Hello all,
I was wondering if any of you have been to Carnival in Venice. My husband and I are going this year and we are not sure what to expect. should we be bringing costumes? do you purchase them there? If so, Where? Where can we find a list of events to see and do? any help or direction would be much appreciated.

Thanks! RH

Carnival in Venice ranks as one of my top travel experiences in 40 years of traveling Europe - everywhere are folks waltzing around in fancy garb and costmes and face masks, etc.

They are everywhere - i did not attend any special eventsbut just reveled in the Carnival-attired folks EVERYWHERE

Really?? that is exactly what I was hoping for! Did you wear a costume? Is there something that would be acceptable that I might be able to take with me there? Not sure what to do. Thanks so much for your response! We're so looking forward to it! Are the museums/restaurants closed?

<i><font color=#777777>"we are not sure what to expect"</font></i>

That's 80% of the fun.

<i><font color=#777777>"should we be bringing costumes?"</font></i>

How do you define "costume?"

<i><font color=#777777>"do you purchase them there?"</font></i>

The top tier spend most of the year planning, designing and working on their costumes. Carnivale costumes in the Venetian tradition are often very elaborate, spectacular, costing thousands of dollars. The vast array of rich fabrics bedecked with jewels is mind boggling. Many participants stand 8 ft. tall.

Mask shops are everywhere. There are vendors who sell costumey stuff. Some are set-up in various campos as temporary retail operations. Most of the stuff is cheap and tacky but drunk tourists, or those who just wish to hang, tend not to care. There might be some temporary, free-standing rental operations, again, set-up in a campo, that require a deposit on your credit card to motivate you to bring the mask and black velvet cape back. Most of this stuff is nothing special.

Carnivale lasts ten days and is the busiest time of year for Venice. Make sure you have a good map and you don't suffer from claustrophobia. The crowds around St. Marks can force you into lines that take 30 minutes or more to move. You often have to wait for one vaporetto to fill before you can board a second boat. It can get very cold and windy at this time of year.

I was lucky enough to get to be in Venice for Carnivale on Fat Tuesday about 6 or 7 years ago. Most of the people that I saw didn't have on costumes but then again, I didn't attend any special functions...we just walked around the square and surrounding area enjoying the sights.

Unfortunately, the weather was awful that day. It snowed most of the day. Very wet and cold. Due to the weather, many of the usual participants did not come out for the festivities. As mentioned above, their costumes are very elaborate and are sometimes passed from generation to generation.

In terms of restaurant/museum closures...on the day that I was there, all the restaurants seemed to be open. In fact, we spent most of the day going from restaurant to restaurant in order to stay warm. The museums, on the other hand, were either closed or closed early. I was disappointed about that.

All in all, despite the weather, it was a fabulous experience and I would definitely do it again!

Have fun!!

We were lucky enough to be in Venice for the 2007 Carnivale...it was fabulous. The weather was very warm for February and no rain. We rented rather simple costumes from a place near the Ca'Rezzonico vaporetto as we were staying at Pensione Accademia. I would definitely recommend renting even a simple costume or at least getting one of the fabulous masks you can find almost everywhere. There were a lot of face painters in some of the square and our hotel even had one in the lobby so that might be another choice...something at least to fit in and feel a part of the celebration. We did attend a small dinner event and a gondola parade at night that was fun. We left the actual morning (Tuesday) of Carnivale so can't comment on the big activities in Piazza San Marco but did see the costume contest a few day before there. Lots of fun...but crowded.

You've all been so very helpful. One more question: Where would I be able to sign up for an event if I wanted to??

Try going to www.meetingeurope.com and see what events they might have listed...we did the gondola and dinner event and enjoyed it very much. Be prepared for large crowds in the main areas.

I recently heard about the Carnival of Venice!! That is soo awesome you are thinking about going!

Will you be staying the entire time?

As far as costume, Lexus Magazine (whom I do some work with) recommends Atelier Pietro Longhi where you can rent a costume (and OMG are they gorgeous: http://www.pietrolonghi.com/)!

You have to take tons of pictures and definitely post about your experience so I can live vicariously through you!!

http://bit.ly/hPDnG6

Now I really want to go to Carnavale!