I will be going to Venice soon and want to bring home a piece of Murano glass for my parents. I'd like to visit Murano, but have heard that it's a tourist trap. Has anyone been there, and if so, did you pick up a piece there or in Venice? Thanks!

I was in Murano almost 2 weeks ago. I spent a pleasant 2-3 hours there. I watched some glass-making, walked around, and had a very pleasant lunch. I don't think it's a tourist trap, but I'm not sure if it's worth purchasing glass there, either.

I agree with the previous poster. It's nice to spend a few hours there but I don't think you can do a real bargain for your glass purchases.
It's a tourist trap in a way, 'cause you will be invited to watch a demo in the glass factory and the way out is always through the store!

Not a tourist trap. It's just that the price to view glass blowing and the finished works is, as already pointed out, a walk through the store.

And don't let yourself get hooked up with one of those "free boat trip to Murano" tours. They will take you to one place where they push you to buy. You can go on your own on a vaparetto (free if you have a pass), and wander on your own. I liked slipping into the little studios and factories that didn't even have a shop attached and seeing what they were doing.

Oh, and, of course, Murano has a charm all its own separate from the glassblowing and sales.

We did both Murano and Burano (with the vaporetto) on the same day and found Burano with its lively colored houses - and leaning tower - to have much more charm than Murano.

I agree with Myriam completely -- Burano is much more charming and colorful than Murano, and if you have any interest in early church architecture and mosaics, Torcello is fascinating.

Actually, we took the free boat ride and didn't have any problem with any sort of hard sell or pushiness. After going where they took us, we wandered all over Murano on our own.

Face facts: when you are finally standing in San Marco with all those people, not to mention the pigeons, swirling around, you'll probably wonder if the whole CITY is a "tourist trap" but so what? After all, that's why YOU are going, isn't it????..because you've read and heard how wonderful it is?
You can go to Murano, watch the glass being blown, wander all over, and not buy anything...it isn't so much the pressure (which i never experienced) you might find but your own weakness in giving in to it that is the real issue.
If you think you can find it cheaper elsewhere, then buy it. If you don't, then chalk it up to the price of buying what a LOT of people want, and for good reason.

Its true that all of Venice is a tourist attraction, but it is a wonderful place none the less. We found glass available almost everywhere, but in Venice itself the glass was often very expensive (excellent pieces no doubt worth the price) or very touristy, there didn't seem to be much middle ground. With our vaporetto pass, we found our way to Murano and Burano; don't miss either. At Murano, there didn't seem to be many tourists, other than in the workshops, and we were able to browse a wide array of glasswork. We ended up buying two tumblers that we liked from a small shop in Murano, and they are a constant reminder of our trip.

We also preferred Burano to Murano.I recommend lunch at Trattoria da Romano in Burano. However, the glass museum on Murano is worth a stop. We did not buy glass.

Hi
there was a recent thread on this

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34485469

also, if you search here (use the little box above) on Murano, or Glass,
you will find several other previous threads with suggestions