Be sure to get someone (maybe one of the other gondoliers) to take your picture in the gondola. No good without that picture memory!

 

Have a great time in a wonderful city.

[joan24]

We spent six nights in Venice in October. We had some wonderful meals and the seafood is great. Enjoy just wandering. We always get lost in Venice but on our last visit there, we got to see so many different little squares and sights that our not on the list of major sights. We're going back for our fourth visit in May and I don't think that we'll ever get tired of this magical city.

Joan

[pisces223]

If you're interested in a walking tour of Venice, I just started a thread on this forum entitled, "Venice - Free Walking Tour". I hope it helps!

[Onessa]

Get a hotel in the city for the night -- don't worry about the jet lag, just wander around until you think you will collapse! The evening, after the day trippers have left, can be magical. Be certain to stay awake during the sail away from Venice -- it is the BEST! Then once your ship is away from the city THEN sleep!

 

While, yes it would be nice to have more time there - enjoy the time you have! good luck.

[BubbaBoo]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions!

[jr40511]

I am going to be there overnight in early September and have read many times that Venice is great at night. If one is walking from the ship area (Piazzale Roma?) to the St. Mark's area is the way pretty decently marked and lit and is it safe? We have not planned any activities for the evening that we arrive there so I was hoping to just be able to walk around at night after eating dinner (early seating) on the ship.

[seapenarth]

Venice is a museum. There is no other place in the world like Venice. There is nothing modern about Venice- it is ancient and you can invision life there 1000 years ago.

 

Just walk from Piazzle Roma (near where the ships dock) to St. Mark's and back. You will go over the Rialto Bridge on the way and see so much this way. Don't bother with the gondola- rip off. The vaporettos make many stops and it takes a while to travel up the Grand Canal. They aren't very comfortable. Just walk- you'll really get a good feel this way.

 

As for Do Forne Restaurant and Harry's Bar- been to both and they were $$$$. I would just amble around, stop for gelati (wonderful!), have dinner in one of the small eateries (look at the menu before sitting down) along route and then have some apres-dinner drinks in St. Mark's Square watching the dueling orchestras. Drinks run about 10 Euros (even for a bottle of coke) but you can't beat the ambiance. Harry's Bar was a major disappointment. Go, you'll see what I mean. The 12 Euro Bellini was good but the place is nothing special IMO- bland and small and no shorts allowed.

 

why should shorts be allowed in a smart bar. You`re not on the ship. Adhere to local rules and customs as in religeous places.:p

[skisteamboat]

If you don't want to splurge on a gondola ride, take one of the tragehtti that cross the Grand Canal at various points. Be a real local and stand in a gondola as it crosses to the other side for a minimum amount, around a half a buck. (assuming the $ does not tank further:rolleyes: )

 

That plus a #1 vaporetto ride will give you an introduction to Venice. Get off and get lost in the town (which you can't really do since you are on an island).

 

Cheers

[Love Cruis'n]

We bought two really good maps of Venice at Barnes & Noble before we left. It’s a great place to just walk (only about 2 miles across) and showed the vaporetto stops and routes for when our (old) legs just couldn’t go any more.

 

Spend some time at the crowded places (St. Marks / Rialto) but also make a point of wandering around and getting lost in the back streets. It’s an enchanting city. Find a sidewalk café and have a glass of wine or cup of coffee and watch the world pass by. Remember, you’re walking in the footsteps of Marco Polo, and sitting in front of a building that was probably constructed a couple of hundred years before Christopher Columbus was born! Ponder that as the canal gently rocks the docked vessels.

 

One of my favorite little stretches was from the walk from the Guggenheim Museum to the Vaparotto stop by the Cathedral Santa Maria del Salute – right across from St. Marks.

 

Enjoy :)

[PA Blonde]

Our cruise (next summer) will give us an overnight in Venice -we'll have 1 day and a half there - is it worthwhile to go to Murano? We've seen how glass is made, is their technique different? Are the prices on Murano pieces better right there, or are they the same as in Venice itself?

[slomotion]

My friend and I need some advice on what is 'must to do' in Venice on a short period of time (1pm until 7am the next morning, the ship leaves at 8am). So any suggestion, etc would be so appericated for us first timers in Venice!

*Neither one of us couldn't take more than the 2 weeks off of work for the cruise/travel to spend more time there.

 

Thanks! :D

 

Bubba,

 

We were there last month (June) and here's what I would do.

 

I assume the the ship will have a shuttle (water) available that will take you to St Marks square.

 

Get off the shuttle cross over the bridge to St Marks and walk around there. Then go back to near where the shuttle let you off and look for the Vaporetto stop and buy a ticket for a couple of hours. You will than want to grab the Vaporetto for Route #2. Route #2 is the same as #1 except that it does not make all of the stops.

 

Both Route #1 & #2 completely circle Venice.

 

You may want to get off some where along the route to wander around and then get back on.

 

Enjoy the entire trip on Route 2 and stay on past St Mark's and continue on to the Rialto Bridge stop. This will be about 1½ times around the loop.

 

Get off at Rialto and ask someone to point you in the direction of St Mark's and walk through the narrow streets until you find St Marks again.

 

It doesn't make any difference which street or streets you walk on, you will enjoy the walk.

 

Along the way grab dinner or a bite at any of the many little restaurants between the Rialto Bridge and St. Marks.

 

Find your way to the shuttle and then back to the ship.

[MSPCUBS]

Slomotion - What a great plan! Thanks.

[XFed2001]

Can some one provide any guidelines about what to wear when touring Venice? I understand no wearing shorts to patronize Harry's but how about everywhere else? Shorts o.k. for the Doge's Palace and the like? After all, I am on vacation but I do not want to violate any local laws or dress codes. Thanks on behalf of all those who might also harbor such questions.

[slomotion]

Slomotion - What a great plan! Thanks.

 

My Pleasure! (Be sure to have your camera ready!)

 

a

[twoatsea]

jr40511, yes Venice is safe at night & also active, especially active on the main drags. There is a main route from the port to St. Marks. Street names & directional signs to the main spots are on the upper sides of buildings - so look up. Follow the signs to "Rialto" or "St. Mark's". You will pass the Rialto on your way, but will not walk right by it because you will be on one street over. So watch for the Rialto signs. It is definitely worth stopping for a look from the top of the bridge & you might want to visit the shops on the bridge & on the other side of the bridge.

 

Sue & Al, if I only had that period of time in Venice, I would not go to Murano, even if I hadn't seen glass blowing. There is more than enough to see, do, & experience in Venice. The prices are somewhat cheaper in Murano, but not drastically. Unless you plan on purchasing something for hundreds of dollars, I don't see the reason.

 

Enjoy Venice!

[Love Cruis'n]

Pablonde – We did not get to Murano, but out TA strongly told us not to take the “free” taxi over. They made that mistake once years ago, and had a heck of a time getting back. Unless you make a substantial purchase, you have to get back o your own, and it caused them quite a problem. (However, I think that some of the Vaporato routes go to/from.)

 

Richard,

I bought a pair of very light weight “wind pants” that I kept in my fanny pack. I simply pulled them on over my shorts whenever shorts were inappropriate. My buddy had a pair of pants that the legs zipped on and off that his wife bought for him.

 

Hope that helps.