Thoughts on Venice?
 

I hear some like it, some love it. Why do you love it/hate it-what are some likes/ dislikes? Is 2 nights enough time or would 3 be better?

Personally speaking, there is nothing I dislike about Venice. It is the most magical city I have been to thus far. The architechture, lack of motor vehicles, the canals, and the people are just a few things that make Venice truly unique.

I spent 4 days there in 2003, and still didn't have enough time to see everything I wanted to. So, I'm now planning to go back for a week.

Most people say that 3 days is ideal for a first trip, and I must say that I agree. After all, not everyone falls in love with Venice as I did.

We love Venice - I have been 3 times. Unlike some cities, you don't just "see the sights", you experience Venice. One of the top two or three travel thrills of my entire life was approaching the entrance to the Grand Canal in a water taxi on a beautiful sunny morning - unforgettable. Venice is beautiful, mysterious, unique and there is something new (or very old) around every corner. It has beautiful architecture, wonderful music (think Vivaldi), great art, incredible churches. It is a delight just to walk around. If you love Venice, and I do, 2 nights is not nearly enough. Three nights would be better but more would be even better.

I loved it in October 2000 but was disappointed in December 2004. The cold and rain dampened my spririts a little and we had high-water issues for a couple of days. I would go back for 3 or 4 days but only in the fall.

I sbsolutely loved Venice, but I think a lot rides on the weather. My friend enjoyed Florence more than Venice, as we had great weather in Florence, but quite a bit of rain in Venice. I have previously experienced lots of cities in less-than-perfect weather, so can overlook almost anything. The weather definitely changes your attitude about a city though. That said, I think Venice is one city that, rain or shine, is trully amazing.

I love Venice! It is so relaxing and beautiful. We just wander and wander for hours on end. Walkers rule here.

The only thing that sometimes gets stressful is finding a place you want to come back to and then not being able to locate it again.

We went for 2 days the first time (not long enough), 4 days the second (much better), and now we are planning for a week's stay. I can't wait!

I love spending our days wandering and then listening to the orchestras at night!

We still haven't made it to nearly a fraction of the museums because we get caught up relaxing.

Bottom line, I think 3 nights would be better than 2. Venice is really special!

Sally

Hi k,

If it weren't for Paris, Venice would be my favorite city.

I can't think of anything I dislike other than the crowds.

((I))

3 nights better than 2. 4 nights better than 3.

I love Venice because it is totally unique. I've been twice, 4 and 5 nights which seemed about right, but I could easily spend a couple weeks there given the chance.

I love Venice. And I hate crowds.

The first time I was there I spent two nights. It wasn't enough time. But if that's all you have, it's still worth it. Venice is always worth it. It really is the most beautiful city I have ever seen.

I just returned from my thirteenth trip to Italy and am one of those that does not care for Venice.

I have visited the city 5 times since 1978, most recently in January of last year during Carnivale and previous to that in 2002 in May. I have stayed in a luxury hotel with a canal view (The Danieli) and other 3 and 4 star hotels and pensions.

To me, Venice feels contrived and artificial. While many Italian cities are crowded in season, in Venice it seems more frustrating, probably becuase to me it is not worth it to fight the crowds.

Many I know find it magical but IMHO and IME it is a very expensive city and there are many other places in Italy that I much prefer spending my time and money.

I think that everyone should visit Venice if they have the opportunity and make their own decision. On my past three visits, I was there with companions that had never visited the city before but wanted to see it. None of them were enamored with Venice and we ended up cutting the visits short and moving on.

For my brother, it is his favorite spot in the world and he can easily spend two weeks there and be in heaven.

To each his own.

Well, yes, Venice is contrived and artificial--it always has been. It was constructed from hundreds of boggy, marshy islands over centuries of enterprise and hard work.

Of course, you can say pretty much the same about all cities--very few grew spontaneously without human intervention.

Ah, RufusTFirefly, you can always be counted on to be arrogant and sarcastic.

it definelty is a magical place ive been there 4 times and would still go back. a must are the islands of burano and murano. from venice you can also make side trips to verona, vicenza and padua

I didn't find Venice to be that expensive. I got a good deal on my hotel, meals are perhaps a little more expensive than Rome but you can get good deals in some areas, and attractions are more or less the same price.

Hi Klio,
We loved Venice. We were there two years ago and are going back in April. Venice is so different from Rome and Florence that it had an exotic quality, and it truly is serene after the wild scooters and other traffic of Rome and Florence. We are big walkers so we loved wandering around. I'm curious to see if we have the same reaction on our second visit.
It's definitely worth seeing once so you can form your own opinion.
Enjoy!

Venice is my favorite city in the world. It is unique, it is beautiful, and it is gloriously rich in art and history. There is no better place on earth to wander around, hopelessly lost but deliriously happy.

Wander long enough, and eventually you'll run into this guy:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...36524122OPbCQh

kfusto--arrogance and sarcasm are two of the best weapons against ignorance and sophomoric utterances.

Re costs in Venice:

The US Dept of State lists the per diem allowances for
Rome $460
Florence $471
Venice $369

((I))

You got that right, kfusto! and btw, I appreciated your viewpoint on Venice. Myself, I've not made up my mind this city, since I don't know it well enough, yet, but will hopefully remedy that situation next month. I don't know as I could ever feel for it the way I do Florence, however.

I spent 2 nights ther in 2002 - not nearly long enough!
We spent 4 nights there in 2004 on our honeymoon - closer to the correct amount.
We still haven't made it to some of the museums we wish to see.

Definitely see the Frari Church and take the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace :-)

I loved mr go's photos of Venice (see address above)! Thank you.

Venice is a "feast for the eyes" and a joy to walk around in. Three days is good for the first trip, and I will bet you will want to return again and again!

I'm another one who didn't find Venice to be all that expensive. It was more expensive than some other Italian cities, but doesn't have to break the bank if you know how to do it affordably.

I can agree that not everyone falls in love with Venice. My husband likes Florence better.

Good morning, have spent 84 days over 22 trips to Venice since 1971 and would not hesitate one mill. to return.
Only age now prevents a positive return.
To this place and its many memories...
This is refreshed by the many web sites
and their web cams, etc...
Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

The narrow 'calle' of Venice could strike one as either charming or claustrophobic. At different times, we had both reactions.

If the budget had allowed it, I would have hired a motorboat and driver with which to explore the lagoon. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but I felt a little hemmed in; I had to keep reminding myself we were on the sea.

Public transit is confined to the vaporettos, which as we expected were fun for short hops and a grind for anything longer.

On the plus side the Frari church was one of the most lovely I've seen, and the view of the city from San Giorgio Maggiore was striking. We also thoroughly enjoyed our traghetto ride, howsoever brief, perhaps because these rides are used as much if not more by Venetians than tourists.

In sum, we liked it, but prefer Rome and Florence. That said, I would definitely advise 3 nights over 2, just to give you a decent amount of time to get even a first impression.

Klio - we had two nights planned in Venice for our 2002 honeymoon, and then a train strike 'stranded' us there another day and a half. Sigh! It was the best place in the world to be stranded. After 3 nights, I still never left the mainland (Never saw the Lida, Murano, Burano, Torcello...), and never hit one Museum. Did hit churches, shops, palaces... its just a city to get lost and wander in.

We're not big shoppers, but found everything so beautiful there, that we spent more time on that than we had expected. We did get a Vaporetto (waterbus) pass the last day, but never made the islands as we kept spotting things on the mainland we still hadn't seen.

Going back for 3 or 4 nights in September... opt for the 3 if you can, its time well spent. And, without the vehicular traffic, it seems more tranquil and less busy than many other parts of Italy.

"The cold and rain dampened my spririts a little and we had high-water issues for a couple of days."

Are you kidding? Aqual alta is the best time to be there. It turn Venice into a real carnival. If it were possible, I'd plan my trip to be there then.

Any time in Venice is time well spent so I would opt for three nights if you have the choice. While Venice may seem crowded during the day, especially if you are in St. Marks, it can be calm and tranquil wandering the same streets at night. There is no other place in the world like Venice and everyone should experience it if given the opportunity. We keep going back and feel almost ashamed of the fact that Venice keeps calling to us when there are so many other places to go. We now have to force ourselves to go other places between Venice trips. Have fun, get away to some of the less traveled areas of Venice and just soak in the sights and the atmosphere.

During my first trip to Venice, I sat for a couple of hours by the window in a tiny bar off Campo San Stefano, while it poured rain outside. All the people working in the shops on the calle would come in, drink a fast glass of wine or espresso, then go back to work. There was a butcher on the calle, and a customer went into the shop, had a word with the butcher, the butcher then shut his door, came into the bar with the customer, they had a drink and a talk, then she left and the butcher went back to work.

I was pretty much a goner from that first day.

Spygirl, when will you be there? I'll be there over Easter week.