DinPa

Is getting the Venice card worth the price if I only want to go in a few churches?

Neopolitan

I have yet to hear anyone give any good reason for buying the Venice Card unless you were trying to do every museum in Venice.

What churches charge, by the way?

massagediva

http://www.chorusvenezia.org/english/museo/index.htm

Holly_uncasdewar

The two prettiest churches (aside from San Marco, of course) aren't even on the card - they're free! And those are: Salute and the one next to the train station. Although last spring there was a woman charging admission to the Salute, but I doubt she was official. Regular entrance fees for the churches on the card charged 2.50 E. each without card.

Graziella5b

I think that 99 % of churches are free.
I can only recall paying for some reason aat the Catedral de Sevilla but also I got there free to hear mass.

massagediva

Actually,fifteen churches participate in the "Chorus Pass" program.I have noted the link above.

DinPa

Massagediva:

I knew there were 15 churches on the Venice card, that is why I asked how much they charge individually. Seems like some are free and some aren't. I don't think I will be buying the card. Thanks to all who replied.

kappa

> I think that 99 % of churches are free.

There may be slightly more churches that demand admission fee than that today. And with main ones, perhaps even closer to half of them. e.g. Sants Givanni e Paolo used to be free till about 3/4 years ago. Now you have to pay 2€. You pay the same at Santa Maria Miracoli. Santa Maria dei Frari too as far as I remember. These "main" churches participate to Chorus Card mentioned above. Most non "main" churches seem free. Try if you can, visit San Nicolo dei Mendicoli. A smaller church restored a fwew years ago. Many local families go there for service so be discreet but it really is a gem. Opening hour seems tricky though. Amazing frescos and decors. I liked San Nicolo da Tolentino too. Those non major churches are mostly free (when it's open).

* Sants Givanni e Paolo is not lised on the choruscard site.

kappa

Sants GiOvanni ....

kappa

... And perhaps a sigle entrance, when a church is not fee entrance, is more like €2.50 than 2.00.

missypie

Yes, la Salute is where I fell for the old lady's "admission charge"...She was standing at the door, insisting on money. A few minutes later, one couple didn't pay, and she followed them for a while into the church, scolding them loudly, then gave up. By the time we left the church, she was gone. My kids made me put it in my trip report - yes, well informed missypie was tricked out of 5 euro by on old lady.

kappa

Inside San Nicolo dei Mendicoli :

http://tinyurl.com/e9oxo
(side)

http://tinyurl.com/zyo8k
(ceiling)

nytraveler

Well the churches may be free - but if there is no entrance fee you should be making a contribution - either to the church's poor box or to whatever fund they have at the moment (the box wil be mrked roof repair or something of that nature.)

Just because a church is officially free doesn;t mean you can be a skinflint and not give anything. After all - you are enjoying the history, art and beauty of the place.

DinPa

As I have always done in any church I enter, whether there is a fee to get in or not.
Chill out NYTRAVELER! I really resent being called a skinflint by a person who has no clue about me. You come across way too strong.

missypie

On the subject of money and churches, be sure to save your change and take some with you when you visit churches. Some of the slots that you put change into in order to press the button to light up the art will take any coin, but a few only take a specific coin. (In Rome, a bunch of us had to wait around in hopes that someone had a .50 euro coin to light up "Moses." I'd have gladly given a whole euro, but that is not what the machine took.)

LoveItaly

I was surprised to see some churches that now have electric lights (if you want to light a candle for a pray) rather than lighting a candle with a match. The church right near the Santa Lucia Train Station in Venice had the electric candles but I don't remember what coin was needed.

kappa

> In Rome, ... .50 euro coin to light up "Moses."

Sants Givanni e Paolo in Venice has a few places where you can light up. All are €0.50. Also a few other churches in Venice I have visited have such for teh same amount so €0.50 seems pretty unversal.

nytraveler

DinPa -

Don;t be so sensitive - I wasn;t accusing you of anything.

But everybody was talking about "free; churches and a lot of the people that read these posts are inexperienced travelers and might not know this. (The things that some people don;t seem to know are truly shattering - this would be one of the smaller ones.)

traveler100

Don't bother with the card, I bought it on our first trip, there is so much to see/do, you will never get the full value out of it. Big money waster for us.