Venice during the film festival?

Old Nov 3rd, 2015, 06:15 PM
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Venice during the film festival?

We are planning a big birthday celebration next year and my birthday falls in late august. Planning venice and then Lake Como. I am reluctant to go to italy in August bc of the crowds, etc. Thinking of planning the trip a few days later and going over our Labor Day weekend. There is an excellent possibility that the venice film festival will be going on during that time. Believe it or not, the hotel rates are the same. Wondering if anyone has been to venice during the film festival and if it is just insanity with regard to crowds- worse then than in August? Anyone have any advice or thoughts as to last week in august v first week of september?
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Old Nov 3rd, 2015, 09:12 PM
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Early September is a busy and crowded time in Venice, but not just because of the film festival. The film festival is mostly in Lido, not in Venice proper though they do have some screenings in Venice. The Regatta Storica (big boat race, very cool with some pageantry on the Grand Canal) is the first weekend in September. Its a great time to be in Venice, but there will be a lot of people there.

Just book your lodgings outside the major tourist thoroughfares, for a bit of a respite from the crowds.
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Old Nov 3rd, 2015, 09:21 PM
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We spent September 6th to late September in Venice this year. Film festival may have been happening, but other than some monster yachts on the Rive Shiavoni, there seemed to be little impact.

The Architecture Biennale will be happening while you are there. Again, it does not generate great crowds, and might be interesting. I'm going to Venice late September for the Archi Biennale, really looking forward to it.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 05:08 AM
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One year we had a meeting in Venice that started 2 days after the festival ended. I had to be there early to make arrangements and our hotel prices were more than double - I paid over $600 per night for a business hotel on the Lido, where the convention center is. However, not sure how it affects the rest of Venice since I don't know how many people there are. Our meeting was about 25K psychiatrists and the city was so mobbed some MDs had to stay in Verona and train in.

So I would check to see what is happening at the convention center and how many attendees there will be.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 05:56 AM
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I've attended the Venice Film Festival numerous times, including a few months ago. Saw the "Spotlight" premiere and left feeling devastated.

It's difficult to gauge "crowded" in Venice. It's gets a little easier if your comparing Carnivale to New Year's. The film festival affects lodging and restaurant reservations, but chances are ordinary tourists wouldn't know it was going on until they see a celebrity dining at Da Fiore.

In general terms, the "crowds" in Italy don't subside until November, and then there's a surge for Christmas that lasts until Jan 6.

August is less crowded than you think. The internet is awash with "don't go to Italy in August," so many don't go and haven't gone for years. This is the reason you'll find many hotel deals in August, especially in Venice. For those who love the heat and humidity, August can work for them.

September is one of the busiest months, again, thanks to the chatter on the internet. No matter where I go in September these days, it's wall-to-wall people (but very few Americans). These days, September can be sweltering, and the mosquitos will be out to kill you. Be prepared.

August and September are not busy on Lake Como. June and July are Lake Como's busiest months, thanks to weddings. Nearby Milan is deserted in August. Many businesses in Italy are closed in August, and that's another reason tourism is down that month.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 06:16 AM
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-September is one of the busiest months, again, thanks to the chatter on the internet.-

And the cruise ships!
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 06:39 AM
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I was there during the film festival and boat races. Hot and crowded. I couldn't wait to leave.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 10:45 AM
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Twenty five thousand shrinks in Venice. Sounds like the first thoughts for the plot for a movie.

NYT, if you were organising that lot, may I offer my profound condolences.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 11:16 AM
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Thank you all. Believe it or not, the hotel in venice that we are considering is offering the same price for end of august as it is for early september (during the festival.) Im thinking it is going to be crowded no matter when i go so i should just choose the time that works best for us. Thank you'll so much for your help. It's nice to hear from some familiar posters from the past- nytraveler being one of them.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 12:23 PM
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We were in Venice this year from 6th September to 12th October. Really hot and humid for the first couple of weeks, and then more comfortable for the later part. The crowds were not too difficult, and we stood in line for twenty minutes to buy tickets for the Biennale at the Giardini. Bad planning - the ticket line at the Arsenale was much less, so we should have gone there first.

The 2016 Film Festival runs from 31st August to 10th September, but as others have said, unless you are competing for a suite at the Danieli or a table at Quadri, or parking space for your mega yacht, the impact is not that great. The glitterati mostly seek to avoid the crowds of we plebs.

Mosquitos were a hassle for us, as we had a ground floor apartment wth an adjacent garden. We used those devices that you plug into a power socket that dispense a mosquito repellant, and they worked well.

We did not visit any museums, other than the Fortuny and Palazzo Mocenigo, and they were free of crowds. Can't comment on the bigger attractions such as the Ducal Palace, Ca' Rezzonico etc, but the line at the Accademia did not look too horrible.

In general, I would say that areas on the left of the Grand Canal, Dorsoduro, San Polo and Santa Croce, were less crowded than the San Marco side, and you might consider that when selecting a hotel.

I've scribbled the odd Venice trip report. Click on my user name and you would find them.
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 04:28 PM
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Thank you Peter. i will read your trip report!
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Old Nov 4th, 2015, 06:19 PM
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No I wasn't organizing the whole thing. It's an international organization that deals with the whole congress. But our client had invited about 70 MDs from around the world to be attendees (with social events) and had sponsored 3 symposia (with the entire 25K invited although we got only about 3 to 4K at each) for which we had to make arrangements, create materials/handouts and work with speakers to prepare the presentations.
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