Dan

Is it really true that Venice smells bad in the summer? We are planning a trip for early July.

Tom

I wish I could talk you out of going in July. Here is what you will encounter... but no smell...<BR>HOT<BR>CROWDED<BR>EXPENSIVE..<BR>I would rather not go at all than to go in the summer. The end of Sept. or early Oct. is the best. That is when I always go to Europe.

X

This past August, late in the month, there was a definite smell when I ate dinner by a canal. Also, lots of mosquitoes. Bring bug spray &amp; apply liberally!

claire

In early August of 2001, there was no bad smell and we did not have problems with mosquitos. The only time we could smell garbage or anything bad was one VERY early Monday morning walking in the interior of Venice in a narrow alley where the garbage had been put out for collection but it had not yet been carted off.<BR><BR>You'll have more problems with crowds unless you avoid the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco during the day. Save them for early morning exploration or for late afternoon or at night, after the day trippers have left.<BR><BR>Hard not to enjoy Venice at any time of the year!

ann

I was there last July and it did not smell. It's on the ocean, it smells like the ocean. If you're near a fishing boat it smell like fish. I can't believe people would actually consider not going to Venice because of a smell ( which really does not exist). I found Rome much much more smelly, hot and dirty than Venice (we were there less than a week later). Venice is not even especially crowded in July. I've never been there in other seasons and I'm sure some times it's less crowded but except right around the Rialto I was not bothered by crowds. The amount of people in San Marco was about the same as St Peter's . It's a famous, important place - there will be people there. The locals we talked to said July was actually more of a shoulder season - with spring and fall being more crowded. And the hotel rates were at the &quot;mid&quot; price in July. But Venice is wonderful any time so go when you can. I would most certainly go back again any July.

Wendy

Dan,]<BR><BR>The crowds bothered us much more than the smell which wasn't a problem in July. We stayed on the Lido,(Albergo Quattro Fontane) and were glad we did, since we could grab a vaporetto and escape the crowds when it got to be overwhelming. Good luck.

Paule

I was there twice in July, and never found there to be a noticeable smell. <BR><BR>Depending upon where you go and where you stay, the crowds can be minimized. I suggest staying in an area like Dorsoduro, which is enough out of the tourist crunch (Piazza San Marco) but still in Venice proper. We stayed once in La Calcina (loved it, highly recommend it) and once at the Accademia (nice, but I still prefer La Calcina). <BR><BR>I did find that the location of La Calcina preferable in high tourist season, since it's location on the Guidecca canal is away from the major crowds which frequent the area along the Grand Canal. I also liked the wide fondamente along the Guidecca; it was a wonderful place to take a leisurely stroll in the evening. <BR><BR>If you go to Piazza San Marco, and the areas nearby, you will certainly find the tourist crowds; however, it's also surprisingly easy to lose the crowd by just wandering away from San Marco. I was surprised, in fact, how empty it could seem at times.<BR><BR>If you can only go in July, GO! It is a wonderful city, and worth visiting anytime of the year. <BR><BR>

Dan

Now I'm really confused. I welcome any additional comments, and wonder whether there is some source to clarify this in advance, other than apparently conflicting anecdotal evidence. <BR>p.s. We travel in the summer because that is when our school age kids are away in camp.

Paule

Dear Dan,<BR>What are you confused about? It seems that there is a general consensus that there's no real bad smell that's noticeable. While someone will find a &quot;bad smell&quot; somewhere, it seems most won't. Anytime you go to a densely populated place during the summer, there's a potential for SOME kind of smell-- believe me, I live in NYC, and the smells here in the summer are far , far worse than anything I noticed in Venice!<BR><BR>Venice will always be crowded around Piazza San Marco, so if tourist crowds concern you, then stay away from that area most of the time. And it's really very easy to do that. <BR><BR>There are some people who have the luxury of travelling at other times of the year; in general, it's usually more pleasant to travel in the late spring or early fall ANYWHERE-- but if you don't have the choice, and if summer is the only time you can travel, you shouldn't hesitate to travel to Venice. <BR><BR>There will always be a variety of opinions on any subject, and this seems to be one s that comes up every so often. Maybe there are smells from the canals occasionally, but as I said earlier, I never noticed them in 2 trips to Venice in mid-July.

sar

its not that bad. I was there a few years back in the middle of a heat wave in August and we just got used to the different smell after a little bit of time. It really is no big deal. I honestly didn't even notice it when we arrived and I have a crazy sense of smell. Sure it is expensive but so is every other tourist attraction at this time of year. We had a wonderful time in Venice and I am sure you will as well.

Dan

Thanks for your replies. We are looking forward to the trip.

xxx

Why I can understand such a question in part, in the larger context it is really quite a ridiculous thing to ask. No offense, but Venice is on a lagoon, there's a breeze from the Adriatic and would you really not go to Venice for fear of a &quot;smell&quot; without pondering the fact a &quot;smell&quot; isn't necessarily pervasive. I hope you don't live in a plastic bubble. Gas stations smell. Locker rooms smell. New York City smells if you get close to a trashcan and don't walk away. Airplane kerosene smells bad. And the bathroom smells badly after anybody. The list goes on .....

kate

Don't give Dan such a hard time. If you've heard that Venice can be stinky, and you've never experienced it, then you're bound to be curious.<BR><BR>Dan, I just got back on Monday, so I can't advise on how it smells in summer, but the smell is an occasional whiff of sewage as you cross over some of the smaller canals. They do have a big water pollution problem there, both from old houses (500 and more years) with poor drainage, and a large ptrochemical works across the bay that's been tipping waste into the lagoon for years. <BR><BR>But the smell is not great, and not all pervasive, just the occasional whiff.

ttt

Topping for Richard