Venice. The city of bridges, canals, and masks. The Queen of the Adriatic. It is a magical place and one of the most visited European locations. Whether you arrive by plane, train, road, or water, there's so much to see in just over 100 small islands. So if you're planning a trip to Venice, what do you need to know?
Taking rests
Venice is a wonderful city full of interesting architecture, historical significance, and beautiful vistas. It is easy to get around, but like any city break it can be tiring on the feet. After a while the need to rest those weary feet, but beware.
Venice is a very old city. It is not built for your modern tourist's needs. There are precious few places where you can sit down. The narrow streets do not allow room for benches. Plus in some of the popular locations like St.Mark's Square, it is explicitly forbidden to sit down. In fact there you're not allowed to eat or drink unless it is in one of the cafes. Sit down and you'll be politely asked to move on by one of the city's staff.
If you feel the need to rest, pop into a cafe and watch the world go by. Venice has an unfair reputation for being expensive. There are certainly places where you can easily spend a small fortune for an expresso and a piece of cake, but there are also loads of places with a more reasonably priced fayre. If in doubt, just watch where the locals hang out.
Venice is a very walkable city, but if walking all day isn't for you, get around on the water. Whether it is an expensive but compulsory gondola ride or one of the water taxis, travelling on the water is a great way to move around. Plus it gives you a chance to sit down and rest those weary feet.
The islands
With over 100 islands in the lagoon, Venice deserves more than just a flying visit. Most tourists stay in or near the centre. There's certainly a lot to see here, but it is a real shame not to visit some of the surrounding islands. Among the most popular with tourists are Morano, Burano, and Torcello. The most popular ferry for these leaves from the piers on Fundamente Nove, but you can also get there from other locations. Beware, ferries are the buses of Venice and can get very busy, especially in the peak tourist season.
Morano is famous for its glass factories. They're output is available everywhere in Venice, but it isn't cheap. Each factory has it's own style, from the more traditional to the more modern. To be honest, there isn't a lot to see on Morano apart from the glass factories, so if seeing it made isn't your thing maybe give it a miss. You can buy their glass anywhere in Venice after all.
Burano is a short ferry ride from Morano. If you only go to one island, go here. It is picturesque, quieter, and great to stroll around. Famous for its brightly coloured houses, it is a photographer's dream location. Just wander around before sitting down for something to eat and drink. Just be aware that outside of the high season, most of the restaurants and shops tend to shut around 5pm. Oh, and don't miss the last ferry home!
Torcello has a much more relaxed feel. There's some lovely walks through the fields, which is a great to escape the tourist crowds visiting the 7th century cathedral. This is the main sight on the island and is worth a short detour.
If travelling on a busy Vaporetto with standing room to another busy location isn't your thing, you can do a lot worse than visit one of the less visited islands. Lido is a great island for those who like a beach. It has a more relaxed feel and the beaches are only a 15 minute walk from the ferry terminal.
There are two beaches of note. A public one is free, but is located slightly further away and isn't bad. It has a small cafe and is reasonably neat and tidy. The private beach is much larger, and tickets for it can be bought at the entrance. There's a large bar and cafe serving food and drink, as well as seats on the beach. It also has changing facilities.
Getting around
It is worth buying a travel card to get around the city. They are available for 1, 2, 3, or 7 days and can be bought from the ferry ports, airport, as well as tobacconists throughout the city. If you buy from a tobacconist, they only accept cash though. The tickets can be used on pretty much everything, including the Vaporettos and even the airport bus.
Tickets must be validated before you travel or join one of the queues. There are machines at every ferry port. Don't be tempted not to validate them though. There are regular checks, and if caught with an unvalidated ticket you'll be fined.
Eating
A real joy of any holiday is sampling the local cuisine. If you think of Italian cuisine, you probably think of pizza and pasta. Whilst it is true that they are classics, limiting yourself to these when in Italy is tantamount to heresy. That's not to say there aren't some of the best pizza and pasta dishes, just that there is so much else to savour. For a start, there's the seafood. Venice in particular has a wide variety of seafood on offer, so why not take the plunge.
Eating out in Venice need not be expensive. There's a wide variety of places to eat. There's everything from well-known international fast food brands to Michelin star restaurants, and local trattorias serving traditional food in between. If money is an issue, you can do a lot better than Burger King or McDonalds. There are any number of local restaurants selling pizza slices for a few Euros. They're damn good too.
The local trattorias are a great option for an authentic Venetian meal. Some trade on the tourists a little too much, so don't feel shy about politely saying "No grazie Signore" if they push yet another bottle of wine on you.
Marco Polo Airport
Arriving at Venice's main airport is a joy. Once out you've options for reaching the city. There's an airport bus costing approximately 11 Euros and taking 20 minutes, that drops you off in Piazzale Roma. If you can afford it, the best way to experience Venice is to do what the locals do, use the water. A return ticket on one of the water taxis is an excellent introduction to Venetian life and costs about 35 Euros. If you really want to live the high life, there's always one of the highly polished private water taxis, but bring your credit card!
When the time comes to leave Venice, there are things you need to know. Before security, there are really only a limited selection of food and drink outlets. If you want a proper meal, go through and you'll find a selection of more hearty fayre on the upper level.
My top tip is to ensure you have a bag ready for any duty-free you buy. An admirable but expensive stance at the airport is not to give out plastic bags. They do a roaring trade on reusable bags, but at 3.50 Euros a pop, these don't come cheap. They will give you a paper bag if you ask, but these are not really fit for purpose for those large wine bottles.
No comments:
Post a Comment