Day 8: 14 Tips for Venice
- Julia Dallas
- Jun 27, 2018
- 4 min read
Tip 1: BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS. Large cities and public transportation are a huge source of revenue for pickpockets. I purchased an anti-theft backpack from Amazon before I came. You do not have to do that, but be aware of your surroundings and items at all times. Never set them down and always keep purses and bags in front of you. People are known to have purse straps slashed.
Tip 2: For transportation me and Sonni purchased a €20 day all day pass. This included the water bus and regular bus in and out of the city. Worth it? Yes. Water bus tickets were around €3.50 each way and regular bus tickets were €1.50. We definitely got our moneys worth.
Tip 3: We also purchased a city pass called the San Marco Pack for €21.90 (for juniors 6-29) that let us into Doge's Palace, 3 other Civic Museums in St. Mark's Square, any 3 churches in the Chorus Circuit, Querini Stampalia Foundation, and apparently discounts on other museums. Worth it? No. Many of the things are free, the only thing that was worth it was Doge's Palace but you can purchase those tickets separately. Also limited which places you can go to. If you want to explore the other packs you can find them at the same place to purchase bus tickets. We found ours at Mestre Station.
Tip 4: Doge's Palace was around a 20 minute wait with our special pass. They advertise that you get to skip the line, but only kind of. Worth it? Yes. Doge's Palace whether you purchase a pass or tickets separately is definitely worth it.
Tip 5: One of the most famous churches, Saint Mark's Basilica, in St. Marks Square requires legs to the knees and shoulders to be covered. You can purchase a shawl if you forget to bring something to cover your shoulders. I got a designed one from the vendors for €4. Admission is free, BUT you have to pay to get to the top, or to explore exhibits in the church. Each ticket is around €2-4. Worth it? Yes. Going to the top was amazing and you get an amazing view of the piazza. You can also purchase tickets online beforehand to go straight in, we waited in the free line for 30 minutes.
Tip 6: You also cannot bring backpacks into any churches and some museums. They will have a wardrobe or closet sign as to where you can put your backpack. The one for St. Marks is down the street, so be aware of this before it is your turn to go in. Small purses are allowed.
Tip 7: Bring sunscreen if you go in the summer. Most lines were around 20-30 minute wait in direct sunlight.
Tip 8: Bring bug spray because my friend got a few mosquito bites while there.
Tip 9: While souvenir shopping be sure to look around before buying something we found some shirts being sold for €6 rather than €10. Every store has a lot of the same things and people will be willing to knock down the price.
Tip 10: The Gondola ride! For 45 minutes it is €120 and for 25 minutes it is €80. During the 45 minute one they give you history as well as show you around. Worth it? Yes, BUT definitely share with another couple or bring friends if you are trying to save money. You could fit 5 people, however it was nice being able to take pictures alone and not having to share the chair. I would only do this once because it is very expensive.
Tip 11: Venice is obviously very touristy. Which means that although a restaurant might not look as fancy as the one next to it, it will probably still have the same quality of food.
Tip 12: Something I had never heard of before is paying to use the bathroom. At the train stations you have to pay \€1 just to use the bathroom, so keep that in mind. I did find a free bathroom in the Bologna station all the way on the bottom floor, with the food.
Tip 13: You also have to pay extra to sit down at a table at a cafe, or food stand. It is around €1-2 extra for each item. They will have a sit down option and a counter option on the menu.
Tip 14: The last tip is, don't be afraid to explore! Go new places, take the water bus, ask people for recommendations. My friend and I ventured across to another island, still part of Venice, to look at a church we wanted to see. We weren't sure which bus to take, but figured it out and it was very much worth it. Make the most out of your travel experience and don't be afraid to learn :)
All pictures were taken on my iPhone because pick pockets can be a problem and I did not want it to get stolen. I apologize for the not as great of quality.
Comments