Venice and Rome during Easter?
 

So we will be in Venice during Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but then head on to Rome the following Tuesday.

In terms of hotels, transportation, dining, sightseeing -- will we be in trouble? Are we going to be left eating bread and sitting in our hotel rooms?

I've looked at hotels and am doing reservations already, so that should not be a problem. But what about the train from Venice to Rome? What about restaurants? What about museums, tours, tourist sites?

Thanks!

If you have specific tastes (as I do), Easter can be a bit more challenging when planning a visit to Italy. In terms of Venice, nothing is more challenging than Carnivale.

If you book far enough in advance, you can secure the best hotel rooms in any category of price. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to secure precise rooms. If you're not picky about rooms like I am, then you should be able to find something.

Trains are fuller around this holiday. Many Italians come home for Easter. To get a seat, it helps to reserve in First Class or arrive a bit earlier and wait on the platform.

Since many restaurants are family owned, much depends on the family decision to stay open or closed. There are no definitives. If you have a restaurant in mind, it's best to contact the restaurant and find out their holiday schedule.

Most sightseeing places will post holiday hours. Tourist offices will also have this information.

Tours continue through the holiday period but availability depends on the source. Spontaneity is not the best course of planning during the Easter holiday.

Whenever I visit Italy at holiday time, I plan a stricter schedule. I have my favorite things to do and see and I do my best not to miss them.

hi, aquila,

we were in Venice last easter, and Rome the easter before. when do you arrive? if you are in an apartment, it woudl be good to arrive either on thursday, or late on friday, as some places do shut. but sat am all the shops, the rialto market etc. are all open, so yuo can get in spupplies for the weekend. if you are in a hotel, you will hardly notice the difference, and you ahve the opportunity to do what we did and go to easter sunday mass in st. marks, which was lovely.
from memory, the accademia and the doge's palace are open too.

in Rome, by tuesday it's business as usual with the exception of places like castel san angelo, which usually close on mondays, so they close tuesday as well so the staff get their day off.

there will be crowds, but then, when aren't there?

regards, ann

The Monday after Easter Sunday is a major Italian holiday, which means not only are many things shut but many, many Italians are enjoying a long weekend and thensome. Many will pack into Venezia for a lark or to show visiting relatives, and train transport on those days will be jam-packed. It's one of the few times during the year you need to make sure you have train tickets and reservations in advance.

If you have target museums and sights with regulated admission in Venezia, check their websites for their opening hours that weekend.

If at all possible, you should try to see a high mass in the basilica San Marco on Easter Sunday, when it will be lit up and decorated to a fare-the-well. Tourists are not allowed to meander around the church during the services, but you can join the congregation of worshippers if you are willing to sit quietly for the entire service.

We will actually arrive on Good Friday, and then leave for Rome on the Tuesday after Easter, so we will not be able mass or anything in Rome.

Transportation:
Should we book the following early on then?
Paris to Venice on Good Friday
Venice to Rome on Tuesday after Easter

I will be booking our hotel ASAP, good thing all the sites offer free hotel bookings with no cancel/change fees now!

I will look at all the museum schedules, do you guys know when they come out with them... would it be like January or something? Easter is a bit early in 2010.

I would definitely book trains asap to get the best deals- but the trenitalia schedules won't be out yet. others may know more - you might like to start another specific thread.

The mass i mentioned was in san marco -ie VENICE. no need for tickets - just arrive at the north door [the one marked services, to the left of the main tourist entrance] at least 30 mins in advance if you want a seat.

my recollection is that the accademia museum in venice was open on easter sunday [strange but true] and the doge's palace on easter monday. you should start looking in Jan, I think.

in rome, I suggest timing your visit to the vatican and st. peter's as late in the week as possible - when we tried on easter tuesday, it seemed that the whole of Rome had had the same idea. Later in the week it was still crowded, but a lot easier.

regards, ann

Aquila,

I was suggesting that you attend high mass in Venezia at the basilica in Piazza San Marco. It is not ordinarily lit up so brilliantly.

Museum schedules are usually quite fixed, but you should keep checking right up to your departure.

You will have to wait closer to your departure to book your trains.

zeppole - two minds with but a single thought.

the mosaics were beautiful enough to keep our rather over-active 17 year old spell-bound throughout the entire proceedings, which lasted about 90 mins.

the parade of the patriach afterwards was very impressive, and no-one took any notice of the imperative that only the faithful might approach, including the patriach.

the only disappointnment was the music, which is not a patch on a normal english cathedral service, but you can't have everything.

aquila - if you would like to read my trip report from easter last year, just clicl on my name and go to "we went to Venice and we saw".

have a great trip,

regards, ann

Oh, so sorry guys! I Googled San Marco and all I saw was ROME!

Will definitely note for Venice :)

And thanks annhig, I will take a look at your trip report