Lisa D.'s thoughts on Italia, focused on Venezia…La Serenisimma!
So, your going to be visiting Venice for the first time? Lucky you! Following you will find some valuable information to prepare you for your Venetian holiday. Take what you like from this information and feel free to leave the rest. I hope your visit to my favorite city is all you hope it will be!
Before you go you may wish to view a few films that are set in Venezia:
Books to get you in the Venetian mood:
Web sources I like:
Fantastically detailed site providing information in all areas, check it out!
Site for apartment rentals, however this page outlines the 6 sestieri (districts) of Venice and gives a brief description of each.
Web site for Venetians, by Venetians. It's written mostly in the Venetian dialect which makes it difficult to read, however there are links to English language web sites on this site.
Some of my favorite things about Venice in Keywords:
Feel free to google these; Tramezzini, Prosecco, Spritz, Enoteca, Lapping Lagoon, Fondamenta, Riva, Gondola, Seppia, Chiesa, Palazzo
Arriving in Venezia:
Arriving…how will you get there? By air, car or train? By far, the most beautiful way to arrive is by train…there is nothing more beautiful than walking down the stairs of Santa Lucia (the stazione) and taking in the view of the canal and the Ferrovia bridge. It's breathtaking…especially at sunset. Air is the second most convenient arrival method. With connections by bus and boat (more costly), it's fairly easy to get from the larger of the 2 area airports to the lagoon. Arriving by car is a drag…unless you are turning your rental car in. There are no automobiles in Venezia, so if you have a car, you must leave it outside the lagoon. This is VERY costly and kind of a pain in the butt. I don't recommend it.
Communicating in Venezia:
Language…because of the high level of tourism in Venezia, most everyone speaks some amount of English. Speaking Italian, while fun, is not necessary.
The Layout of Venezia:
It is important to note the layout and geography of Venezia in order to understand the ideal areas to base yourself. Take a look at a map of Venezia and you will see that the land looks like loads of of pieces of land, cut by waterways (which are their roads!), the largest of which, the Grand Canal, cuts through the center of the lands. In fact, Venice is 117 small islands connected by a series of bridges and waterways. The largest ‘street' if you will, or waterway, is the Canale Grande (Grand Canal). The Canale Grande cuts a shape that looks like a backwards ‘S' through the center of the lands.
The main land of Venezia is divided into districts, or sestieri. There are 6 sestieri on the north side of the Canale Grande; Canneregio, San Marco and Castello. On the south side of the Canale Grande, there are Santa Croce, San Polo and Dorsoduro. In my opinion, each sestieri has it's own feel and each, it's own charm. These sestieri represent the main land of Venezia on either side of the Canal. There are also the barrier and outer island of Venezia; Guidecca, The Lido, Murano, Burano, and Torcello.
You will get around mostly on foot. You can supplement this by taking a boat to move you more swiftly from one location to another. You will need to take a boat to visit Guidecca, The Lido, Murano, Burano and Torcello.
While you are meandering your way through the steets (calle) of Venice, you WILL get lost. Getting lost is a forgone conclusion. I recommend you embrace the experience. This helps if you keep yourself from being on a rigid schedule or give yourself loads of time to get from place to place. Working in ‘getting lost' time will allow you to experience one of the most fun activities of Venice…wandering the streets. If you are lost and don't wish to be, it's relatively easy to find your way. On most of the buildings there are painted signs pointing you in the direction of the nearest sestieri. For example, if you take a wrong turn while wandering the back streets of San Marco while on your way to Canneregio, just look up to the building corners to see the signs that point you in the direction of Canneregio. If you follow these signs you will be directed to the general area of each of the six sestieri. (this is why it is helpful to understand the Venetian layout in general)
You can read about each of the sestieri of Venezia at several of the websites noted earlier.
More on getting around Venezia:
The main method of getting around is on foot. To move a greater distance more efficiently you can use Venice's public transit system, ACTV. It is just like the ‘mbta', ‘metro', or ‘el', except the trains are boats. The first thing to know is that you should buy a ticket, and stamp it! If you are going to be in Venice for 2 or more days, it makes sense to buy a multi day or multi ride ticket. The multi day tickets are valid on not only the ACTV boats of Venice, but on the automobile buses just outside of the lagoon. (i.e. you can use it to travel back to the airport outside of the lagoon) If you buy a ticket it is necessary to have it stamped before you board the boat. There are validation machines at each ACTV waterbus stop. If you do not validate your ticket by stamping it and a boat attendant calls for your ticket and sees that it is not stamped, they will treat you as if you didn't buy the ticket and issue you an on the spot fine. (I know, it has happened to me…it's no fun…stamp your ticket!)
Fares at 2/04 are:
You may never be asked for your ticket, but having one at the ready is always a good idea.
As you look at a map of Venezia you will see that there are only three bridges that cross the canal, The Ferrovia (closest to the train station), The Rialto, and The Accademmia. The bridges are spread pretty far apart along the mile long Canale Grande. If you wish to cross the Canal and are not near a bridge, there is a solution. It's one used most often by native Venetians. Gondolini are gondolas used for transport across the Canal. You can look at it as a poor mans gondola ride. Gondolini stalls are located at a few places along both sides of the canal and are an easy way to get from one side of the canal to the other, quickly and inexpensively. The ride costs somewhere around 35 or 40 US cents. It is customary to stand up on the gondolini and the ride takes about 30 seconds.
Finally, one of the best ways to take in the length of the Canale Grande is by taking a gondola ride, but at $65-100 per 45 minute ride, it can also be one of the most costly. If you wish to get your bearings and see the entire length of the Canale Grande, you can pick up the #1 or the #82 Vaporetto at Piazzale Roma (the last place where cars are allowed as you enter Venice). Both Vaporetti cruise the length of the canal. This is the poor mans boat tour (without the narration), if you will. On a sunny day, if you get a seat on the deck, you will have one of the best value cruises down the canal with great views!
Sleeping in Venezia:
Once you have an understanding of the layout of Venice, you can now select what area you'd like to stay in to sleep. Keep in mind that Mestre (mainland Venice), Guidecca, Murano, Burano, The Lido and Torcello require much coordination to get to and staying in Venice proper can be much more convenient. However, remembering that securing a place in Venice requires much advance planning to avoid sell out situations, you'll want to book well in advance, or be VERY flexible about the type of accommodation and location you may end up with.
Always be sure to understand WHERE specifically in Venezia the hotel you are considering is located.
Hotels I've stayed at in Venezia and can recommend:
Santa Croce dei Bari, 1222 - 30100 Venezia
You will find most of Venice to be quite expensive compared to other cities in Italy. Although hotels are regulated in what they can charge based on how many 'stars' they are rated. Hotel Doge is 3 stars. You will find also that rates vary based on the time of year you visit. High season rates can be shocking, and during my 8 years of visits to Venezia, I've noticed that high season boundaries have stretched wider and wider covering most of the year! Tourism!
Cannaregio –1804, 30121 VENEZIA (ITALY) – http://www.alportico.com/
Cannaregio - Rio Terà San Leonardo 1523, 30121 VENEZIA (ITALY) – www.hotelalleguglie.com
Calle dei Fabbri, 4687 - S.Marco 30124 – Venezia – www.locandaalgambero.com
Venetian musts:
"Spritz" is a typical Venetian refreshment that is made using a typical Italian bitter apertif, Campari for example, or others such as Aperol (my fave), Select, or Cynar. It's sipped throughout the day by most Venetians standing at any of the hundreds of Bars lining the Venetian calle. You can only find this specific cocktail as 'spritz' in Venezia, so be sure not to miss it.
Of course there are many wonderful tourist sites to see in Venezia depending on your interest...Piazza San Marco, the Campanille & Basilica within it. The isole of Murano (famous for glass) and Burano (famous for lace). The gondole...Museums such as the Ca D'oro, Guggenheim...The Doges Palace...The casino (which I've never visited in 8 years of visits)...the churches, where many of Venices artistic treasures lie...especially in the Frari in Santa Croce.
However, there are many less touristy ways to experience Venezia...walking and getting lost in the maze that are the streets of Venice is one of them! Seeking out locals, making friends and getting recommendations is the best way to learn of these treasures.
Eating in Venezia:
Eating well can be the most challenging part of being a tourist in Venice. Getting to know and trust locals will help you here. I can recommend a few places...likely they will be the same places Matteo would tell you about as I've learned them from him. We eat at one of two places usually, although I'm well convinced there are many more great places than this. Generally, if you avoid the places near major tourist sites or places offering “Menu Turistico” you will avoid a great portion of places serving marginal food. Depending on the type of place you select and the personality of the person serving you, I find the best way to order is to let them know how many course you would like and generally what you'd like to eat. For example, “We'd like to eat 2 courses, primi piatti con pasta e secondo piatti con pesce. (a first course of pasta and a second course of fish) If you leave it there, usually the cook and the staff can do the rest and you will eat well. I only suggest this in places where the folks seem open and into it, you can usually get a feel as you chat with them over your pre dinner spritz…if the place is filled with tourists and it's seems busy, I'd order straight from the menu.
Some place I've eaten and enjoyed:
Bistrot de Venise , San Marco, www.bistrotdevenise.com
I've eaten at Bistrot many times. It is located on the ground floor of the Antica Locanda al Gambero (hotel mentioned above). It is a short distance from Piazza San Marco. There is indoor and outdoor (during the appropriate seasons) seating. Some nights there is entertainment, either poetry readings, music or art exhibition. I'm sure the menu has changed, but the Pumpkin Ravioli I had in 2001 rocked the house!
Ostaria al Vecio Pozzo (Old Well Pub), Santa Croce
If you would like to eat fish, go here! It is a small place visited by mostly local Venetians
One of the best places to eat is in the kitchen in the home of a native Venetian…if you can work that one out, congratulations!
And sorry, some places I am keeping a secret for now…
One of the things that takes some getting used to is the concept that in bars, which incidentally are places to get coffee, not just alcohol, although you can get a drink in a bar too. Italians have loads of names for different types of establishments offering different variations of food and drink. A couple of the basic classifications are; bars, which are like cafes that serve alcohol as well, usually apertivos, enotecas which are wine bars that usually serve light fare. Osteria and trattoria are places for dinner, but usually lighter, more lunch fare than dinner fare. Ristorante are places to eat a full dinner.
In most bars you will see native Venetians standing while they sip their espresso or eat their tramezzini. Not only are there 2 prices for most everything (one for the Venetians, another for the turisti), but there is a charge if you eat sitting down at a bar. It is called “servizi” or “coperto” (service or cover). If you stand while you sip your cappuccino (which Italians only drink in the morning, favoring espresso the rest of the day) you will not be charged a coperto. Always check your ‘conto' (il conto = the check) to see if you are paying a ‘servizi' or ‘coperto'. If so, a tip, or gratuity is not necessary.
Most US cell phone providers now allow for International roaming enabling your cell phone to work as it normally would anywhere you travel. So, someone can call you from the US, paying just as if you were in the US (this is not true for you, the recipient of the call). This is an easy way to be sure folks from home can reach you whenever it is necessary. Although it is not the most cost efficient for you. (rates for roaming, if your cell phone company provides such service, tend to be around $1 per min.)
Alternately you can get a telephone calling card. Most cards offer rates of a few cents a minute to call the US. You would need to use either a landline or a Telecom Italia pay phone. These payphone are located all over Venice and are easy to use. Please note that more than 50% of them operate with a calling card and coin usage is nearly obsolete.
It's pretty expensive to shop in Venice. Depending on what you are interested in buying, you might wish to buy in another city. Obviously there is much coordination in getting goods into the lagoon and then into the shops, many of which are obscurely located down alleyways far from any canal entry. So you can imagine there is a significant mark up on most good, groceries included.
There are many designer shops; Armani, Bulgari, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana included in the area near San Marco and Rialto for your designer needs.
The Rialto is famous for it's markets. Handmade Italian goods, loads of trinkets, Murano glass can be found on or near the area of the Rialto bridge. On the side of the Rialto bridge you can find the fish and food market. (provided you get out early enough in the day) The fish market, provided you can stomach it, is a great place to wander and see all types of “Frutta di Mare”. This is also a great place to see locals buying their groceries and perhaps even chat with a vendor.
If it's Venetian groceries of the non-perishable type (jarred sauces, biscotti, wine) you are after, then Coop is where you want to head. There are several of them around Venice, but again, if you plan to visit a more rural location in Italy, it might make more sense to purchase larger quantities where it will cost you less.