Venice

[Blackandblue]

Off there for the first time later this year.

Anyone got any good recommendations?

 

[theclaud]

Yup. Go by train.

 

[upsidedown]

Start saving.

 

[longers]

Don't worry about getting lost, just go and have a good wander about.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Steer clear of dwarfs in red coats!

Oh God yes!...

and the prices

 

[Apeman]

Hey B/B can I go in your place --you wouldnt like it! Only joking--it is a fabulous place. For atmosphere have a coffee and cake in St. Marks Square-costly but worth it. One bit of advice for seeing Venice is---Get Lost - that way you will see Venice at its best down little alleys and streets. The architecture is fantastic and you will take hundreds of pictures. Do use the water buses but steer away from the gondolas--very pricey! Enjoy one of the wonders of the world.

 

[HelenD123]

Hey B/B can I go in your place --you wouldnt like it! Only joking--it is a fabulous place. For atmosphere have a coffee and cake in St. Marks Square-costly but worth it. One bit of advice for seeing Venice is---Get Lost - that way you will see Venice at its best down little alleys and streets. The architecture is fantastic and you will take hundreds of pictures. Do use the water buses but steer away from the gondolas--very pricey! Enjoy one of the wonders of the world.

That's exactly what my tour guide recommended. Venice doesn't have to be expensive if you just wander round and soak up the atmosphere. A coffee in St Marks Square is expensive on the face of it but I went somewhere with a string quartet playing and took ages over the coffee so think of it as a free concert.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Watch out for dog dirt, it's everywhere. And if you want to eat well but cheaply there's an excellent place about 50 - 100 yards to the right of the station (as you face the station) where the stuff is done fresh before your eyes.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Watch out for dog dirt, it's everywhere. And if you want to eat well but cheaply there's an excellent place about 50 - 100 yards to the right of the station (as you face the station) where the stuff is done fresh before your eyes.

Eeurghhh - they eat dog dirt? - I guess if they're cooking it fresh it might make a difference.

 

[Blackandblue]

Eeurghhh - they eat dog dirt? - I guess if they're cooking it fresh it might make a difference.

 

[rich p]

IMHO, it is one of the greatest cities on Earth and possibly any other planet too!

 

[swee'pea99]

It is wonderful - as others have said, just wander...

(As others have also said, it is ferociously expensive, especially to stay in the city itself - you can often get somewhere quite a lot cheaper by staying out on the Lido, particularly out of season.)

 

[accountantpete]

My Italian correspondent suggests avoiding the touristy areas and seeking out the real Venice.

 

[dellzeqq]

I'll second the train bit. You have to get to Paris and go to what is possibly the only quiet place in the city - the Gare du Bercy. The train leaves at about half past eight and you arrive in Santa Lucia station at about nine in the morning, but, if you possibly can, don't sleep, particularly if it's a full moon. The night time ramble through the Alps is desperately lovely (but you have to shut the windows when the train goes through the tunnels) and the last three hours across Northern Italy are just so sweet - you pass red tiled villages, wineries, all with the Alps in the background.

I've got four tips for the city itself. The Ghetto is unmissable - you don't have to be Jewish to be moved by it. Cannareggio is quiet and dignified, and ideal for a stroll. Bata shoe shops are not expensive and very stylish. And the Lido island is a great place to stay.

If you can't go by train then for heaven's sake don't fly Ryannair - the airport is on the outskirts of Norway and they'll charge you a million pounds if you want to do a number 2.

Oh, and if you enjoy a bit of paranoia, read Vertigo by W.G. Sebald on the train. No, on second thoughts, that's not a good idea.....

 

[Dayvo]

I was there once and was reasonably impressed, but prefer the natural beauty of Tuscany.