mike

I spoke to a friend last night who had just retourned from a holiday in Venice and the tour rep had warned them not to walk down dark alleys and not to stray off the beaten track in case they were mugged.From my reading of this forum ,I understood Venice was safe and one of the attractions was wandering away from the crowds off the beaten track.I will be in Venice in august and I guess it will be difficult enough avoiding crowds without worrying where to go. <BR>Does anyone have any input as to the safety situation in Venice or are there areas to avoid?Mike.

Gina

"Off the beaten path" is, indeed, the most wonderful part of Venice, and I can't imagine that anyone wandering into the hidden neighborhoods and alleyways will have any trouble as long as they take the reasonable precautions travelers should take anywhere. I.E., keep your belongings secure, don't flash a lot of money, etc. <BR> <BR>We saw quite a few signs warning of pickpockets while in Venice, but never had any trouble with that ourselves. Nonetheless, the city probably does have more than its share of pickpockets, but those would thrive just as much (if not more) in the busy touristed areas as in the less-traveled neighborhoods. <BR> <BR>Safety is always important, but I think your friend's tour rep's warning was off base. Call me cynical, but perhaps he had a profit motive (i.e. store kickbacks) in keeping your friends to the tourist areas?

deb

We just got back from venice, we did <BR>have any problems with pickpockets etc., <BR>just enjoy your trip whether in crowded <BR>or less crowded areas.

deb

sorry for the error in previous post <BR>should read "did NOT have any problems"

ricahrd j vicek

Good afternoon, Mike <BR>Have to agree with all the wisdom that <BR>Gina has within her e mail. Personally <BR>if I were to list the SAFEST cities <BR>in EUR, Venice would top the list under <BR># 2 Wien...Travel anywhere requires <BR>that one is aware of what is going on <BR>around him, there removing any suprises. <BR>Have spent over two months in Venice <BR>over the last 30 years, I think it is <BR>getting a bum rap. Richard of La Grange Park, IL..