yk

My parents will be in Venice in late October; they will be there for 2 days. They have been there before, and they are there to catch a cruise, so they figure they will arrive 2 days early to see some sights.

They are in their 70s & 80s; have traveled extensively and very savvy, but my mom has slowed down a lot so cannot walk fast nor long. Stamina is an issue too so they told me that art galleries & art museums are not a high priority because they get worn out.

They are staying in Piazzale Roma. They will be purchasing the 48-hr vaporetto pass.

The top sights I have for them are:
Basilica San Marco
Doge's Palace (reg tour, not the secret itineraries tour)
Frari Church
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Rialto Bridge
+/- Ca Rezzonico
+/- Gallerie dell'Accademia
+/- tour of La Fenice

Questions:
1) Should I book them the "reserved access" tickets for Basilica San Marco? Their website seems to indicate that lines are very long (45-min wait?)
2) Should I book them their Doge's Palace ticket in advance (ticket valid for 3 months)? This is just a self-guided visit, correct?
3) I probably will suggest them to take the vaporetto to one or more of the islands in the Lagoon, as I don't think they have been to any of them. Which one(s) would you suggest? Torcello? Burano? Murano?
4) Vaporetto pass - I understand they need to validate it before use. Is it before <i>every</i> ride, or just before their <i>first</i> ride?
5) What else would you suggest/recommend/ NOT recommend?

Thanks!

janisj

>>1) Should I book them the "reserved access" tickets for Basilica San Marco? Their website seems to indicate that lines are very long (45-min wait?) <<

I'd pre-book. I was there in early Oct and every single time I passed the Square (several times a day since I was staying nearby) the lines were ENORMOUS. I'd guess some days the queue would have taken MUCH more than 45 minutes.

(I took the Secrets of the Doges Palace/Basilica small group tour w/ Walks of Italy. it was a lot of walking/stairs so probably too much for your parents)

ellenem

2 Doge's Palace is self guided. There are lengthy didactic panels to read in each room or they could rent an audioguide.

4 Yes, they will wave the pass in front of the scanner on the dock each time they are approaching the boarding area for a vaporetto. In some cases, this will actually open gates to the boarding area.

kja

I agree with janisj about the Basilica San Marco -- anything that lets them shorten their time in line would seem worth considering!

As I understand it -- and I could be wrong -- the "Secret of the Doges" tour can ONLY be booked in advance. And since I failed to book this tour in advance, I can't tell you what it entails -- just that I, personally, regret missing it.

Of the islands, I visited only Murano, and all I can tell you is that I enjoyed it.

Congrats on targeting a limited set of manageable sites for their short time in this unique city! The only thing I might offer for a 2nd look is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection -- IIRC, it's open later than many other sites, can be visited relatively quickly unless modern / surrealist art is a special draw, affords lovely views over the Grand Canal, and -- at least when I was there -- had a cafe that offered a delightful array of light meals that could be enjoyed while savoring views of a lovely courtyard, complete with statues and fountain. Just something to consider.

If stamina is an issue, have you / they considered options for using a wheelchair to visit sites of interest?

Hope that helps!

maxima

Vaporetto pass: it is validated the first time it is used which begins the 48 hour period after that they will have it scanned before boarding.

Since stamina is an issue, they should consider doing less perhaps. with periods of rest at a café or other places where they can sit down.

with 2 days, going to the islands is time consuming.. if they want to do that they should just select one. Weather will also be a factor.. if its rainy I would not bother,

in Murano there are a lot of shops small and large selling glass ware.. if that interests them its ok

I think you already have enough for 2 days, particularly at a slower pace,

of course a grand canal ride on a vaporetto
which they will do when they go to or from their hotel.

Peter_S_Aus

Omit the Doges Palace. It is a two hour plus exercise, with nowhere to sit down.

Jean

You mentioned they've been to Venice before. Did they not see the basilica and/or the Doge's Palace on the previous trip?

We enjoyed Ca'Rezzonico, but it's a huge palazzo encompassing four floors. In contrast, the Guggenheim Collection is a very manageable size on essentially a single level. (Both are closed on Tuesdays, BTW.) Ca'Rezzonico is near a vaporetto stop, but the Guggenheim is between stops, about 350 meters from the Accademia stop. At the Guggenheim, there is a lovely garden and a café (much nicer than the one at Ca'Rezzonico). Obviously, these are two very different experiences, but I wouldn't say Ca'Rezzonico is "better" just because it's bigger.

FYI, the Galleria dell'Accademia has limited hours on Monday afternoons.

I don't think there would be tours of La Fenice on Saturdays and Sundays when there are afternoon performances.

Sassafrass

You have enough planned already for two very full days. I have been to Venice five times, once for a week, and still never made it to any of the museums, and I taught Art History and love museums.

IMHO, Venice, itself is like a museum. Though it takes walking, so does going through museums.

What particularly interests your parents?
If they are crazy for art, then go for the museums. If not, there are plenty of other things to do.

One thing I enjoyed is attending a concert performed in the church for which it was composed, with careful attention to how the notes sounded in that church. You can see where there are performances. Nice to sit and enjoy music and history in a magnificent building.

Going to one of the islands does eat up time, but views on the boat trip give a wonderful sense of the setting of Venice, plus they can rest after walking around the island. Burano is unique and so colorful. It requires some walking, but is very small and you can find places to sit. The main street may be crowded, but walk a block away and the little canals, colorful houses, and fishing boats are lovely.

Definitely book the Basilica, but perhaps you could make a list of the other things: churches, museums, etc., with information about them, best way to get to them and nearby places for a nice lunch. Give information and how to get to the different islands. Then, once they are there, they can decide how they feel and what they want to do.

kja

@ Sassafrass -- awesome input!

Peter_S_Aus

Vaporetto passes have to be validated EVERY time you board. You can be fined otherwise.

yk

Thanks for the excellent advice so far from everybody. What I have in mind is exactly what some of you have suggested - My job is to come up with a list of sights according to their interests, and they can look them up and decide which one they want to visit or not. I have to check with them - I think their last visit to Venice was decades ago, so even though they should have been to San Marco or Doge's Palace, they probably don't recall much of it.

On my list - I think the first 5 can be done in 1 day. They can visit the Doge's Palace & bascilica in the morning, return to hotel for a rest, then visit the 2 churches and Rialto bridge in the afternoon. The +/- are ones that they can choose to go or not. They really are not that much into art, so that's why the art museums are not really on the list. The idea of going to one island is appealing because as some of you said, my mom can rest on the ferry ride while they enjoy the scenery. Wheelchair is not necessary, my mom can walk, she just cannot walk fast and need to rest every now and then.

I listed Ca' Rezzonico because it is more of a history museum with objects, no? I just thought that may interest them more than an art museum where there is just paintings.

I will also tell them to keep their eyes out for concerts at churches while they are there. Unfortunatelly the opera at La Fenice is all sold out during the 2nights they are there. When I went 10 yrs ago, we bought tickets to an evening organ concert at Frari church and that was quite good.

Peter_S_Aus

The ferry to Murano and/ or Burano can be very crowded, shoulder to shoulder. They might not get a seat, and it is a 40 minute trip. Something to consider .....

Jean

"I listed Ca' Rezzonico because it is more of a history museum with objects, no?"

I don't know what the mix of displays is. There are beautifully furnished rooms and collections of things like Murano glass, but there are also many framed paintings, tapestries, sculpture, and frescoed walls and ceilings salvaged from other palazzi. The 'history' is all 18th Century. Unlike the typical art museum, I don't recall much visitor seating, but I could be wrong.

Click on the different floors listed at this link for general descriptions:

http://carezzonico.visitmuve.it/en/i...d-collections/

danon

Getting to Frari and San Rocco might be a long walk...depends where their hotel is.

Don't know about Oct., but when we were in Venice in May the crowds were huge
everywhere ,
including vaporettos. There was hardly room to stand , never mind sit down.

flygirl

I have been to Torcello and Burano. I'd pick Burano first, I think, unless they could get meal rez on Torcello (very worth it). The ancient church on Torcello is amazing but between that and the meal there isn't much to see and it's a long trip.

flanneruk

To be honest, if you think the old cathedral on Torcello isn't that worth while, I can't imagine what's to see on Burano.

Apart from the second finest Christos Pantocrator mosaic on earth over the cathedral's chancel, a trip to Torcello guarantees an hour lost in the mists of the lagoon. Personally, I'd do the trip even if the cathedral wasn't there.

FWIW, while the interior of St Mark's has a great WOW!!! factor, I've never been that interested in minutely examining it - or got much from examination (and I'm a serious churchaholic). But I have been struck by the fact that its choir is outstanding by Italian standards. Almost up to a small English village on an average Sunday - a standard practically no other Italian church ever gets anywhere near.

Go to any weekday 9 am Mass (or 1030 on Sunday) and you can hear them at it - AND get a terrific view of most of the Basilica interior. Free, with no queues (except on very high holy days). Seriously: just sitting there (kneeling or standing are both optional: most of the congregation don't go to communion anyway, so they won't be conspicuous), listening and looking at the Basilica's interior is a million times more enjoyable than dealing with the crowds once they're let in. And, once your legs start getting dodgy, St Mark's after the heathens arrive just isn't a pleasure.

A choir (in summer often not Italian, which always helps) sings Vespers (Catholic for Evensong) at 1845: 1730 on Sundays (though there is then a Procession of the Blessed Virgin, which many Anglo-Saxons might find disconcertingly Papist). Same arrangements: same absence of crowds.

Entrance for Mass is through the Porta dei Fiori on the north side of the Basilica, in Piazzetta dei Leoncini.

julies

To us the essence of Venice isn't so much the major sights but just the general ambience of the place. Staying in a more regular neighborhood rather than the usual touristy locations helps to reinforce this. So, that's my first suggestion.

Just taking the long rides on the vaporetto (Grand Canal and out to the islands) provides great sightseeing opportunities. Ride the entire Grand Canal both in the daytime and at night when the lights are on.

Take the vaporetto across to Guidecca, and just sit in a waterfront cafe and watch the passing boat traffic.

Avoid St. Mark's Square, the super-touristy bridges, and the milling tourists. Just getting away from the crowds will make it easier for them.

We've been to Venice three times (last time for a week) and spent much of our time just walking. Obviously, that won't work for your parents.

This is a fabulous book, much better than the usual guidebooks. Buy it for some new and different ideas for them.

http://www.amazon.com/Venice-Italy-H...+guide+hammond