For as long as I can remember, I had dreamed of visiting Venice. This architectural marvel, built on water and hosting art and architecture galore, is my absolute ultimate travel destination.
This city, historically the capital of the old Venetian Republic, was a powerful independent and highly revered maritime power during the middle ages and Renaissance. In fact it was only incorporated into a unified Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
Historical magnificence and artistic incomparability aside, there are some things that the modern traveller seriously needs to know beforehand if your visit is to be enjoyable.
How To Travel By Water - Cheaply
Firstly, as you alight at San Lucia train station, you'll proceed out to where you go to get a water vehicle to your hotel. Be aware. If you get a Taxi, you'll have nicer transport but you'll pay - big time. Instead, use the Vaporetto. This is a regular waterbus service, and is really cheap, fast and regular. You can also buy weekly (or longer) tickets to make it even more economical. Ask, in English if you don't speak Italian, to be told when it's your stop. These boats go up and down the Grand Canal and around the outside of the main islands, but they don't go up most of the smaller canals separating the 118 islands that make up Venice.
Book A Hotel On The Grand Canal
So, whilst myriad bridges and miles of waterways may offer an unequalled easiness on the eye, if your hotel is located somewhere away from the Grand Canal frontage then be prepared for a possibly quite tiring walk, dragging or carrying your suitcases through tiny streets, across narrow stepped bridges, and basically jostling your way through an endless maelstrom of tourists and street vendors - until you finally arrive at your hotel. My travel consultant had been to Venice and warned me about this. It was so welcome after a long journey, just stepping of the Vaporetto at Piazza San Marco and walking the twenty paces to our hotel door.
Size Is Not Everything
At your hotel, you're likely to be greeted by a somewhat disappointing frontage compared to hotels in other cities and countries. Unfortunately, the buildings in Venice suffer awfully from erosion due to weather, so it's not that they don't care. Once inside, you'll be warmly welcomed by your hotel Manager, checked in and given the keys to your room. You'll notice first how small the elevator is, then how small your room probably is, since space is at a premium anywhere in Venice unless you've booked a Palazzo, and finally as you open your room window you'll notice how incredibly close the next building is to your hotel - possibly only a couple of metres away.
Book Well Ahead
If I could offer a double tip here, I would encourage you to book well ahead, and also to book outside the high season which is generally considered as late spring to early summer, and late summer early fall. Getting any accommodation at all in these times can be a real challenge unless you book light years ahead.
I could write about Venice forever. But the purpose of this short report is simply to offer the traveller some useful tips to be aware of at the outset, the more to enjoy your stay there. With that in mind, I'll close with offering my final tip for an enjoyable stay in Venice.
Beware The Glass Factory Visit
Your friendly hotel manager will almost certainly offer you a trip to a famous Glass Factory on Murano Island. It will be explained to you that it's a favour offered by the hotel, and your own private water taxi will be laid on for you, paid for by the hotel. I've avoided using the name of the glass factory here, as it's not my intention to suggest that this trip is not worthwhile, just that there may be an ulterior motive to the deal as well.
Let me say that my family and I went to the glass factory on precisely this 'deal', and we ended up buying a 1000 Euro chandelier. The silver tongued guide included prompt shipping in the price, and everything happened on time. I'm seriously happy with our chandelier, and love to stop and look at it. All I'd say is that if you Google this glass factory, you'll find that many people were not happy with the way they were treated by the guide there, the prices they were asked to pay, and basically the whole pressure tactic employed to sell. Nor are some people happy about being perhaps 'dishonestly' exposed to this experience by their hotel manager either.
These are my 5 tips for a safer, more enjoyable trip to Venice. And although some of these tips may paint a picture of a somewhat less than perfect destination, please let me assure you that I would be back there like a shot, given the chance. It is a stunningly wonderful place to visit, and I promise you that you'll remember it forever.
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