Does Venice flood in November?
 

We are in the thinking process of a return trip to Venice Thanksgiving week. I have read in several places that there is flooding due to high tide at this time. Does anyone have any experience with this time of year and high tides?

From our experience and from what I heard from several sources, you should be okay the end of November. We were there over Thanksgiving last year and had beautiful weather. However, around 10 days to 2 weeks before, there was flooding in Venice. <BR>However, unless the flooding is severe, I would guess that you should be okay. They have planks and scaffolding at the ready to help you move around!

I was in Venice last November (first week) and the floods came! A very bizarre experience to walk 30 yards from the hotel (Europa & Regina) to find the streets covered in knee-deep water. I retreated to the hotel to ponder and noticed a British couple who were rolling up their pants legs before heading out. They said the water was clean, not very cold and that plenty of other people were doing the same thing. So, rather than waste the morning in the hotel, I rolled up my pants and went out. It was actually lots of fun - I felt like a little kid, splashing along in the water. Certain more open areas (San Marco) do have scaffolding, which works fine too, but you have to get from point A to point B and almost certainly you won't be able to do that entirely on scaffolding. <BR> <BR>Be wary of the vendors who are selling plastic boots to put on over your shoes - they're $5-10 a pair and fall apart within 50 yards. If you don't want to bother with the water, once the tides change the water recedes fairly quickly, so a leisurely brunch could fill up time until you can venture out safely. (I have to say, it was an experience that I enjoyed - something a little out of the ordinary!)

This is edited from an older post of mine ... <BR> <BR>Some flooding is indeed quite common in Venice. Piazza San Marco is one of the lowest areas in town and starts flooding with a tide of +70cm with respect to normal (zero tide condition). I've witnessed San Marco Square with 10/20/30 cm of water at least a half dozen times. But this doesn't qualify as "acqua alta", an unusual high tide due to a conjunction of factors(astronomical, barometric and wind). An Acqua Alta is characterized if the tide reaches 110+ cm. Though I've visited Venice probably 2 dozens of times, I never witnessed one. It only occurs an average of about 4 times per year, more often in winter (specially November!!!) <BR> <BR>I wouldn't worry though, Marty. As Vickie points out, tourists actually have fun when Venice is mildly flooded ... should an acqua alta occur while you're there, you'll know it well in advance. Sirenes will sound around the city and notices will be posted up in the vaporetto landing stages. Duck-boards will be laid out in San Marco, by landing stages and in other thoroughfares to provide means for some mobility. Some vaporetto routes may be alterred (with high waters boats won't be able to navigate under some bridges) but life should be back to "normal" in 3 or 4 hours ... <BR> <BR>If you're interested in short term tide prediction, visit <BR>http://www.comune.venezia.it/maree/prev.asp?F=page_b <BR> <BR>If you're interested in knowing more about the problem (and the proposals to deal with it) you may visit <BR>http://www.salve.it/uk/attivita/CRIS...NUTI/alte.html <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

Thank you to everyone! I was not planning on a little water stopping me, but I will be traveling with people who have never been to Venice, and I wanted to prepare them for the possibility. I think we can deal with that!

Reading Vickie's comments almost makes me wish the streets had been flooded when we were there last November!