i have never been to venice in the winter before, but many years ago i read a travel story about how beautiful the light is at that time of year....i want to go next winter for a week but need some suggestions about what people thing about which month to go....JANUARY OR FEBRUARY OR EARLY MARCH????<BR><BR>thanks for your comments

I was in Venice the first week of this month for my second winter visit. Both times it coincided with Carnevale, which is absolute mayhem. If you like good natured fun that's the time to go. I'm certain that Venice is an altogether different place in winter than in the bustle of summer.

I've never been during those times but have been in mid-March. It was cool and a little damp (rained 1 day), but still delightful. Venice even looks great in the fog and mist.

I haven't been myself but had a friend who was stationed in Italy and they went every January. In fact that is when they still go, even though they now live in the US

I was just there the last week in December. The light was very atmospheric because of the mist. It only rained hard one day. Otherwise it was just drizzly or overcast (with bright sun on the day we left!) If it were me, I'd check rates. I think Jan or Feb (not around Carnevale) could be much cheaper (flights &amp; hotel) than March.

thanks very much...anyone else??

We visited Venice in early December. I love Venice so any time of year would be good for me. However, some in my group found it chilly and even cold. Remember, it's a seaside location in winter. Most places you visit are unheated stone buildings. Often , you warmed up by going outside to stand in the sun. This was no problem for me--stopped at cafes for many coffees and the best hot chocolate anywhere.

A vote for January or early February for a totally different taste of Venice.<BR><BR>On a January visit years ago, it had been raining buckets, San Marco was flooded and pretty much deserted and we had to walk on the &quot;passarelle&quot; or raised walkways the whole time. Misty, really chilly, but not crowded and breathtakingly beautiful. If you like photography, it can be paradise. <BR><BR>Carnavale is also lots of fun but absolute chaos, if you'd rather do that. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

I was there Christmas 2001,it was very cold,Ice on the piazza san marco etc. also very damp it was ok for me, but my wife was freezing even thoug we were wearing hats gloves jackets etc.It also makes it hard to explore for any length of time outside.I would wait until april if possible.RR

We were there last month and were lucky to have beautiful sunshine every day. We wore jackets but it was really not uncomfortably cool- we even had a a gondola ride one night (a full moon!) and were not too cold. However, for two weeks before we arrived, Venice had rain and even snow (wouldn't that have been fun!). We had a wonderful stay, and to us wearing a jacket every day was a small price to pay for having such a lack of crowds.

A little later than you're thinking of going, we were there the second week of April last year and loved it, except for it being very rainy.

Venice can be REALLY cold and damp. Great tourist repellant, so there's an up side, but do be prepared for the possibility of unpleasant weather. Vaporetto rides aren't so much fun if you're dealing with biting wet winds.<BR><BR>Going early March is no guarantee that you'll find better weather---March is just as unpredictable there as it is elsewhere in Europe and much of North America.<BR><BR>It would still be cool, though.

We were in Venice this February (mid month) and had a wonderful time. For the past 3 years we have been taking advantage of low winter airfares/hotel rates and taking our kids to Europe for their winter school break. The weather in Venice was fine, we needed our jackets, but it was not biting cold. We enjoyed walking outside and taking rides on the vaparetto. We even ate lunch outside one day. We had no rain for any of our trip.

again...thanks for the info...cold...do you mean 35 degrees F or 50 degrees F or what?? how heavy a jacket??/ polarfleeze or heavy winter jackets?? we are from boston so understand cold...

More of a concern for me would be the shorter days. It gets dark early in January and February, restricting sightseeing time.

Because they use centigrade, I'm not sure what the temps were in late Dec, but I'd guess high 40's to 50's. But it's a damp cold. There was only one day in five when it felt really cold. I'd say a raincoat with a lining &amp; sweaters/blazers to layer underneath would be fine.

We were in Venice in both January and February (the latter during Carnevale). We had flooding in the Piazza San Marco in January, which made getting around difficult. But we found that either time we could have a great visit. I have to acknowledge that we didn't pay much attention to the weather; we were interested in sightseeing and activities. Go any time.