Venice Travel Guide

 
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  •   Venice
    by Linse
  • Gondolas bobbing in the canal
      Gondolas bobbing in the canal
    by Herkbert
  •   Venice
    by TOPSHELFPUBCRAWLER
  • A beautiful balcony
      A beautiful balcony
    by JJBlondie
  •   Venice
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Pro

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  The Grand Canal, the small streets and getting lost & found 


Con

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  More tourists than locals, expensive 


In a nutshell

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  Venice is absolutely breathtaking and it could be one of the most romantic places, despite the crowd. 

 

Explore Venice

Things to Do  

Churches

Churches, Venice

 402 Reviews  In the local dialect the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Saints John and Paul) is better known as San Zanipolo. This huge church is home to the tombs of no less than 25 Venetian Doges and many of these tombs and memorials are outstanding works of art, such as the Tomb of Pietro Mocenigo by... 

Doge's Palace

Doge's Palace, Venice

 245 Reviews  Awed as you might be by the exterior of the Doge's Palace, you'll be amazed by the interior. The entrance is on the southern side of the building opposite the waterfront. Admission is steep at €16 and a further €5 for the audioguide but you'll regret it if you don't do it. The audioguide is worth... 

Hotels  

Al Ponte Antico Hotel Venice

 6 Reviews and 470 Opinions  My sisters and I stayed 2 nights at this hotel and our time there was priceless. Matteo and his... 

Ca Dogaressa Hotel

 4 Reviews and 531 Opinions  The hotel could not do enough for us. From the time of our arrival to departure they were truly... 

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Restaurants  

Cafe Florian

Cafe Florian, Venice

 24 Reviews  SAN MARCO My last night in Venice - the last night of my Holiday, and I was in Piazza San Marco. The crowds had left - pigeons paddling in the water from that afternoons Aqua Alta outnumbered the humans, music played by the cafe musicians drifted over the square. Bother the expense!, I wanted to... 

Harry's Bar

Harry's Bar, Venice

 33 Reviews  Opened in 1931 by Giuseppe Cipriani and named after Harry Pickering, a favourite client who funded its opening, Harry's Bar in Venice is the 'birthplace' of my favourite cocktail - the Bellini (peach and champagne cocktail). As well as that of the carpaccio - raw fish/meat appetiser garnished with... 

Nightlife  

Other Nightclubs and Discos

Other Nightclubs and Discos, Venice

 12 Reviews  It's impossible write a recent review about nightlife in Venice cause change every season and every years! Most party are organized by the university community (not only for students!) or local group like political party with free concerts and other events. For the best party you have to ask around... 

Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco, Venice

 27 Reviews  We just took a stroll through Piazza San Marco one evening and enjoyed the terrific music being played at a couple of the Cafe's. From classical to jazz, the talented musicians are playing tunes to entertain the clientele and you can enjoy it too. You can stop and grab a drink and listen or you can... 

Transportation  

Vaporetto

Vaporetto, Venice

 124 Reviews  Alilaguna is a private company seperate to ACTV who run most of Venices Vaporettos. They operate services between Marco Polo airport and Venice as well as a number of the other islands in the Venetian lagoon. As they are a seperate company the ACTV tickets are NOT valid on Alilaguna boats. You have... 

By train (Santa Lucia station)

By train (Santa Lucia station), Venice

 43 Reviews  We spent a couple days in Vicenza before continuing our trip east to Venice. The quickest and most efficient way to get to Venice was by train, so we purchased our tickets at the station in Vicenza, hopped on the train and spent 45 - 50 minutes relaxing in comfort. 

Shopping  

Venetian Masks (carnival etc)

Venetian Masks (carnival etc), Venice

 65 Reviews  There loads of little shops where you can find unique masks. In a lot of shops you can buy cheaper ones and they nice too. But the real Carnival Masks can be quiet expensive.Same with the glass, you can buy cheaper on or spend a lot of money on it. Shop for some special Murano glass, handpainted... 

Murano Glassware

Murano Glassware, Venice

 47 Reviews  Venini stocks some of the finest designer Murano glass, including special collections produced in collaboration with the island's top designers. Not an average souvenir stall by any means - the quality is top notch, and prices are definitely less than we would have paid back in London for equivalent... 

See all 307 Shopping in Venice

Local Customs  

Carnival

Carnival, Venice

 44 Reviews  Carneval di Venezia ( Carnival of Venice ) is a must visit at least once in your lifetime, and to get into the spirit of things, a mask is a must. Venice has seen some form of mask going back to the twelveth century but it was in 1608 that the mask was deemed proper for only the Carneval or official... 

Gondole, gondoliere, traghetti

Gondole, gondoliere, traghetti, Venice

 19 Reviews  Next to our hotel was one of the 7 Traghetto crossings of the Grand Canal. Ours was going from Campo Santa Sofia, close to the Ca'D'Oro, to the Pescheria the fish market. These are old gondolas stripped of their brocaded chairs and luxury trimmings. They are rowed by two oarsmen: one who stands in... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Acqua Alta

Acqua Alta, Venice

 37 Reviews  Venetians are used to carrying on their lives during times of Aqua Alta (High Water). Although most common between October and early March, It isn't unknown for it to occur at other times. Raised platforms (passerelle) (pic 2) are placed at points most affected by the high waters, and are... 

Pickpockets, etc

Pickpockets, etc, Venice

 25 Reviews  I strongly advise against carrying pepper spray and similar. Only very low doses (10%) are currently legal in Italy and they are more likely to enrage a thief that disable him (or her). Furthermore, laws in Italy change rapidly and at the very least you would lose a lot of your precious vacation... 

Tourist Traps  

Gondole

Gondole, Venice

 82 Reviews  I need to explain something about gondola service in Venice! The Gondola isn't a public transport, but a private traditional tour with "round trip" (alternative routes are almost impossible) , isn't different from Camel ride in Morocco, Elephant ride in India or ... roller coaster at Disneyland! but... 

Fake handbags, street sellers

Fake handbags, street sellers, Venice

 10 Reviews  watch out for the African Vendors selling 'Gucci' 'Fendi' and 'Prada' purses. They are not real of course, but if you are willing to spend $50-$100 Euro for a pretty good imitation then go for it. You can always get them to come down on price if you say all you have it X amount of money. It's alo... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Back Street Canals

Back Street Canals, Venice

 123 Reviews  People are always saying "part of the charm of Venice is just wandering and getting lost." Well...I do agree with the wandering part but have a solution for the "getting lost" part. I found a downloadable walking tour of the Dorsoduro area of Venice. This is the area where most of the Venetians live... 

Isola Burano

Isola Burano, Venice

 91 Reviews  The second stop on our cruise was the island of Burano, which is located about 8 km north of Venice. If Murano is known all around the world for its glass production, Burano is almost as famous for its lace. Around 4,000 people live on this tiny island, which is also famous for its brightly painted... 

Favorites  

Piazza San Marco & Basilica San Marco

Piazza San Marco & Basilica San Marco, Venice

 237 Reviews  Venice is a very safe city--one of the safest in Europe. I think it might be awkward to use a tripod to take photos because of the crush of tourists, especially at Piazza San Marco. Every spot is Venice is a great photo opportunity. You just can't go wrong taking pictures in this city. 

Canal Grande, Palazzi (Grand Canal/Palazzi)

Canal Grande, Palazzi (Grand Canal/Palazzi), Venice

 173 Reviews  The Canale Grande is the most famous waterstreet in Venice. It meanders more than 3,5 km through all six districts of the historic city centre. Only three bridges cross the Canale Grande. A trip with the vaporetti (water buses) #1 or #82 from the train station (Ferrovia) to St. Mark's Square... 

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The Place

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The People

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Advice from the Locals
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 THE OLD LADY NAMED VENICE - There's no city in tho world like Venice. It seams that the time has been stopped here. It has its special grace and it's like an old lady which wears the precious diamond necklasses and expensive... 

210 members live in Venice

 

Venice Members Meetings

May 28, 2012 
IT'S OUR MEET : Venice! (May 28 & 29)

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  My wife and I will be embarking on a 2-wk trip (Venice-Genova-Avignon/Provence-Paris) which will begin in Venice for 4 days in... 

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A: This site [worldwide] Airbnb.com has som4 454 apartments/b&b,s and family rooms Worth a look!!!!! 

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Top Venice Writers

1

Venezia

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 Venezia is, because of its water structure, one of the most visited destinations in the world. Tourism, no doubt about, makes the greater part of the city income, as well as the income of its... 

2

Wandering around Venice with Suvanki

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  My first visit to Venice was in August 1978, as a day trip from Lake Como with 3 friends. I was very disappointed - our trip was a bit of a rip off, and the day we visited it was thundering and...... 

3

Amore eterno per Venezia la Serenissima :-)

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 By now it is already some weeks ago that I came back from my 12 days visit in Venezia and it is still there - the spell, this magic city poured over me. Anytime I close my eyes, it is there, it fills... 

4

Venice – the City of Art

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 Convivial Artist Venice is a great historic adventure. Sollers, Philippe: Dictionnaire amoureux de Venise, Paris: Plon, 2004. Painter She can also be an individual passion. Sollers, Philippe:... 

5

Vacations in Venice

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 We visited Venice many years ago as a day trip from Croatia. Like all other day tourists we did the usual trip of glass factory, St Marks's Square, Rialto Bridge and then a boat ride down the Grande... 

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