Marty

We had a great trip to Venice and Florence in June; our second and our friends' first. I was a little more aware this time and gleaned some tips that may help someone this ummer.We are budget travelers so my thoughts do reflect that! <BR>l. Hotel al Piave in Venice! I have never seen this one mentioned (except by me since we returned!). I got it from Cheap Sleeps, and we loved it. The location is excellent-between San Marco and Rialto. The family who runs it is very charming and most helpful. The price was right--double with breakfast-$125; family suite that would sleep 4 (very nice with kitchen, sitting room with fold out sofa, bedroom, and large bath with washing machine) with breakfast-$180. It was spotless. The breakfast was worth the extra for the time it saved and the pots and pots of coffee. We just couldn't find a thing wrong here! [email protected] If you decide to stay there, please let me give you directions. Theirs were very casual, and my husband had to put his newly learned Italian to use several times to get us there. <BR>2. The waterbus, ticket stand to the left after leaving customs, is the way to get there! It was about $9 each. It took 45 minutes. <BR>

Marty

3. Murano is fun, but don't take that free ride to Murano offered by someone from the "Chamber of Commerce" of Murano. After the tour, the sales pitch is very heavy duty with your own personal sales person! You still have to pay your way back, so just go ahead and pay both ways and avoid the trap. <BR>4. Always ask to buy a ticket as soon as you get on the waterbus if you board at a station with no ticket sale booth. We knew we were subject to fines without a ticket and still got caught out of ignorance. We left Murano (my husband going to airport to meet friends; me to San Marco) and were told to buy tickets on the waterbus. In each case, a salesman approached each of us after we were seated and sold us a ticket. Later, we found ourselves at Salute needing to cross the canal. There was no ticket booth, so we boarded thinking that we could buy a ticket on board as before when there was not a ticket booth. We sat down, and, instead of someone selling tickets, we were immediately fined--32,000 lire for each of the five of us-a total of $90.. Our mistake was thinking that we would be approached by the ticket salesman as we both had from San Marco; Ask as soon as you board! <BR>4. Get off the beaten path to take a gondola ride. Try to deal for about $12 to $15 per person.We found that at Campo Maria Formosa. <BR>

Marty

5. Some restaurants require that you order two courses. <BR>6. If there are at least FIVE of you traveling together by train, ask for a mini-group rate. We expected to pay $37(based on the train's website) apiece each way to Florence and back using first class, reserved, Eurostar trains. The mini-group rate was $25 per person round trip. What a deal.(It made us feel better about the money wasted on the fine!) We bought the tickets there the day before traveling with no problem, even though we were traveling on Sunday. There was no charge for the reservation. <BR>7. To find your car, look at the little picture of a train car with a number on the door of the car. Do not go by the number at the end of the car inside the train. Both times, people were in our seats, because they were reading the number inside the train rather than outside. <BR>8. The Hotel Aldini in Florence is another that I have not seen here. The room (107) was very large by European standards. The location on the corner of the Duomo Piazza was unbelieveable for the price. The windows were double paned so the noise was no problem at all. The staff was pleasant, but not as charming as Al Piave in Venice. The breakfast was convenient, but not great. The price was right: $130-double with 10% discount for cash; $125-single with 10% for cash. The famous Riblilio bakery was right outside the door and to the right. We could see them open up from our window every morning! The LOCATION of the Aldini was perfect! [email protected]. website: www.pronet.it/hotelaldini <BR>

Marty

9. Vivoli gelati was good, but I have had just as good in many places with much larger servings for the money! The line was very long. <BR>10. Museums in Florence are closed on Mondays! <BR>11. If you want a canal room for less money, try the Locanda Al Leon Bianco in Venice. A double with breakfast served in the room was $125 per night; a triple was $180. There was no air conditioning, but it was very nice, and number 2 was huge for Venice. We stayed there our last night before returning to U.S. email: [email protected] ; website: www.leonbianco.it <BR>12. If you are a big coffee drinker, the hotel breakfast is probably a good bet, because you pay by the cup in other places. It gave us a chance to sit and make plans without having to pay to sit. <BR>13. I used the ATM for the first time (anywhere!), and it could not have been easier. I really did not save any, because the little money I bought before I left was bought at a much cheaper rate than what it had risen to by the time we got there. Still there was very little overall difference, but it was a lot easier than carrying a lot of cash, since one hotel asked for cash payment, and the other gave a 10% discount for cash. <BR>

Paulo

Nice job, Marty <BR> <BR>I just want to throw in a couple of cents regarding water buses in Venice. Among other, the following passes are valid on all urban lines (bus and boat networks), excluding the Alilaguna (aiport), LineaBlu (Casinó in Lido) and Clodia (Chioggia) lines, for a predetermined period from the validation time: <BR>24 hour ticket Lit 18,000 <BR>24 hour family 3 (for groups of 3 people) Lit 45,000 <BR>24 hour family 4 (for groups of 4 people) Lit 60,000 <BR>24 hour family 5 (for groups of 5 people) Lit 75,000 <BR>3 day ticket Lit 35,000 <BR> <BR>The single trip ticket costs Lit 6,000. <BR> <BR>If one intends to do at least 3 trips in a day or 6 trips in 3 days, the advantage of the pass is threefold: a) it's cheaper; b) one doesn't have to buy tickets everytime out; and c) one doesn't risk geting fined Even if one intends to do less trips than specified above, because of b) and c) above, IMO it pays to get a pass. <BR> <BR>Though I've been to Venice many times as a family, I don't like the 24-hour family pass. This is good only if all travel together and quite often my daughters want to take their own way. Also, if one's staying 3 days, individual 3-day passes turn out cheaper and one doens't have to go about buying a family pass each day out. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Lisa B

This is good info. let's take back to the top

Meg

Regarding Italian meals/dinners. We had an interesting experience at a lovely restaurant in Florence. Sitting next to us were two tourists from the US. The place was packed and there was a line out the door. This gentleman very calmly ordered an appetizer for he and his wife, then coffee and dessert explaining to the waiter that they had had a very late lunch. In the U.S. I wouldn't think twice about it, but that's not the way they do it in Italy in a nice restaurant. This Italian waiter was furious and just able to keep his temper in control. I'm surprised he didn't chase this couple out the door.

Granny

Marty, <BR>We have booked 2 rooms at Hotel al Piave for October 2001. I would appreciated if you could send me directions to the Hotel al Piave from the trian station. <BR>Thanks