Venice for dummies

[The Crofted Crest]

Been many times. Hotels on Lido are good, much cheaper than in Venice itself and only a short vaparetto away. Even better, stay in Chioggia, Venice in miniature, well worth visiting for itself. There's a bus and ferry service to get you to Venice. If you have a bike, you have to pedal about 30 kph across Pelestrina to beat the bus to the ferry to Lido, or bike down the middle of the road so the bus can't overtake you.

In Venice itself, the vaparetto up the Grand Canal is a must. So is the Peggy Guggenheim museum.

 

[Profpointy]

Regarding "rip off prices" on our visit, we had coffees, lunch, couple of beers in various cafes away from St Marks' Square and it was all quite reasonable. I appreciate there's near (or actualy) criminal pricing on the main tourist places, but couple of streets back it was all fair enough. I had expected, or feared, it would he a cheesy tourist trap but I thought it utterly lovely. We didn't queue for the main museums in the Square but just wandered round, but a beautiful and wonderful city.

 

[geocycle]

Amazing city, fantastic history, art, churches and music. Getting a boat direct from the airport was a first! We bumped into Francesco di Mosto, literally, who made a great series about his home city and worth a watch. Food was ok, but mainly variations of a few touristy staples. I’m sure there are great restaurants but none we found had a wow factor at a price we could afford. Enjoyed travelling around the lagoon to Lido and other islands.

 

[Beebo]

It’s an amazing place, I’d recommend everyone goes once for a weekend.
We just wandered around most of the time exploring on foot. Plenty to see, but be prepared for lots of walking up and down steps and across cobblestones. We picked up a free walking route via numerous churches.
It’s not a place to bring small children or elderly/immobile.
As said above you can eat quite reasonably. We ate a pizza in Campo Santo Stefano which is a large square slightly away from the centre.
We went in early autumn and it was busy, so can’t vouch for high season crowds.
The flooding was a slight issue. St Marks had the walking platforms in the square.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

It’s an amazing place, I’d recommend everyone goes once for a weekend.
We just wandered around most of the time exploring on foot. Plenty to see, but be prepared for lots of walking up and down steps and across cobblestones. We picked up a free walking route via numerous churches.
It’s not a place to bring small children or elderly/immobile.
As said above you can eat quite reasonably. We ate a pizza in Campo Santo Stefano which is a large square slightly away from the centre.
We went in early autumn and it was busy, so can’t vouch for high season crowds.
The flooding was a slight issue. St Marks had the walking platforms in the square.

We were last there in mid summer a few years ago, we were staying in Lido De Jesolo and did a day trip, organised it ourselves, local bus and water bus to get there and back, It was very busy, the queue for Basilica San Marco went half way round the square, the previous time we were there we weren't allowed in the Basilica as I was in shorts and my Good Lady was showing too much shoulder, it was very hot, temperature in the low forties, we walked miles. During our stay in Lido De Jesolo we were bothered a lot by Mosquito's, it took a couple of attempts to find something that worked against them, our previous visit had been in the spring and they weren't a problem on that trip

 

[richardfm]

I didn't see any campsites.

I think there is one off the main island towards the airport.
There are plenty of self catering apartments to choose from

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

We stayed in one of the towns off to the West (beyond Mestre) and took the train in every day. Nice and avoiding the general pain of it costing more.

The only thing I will say is that we often got the last train of the night back and it was full of hookers and so on. 😆

I didn't see any campsites.

Look for tents on boats!

You can get lion doorbells from the few hardware shops.

Do they actually Roar like a lion?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Tell me everything I need to know about Venice.....things to do, where to stay,

I'm a bit boring travel wise - I've been to Lanzarote loads to times and I'm very happy with that. I'm not that adventurous - and like everything laid on - so I'm thinking a hotel would be best ?

Any suggestions welcome ?

You have just triggered a bit of a family joke.

You see, we used to have neighbours who went to Lanzarote every single year (they would then always complain that it was too hot 🤪) and their son, who was friends with my brother and sister always used to tell us, in a squeaky voice that they were going to 'Lanzaro'i', glotal stop and all.

So now, whenever any of us hears of that place, we all say in a high pitched voice...

LANZARO'I

 

[matticus]

I thought it was pronounced Lan'zaroTAY
To rhyme with Lartay (the milky coffee)

 

[T4tomo]

I thought it was pronounced Lan'zaroTAY
To rhyme with Lartay (the milky coffee)

I think you're confusing it with Marbellochino.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A couple of days is enough for Venice.

 

[matticus]

A couple of days is enough for Venice.

Yeah (although I think we stretched it out to 2.5 quite happily, and didn't visit the glass-making island.)

I can imagine anyone into the details of the old churches etc could spend all winter there! But I'm just a general purpose, ignorant, gawping tourist.

If I ever go back, I'd hope it was part of a longer trip e.g. along the coast into Slovenia/Croatia.
I know someone who visited on a (boat) day-trip during a week's beach holiday in Croatia - I thought that sounded nice!

 

[T4tomo]

I know someone who visited on a (boat) day-trip during a week's beach holiday in Croatia - I thought that sounded nice!

Yes I think most of the ports on that bit of coast from Piran in Slov down to Pula in Croatia have regular ferries over (an obviously from further afield, but then becomes a longer trip). Piran is a beautiful little old town in own right, built by the Venetians.

the cruise ship business "ruined" Venice, in terms of

• wash from them damaging the lagoon and buildings
• moored in the main canal spoiling the view
• overcrowding it with with day visitors spending nothing on food / drink / accommodation bar a coffee in St Marks Square - hence the jacked up prices.

there is some sort of ban now reimposed for the biggest ships, but a lot still get ferried in on smaller boats or buses.

 

[richardfm]

A couple of days is enough for Venice.

We filled a week without out getting bored. We visited a few of the islands as well as the attractions in Venice.
However, there are a lot of churches and a few art galleries. There is a limit to how many paintings of the Madonna and Child that you need to see .

 

[BoldonLad]

I didn't see any campsites.

There are campsites a short distance away. Cannot recall the name, but, we cycled from site to a ferry location, left bikes there and too ferry.