Venice
 

We are taking our three kids to Venice for New Years Ages 5-13. Any suggestions for sight seeing and food? <BR><BR>

Lucky kids!<BR><BR>Here's my advice: Get a good guide book, one that has a good handy map of the city. Then just set out in any direction every day and explore and discover. Ride the vaporettos all over! Get lost! <BR><BR>Venice is pure magic, but you have to get away from the "touristy" parts to discover the magic. My jusband and I soent a week there in march a coule of years ago, and we still haven't seen it all. <BR><BR>Don't waste your time going on a "free" trip to Murano. You will get stuck in a glass factory with high-pressure salesman trying to sell you glass. instead, wander the back streets of Venice looking for the shops where they make t he masks for Carnivale. Fascinating! Take the vaporetto to isola San Giorgio and ride the elevator up to the bell tower. The view is amazing, and you won't have to stand in line like they do in Piazza San Marco.<BR><BR>Enjoy Venice! <BR><BR>

How many days do you have? Assuming it's more than four (you don't say for sure if you are from Europe or from another continent), I would suggest letting the family see some other nearby places in Veneto or Alto Adige.<BR><BR>As for eating in Venice, I can report good experiences at Ai Falciami Birreria. All the more amazing that it rates favorably is how centrally it's located - - less than 200 yards from the "front door" of Basilica San Marco (the one furthest from the water's edge). Usually places at "tourist central one" offer poor food, bad prices or service. We thought it rated well on all three accounts in 1998 and 1999 as well.<BR><BR>Also liked Al Peoceto Risorto and anticomartini.com<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Your children will be pleased to know that a favorite eating spot for all of the kids who are brought to Venice on school trips is MacDonalds.

Athena's advice is great. Last year I was in Italy with my 3 nieces, 8-14 and Venice and Sirmione were their favorite places. Don't worry much about food. They liked grabbing walkaway pizza and mostly just wondered when their next gelato stop would be. The loved shopping and did enjoy taking the valparetto over to Murano, where the glass shops offered cheap goodies of many varieties. (Incidently, I enjoyed Murano as well)

Don't forget to go to the top of the Campinile. Our kids liked that, plus the vaparetto, gondola ride, feeding pidgeons in Piazza San Marco, the water taxi from the train station, gelato, and yes, MacDonalds!<BR><BR>Had a great dinner at Trattoria all Madonna near the Rialto Bridge.

Here's a fun article about Venice with Kids:<BR><BR>http://travelwithkids.about.com/libr.../aa110401a.htm