Prices in Venice
 

To all of you planning on Venice: <BR>We just came back from three weeks in Europe. England, Scotland, Italy and France. (Yes, it was too much, too fast!) We had a great time and I recomend Scotland to anyone even half interested, it was beautiful. <BR>Then we hit Venice. I travel a lot. I own a hotel in Mexico. I know what things cost. But never, have I seen anything close to Venice for a rip off. Yes, it is beautiful. Yes, it is unique. But it is so crowded you cannot walk comfortably and everywhere you turn, someone is charging you for something. Four pesto pastas and four cokes = $175 dlls and the pasta was overcooked. Our hotel was $400 dlls a night. No view. Water is $5 dlls a bottle. If you order a glass of wine, be prepared for it to be watered down. Want to go on a gondola ride at night? $100 dlls. Want to listen to the music at San Marcos square? Be prepared to pay for it. They charge the cappuchino and a "music fee". By the way, it's the only thing I really enjoyed. We stayed only two nights (cut it short) and both nights we sat at a table listening to great music, nursing coffee and grand marnier. <BR>I'm not saying don't go. But I wish I had read somewhere on this forum about the prices. I would have gone with the knowledge that I was going to spend three times as much as I thought. I would have been prepared. I would not have left with such a distaste for the place. <BR>There are many beautiful places in the world. To me, Venice is no longer one of them. <BR>Margot

Sorry you did not enjoy Venice. What a shame, we absolutely LOVED it! However we went in March and it was not very crowded at all. Yes it was expensive (not our hotel BTW), but we thought it was well worth it. I think it depends a great deal on when you make your trip.

I guess how much Venice costs you depends on where you eat and where you stay. We stayed at a lovely, inexpensive pension in the Campo San Geremia called the Casa Gerotto, which cost 110,000 Lit per night for an airy room overlooking the Campo. Luxurious? Absolutely not. A bargain? Oh yes. And there were a number of other options that we could have taken a little further up the price scale, but nowhere near the $400 per night range. <BR> <BR>I used Frommer's Pocket Venice and Sandra Gustafson's Cheap Eats in Italy to pick our restaurants, and we never paid anything remotely like $40+ per person for a meal. We did get ripped off once, at a bad touristy place in the Lista di Spagna, but we were in a rush to eat before making our night train and probably should have known better. (Our first clue should have been the fact that everyone in the place was speaking English. Never a good sign of either quality food or bargain prices in a restaurant in Venice.) <BR> <BR>None of which is to say that prices aren't elevated in Venice. Oh yeah, they are. It just takes a little more work to find the bargains, but they're there. <BR> <BR>August, I've heard, is probably the worst time of year to visit Venice (either that or July).

I've been to Venice twice and haven't had the problems with prices. We knew in advance the legendary high prices and tried to be educated about ways to save money and still feel as though we were indulging. For example, instead of water taxis we took vaporetto for $5.00 2-day passes, bargained on the gondola ride at an off-peak time ($30.00/2 people/30 minutes) and ate at "local" restaurants with delicious food. Our hotel was centrally located and two stars for $40.00/2 people. We paid cash to save about 15% off the tab. To listen to the music in St. Mark's Square, we bought wine and sat on the steps for about $5.00 for the bottle. We didn't deprive ourselves at all and had a fabulous time both visits. But, we also went once in March (75 degrees and sunny, no crowds) and once in the beginning of May.

I spent a week in Venice last New Years and didn't have any of those experiences - Venice isn't bargain travel by any means, but our hotel was $150/night for 2 (a very nice hotel), we ate for about $25 per person most dinners, never paid $5 for water, had wonderful coffee, wine, pastries, fruit, bread, bought food for picnics many times and had wonderful help and service from people in bakeries, delis etc. Margot's experience was very unfortunate, but certainly not representative of what my trip was like. We had so much fun, the next trip is already scheduled!

We've been to Venice three times and will go again in four weeks. We always stay at the Kette - about $215 per night - not a discount hotel, but not $400 either. The Kette is a lovely hotel with charming rooms and huge marble bathrooms. Breakfast is included and it is substantial, so you can have a light lunch or snack if you want to and skip a big sit-down lunch. Our dinners (for two) have mostly been in the $60 to $80 range, but have included an appetizer (sometimes shared), a bottle of wine, and a dessert. Our biggest splurge has been about $130 for dinners at Da Fiore - well worth it. We don't eat near San Marco or other heavily touristed areas, but try to wander into the neighborhoods. We buy our water at small grocery stores for about $1.50. Items to take home (masks, handmade paper, glass, etc) can be extremely pricey around San Marco, but again, off the beaten path there are many bargains to be found. <BR> <BR>I'm so sorry Margot had a bad experience. Venice is one of my favorite places - I guess I just want everyone to love it as much as I do :-)

Margot, I'd be specially interested in knowing where you managed to pay that much for pasta & cokes ... <BR> <BR>Specially in summer, there are indeed a large number of merchants in Venice that permit themselves just about everything to make some "undeserved" money on the back of the "innocent" tourist. In part, tourists are at fault. There are just too many that simply "swallow" just about any rip off ... as if the Serenissima, ultimate dream of many, would justify it as a common practice. <BR> <BR>If every visitor would practice the competition game fully, the picture would undoubtely be different. <BR> <BR>With hotels the game is normally fair. Not much one can do about; is a pure nmatter of offer and demand. Prices are very high, but one should know in advance exactly how much one will be paying. <BR> <BR>Restaurants are obligated to show their menus with prices and there shouldn't be any hidden "extras". Compare the menus and don't hesitate to discuss prices in stores. Just back off if you smell a rip-off. If a restaurant serves you an order that isn't ok, just turn it down at the spot. Ask the waiter to get one right or modify your order. <BR> <BR>The Venice department of Tourism created a free phone service for all those who think they have been taken a ride. One has to identify oneselve and file the complaint. Operators speak several languages and there's a guarantee that an immediate intervention will take place. If you feel being ripped off, ask the merchant/waiter/etc for a telephone and the Tourist Complaint number (800 355920) which he's obligated to inform (then tell me waht the net effect was :-) <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

I don't mean to sound rude, but anyone who says they "travel a lot" and "own a hotel" has only themselves to blame for having the experiences that the original poster described!

If I had the experience Margot described, I would be very turned off on Venice too. So, Margot, thanks for your good faith in trying to forewarned future Venice first timers. <BR> <BR>Some posters are trying to emphasize that there isn't the need to pay none of what Margot did to have a decent experience with food, lodging and entertainment in Venice. Yet, only Gina & Paulo truly contributed some useful piece of advise as to WHERE/WHO/HOW. High prices in Venice are a reality and in August, some may be unavoidable. I was billed $12.00 for scrambled eggs in Venice in a local place (early May). It is possible that rip-off may be rampant in Venice. <BR> <BR>Margot, thanks for the warning.

Cokes and scrambled eggs will be expensive in most European countries, and certainly throughout Italy - though probably even more so in Venice, which is notoriously expensive. One can reduce the cost of things by eating/drinking as the locals do, and seeking out places to shop/eat/stay that are not right in the center of the tourist area. Besides, why would you go all the way to Italy and then insist upon American food? <BR> <BR>Think about it - in the States, are things not far more expensive in Fisherman's Wharf, Times Square, the Latin Quarter, etc. than in other parts of San Francisco/New York/New Orleans? Tourists who never venture beyond these areas get "ripped off" too. Another reason it's important to do your homework before you embark on your next trip.

Before we give Venice too bad of a reputation, let's remember that the thing that makes it beautiful is also the thing that makes it expensive: canals. When you watch everything from vegetables to sofas to toilet paper being delivered by narrow boats in narrow canals, you can appreciate the premium that you must pay for ordinary items. A truck cannot pull up to the corner grocery to off-load a shipment of bottled water. They must fight tides and the wakes of other passing boats. At times, they must cease operation and move to let another boat pass, then pull back up and resume. <BR> <BR>That said, I still think the prices paid by Margot were very high. Those prices do exist in Venice, but so do the reasonable prices mentioned by other posters. <BR> <BR>Ask and compare before you buy. Read the menu before you go in. No one has to pay $43 a head for coke and pasta. A great meal can be had for far less.

To Localstyle---- why should scrambled eggs be $12.00?....because they are "American food"? Hilarious, this one I never heard!! An imported U.S. product, I can see, EGGS???, hellooooo..... Also, where in the message you get the idea, this was "insist upon"? Too funny...

I would have phrased it differently, but I agree with the points Localstyle raised. Margot, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Venice, but I'm not sure what you expected. Music charge at Florian's or Quadri in San Marco is well-known. Yes, it makes having a cocktail or cup of tea expensive, but "you gets what you pays for" and for me the hour I spent there sipping my tea was one I will never forget. I would not have expected that prime location to be cheap. <BR>Venice being horribly crowded in the summer is something I read and hear about all the time. Cokes being ridiculously expensive is something I've seen in every major European city; ditto other American foods like scrambled eggs for breakfast. In that case the cafe or hotel owners, whose business is tourism, are trying to maximize what the traffic will bear, which is a two-way transaction with no guns to anyone's head. <BR>Expensive food, restaurants, drinks and hotels have complex factors: some of it is ripping off, some of it is seasonal, some of it is tied to complex issues of the local economy, and some of it is just unfortunate choices <BR>and/or bad luck. <BR>How to avoid prices that are too high in any location? Again, that can only be done to a certain extent, within the local economies. Rip-offs aside, the average hotel room, Coke, or plate of eggs will always be much more expensive in London, New York or Venice then it will be in Omaha or Scarborough. Bargains in the former will be fewer and farther between than they will be in the latter. I guess the trick is to do the homework,not just in guidebooks that often tend to all always mention the same hotels and restaurants, but in getting recommendations from the locals, from your hotel porter or maid, from repeat visitors, and by walking into neighborhoods away from the tourist areas. I know that works in New York where I am a local, as well as in other places. Many of the places to eat that are mentioned in New York City guidebooks are places that locals don't eat in very often, if at all; either because of the high prices, or the low quality. In New York, depending on where I go, I can have eggs for $2.95 or $15. <BR>Paulo once shared a list of relatively inexpensive Venetian restaurants that he frequented when he was a hungry student. <BR>perhaps it can be Searched for here. <BR>I also incorporated it into my Venice notes (with all due credit); if someone wants it, they can email me. <BR>Margot, I hope some day, off season, you give Venice another try. Or that you find some other wonderful place that you can recommend we discover.

Okay, Maira, you want us to provide more helpful info. Here goes: <BR>1. I didn't pay anywhere near $400 a night for a hotel. I shopped around and paid far, far less. <BR>2. I didn't pay $175 for 4 pesto pastas and 4 cokes simply by looking at the menus before going into the restaurant. <BR>3. We ate lunches in snack bars and gaseterias with the locals and never spent more than $5-6 apiece for lunch. <BR>$. $100 for a gondola ride? I would just say no. We fell in love with Venice even without the gondola ride. (But I know we'll be going back, so maybe I'll do that the next time.) Sure, Venice was a little more expensive than Rome or Florence. Still, I didn't feel ripped off at all in Venice. <BR>I repeat my earlier comment, anyone who says that she "travels a lot" and "owns a hotel" has only herself to blame. <BR> <BR>

Is this a troll of some sort? Seriously, I read through Margot's post a couple of times because it seemed off. I realized 1) why was she surprised at the cost of the hotel? When she booked the hotel, didn't she ask the price? Do ANY research at all in hotel prices?? (aren't there four grillion guidebooks on Venice, let alone websites?) Did she just show up in Venice at the height of tourist season, expecting to find any hotel room she wanted? Again, didn't she read ANY guidebooks or check any websites to know how busy Venice is?? 2) Venice was crowded; wow, there's an effin' news flash. You been livin' in a mushroom cave?? Mexico isn't some podunk country without communication. <BR>3) What nimrod pays $43 for a plate of pasta and a Coke? Didn't she look at the menu? Again, didn't she do ANY research to find out what food costs in Venice? Wouldn't she have know ahead of time that $43 for pasta was out of whack?? <BR>4) Every guidebook I've seen says, in essence, "be prepared to pay through the nose for a gondola ride". So it came as a big surprise? Didn't she ask the price of the gondolier? Duh. <BR>5) So she paid a "music fee"? What, she thinks the musicians work for free? Gee, doll, just say 'no' and find an alternative. Heather did. <BR> <BR>All in all, either Margot is the dumbest person I've ever seen (hey, I've got some great beachfront property in Arizona for sale. Interested?) or this is one of the better trolls.

<BR>Thank you Elvira for finally calling this as it truly is - a TROLL! <BR> <BR>Someone savvy enough to own a hotel and travel frequently would surely know the ropes enough to make a few inquiries prior to arrival. <BR> <BR>A clever troll, though. Just real enough to raise a question mark. <BR> <BR>I say these kids have done well over the summer. We'll miss them come September, but have to admit these learned from us. These are getting very realistic.

I think it is possible to be "ripped off" in Venice. On the other hand, one can prepare oneself to cope with an expensive city like Venice by deciding on what your money is best spent. <BR> <BR>Our June trip (the high season to be sure) was our first to Europe but we sought the advice of friends many times before our departure, and looked for clues when we arrived. <BR> <BR>We booked at the Hotel Bisanzio which is only about 200 meters and a couple of bridges from the Piazza San Marco. While the cost was $200 a night, that's about what you'd payment for a good (but not luxurious) hotel in a good mid-town location in New York, and we budgeted that amount for what we knew would be the most expensive lodging on our holiday. The hotel was quite modern on the interior (we couldn't get into the recommended Hotel Flora) and had the not really dubious benefit of being a "Best Western" or "Westin" (I can't remember). Any connection with the American chain was not obvious, except that we experienced the convenience of being able to book on an 800 number in the US. The hotel was recommended in Gustafson's _Cheap Sleeps in Italy_ (a dandy reference, well worth its $15 price). <BR> <BR>We practiced the eating part by going first to Firenze and then to Verona. In both these places, even at fairly touristy restaurants, we were able to find entree size salads and pizzas for about $12 for each of us plus about $4 to $5 for a generous size beer (oddly, most of the beers were German). <BR> <BR>We were able to easily find about the same prices for the same food in Venice and only broke that eating pattern once to experience the spaghetti with cuttlefish sauce. The only difference we noticed was that the food was perhaps marginally less good and marginally less well served at those same prices (the latter probably due to the crush of tourists--no getting around that phenomenon). <BR> <BR>We never paid more than $1.50 for a half liter of "frizzante" mineral water, even in Piazza San Marcos, and usually more like $1 or $1.25. <BR> <BR>Once you've paid the airfare, the marginal difference in cost between Venice and other-city prices is noticeable but not dramatic. <BR> <BR>We had a great time in Venice and especially enjoyed the vaporettos. The #1 boat gives you a splended tour for about $3 because it makes many stops on a lengthy route around the canals. <BR> <BR>Venice was our favorite Italian town and we'd even fight with the tourists to go again. It's that pesky airfare that gets you down.

Maybe you think Venice was expensive compared to prices in Mexico, but I just came back from 2 weeks in Italy and 3 days in Venice and thought it was an incredible value. I did not pay $5 for bottled water, and we drank a lot of it while we were there. If you insist on sitting in San Marco to listen to the music, then you must pay the price. You could just as easily stand there and take in the beauty of the moment for nothing. If you say you travel a lot, how could you have been so surprised by what you paid regardless of how much it was? As for the crowds, it's summer; it's vacation time!!!! Maybe you don't travel as much as you think you do!

I would have to agree with Elvira. As a matter of fact, I was going to suggest the troll possibility myself today when I saw her post. <BR> <BR>First of all, we haven't heard back from the lovely Margot Sims de Gonzalez since "her" original troll. What kind of name is that, anyway? <BR> <BR>Secondly, check out her e-mail address. Has anyone tried to send her a message? I would wager it will come back as undeliverable. That doesn't even look like a real e-mail address. <BR> <BR>And finally, besides all of the obvious observations that Elvira made, how the hell could anyone go to Venice and have such a completely negative experience?? <BR> <BR>Bottom line, some of us were taken in, hook, line and sinker. It was nice to see even under the extreme heat of her post, all the people flying to the defense of La Serenissima. And hey, if it was real and she never goes back... One less ugly tourist to crowd "our" little city! <BR>Ciao, <BR>luigi

What does a TROLL mean?

It is from a fishing term when you drop your line in the water and sort of drag it along to see if anything bites. Same idea here. People throw out an idea, usually controversial or otherwise inflammatory and see who bites. As you can see from above replies, some people get really irate, some people try to be helpful. And the original troller sits back and has a laugh when they see how many "fish" they caught.

Troll or not, the information you all have shared is valuable. I'm leaving for Italy in four days (my first time) and I'm glad I was able to find some good advice on what to do (and not to do). Thanks!!!

<BR>Wow. <BR>First allow me to apologize to all of you who called me a troll. I never intended to "sit back and laugh" as someone mentioned.(Luigi...ever been to Mexico? Sims de Gonzalez is a married woman's name. They use both over here. Am I going to call you ignorant for making fun of something you have no knowledge about? After your post, I'd really like to, but I'll behave. oh, and uh, gee. that email address is real, if it "sounds" wrong to you or not.) <BR>Second, I really was trying to explain to any newbees going over to Venice that they will spend more money then they think. Obviously, I did a bad job. <BR>Third, of course I booked my hotel months in advance. I wanted a nice hotel. I wasn't worried about the price. But I was expecting what any $400 dll a night hotel would offer. I'm not going to bad mouth a hotel that I found on this forum, but it was not worth what I paid. <BR>Fourth, I'm a newbee on this forum. I thought we were supposed to share our thoughts. I never expected to be as insulted as I was by certain individuals who tore me apart, who know nothing what so ever about me but thought it was quite acceptable to write such words as "nimrod, dumb, ugly tourist, and troll". <BR>To close, some people in this world live in areas where there are no libraries, no bookstores, no way to get guidebooks by the zillions. I'm one of them. I count on this forum and other links for my info. If someone had mentioned that Venice was going to be twice as much as other major European cities, I would have been prepared. (By the way, Paulo, thank you. You gave me wonderful advice.) <BR>I loved Rome. I adored Edinburgh. England was great. But I didn't care for Venice. Does that give people the right to bad mouth me? To insult me? And if so, could someone explain to this dumb person why? <BR>For those of you who insulted me to the point of wanting to sell me beachfront property in Arizona....try thinking before you make such inflammatory remarks. All of your negative vibes helps no one, and it doesn't feel too good either. <BR>Margot

Margot - <BR> <BR>No access to libraries or bookstores? You have internet access!!! You can get TONS of travel info on the net. Also, ever hear of Amazon.com if you need books? Why don't you be honest - your bad experience with prices was due to your own incompetence. <BR> <BR>No sympathy for you.

Geez! Leave her alone already! It's unfortunate that so many people slammed this woman. Hey, try this, if you don't believe a post, just ignore it. Ok? Then you won't insult anyone and long, stupid posts like this won't exist. Please keep in mind that there will be posters who don't speak English as their 1st language, are new to the forum and/or won't use the terminology and format that is fairly standard.

Margot-I sympathise,having recently obtained many details from this Forum about my recent first time trip to Venice,I would agree with you that Venice whilst being wonderfull and unique is extortionally expensive in places and if you do not have the luxury of time to look for bargains you will pay excessively for basics such as meals and water.The best value must be the one day tourist pass on the waterbus-15000 lira for a whole day on the boats which give the best insight for someone new to the city.Expensive hotels are also a waste of money as you should be out all day savouring Venice.The fact remains however that the St Marks area is the main attraction and is as expensive an area as any in europe.I thought the abuse was unfortunate and unneccesary.The city is unique and must be seen to be believed,unfortunately so are the prices. <BR>Mike.

Concerning gondolas & their high prices, the cheapest gondola ride in town is to be found by taking a traghetto across the Grand Canal. These are gondolas which cross at 6 points along the canal. It costs a mere 700 lire (35 cents) to ride across! The Venetians prefer to cross standing up, but I was more comfortable sitting down. It's a short trip, to be sure, but what a view!!! Well worth pocket change, to be sure!

If you read this forum frequently, you will realize that most of the people are, what is called in the trade, budget travellers. They are about two steps up from back-packers.Of course they find bargains in Venice. They can't even conceive of people who don't travel the way they do or, who would not consider staying in the places they stay. Of course, they all love Venice. They've been brainwashed by the thousands of years that everyone has been told that Venice is the most unique place in the world. Do you ever hear any of them notice how filthy Venice is? How overcrowded and over-priced? I am a sophisticated traveller, old enough to have seen much of the world and if I never return to Venice it will be soon enough for me!

Sandraa (is your really spelled that way?), you're posting cannot go unanswered. <BR>1. This many come as a shock to you, but you're not the only person on this forum who is not ("as they say in trade") a budget traveller. One of the good things about this website is that it attracts a broad spectrum of travellers. <BR>2. My wife and I love Venice not because we've been brainwashed. Or are the "budget travellers" the only ones who get brainwashed? Surely, you jest. 2. I feel sorry for you if all you saw in Venice were brainwashed people, overcrowded conditions, filth and high prices. Lady, you missed a lot! <BR>3. Your alleged sophistication doesn't impress us.

I haven't been to Venice yet. My trip is not until next June, so I may change my plans somewhat, but what I am now considering is a weekly rental in Venice. I'm considering House Deal Consulting, Parker Villas, a private British party, and New Italtourist. From what I can tell from catalog and internet photos and descriptions, we can house our six comfortably for approx. 1000.00-$1400.00 a week. You do the math. You can also check the web sites out yourself. Air conditioning in some, 600-1000 sq feet, kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. So far I have only found a couple that requires less than a seven day stay. One is Venice Rentals, who charge about $250.00 a night, more than I want to pay. Anyone on a budget who is willing to give the city seven nights might consider this. We plan on eating perhaps half of our meals in the apartment, with mostly snacks, pasteries and gelato out, and certainly Paulo's wine crawl is also on the agenda. <BR> <BR>BTW, I don't think anybody here, myself included, is a budget traveller. My brother-in-law, recently retired, took a "Lonely Planet" Asia trip of five months this year, on which he claims never to have spent more than $4.00 a night for "lodging", er, make that, laying yer' head down!

I hope you all show more sensitivity and courtesy in the countries you visit than you do in this travel forum. Can't we be a little more compassionate and forgiving of each other? Isn't that what we expect of a traveller?

Margot offers her 'opinions' that Venice is a 'rip off' and 'if you order a glass of wine, be prepared for it to be watered down'. Hmmm, yet she's offended when she's lambasted for her obvious troll. <BR> <BR>When no one jumps to her defense, suddenly Margot is back defending her untenable position. Puh-leez nailed her again. Then 'anon' shows up with the 'leave her alone' - didn't see him questioning Margot's original post, or agreeing with her. I guess it's okay to insult Venetians, but not call Mexicans on it. This time, "Sondraa" shows up, and it's an attack on the people who post here; her implication is that budget travellers are somehow unsophisticated, yet Margot is the one complaining she was shocked by the prices. If you can't defend the indefensible, go on the attack. <BR> <BR>Sorry, girls, a troll is a troll is a troll.

O.K. "UGHIHATETROLLS" tell us how much travelling you've done. How many times have you visited Venice? Where do you stay? Have you ever had coffee at Florians and been charged more for the "music charge" than the coffee? Do you find the endless graffiti on every reachable surface romantic? Or are you the troll in the true fairy-tale sense of the word?

.

This is to the person who signs as Puh leeze.... <BR>I just typed up a very insulting email for you then caught myself in time. The rudeness found here is contagious. Anyway, my new answer to you is this. <BR>Amazon.com is an American company. They do not send books to Mexico. <BR>You may want to check your facts before insulting someone. <BR>To ughihate.... <BR>A venetian told me about the wine. Would you like his address so that you may blast him out of the water also? <BR>Margot

Margot - <BR> <BR>You are correct that Amazon is an American Company, however, you are mistaken in your perception that they do not ship outside the U.S. From their website: "We are currently able to ship books, CDs, DVDs, VHS cassettes, music cassettes, and vinyl records to international addresses. " There are also many competitors which ship to addresses world-wide. It does seem inexcuseable not to get accurate information via web, books, or this forum, prior to taking a trip, and then complain about it afterwards.

You know I think this is all part of a giant conspiracy!!!Al la X Files. There are a couple of people who have infiltrated this message board (Sondraa and Margot Sims come to mind) who's sole purpose is to STOP other people from going to THEIR favorite destinations... Think about it, All us world travelers traumatized by the thought of budget tourists crawling all over Rome, spoiling our photos and cheapening the destination. Now here is all this terrible, shocking news about million dollar pastas in Venice.... lets all just stay home,Europe has become a horrible, overpriced, budget traveler nightmare, then Margot and Sandraa can have Europe all to themselves.........

You're right. This is new. Although waiting 12 weeks and paying customs (which is more than the book, speaking from experience when a friend sent me a book) is something to think about twice. But it's nice to know it's now available. <BR>Um, before my post, I hadn't seen anything on prices in Venice, and I am standing by my statement that it was the most expensive city I visited over there. It's the truth. If people think that is insulting, than so be it. <BR>In my two meager books, this forum and info I got from other sources, no one mentioned prices. I just thought I would let people know what I experienced. So that they would be prepared. Is this not what I was being accused of doing? Of being stupidly unprepared? <BR>Enough. I am tired of defending myself. <BR>Margot

Margot--how did your complaints actually help anyone plan a more affordable trip to Venice? For example, if we were to go by your posts, we would assume that hotels in Venice are $400 a night and not very pleasant--but you didn't even bother to tell us which hotel you had this unpleasant experience in. <BR> <BR>As for your claim that no one ever mentions the high prices of Venice and how to avoid them--um, that's just utterly false. I've seen a number of posts on this forum, for example, on which are the most affordable hotels in Venice, including detailed comparisons of charming small hotels like the Accademia and Locanda Sturion. These are places people love, and that don't cost anywhere near $400 a night. If you'd scoured the forum as you claim, surely you would have found these posts and known that you did *not* have to pay $400 a night for accommodations? I myself have posted more than once about Casa Gerotto, the place we stayed in Campo San Geremia, which cost us less than $60 per person per night <BR> <BR>And surely you would have seen such helpful posts as Paolo's, with frequent details on good and affordable restaurants in Venice? I *know* there have been posts on using the traghetto instead of gondolas if you want to save a high-priced gondola fee. All of these are available with simple searching. <BR> <BR>Sorry, Margot, you seem to want it both ways. You're not willing to invest much time (much less money on a book) investigating the city you'll be traveling in on the front end, and then you want to be able to complain afterward that no one told you how expensive it would be, and that you couldn't avoid the high prices in Venice. I don't have a lot of sympathy for you, and I hope your negative posts won't discourage people from visiting this utterly unique and wonderful city, which *can* be seen on a budget.

Margot, <BR> <BR>Let me apologize on behalf of the silent majority who think you have a right to your opinion. You are new here so you don't understand that this is a tight-knit clique. Either you are a part of the club, or you are not. You can say whatever you want on the web, very liberating. You said you didn't like Venice. (I love it and think it can be affordable). There is no excuse for the piling on that took place here. <BR>Alright, take your swings at me, folks. I've been around for a year or so and can spot the sincere posters from the phonies. I can take it.