Sight Passes & Discount Cards

Sight Passes & Discount Cards

Sixteen of Venice's most significant churches are part of an umbrella group known as the Chorus Foundation (041/2750462. www.chorusvenezia.org), which coordinates their administration, including hours and admission fees. Churches in the group are open to visitors all day except Sunday morning, and usually someone there can provide information and a free leaflet in English. Single church entry costs EUR 3, or you can visit them all with a EUR 9 Chorus pass. Note that the Baslica di San Marco is not part of the Chorus group.

Eleven museums make up Venice's Musei Civici (041/2715911. www.museiciviciveneziani.it). A museum pass costing EUR 18 and valid for six months lets you make one visit to each museum. A Museum Card, good only at the Piazza San Marco museums—Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico, and Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana—costs EUR 12.

The VENICEcard (041/2424. www.venicecard.it) offers discounts on a variety of services throughout the city. It is available in two versions—blue or orange. The first includes reductions on public transport fares and discounts at some shops, restaurants, and hotels. In addition to these discounts, the orange card provides free entrance to museums and the Chorus churches. The passes are valid for durations of 12 hours, 48 hours, or 7 days, with blue costing EUR 18.50, EUR 34, or EUR 55, and orange EUR 30, EUR 55, or EUR 81. Cards can be purchased online, at the welcome desks of VeneziaSi at the airport, Tronchetto parking garage, the train station, and at the ACTV/Vela ticket office at Piazzale Roma. Although the cards are convenient, you'll have to do some calculating to see if they're really a money saver for you.