Questions in Venice

[Da-Painter]

Ditto, get Rick Steves book on Italy, and/or Med trips, there is a lot of good planning info there.

 

Check out the web site: http://maps.veniceconnected.it and click on "City" for a google like walk thru the streets of Venice.

This was passed along to me from someone on CC, and gives a great idea for strolling thru Venice.

 

Good luck. Tony:)

[Langoustine]

there are also Gondolas that are used as ferries, they just take you across the grand canal, so it is a short ride, but they are only 0.50E !

 

They're called a traghetto, and the current fare is 2 Euro. There are actually seven crossing points.

[lisiamc]

Public toilets in Venice are expensive - €1.50 - and often not very pleasant. (Although the one in the train station is €1 and reported to be rather nice.) We just came home from a few days there, and used no public toilets at all. When we stopped for a coffee mid-morning, we used the loo in the bar (free with the cost of the coffee) and when we had lunch we used theirs. Same for the afternoon coffee/gelato break. Remember to stick a few tissues in your pocket, as sometimes the paper has run out. Also, museums normally have nice, clean, free toilets, so be sure to visit the loo when when you visit the museum!

[liauq]

You should find plenty of places for slices of take-away pizza slices and lovely ice-cream to keep you going in the daytime, but when you go into a restaurant, look for the house wine (vino del casa) for a good price and ask for a carafe of water...although the locals will mainly be drinking bottled water.

don't blame you staying in mestre, as hotel prices in Venice itself can make you a bit emotional!

[deedeetoo]

OP, I would really recheck whether there is a free shuttle. Your post intrigued me so I did some research. The website for the hotel says there is a shuttle available on request. It says nothing about free. I checked the reviews on tripadvisor where it is ranked 21 out of 29 (near the bottom) and not one post mentioned a shuttle. There were posts that said it was a 40E taxi ride to the Venice but that public transportation is available. Other posts said it was in the middle of nowhere and you needed a car.

[buchhalm]

OP, I would really recheck whether there is a free shuttle. Your post intrigued me so I did some research. The website for the hotel says there is a shuttle available on request. It says nothing about free. I checked the reviews on tripadvisor where it is ranked 21 out of 29 (near the bottom) and not one post mentioned a shuttle. There were posts that said it was a 40E taxi ride to the Venice but that public transportation is available. Other posts said it was in the middle of nowhere and you needed a car.

 

Indeed..

The booking website "Easy book.com" mentions in the information section about this hotel: Shuttle service: Airport transportation (surcharge), Pick-up service from train station, Paid Area Shuttle Service.

:(

[Blue Elephant]

Brenda

 

We were in Venice last September (2012). A three day vaporetto pass cost 35 euro. We found that we caught the vaporetto going the wrong way a few times, but because we had the pass, it was not a problem. You can just take a round sight seeing trip on the vaporetto after you have eaten your deinner at night.

An entree of lasagne or spaghetti bolognese was costing about 9 or 10 euros in most places and was very filling.

[D4]

Brenda

 

We were in Venice last September (2012). A three day vaporetto pass cost 35 euro. We found that we caught the vaporetto going the wrong way a few times, but because we had the pass, it was not a problem. You can just take a round sight seeing trip on the vaporetto after you have eaten your deinner at night.

An entree of lasagne or spaghetti bolognese was costing about 9 or 10 euros in most places and was very filling.

 

We had the 3 day pass in December. Like you, we got on the waterbus going the wrong way the first few times we rode them. Then we got the hang of it. We weren't rushed, so we just laughed and enjoyed the scenic route.

 

Be sure to validate your waterbus pass every time you use it (if you buy a multiday pass.)

[Colorado Kat]

Hi there. I am in the very early stages of planning. Going to see how much extras cost before deciding on a cruise. Might go out of Venice, or perhaps Spain.

 

I've always wanted to visit Venice. How much are small places in Venice? We travel light, and don't mind carrying bags up stairs. Probably 3 of us travelling, perhaps just 2.

[mapleleaves]

Hi there. I am in the very early stages of planning. Going to see how much extras cost before deciding on a cruise. Might go out of Venice, or perhaps Spain.

I've always wanted to visit Venice. How much are small places in Venice? We travel light, and don't mind carrying bags up stairs. Probably 3 of us travelling, perhaps just 2.

 

Venice is very pricey. There are budget friendly options ($100 a nite) if you don't mind a bare bones place or sharing a bathroom. There are even hostels. Use the hotel search on tripadvisor or www.venere.com/venice to check prices.

Many people stay in Mestre which is just across the causeway from Venice; you get lots more hotel for your money. It's not Venice and certainly hasn't the charm but OTOH it's just a place to sleep. If you stay by the Mestre train station it's easy and cheap to get back and forth.

A great site for all things Venice is www.europeforvisitors.com/venice

[Colorado Kat]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[Cornishpastyman1]

Hi there. I am in the very early stages of planning. Going to see how much extras cost before deciding on a cruise. Might go out of Venice, or perhaps Spain.

 

I've always wanted to visit Venice. How much are small places in Venice? We travel light, and don't mind carrying bags up stairs. Probably 3 of us travelling, perhaps just 2.

Hi Kat

 

Venice is probably my all-time favourite cruise port. The view from the San Giorgio campanile would no doubt be very good, but it was closed when I was there (last July) and I would say you'd get an even better one from the ship on the sail in and out, being that bit closer to the city and without window bars in the way.

 

This

shows the vista from the St Mark's Square campanile and also (at about 2.00) a few seconds from a gondola ride. All the best, Tony

[Blue Elephant]

Hi there. I am in the very early stages of planning. Going to see how much extras cost before deciding on a cruise. Might go out of Venice, or perhaps Spain.

 

I've always wanted to visit Venice. How much are small places in Venice? We travel light, and don't mind carrying bags up stairs. Probably 3 of us travelling, perhaps just 2.

 

The best suggestion I can make is to use the tripadvisor website. It allows you to use several filters at once eg price, star rating, reviewer rating and district of venice. Once you are down to about 3 or 4 options, enter venice and bed bugs in to the search box to see if the establishment has been cited for bed bugs. You need to read the actual posts though. Some of them will say "we didnt find bed bugs" and thus come up when you search.

[tm4551]

G'day! what a wonderful site! My husband and I are planning to cruise out of Venice on Celebrity Silhouette in May, and I was wondering how to get from the airport to the cruise terminal - and between all of the helpful people above, I now have the answer(s). This will be our 15th cruise - we just LOVE to cruise!!:)

[Chase's Dad]

Brenda,

 

Make sure you visit St. Mark's -- entrance is free -- and plan the time of your visit around one of the free tours for English-speakers like us at 11:00 a.m. (daily except for Sunday: April-October). These tours are led by volunteers, and ours had an art history background and a passion for her beloved Venice. Once inside, you would have to pay various fees to enter the museum, go upstairs, etc. However, you can enjoy the gilded mosaics and the vault for free, and the docent will add to your appreciation. Now, there's usually a long line to enter the basilica, but you can go through the St. Mark's web site and book a reserved time for one Euro!

 

Also, know that a single ticket on a vaporetto will afford you a memorable ride down the Grand Canal and then around Venice back to your starting point. You'll take a photo every 30 seconds or so. Check out the water bus maps to pick your route.

[Carolyn R]

Just a little FYI. Yes there are many very expensive hotels in Venice but a little research will turn up many that are reasonably priced. Next October we are staying at the #1 hotel in Venice (according to Trip Advisor) and only paying 150 euros a night!

 

The same holds true for restaurants in Venice. Venice gets a bad rap generally for their restaurants but after a little research I have found a few very good ones, none of them near St. Mark's but rather down little back alleys.

[sweetpea222]

We'll be staying in Venice for two nights pre-cruise next July. We booked at Gio and Gio bed and breakfast, for about 160 euros a night, for a large room for a family of four, with a canal view. Good reviews on TA and great location!

 

Can you share you restaurant recommendations? I would love to jot them down!

[Waihekean]

We have booked (well in advance) at Hotel Al Duca Di Venezia thru booking.com and charge is E467 for 3 nights, i.e. just under 156 euros per night.

 

This hotel is next to the Museum Naturale, near the railway station, away from the very busy tourist area's near a square with some of the smaller restaurants where the locals eat.

 

Found recommendation through here on CC and also found good reviews in Trip Advisor and B.com.