Go on January and see real Venice
by sanluipal
I went in Venice and I din`t see the famous crowds of tourists. How I did it? I went in January. It was cold, however you have Venice for you. Off course it wasn’t possible to see Rialto bridge or St. Mark Square without any tourist, but we went every place without wait or confusion. The best!
Useful phone numbers
by ealgisi
The most common European emergency number 112 (following Directive 2002/22/EC: Universal Service Directive) and also standard on GSM mobile phones. 112 is used in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom in addition to their other emergency numbers.
Here are some useful phone numbers that you might need while in Italy:
Ambulance: 118
Fire: 115
State Police: 113
Carabinieri: 112
Forest Service: 1515
Guardia di Finanza (Customs/Financial Police): 117
Coast guard: 1530
Take a RIDE ON THE GONDOLA
by Krystynn
"Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola!"
- Bob Dylan
:-) My sentiments exactly, Mr Dylan.
Yes, this is part of the lyrics to a Bob Dylan song.... There is no better way to appreciate the beauty of Venice than from a gondola. Really. However, you MUST be prepared to pay the price.
If you choose to ride a gondola from a stand during the day, please expect to pay at least EUR 60.00 for up to 6 people. You can bargain the price down with the gondoliers (but not with those at major gondola stands) and this is generally for shorter rides only.
Remember also that night rates are ALWAYS higher. So, do plan everything carefully before you embark on a gondola ride...
Visit St Marks Square...
by steventilly
Visit St Marks, both the square and the cathedral. Described as 'the finest drawing room in Europe', it certainly should not be missed. Well, actually most visitors to Venice seem to come only to see this and Rialto Bridge, and for sure there is a lot more than that to see in Venice. But yeah, if you're only here a day, you have to see St Marks.
(And don't be afraid to take tea in the square - see later!)
Spritz (I&V)
by Zvrlj
Spritz is cocktail typical for Venice and Veneto region. It was recommended to us by our friends who had "discovered" it by asking for the same the boys next table had been drinking. It turned to be very good, especially on hot summer days.
Spritz is made of either Aperol, Campari, Select or Cynar, mixed with White Wine or Prosecco and Sparkling Mineral Water, with add of piece of orange and green olive or strawberry. Ice is necessary too. Our favourite is with Aperol and olive (V) and Aperol and strawberry (I).
Spritz is not very expensive drink except in bars on Riva degli Schiavoni, Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Campo San Cassano (as far as we know, this probably is not the final list). Good spritz costing normal price we had drunk in several bars on Campo Santa Margherita, Campo San Giacomo dall'Orio and Campo Francesco Morosini.
Except for sharing passion for Venice with Ingrid (VT Trekki), we share affection for spritz.