A Rough Guide To Venice Vacation

Asking a group of people why they want to visit Venice might give you the same number of answers as the number of people. Everyone has a reason or reasons for visiting Venice and all of their answers are true and correct.

Venice is one unique place where almost everything is interesting, worth looking into and worth taking a photo. They are worth touching with your fingers. Sometimes, you seem to be able to inhale that peculiar combined fragrance of the sea, the land, and the history of the place.

The sites and the sights

Before going to any site you fancy, take time first to soak in the city. Simply walk around its small streets and alleys. You may stop by at the famous St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, although at most times of the day they are choked with tourists. If your stay is longer, come back in the evening (or early mornings) when the crowd is thinner.

The Basilica di San Marco is beside the square, and it is one of the biggest attractions in all of Venice. The entry is free, although you have to stand in line for the long queue – but it is worth the wait. The church’s interiors are all done in mosaic from walls to ceilings to the floors, and it takes your breath away.

Right next to the basilica is the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) where the former rulers of the city lived. There is an entry fee to the palace, but this is the only way you can traverse the famous Bridge of Sighs which leads to the courtroom. Inside is Tintoretto’s “Paradise”, the world’s largest oil painting.

Three of the small islands most famous to tourists are Murano, Burano, and Torcello. The closest is Murano, famous for its glass-making all over the world, and large groups of tourists usually crowd shops demonstrating some glass-blowing techniques. You may watch or you can go the other way and perhaps find out-of-the-way shops that do the same thing and satisfy your curiosity without jostling with the crowd.

Then, there is Burano, formerly famous for its lace-making in the past, although most of the island’s inhabitants are fishermen. What strike your eyes’ fancy are the colors of the houses. They are all painted in the brightest of colors, and are so distinctive and fascinating even from a distance. They say the reason for this was to help the fishermen returning late from a long day at sea find their right homes fast and easy. 

Torcello is the farthest and has the fewest people actually living on it. It has fewer tourists too, and you can have the oldest church in Venice all to yourself and some few fellows. The church also has its walls and floor done in mosaic, just like St. Mark’s Basilica.

All these are just some of the big reasons why one wants to visit Venice. And we have not even talked about the gondolas and the gondoliers and moving about in those watery alleys. We have not mentioned about the famous yearly Venice carnivals, the masks, the costumes, the merry-making and the music. 

Why visit Venice? One probably needs a long list for the other reasons which are good for another article.

In such a beautiful destination as Venice, one tends to be overwhelmed the minute one sets foot on the place. The excitement of seeing the canals, the buildings, the cobbled streets and the people makes one forget how and where to begin anything. It is important, then, to know some essential things about Venice.

The following is a partial list of some practical aspects of your stay.

Things to know

• No cars are allowed in Venice. Leave yours in the mainland and take public transportation going to the Venetian lagoon. Transportation within the city is good enough, though crowded at times. Also, they only stop at certain points along the Grand Canal and two other places. You walk your way around town.

• Get your Venice Card at the Marco Polo airport, Piazzale Roma and the Train Station. (There are now more places where to buy them.) This can help with museum admissions (discounts), vaporetto rides (lower fares), church admissions, and others. They also have a discounted version for young people.

• Public toilets are plentiful around popular tourist areas, charging 1 Euro for each use. If you have a Venice Card, they are free. Cafes and bars also have toilets which you can use, but as common courtesy, buy at least a cup of coffee.

• Original Murano glass is generally very expensive. But there are places where they are discounted (Piazza San Marco) and can sometimes go very much cheaper away from commercial centers (in outlying areas in Burano). Just be careful not to buy fakes imported from Asia.

• Fixed price “tourist dinner” is cheaper than a plate of spaghetti – there is no cover charge. Of course, the food quality of ‘menu turistico’ can not be guaranteed. Also, restaurants now slap a 10 or 15% surcharge on top of everything.

• The area around San Polo near Rialto and the fish market is typical of “bacaro” or “cichetteria”. These are the typical Venetian places to consume small snacks and drinks. “Cichetti” (similar to Spanish ‘tapas’) are popular snacks.

• If you must insist, here’s a lowdown on gondolas. They are expensive tourist attractions or romantic tours, whichever way you look at it. They charge 80 Euros for the first 40 minutes, and 40 Euros for every 20 minutes. After 7pm, the rate becomes 100 Euros for 40 minutes and 50 Euros for every additional 20 minutes. The maximum number of passengers is 6 persons, and you may split the fare with everyone.

• When ordering a fish dish, be aware that they are charged according to weight and not by piece. 7 Euros for every 100 grams would add up to 35 Euros for a medium sized fish that’s around half-a-kilo (500 grams). It pays to ask questions first before ordering.

• Almost everyone sells maps to tourists. These maps are FREE. You must have yours at the airport together with your transport ticket pass. If not, get them at the reception area of your hotel.

As in all other tourist destinations in the world, it really pays to ask around before committing on anything – transportation, food, shopping, going places, the best times to go, etc.

The above list is just some of the things one has to know about Venice. Be guided accordingly, and enjoy!

Of all the world’s travel destinations, Venice rates among the top three places where people want to go. The reason is simple: it is one of the most beautiful places on earth that fills up all of one’s senses – the ageless beauty of the churches, palaces and buildings, the old-world ambience. More to the point, Venice is a total feast for the eyes.

Stretched along the Adriatic Sea, Venice is a unique group of 117 small islands joined together by 378 stone bridges over a number of canals. It has the unique mode of transportation, which is mostly on water.

The city is composed of six districts (sestiere), all with their own unique attractions: Cannaregio, San Polo, Santa Croce, San Marco, Dorsoduro and Castello.

Cannaregio

Cannaregio in the north has the Palazzo Labia, the Venetian Ghetto, and the Isola di San Michele. Palazzo Labia is a beautiful 7th century baroque palace. The Venetian Ghetto is the center of Jewish living where Jews go for religious services. The Isola di San Michele is the cemetery island where some famous writers and musicians are buried.

San Polo

San Polo is the smallest and the oldest, housing the famous Rialto Bridge, the San Giacomo di Rialto and the Campo San Polo. The Rialto Bridge is the largest of the four bridges connecting the Grand Canal in places. The San Giacomo di Rialto is the oldest church in Venice, built in 421 A.D. The Campo San Polo is the biggest field in the city and is very popular for the Carnival, concerts and screenings for the Venice Film Festival.

Santa Croce

Santa Croce is in the northwest with the Tronchetto and the main port. The main attractions are the Fondaco dei Turchi (a 13th century Byzantine palazzo) and the Church of San Giacomo dell’Orio.

San Marco

San Marco is the center of the sestiere. This is where the well-known sites of Venice are found: Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. St. Mark’s Basilica is a Byzantine cathedral, originally the chapel of the Venetian rulers. The Doge’s Palace is a Gothic structure and home of the Doge of Venice, the formal head of state. It is now a museum housing some priceless paintings of Veronese and Tintoretto.

Dorsoduro

Dorsoduro in the south is the highest sestiere, with attractions that include the Penny Guggenheim collection (a museum containing personal art collections) and San Trovaso, the church built in 1028 which houses the works of Tintoretto.

Carnivals and festivals

Redentore is a festival held every third Saturday of July celebrating the end of the Plague, and is famous for its fireworks.

Every February and March, Venice holds its famous Carnival which dates back to the year 1268. Locals and tourists gather in the streets wearing historical costumes and masks, with music played all day in most places, and some street performances.

Another famous event is the annual Venice International Film Festival founded in 1932 and is the oldest in the world. It is highlighted with international film celebrities who gather in late August or early September in the island of Lido to present their latest films.

Indeed, the whole of Venice is a visual indulgence that one can never tire of. And we have not even mentioned a word yet about the masks, the shops, the food, the gondola, the gondoliers, the impromptu singing and the music.

In Venice, no cars are allowed, so you cannot get around using one. If you are traveling by car, it is advisable to leave it in the mainland. From there, you can take public transportation going into the city.

If you go by land, take a bus to the Piazzale Roma which is across the Grand Canal from the train station. If by water, get a ride on the Alilaguna waterbus.

If you go by train, get off ONLY on the station “Venice Santa Lucia”. (The first two, named “Venice” and “Venice Mestre” are still on the mainland.) You will be deposited right at the Grand Canal with a big vaporetto waiting for you.

Once in the city, going around is by walking, of which Venice is ideal. But then, a whole city – however small – cannot be explored by foot alone. Since Venice is surrounded by waterways, long transportation is carried out by water vessels.  

Vaporetto

This is the main transportation going to and from places far from the city. These are big bus boats which have regular routes along the Grand Canal from the city proper to other places. (e.g. to Murano, Burano, or Torcello, etc.)

One single ticket for an hour of travel time is around 7 Euros. It is better to get a pass that covers your whole visit. Several kinds of passes are available for tourists covering both water and land transportation. Some have discounts at various shops and attractions in the city.

The main tourist line is the #1 vaporetto. It travels across the whole of the Grand Canal, stopping at every single stop between the train station and Piazza San Marco. If you are in a rush, don’t take the vaporetto.

However, if you want to travel in a leisurely manner because of the sights along the way, the vaporetto is perfect. (Validate your tickets in the machines along the planks before you board.)

If the weather cooperates, it is one grand way to spend the hour (the whole travel time) watching the city float by. Just don’t be in the way of the people who rope the boat up at every stop.

If you want a faster transport, take the #82 vaporetto. It is faster because it stops only at some few points between the train station and San Marco terminals. However, this is a seasonal liner, operating only on high tourist seasons. If you are visiting off-season, there is no #82 vaporetto.

Traghetto

They look like gondolas, but they are not. They don’t have gondoliers with striped shirts singing songs. Traghettos are short distance transport boats used to cross the Grand Canal at various points where there are no connecting bridges.

There are traghetto stands and waiting boats along the banks of the Grand Canal. These traghetto boats transport passengers to and from either side of the canal.

Gondolas

 These quaint-looking boats make up for the postcard picture of Venice. In essence, these are expensive water taxis for hire when you want to go on a leisurely, romantic cruise around the city’s canals.

In these hard times, the gondola business is still going on strong in Venice, which means the world is still full of romantics with money to burn. Of course, getting around Venice need not be in gondolas, and they can be just as romantic as you can make them to be.

A vacation in Venice is one of the most enjoyable trips that one can ever have. This is because the experience would finally fulfill dreams for an ultimate adventure getaway. For people who have not set foot on the Venice, a tour vacation is a perfect opportunity because it can give you eases and comfort in exploring the sites of the wonderful place.

Venice the city itself is very historic. So while on a vacation there, sight-seeing opportunities could be unlimited. When you go there on a vacation, it is a must to see the main—if not the major—tourist attraction offered by the city: the Piazza San Marco or the St. Marks Square. Here, you can visit the wonderful St. Marks Basilica, The Doges Palace with its amazing bell-tower as well as many other local establishments that are great for sightseeing and photo opportunities.

A visit in the St. Mark's Square is only the "appetizer" in the list of must-see attractions in Venice. The next would be riding the world-famous "Gondolas" which is a staple picture of any Venice vacation. Riding the Venetian Gondola is a must for those who set foot on Venice the first time because it provides an ease and comfortable tour of the city. Gondolas a usually rented for a specific period of time and you can ask the driver to cruise you along the narrower canals inside the inner quarters of Venice. You can take a tour of the city via The Grand Canal first then you can take the back canals which will provide you a more intimate feel of the city.

Next would be a tour of the Grand Canal which is the biggest—and most detailed —tourist attractions in Venice. This canal stretches from the railway station down to the far end of the city where St. Marks Square is located. The ideal means of touring the Grand Canal would be through the Grand Canal Boat Tour that offers convenient route for the most wonderful sites within the city.

Aside from visiting the St. Marks square, the Basilica, and the Doges Palace located in the San Marco District, other must-see attractions in Venice would ideally include sightseeing in the Castello District that features the "Arsenale," the "Biennale Art Exhibitions" as well as other public gardens. You can also visit the main attractions offered by the Dorsoduro District including the "Accademia," the "Peggy Guggenheim Museum" that features rare Gondola workshops as well as the "Campo Santa Margherita."

If you have more time, try to go around the Cannaregio District where you can find the "Jewish Ghetto," and the "Ca D'oro," as well as the San Polo district for great bargains at the "Venetian Mercantile Empire" and "Rialto Fish Market," and a wonderful features of the "Friari Church".

A complete tour of Venice would include a visit to its museums and art galleries where you can see the works by almost all great Venetian masters like Titian, Bellini, Tintoretto and Giorgione.  Aside from the Peggy Guggenheim museum, other museums and art galleries that you must visit should include "The Correr museum," the "Naval Museum," the "Gallerie dell'Accademia," the "Museo Civico Correr," and the "Glass Museum at Murano."

If there is one fun festival you have to see in your lifetime, Carneval di Venezia (Carnival In Venice) should be the one. It is the only carnival in the world that is celebrated to allow people masquerade themselves into their secret fantasies and illusions. This is the reason for the masks and the costumes.

Now celebrated every February, the carnival is the one time when the whole city becomes as colorful and spectacular as the masked and costumed citizens are. In the past, it used to be a long festival running from December 26 all the way to Ash Wednesday.

Today, it still is a wild, enjoyable and fun festival that lasts for ten days where people put on masks and colorful costumes to become the people of their own fantasies. With their real selves hidden under costumes and masks, they would go out into the streets and participate in the festivities. 

Many shows are mounted in the squares and mostly in Piazza San Marco, especially on Jeudi (Thursday) and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the most important days of the carnival. In other parts of the city, there are also several street performances, parades and other attractions.

Origin

The origin of the carnival is said to have begun in celebration for the victory of Venice against Ulrich, the Patriarca of Aquileia in 1162 A.D.

It reached the height of its magnificence around 1700 when it began to attract visitors from all over Europe. There grew a mini-industry to manufacture more masks and costumes (mostly of the heavy velvets for cloaks and capes) for use by more people participating in the occasion. 

It was the time when kings and princes and other European royalty would take part in the Carnival in order to have a good time on the city’s squares and streets.

Today, it is still celebrated by the whole city, this time with tourists watching and joining in the open-air celebrations, including public shows and private parties organized and held in the Venetian palaces.

Masks

The symbol of Carnival is definitely the masks. These are created by skilled craftsmen whose art were inherited from past masters. These handcrafted masks are quite expensive but are available all over Venice.

The most famous and fashionable mask (and costume) is the unisex “Bauta”. The whole get-up consist of a black tricorn hat, a black cloak and the white papier-mâché mask. The mask leaves the mouth area uncovered for eating and drinking. 
 
The “Moretta” is a black oval mask with holes only for the eyes. There is also a mask of a cat called “Gnaga.”  The mask of the “plague doctor” is one with a long nose or beak.

The wearing of masks during the festival had been dated back to the 12th century although it was only in 1608 when it was officially deemed proper. Since then, mask-making is handled by the masters with only a handful considered the best.

The importance of the carnival in Venice is seen all year round with the display of fancy dresses in stores. Also, if you visit the city anytime of the year, the mask-making shops are all hard at work making this beautiful symbol of the festival. It is if all the days of the year are solely in preparation for the carnival.

Sparkling and grimed, disused and active, domed and campanili, much of the great attractions in Venice are its churches,  
scuole or guild houses and synagogues.

1. Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore - Founded in the early 10th century, this church was designed by the great Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. In this church, he imposed a classical façade by designing two interlocking facades with repeating triangles, rectanges, and columns - a logical rhytym that are carefully and harmoniously proportioned. The interior of the church are whitewashed surfaces showing Paladio's fondness on stark and majestic, unadorned but harmonious space. Two epic paintings by Tintoretto, The Fall of Manna and Morti, Chapel of the Dead can be seen near the main altar.

2. Basilica di San Marco - Once a remarkable place of worship, the basilica embodies a unique blend of architectural and decorative styles, dominated by the Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance. It's greatest treasure is the magnificent altarpiece known as the Pala d'Oro, a Gothic masterpiece encrusted with close to 2,000 precious gems and 255 enameled panels. For tours, you can call 041-522-52 05, admission is free.

3. Chiesa Santa Maria dei Miracoli - One of the most attractive religious buildings in Europe, it looks like an elaborate box containing the most refined of chocolates. The architect of this chiesa is Pietro Lombardo, a local artist who bejeweled it with marble, bas-reliefs and statues. The timber ceiling is also eye-catching. In 1470's a series of miracles were reported which led to pilgrims for the image of the Virgin Mary. The chiesa’s admission fee is 2.50 euros.

4. Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Finished in 1443, the Frari is a tower of elegance in brick, eschews almost completely the twisting face like external decoration typical of French and German Gothic. The frari was built by Franciscans and has long been considered something of a memorial to the ancient glories of Venice. Giovanni Bellini's Madonna and Child is displayed in the sacristy. For tours, you can call 041-522-2637, admission is 2.50 euros.

5. Cattedrale di San Pietro di Castello - This church is the Venice cathedral from 1451 - 1807 which sits in easy somnolence on the far-removed island of San Pietro. Legend says that the strange Trono di San Pietro was used by the Apostle Peter in Antioch and that the Holy Grail was hidden in it. However, the legend is unlikely because the seatback of the throne is actually made up of Muslim tombstone, postdating the Apostles's death by quite a number of centuries.

6. Chiesa di San Martino - This church is named after St. Martin of Tours, Venice pride being the first christian saint to die of a natural death and not a martyr. The main attraction of Chiesa di San Martino is the ceiling fresco which depicts the Gloria di San Martino. For tours you can call 041-523-04 87, admission is free.

To avoid embarrassments and disappointments, dress appropriately when visiting churches and other sacred buildings.

Venice, as a prime tourist attraction, is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and nearly perfect for everyone. The sights, the sounds, the feel, even the smell of the surrounding sea all contribute to the total appeal of Venice. Except, of course, to the nagging question of many: where does one eat a good meal in Venice?

This had been the common complaint about Venice – the absence of good places to enjoy food. From the experienced traveler, a very good tip: get away from the tourist-filled areas and make your own discoveries.

Like the other popular destinations, the best places to eat or drink are not found in areas frequented by tourists. Rather, the better ones are those that are out of the way, hard to reach places.

In Venice, these places may lack the usual beautiful view of the canals, but you can always look at these canals at other times. This time you want to eat, and eat good food. Be prepared, though, because the menu might only be in Italian and nobody speaks English. (You have your handy Italian phrase book with you, of course.)

Random recommendations

Venetian dishes are based on the produce from the sea like sardines, cod, eels, crabs and prawns, whatever is in season. Appetizers like marinated sardines, risotto with the local prawns, pasta with baby clams – these and more are standard fare in the Venetian table.

La Colombina di Sigfrido e Domenico.  
If you want to eat some of the best Italian food ever, whether in Venice or anywhere in Italy, this is the place. An added plus: the place is not even that expensive compared to the other pretenders in the business. (The dinner is under 20 Euros, worth going back again and again.)

Dona Onesta, or Antica Trattoria di Venezia Dona Onesta.
This is where you find perfectly textured cream sauce for your pasta, as well as perfectly grilled “verdura” (vegetables like mushrooms and eggplants, artichokes, spinach). You can also find traditional grilled salmon, liver and onions, pork chops even.

Ristorante S. (San) Stefano.
Try their spaghetti with clams. The slight saltiness of the clams balance out the pasta, which has a sweet buttery taste, topped with chopped parsley. An attentive waiter can grind some fresh pepper and make it perfect. The bill? Around 12 Euros.

Another good place to enjoy Venetian food that is not that cheap (40 Euros for 2, and with good wine) but not that outrageously priced either, is in the Jewish ghetto. This is near the Jewish museum (Campo del Ghetto Nuovo). The ambience is cozy and just right. It is off the beaten tracks of tourists, with people going around their regular daily business.

Some other few places that offer good food at non-tourist prices are located right in front of St. Mark’s Square, but on the opposite side across the Grand Canal. Once there, you would suspect the place might have good food if the patrons are Italians and your group is the only English-speaking people around.

All in all, the search of places for good food is another part of the attraction of Venice. Consider it part of the adventure, too. Again, to find the good places on where to eat in Venice is to go the other way where tourists go.

In Europe, many people consider the city of Venice in Italy as one of the most wonderful places to visit because of its unique and mesmerizing environment. But, no matter how wonderful the place is, it's not a guarantee that you will have a good vacation unless you prepare for it.

What you need to know before you go

Many people who have been to Venice would agree that it pays to conduct a research before going into vacation there. This is because it can help you save time and effort if you already know what to do, where to go, and how to get there. Also, it is one way of ensuring a great and safe vacation. The following are some of the things that you need to pay attention to before going on Venice vacations:

1. Prioritize what you want to do. During Venice vacations, there are so many things that you can do. You can enjoy water activities, visit historic places, take a nature trip and breathe the fresh environment, or indulge in various activities. Before going into Venice vacations, make sure that you know what you would want to do so you can save more time in doing the things you love the most.

2. Have background information in the place you are going to. It is best to conduct a research and get the basic information in the place you are planning to go to because it will give you more time to maximize your vacation. It can also help you prepare the things that you might need in going to a specific place. Pay attention to details such as time differences, means of transportation in getting around, entry requirements such as visas or passports, the best time to visit a specific place in Venice, what are the things that you will need in your vacation, paying and cash registrations, and places to stay in.

3. Try to find out what are the best historical places that you should visit while you are there. Since you don’t have the luxury of time to visit Venice anytime, it is best that you visit the "must-see" places when going on there on a vacation. Take time to conduct brief research on historical places in Venice such as including the Piazza San Marco or the St. Marks Square and other tourist attractions within the place including the St. Marks Basilica and the Doges Palace.

4. Know what kind of type of Venice vacation that you want. When people go on Venice vacations, it is a must to tour the historical sites. However, this is not the only thing that you can do when you are there. You can also opt for more adventurous activities such as touring the place via The Grand Canal while riding a gondola or just walk the city limits and find the things that you can find. You can also go on a shopping spree in local markets that offer great finds you cannot find anywhere else in the world.