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Warnings or Dangers in Venice

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Woosh - and off you are in the canale - Venice
Woosh - and off you are in the canale
by Trekki
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Popular Warnings or Dangers (3) | Miscellaneous Warnings or Dangers Tips (199)
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Do drink enough!!!
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  • You really need it ... - Venice
    You really need it ...
    by Jerelis
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    For years, we have all been told of the importance of water. The general guideline has been to drink 2 litre of water each day. For a person who is not living an active lifestyle this may be enough, but if you are physically active, you need more water than that. That is especially true if you are hiking in the city of Venice due to the fact the average temperature is much higher than other areas and the bridges over the water will go up and down.

    Water is essential for everyone, especially if you are hiking. Water helps almost every part of the human body function properly. Our bodies are almost two-thirds water, and proper hydration is essential to keep your body functioning properly during the hike. Some of the things water does in the body are:
    * The brain is 75% water; even moderate dehydration can cause headaches and dizziness;
    * Water regulates body temperature, which is especially important here in the area where the temperatures can be so brutal;
    * Water carries nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body
    * Blood is 92% water;
    * Water protects and cushions vital organs;
    ·* Water converts food into energy (which is something you will need on a 3 to 4 hour hike…);
    * Muscles are 75% water, and you will use many muscles on a trail as you climb above the desert floor.

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    Strolling at Night
    Venice is a safe city, but if you are going to wander around at night, it is best to stay where the people are. I know this is pretty common sense, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

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    Summertime in Venice
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  • The tin of sardine called Venice - Venice
    The tin of sardine called
    Venice
    by Ciambella, 4 more photos
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    Allow me to get right to the point without a preamble: summertime in Venice is not pretty.

    Whatever your image of Venice, you will not find it here in the summer months. There is no serene Venice when thousands and thousands of tourists push and shove one another through the cramped calli and fondamenti. There is no majestic Venice when shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and bum packs are the uniform of the day. There is no romantic Venice when the temperature is in the mid 30s C, the humidity is 80%, and the mosquitoes hold large parties every evening. There is no enchanting Venice when the water emits an unpleasant smell and the debris float about on the surface. There is no gracious Venice when the locals are hostile with the constant high flood of tourists, and the merchants' temper fluctuates between indifference to irritation.

    No, summertime in Venice is not pretty. Save your vacation days and be here in different season when you can experience the more captivating side of Venice.

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    Glass Gallery Target
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  • I wish to warn all travelers about Marco Polo Glass Gallery in Venice. I was misquoted at the gallery (quoted in US dollars then charged in Euros) and did not realize it until I was back at the ship. I attempted to contact them by email and fax before they began production and was told no refunds were permitted. I then contacted my Credit Card Company and was told it was not a problem to dispute it and to refuse the shipment if it came. After 2 months the merchandise arrived and I refused it as instructed. Eventually my credit card company informed me because it was a foreign company I had no grounds to dispute and to contact Marco Polo to reship. I tried repeatedly to contact them and they do not respond to email nor do they return phone calls. Eventually I got in contact with someone and they told me they would ship it out. When it never came, I repeatedly called back and when I reached them they informed me that they do not accept refusals back and that it was destroyed by the shipping company. Here it is almost 1 year later and I am out $1400.00 with NO merchandise. I believe that Marco Polo Glass Gallery is perpetrating countless frauds on unwary tourists. So for your own safety, avoid this company! If you have had similar problems with this company, please let me know. Thank you!!

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    Vaporetto strikes do occur!
    This is a small danger but something someone should have in the back of their mind. While we were there in April, there was a vaporetto strike. Fortunately for us, it was not a day where we planned to use the vaporetto. But, we did consider what to do if the strike lasted into the next day when we were leaving for the CT. We knew that we could carry our luggage to the train station through the back way from Dorsoduro. We had walked that way a dozen times during our week there. When one makes reservations one has to figure what is plan #2 if the vaporettos are not running.

    The day of the strike, I felt really badly for the elderly and the wheelchair bound. Although, we saw several wheelchair lifts, we never saw any one using them. There were people carrying wheelchairs up and down bridges and a lot of elderly women in black dresses carrying market bags who stood on the bridges trying to catch their breath. It seemed like the strike hurt the people who needed the most help.

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    The Water
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  • The biggest danger, other than getting lost, seems to be falling in the canals, which I very nearly did. On the last night I was standing at the end of Giudecca, underneath the Church of Zitelle, when I was possessed by the need to investigate just what kind of seaweed was existing on the steps down to the canal. I didn't learn much about the seaweed other than it has the consistency of crude oil.

    As soon as I put my foot on it I slipped, and couldn't get any purchase with my hands or feet. I was doomed to a slow slide into the filthy waters, but thankfully someone was close enough to pull me up. It was a nerve wracking experience, especially as it was dark and I couldn't see how I was going to get back up to surface level, and would be forced to swim in freezing cold, black water dodging the crazy water taxis and looking for seaweed free steps to exit from.

    In the end all I had to worry about were a few bruises and green stains all over the back of my legs, arms and back. In the end I got to examine the nature of that seaweed at close quarters, over several weeks and many hours spent repeatedly scrubbing my coat to get the damn muck out of the material. Treacherous stuff.

    Another weird thing, although not really a warning unless you are particularly susceptible to sea sickness or jittery landlubber legs, is that I spent so much time on water taxis traversing the islands that I ended up with a near permanent swaying feeling while I was walking about. It's not a danger, but it is an oddity.

    Oh yeah, and the Alta Aqua, or high water. This is apparently a major problem as Venice sinks, but you can get warnings of when you need to seek higher ground by checking the high water status at the base of the clock tower. Never bothered me while I was there.

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    General Safety
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  • For a major Italian city, Venice felt particularly safe. At least on the main tourist side of it. On the mainland, across the long causeway, it didn't look so nice, but no tourist is going there anyway. Just make sure not to get off too early on the train. I went in winter, so things might change when the masses of tourist crowds could encourage the pickpockets, but even in winter there are large crowds, and I didn't get pestered by anyone other than the gondaleers. And they were not hard sell.

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    A day in Venice is very tiring...
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  • this water is green and murky during daylight... - Venice
    this water is green and murky
    during daylight...
    by mapakettle, 4 more photos
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    I can't say this is a danger or warning tip, other than simply a little bit of advice. Take it, or leave it. The choice is entirely yours to make.

    After walking all day in Venice, a person gets very tired. There are precious few unoccupied benches to sit on along the way, other than in the various piazzas. The summer sun does a person in very quickly, zapping your strength. Dehydration is a worry. You are 'expected' to maintain a certain pace, or risk being trampled by the awe struck tourist on your tail. No one knows where they are going, so a map stuck under their sun burned noses is a common sight. If you stop, or even slow down, expect a pile up.

    You walk, and you walk, often on cobbled stone streets, certainly up and over bridges, side stepping suspicious looking piles of 'stuff', and balancing yourself on wooden planks placed beside construction sites. The distances noted on a map are a joke, because you must take into consideration the extra mileage encountered by wrong turns, and the additional interesting side trips you take along the way.

    I often receive emails from VTers asking about alternative places to stay besides Venice. The goal is to save a buck, but you do so at the expense of getting your money's worth out of Venice the destination. Venice is a wonderful, wonderful city to slowly wander about in early morning, or at night enjoying the lights along the Grand Canal. Going to inexpensive concerts starting at 9pm is another joy, but difficult to partake in if worried about trains back to Mestre or Padova afterwards. Besides, a late coffee, a drink, or a gelato on a hot summer's night is the delight and romance of Venice.

    Stay in Venice, enjoy all the city has to offer, use the travel time to slowly meander about, have a rest in the afternoon, a quick refreshing shower, then watch the gondolas drift by from your hotel balcony.

    How often are you going to visit Venice? Just my suggestion.

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    check your change
    Always check your change when buying tickets for vaporetti ....holding up the queue if necessary! Best to have correct money or pass.

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    Carnival...why bother?
    Carnival time in Venice...from my point of view, it is a complete waste of your time and your money. The crowds are horrendous, and you are forced to shuffle along at a snails pace, with the only view being the coat of the person immediately in front of you.

    We have attended three years in a row, each time attempting to find the mystery of carnival, catch the spirit, join in the fun. Yes, we've seen lots of wonderful costumes, parades, but also lots of drunks hiding behind their masks.

    Room rates are jacked up so high they wobble, food drops to an all time low, quality wise, while the restaurants frantically scribble new increased prices on their sign boards.

    I encourage everyone to visit Venice at least once in their life times, but wait until the weather is milder, and the crowds are reduced to manageable levels. You want to stroll, meander along the canals, and take in the romance that Venice has to offer.

    Look at the photos, and you decide.

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