Venice - good or bad?
Discussion
It's a wonderful place. Like nowhere else.
As soon as you leave the main sights it's far quieter. Absolutely fine.
Back street cafes and restaurants are far cheaper than those in the Main Street and squares.
We've been many times at different times of the year. We like it warm and sunny.
May and September would be my choice.
You can walk and walk and walk.
A real highlight is getting a private water taxi from the airport to your hotel. It's about £100 but is a fantastic experience. About 20 minutes by speed boat weaving in and out. So James Bond. It has to be done!
As soon as you leave the main sights it's far quieter. Absolutely fine.
Back street cafes and restaurants are far cheaper than those in the Main Street and squares.
We've been many times at different times of the year. We like it warm and sunny.
May and September would be my choice.
You can walk and walk and walk.
A real highlight is getting a private water taxi from the airport to your hotel. It's about £100 but is a fantastic experience. About 20 minutes by speed boat weaving in and out. So James Bond. It has to be done!
HotJambalaya said:
13m said:
Plus of course at the gran caffes on St Mark's square you pay an additional 6 Euro per cover for the music. It's expensive, but you've got to do it once.
Last time I was there it was 10 Euro!I remember sitting in St. Mark's Square with the wife on the day and time of our 25th wedding anniversary having a coffee and a grappa each mid afternoon, plus the music. I won't forget the price..45€. And that was in 1989!
Wonderful place, Venice. We had a whole week there and explored just about everything in town and on the outer islands. And we did the water taxi thing from our hotel to the airport, a memorable way to go after a great week.
R.
Wonderful place, Venice. We had a whole week there and explored just about everything in town and on the outer islands. And we did the water taxi thing from our hotel to the airport, a memorable way to go after a great week.
R.
We went a few years ago.
A few things I'd mention:
- If you go when it's warm, the mosquitos are horrendous. I got bitten so badly waiting for a water taxi that I'm now allergic to insect bites.
- I think you can do the lot easily in two days. Three would be pushing it to be honest.
- We stayed on the Lido and I'd wholeheartedly recommend doing that. Much cheaper, still stunning, about a ten minute water bus ride from Venice and far less tourists
- The hotel we stayed at was http://www.casanovavenice.com/ and it was great. Easy walking distance to everywhere, lovely breakfast including coffees that the owner would prepare on the machine for you. I'd stay there again if I went back.
A few things I'd mention:
- If you go when it's warm, the mosquitos are horrendous. I got bitten so badly waiting for a water taxi that I'm now allergic to insect bites.
- I think you can do the lot easily in two days. Three would be pushing it to be honest.
- We stayed on the Lido and I'd wholeheartedly recommend doing that. Much cheaper, still stunning, about a ten minute water bus ride from Venice and far less tourists
- The hotel we stayed at was http://www.casanovavenice.com/ and it was great. Easy walking distance to everywhere, lovely breakfast including coffees that the owner would prepare on the machine for you. I'd stay there again if I went back.
13m said:
Wass that two of you at 5 each? The charge is per pair of ears as I recall.
I'm pretty sure it was 12 of us at €10 each for €120 plus coffee and a few people had a sandwich, think we hit €460do different cafes charge different amounts as a supplement?
Edited by HotJambalaya on Friday 20th January 17:44
BigMon said:
We went a few years ago.
A few things I'd mention:
- If you go when it's warm, the mosquitos are horrendous. I got bitten so badly waiting for a water taxi that I'm now allergic to insect bites.
- I think you can do the lot easily in two days. Three would be pushing it to be honest.
- We stayed on the Lido and I'd wholeheartedly recommend doing that. Much cheaper, still stunning, about a ten minute water bus ride from Venice and far less tourists
- The hotel we stayed at was http://www.casanovavenice.com/ and it was great. Easy walking distance to everywhere, lovely breakfast including coffees that the owner would prepare on the machine for you. I'd stay there again if I went back.
I must admit, I'm considering making it an autumn trip - or an earlier trip - and your comment about mosquitoes might tip the balance. I fancy a trip around May time but the late Easter and ridiculous bank holiday schedule in this country means I'm reluctant to book time off mid-May (and flights on bank holiday weekend are predictably ridiculous).A few things I'd mention:
- If you go when it's warm, the mosquitos are horrendous. I got bitten so badly waiting for a water taxi that I'm now allergic to insect bites.
- I think you can do the lot easily in two days. Three would be pushing it to be honest.
- We stayed on the Lido and I'd wholeheartedly recommend doing that. Much cheaper, still stunning, about a ten minute water bus ride from Venice and far less tourists
- The hotel we stayed at was http://www.casanovavenice.com/ and it was great. Easy walking distance to everywhere, lovely breakfast including coffees that the owner would prepare on the machine for you. I'd stay there again if I went back.
Will see how I feel over the weekend - I will do something in May but perhaps something more local.
BigMon said:
- If you go when it's warm, the mosquitos are horrendous. I got bitten so badly waiting for a water taxi that
Yes, the mozzies are horrendous.I thought that in a city up north they wouldn't be a problem, but they were as bad in Venice as anywhere in the world I have been (except Sorrento).
I learned a lot about mozzies whilst there. Next time I will wear dark clothes, use a mozzy machine in the room and diligentlly apply repellant. An interesting fact I learned there - repellant doesn't actually repel mozzzies, it hides your scent so the little critters can't "see" you.
The Leaper said:
I won't forget the price..45€. And that was in 1989!
Euro€ didn't arrive until 1999. However, not to worry about that, your point stands - very bloody expensive! But lovely too.I quite like Venice, wife loves the place. We compromise and stay in Verona, which I love, and take the train. Only 1hr 15 - and very cheap journey.
Of course you can get to Lake Garda in less than an hour from Verona too, so a perfect base. It has Ristorante Maffei there too, which is one of my absolute favourites - sitting in the courtyard in the summer for 2~3 hours, eating wonderful food and drinking exquisite wine is one of my greatest pleasures.
The Leaper said:
€45 is a rough current value of what we paid in 1989.
Yes, Verona is a excellent place to be for a few days, and we still recall that the Ristorante Mafeii was one of the best we used when we were there. Padua is another great placed nearby to visit too.
R.
Good restaurant in Padova is Antico Brolo: http://www.anticobrolo.it/newsite/ristorante-antic...Yes, Verona is a excellent place to be for a few days, and we still recall that the Ristorante Mafeii was one of the best we used when we were there. Padua is another great placed nearby to visit too.
R.
Well, I got bored at work yesterday and started browsing Venice flights again. I'd decided against May, and started looking for March - found 8pm flights on a Friday evening, and 10pm flights back on a Sunday evening - perfect, a weekend in Venice without having to take any leave. Unfortunately, when I tried to make payment it didn't succeed because our work internet makes us look like we're in Germany and it objected to the location.
Which was fortunate, because I then realised that landing in Venice at around midnight gave limited options for getting from the airport to the hotel.
Turns out that although the May bank holidays were very expensive to fly - Easter wasn't, at least if you chose the right flights. So I now have Easter booked in Venice - fly early Friday evening to arrive around 9.30 and fly back late on the Monday. Flights only cost about £50 more than flying in March, weather should be warmer but not yet mosquito season and hopefully it will be a pleasant trip. Probably a day more than I need there I think, but I figured a day more was better than a day too little - albeit at the cost of a nights hotel.
Which was fortunate, because I then realised that landing in Venice at around midnight gave limited options for getting from the airport to the hotel.
Turns out that although the May bank holidays were very expensive to fly - Easter wasn't, at least if you chose the right flights. So I now have Easter booked in Venice - fly early Friday evening to arrive around 9.30 and fly back late on the Monday. Flights only cost about £50 more than flying in March, weather should be warmer but not yet mosquito season and hopefully it will be a pleasant trip. Probably a day more than I need there I think, but I figured a day more was better than a day too little - albeit at the cost of a nights hotel.
davek_964 said:
Well, I got bored at work yesterday and started browsing Venice flights again. I'd decided against May, and started looking for March - found 8pm flights on a Friday evening, and 10pm flights back on a Sunday evening - perfect, a weekend in Venice without having to take any leave. Unfortunately, when I tried to make payment it didn't succeed because our work internet makes us look like we're in Germany and it objected to the location.
Which was fortunate, because I then realised that landing in Venice at around midnight gave limited options for getting from the airport to the hotel.
Turns out that although the May bank holidays were very expensive to fly - Easter wasn't, at least if you chose the right flights. So I now have Easter booked in Venice - fly early Friday evening to arrive around 9.30 and fly back late on the Monday. Flights only cost about £50 more than flying in March, weather should be warmer but not yet mosquito season and hopefully it will be a pleasant trip. Probably a day more than I need there I think, but I figured a day more was better than a day too little - albeit at the cost of a nights hotel.
You won't find it a day too long.Which was fortunate, because I then realised that landing in Venice at around midnight gave limited options for getting from the airport to the hotel.
Turns out that although the May bank holidays were very expensive to fly - Easter wasn't, at least if you chose the right flights. So I now have Easter booked in Venice - fly early Friday evening to arrive around 9.30 and fly back late on the Monday. Flights only cost about £50 more than flying in March, weather should be warmer but not yet mosquito season and hopefully it will be a pleasant trip. Probably a day more than I need there I think, but I figured a day more was better than a day too little - albeit at the cost of a nights hotel.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff