ira

Hi A,

As noted, those who don't care for Venice are usually (not always) those who see it as a daytrip in the season.

There are some who, never having smelled the ocean, think that it smells bad.

There are some, who not having done enough reserch, think that it is an overpriced tourist trap.

I think it was Truman Capote who described Venice as a box of bon-bons. If you try to eat them all at once, you'll get sick.

Venice should be savored slowly.

Peggyann

donnapq: We too are returning to Venice and La Calcina, we'll be there April 17, 18,19. And you?

Neopolitan

I am not a person who relaxes well. I would despise spending a week at a beach resort and would get "stir crazy". My idea of relaxing is not sitting around doing nothing or reading a book.

We had been to Venice twice for three nights each when two years ago we decided to rent an apartment for a week in Dosoduro. We had done all the usual museums and attractions with the exception of the Peggy Guggenheim, so that was our only real "must do" this trip. We passed by that museum every day.

During the week, we seemingly "did nothing". Well, we did hop on lot of boats with our passes and ride the canals. And we did a couple last minute day trips out -- to Chioggia, to Padua, and to Asolo. And we walked. It seemed we poked our heads in every tiny squre in the entire city. We stopped at umpteen cafes and little bars. But basically we didn't "DO" anything. The day we left it suddenly hit us that we hadn't gone to the Peggy Guggenheim. There just hadn't been enough "time". Huh? Guess what. I had relaxed. It was one of the most laid back and relaxing weeks I've ever spent. And now I really do love Venice.

We're renting another apartment for a week there this June. Now if we can just manage to squeeze in the Peggy Guggenheim. . .

donnapg

Peggyann: We will be in Venice the 12th thru the 15th.

The 17th we'll be in ROme.

Have a wonderful time!

michigandra

I, too, am one who loved Venice. On our (DH and I) only trip to Italy, we visited Rome, Florence and Venice, in that order. Many people asked us which city we liked the most, and we really couldn't pick one we liked best. They were all so different and distinctive and we loved them all; our only complaint was lack of time! Several months would have been an improvement over less than 2 weeks.

After the hectic hustle and bustle of Rome and, to a lesser degree, Florence, Venice was a gorgeous breath of fresh air! Prettified, yes, but not Disney-esque to me--more of a "let's attract the tourists" kind of feeling, but not in a bad way. The lack of motorized vehicles is quietly pleasant, and it was fun to notice the non-motorized way of doing ordinary city things--business deliveries, police, buses--all on boats! Such a change from everywhere else. I can hardly wait to go back and spend more time there. And if I absolutely, positively had to choose one of the three cities we visited to go back to, it would be Venice. (But maybe that's just because we spent more time in Rome and Florence.)

I do recommend visiting Venice last for Italy first-timers "doing the big three." Venice really provides a relaxing conclusion to what may be an overwhelming visit.

By the way, we had a lovely canal-view (small canal) room at the Hotel Mercurio
at 110 Euro/night in June, which was half price in 2004; it's near the opera house, La Fenice, and I believe the discount was related to a drop in business experienced while La Fenice was being rebuilt. Very romantic for our anniversary trip!

mclaurie

I'm another who loves Venice. (Venice haters don't do well on this board )

If you're the kind of traveler who must tick off "to do" lists on an itinerary, Venice may not be for you. Most agree what they liked best in Venice was "getting lost." See the sights, but make sure to experience the city and the magic it holds.

By all accounts, a splurge at Locanda Orseolo is well worth the money (and not all that outrageous). We stayed at the Pensione Accademia in Dorsorduro not far from La Calcina. It was a great location and I thought it was "nice."

One restaurant I'm sorry we missed was Avogaria. We passed it one day by accident. It looked wonderful (very modern which is unusual in Venice) and then we couldn't find it again. Others here have mentioned it since and said it was very good. The other place I'm anxious to try on my next trip is the Riviera, in Dorsoduro on the water.

Nikki

I neither loved nor hated Venice on my only trip there two years ago. I had the same question before I went, having read all the many opinions.

I did have a wonderful time. I really liked the food, for instance. Wonderful risotto and seafood. And I had not expected the seacoast feel of the air and the quality of the light in the mist. We were there in March, and there were no real crowds except in the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, which was too mobbed with school groups to enjoy.

The effect of the lack of cars was very peaceful and other-worldly. The most vivid sound was the church bells.

On the other hand, it was indeed very expensive. Meals especially. A friendly shopkeeper with whom we chatted said that everything is about 30% higher in Venice than in other major Italian cities, which seemed about right to me.

And there just wasn't as much vibrancy as I like in cities such as Rome, Paris, London, New York. After dark, the streets were deserted. At least when we were there in early March, there were no dueling orchestras in the Piazza San Marco. There were the several groups giving regular concerts of Vivaldi and other chamber music, and there is the opera, which had just reopened when we visited, but other than that I didn't see much evidence of an active cultural scene. It could be there, but it didn't jump out at us as it has in the other cities I named.

This did not by any means spoil my enjoyment of Venice, but it does mean that I don't have the urge to go back continually. I don't have the feeling of endless things to do that would make repeated trips exciting. I would definitely include it on a trip such as the one the OP plans, and I am really glad I went there.

AngelaS

I think Venice is a place you have to at least visit once in your life because it is so unique. I was there for a few days several years ago and was not overly impressed - the water seems quite polluted and the city also somewhat dirty. And of course, toursits are swarming everywhere. I enjoyed the region of Liguria and the seaside much more. Enjoy your trip!

adventureseeker

Another big GRAZIE to all of you for sharing! I can't even begin to express my gratitude to all of you for helping us make this the trip of a lifetime for us. Originally, it was looking like only 2 nights in Venice, but now it's up to 4....and counting!

to: Michigandra....excellent advice about saving Venice for last. I was thinking about that being the first leg to ease into the adventure after jet lag from traveling from Los Angeles. You're right, Venice seems like the perfect ending and a magical time to reflect before we get back to reality!

Neopolitan

Just a comment on the "uniqueness" of Venice. Ever notice how many other places try to capitalize on the idea -- Little Venice in London, ________, the Venice of _________, etc. Are they kidding? Nothing else can even begin to compare to it.

suze

Love it, because it *is* mysterious and romantic. check with www.lacalcina.com but contact them early it is deservedly a very popular hotel.

franco

I've told very (too?) often on Fodor's that all my visits over the last 16 years summed up, I've spent at least six, maybe rather eight months in Venice, so you can guess that I'm loving it... And still now, I'm far from knowing the entire city with her incredible wealth of art and architecture. No other place, except for Rome and Istanbul, has so many sights (and of such a high quality).
Many brillant thoughts on Venice have already been expressed on this thread... let me add my two cents:
- Yes, it IS expensive. But if you have just once carried home a few bottles of mineral water in Venice, you can guess why! Just imagine how much shlepping is necessary for maintaining a modern city's life in that medieval shell! If you think about it, you'll not find it sooo overpriced.
- It is absolutely correct that the most important part of a visit to Venice is the night. From dusk till dawn, you can enjoy the city even more than by day: no crowds at all, Venice is yours.
- No hotel in Venice, splendid as it may be, has any chance to be booked by me. Over the years, I've discovered that much of the fun is living in an apartment, as one of the previous posters has pointed out. This is due to the fact that the restaurants of Venice are on average among the worst in Italy, and even the few happy exceptions would hardly stand out anywhere else in that country, or wouldn't at least be numbered among the best. Having your own kitchen in your own apartment, however, you can prepare some meals at home - but please, don't buy the ingredients at the Coop supermarket!!!!! The markets at Rialto are among the best markets in Italy (in fact, they are quite certainly the best of all), and you can get incredible fish and incredible vegetables there - Venice is growing her own vegetables on two islands of the laguna, and you've hardly ever or anywhere tasted vegetables as good as those. (Btw, you can easily find out WHICH apartment I'm renting whenever it's available if you click on my name and browse my posts - sorry, I simply find it embarassing to advertise that apartment on Fodor's twice a day!)
- To enjoy Venice most, it is absolutely necessary that you speak some Italian. That's kind of a paradox, as there is certainly no other place in Italy where so many locals speak so many foreign languages; it's not a necessity, thus, for communication. But it's a necessity to overcome the locals' somewhat uneasy attitude towards tourists (since of course there are too many of them for that town of merely 70.000 inhabitants). If the Venetians have been described as "rude" here, that's often true if you come in and speak English (or German, or French, or whatever), which will also lower the willingness to speak English (or French, or German) with you. But step into the same shop, the same bar, the same restaurant and just say a few words of Italian, and you'll be met with friendliness, and with good to excellent English (German, French). I don't say that you should be able to discuss cognitive science or string theory in Italian - it's just enough to say "buon giorno" instead of "hello", or "due caffé" instead of "two espressos" (btw, nobody would order "espresso" in Italian, the proper word is "caffé liscio&quot, or "grazie" instead of "thanks" - the rest of the conversation might, and will be in English, no problem. It's merely a question of politeness, in Venice more so than anywhere else in Italy...

And don't wait any longer with your apartment (or hotel) booking! It's already LATE to secure a fine accomodation for October.

edhodge

adventureseeker, we are also going to be in Venice in October. We have reservations at La Calcina, based on suggestions from the wonderful Fodorites. I was hesitant about Venice until I read several books, including "Miss Garnet's Angel" and "The City of Falling Angels". They sparked my interest in a way I did not expect.

ira

Hi Ad,

>...I was thinking about [Venice] being the first leg to ease into the adventure after jet lag from traveling from Los Angeles.<

I would stay with that plan. You not only get over jet lag, but you ease into the Italian way of doing things before getting into the more hectic cities.

BowenLinda

I started travelling to Europe three years ago, and have visited Venice twice for five days each.

Venice is a state of mind, and I could return to her every year.

It rained a lot in the Vancouver area in March and so I indulged in a Venetian themed reading binge:

"What Casanova Told Me", Susan Swan

"Venice", Jan Morris

"A Thousand Days in Venice", Marlina de Blasi

"Venice Observed", Mary McCarthy

I enjoyed them all but Jan Morris' "Venice" beautifully explained what the city is all about.

cadillac1234

On making Venice your last top in Italy...

I can't think of anything more cruel to do to yourself...Leaving Venice is hard enough on it's own but to have to also return from vacation the same day?

LCBoniti

I am really enjoying the thoughts expressed on this thread. Thank you, adventureseeker, for starting it! It is adding to the anticipation of our first visit to Venice in October!

JJ5

I'm another that has no love or no hate. I do feel it is magical beauty and not so much natural in any sense.

This book is the best I've come across so far with the feel of real 1529-1550 era Venice at its peak. It gives you another glance at this "two-tiered" city and the essence of its cultural and social structure.

"Loredana: A Venetian Tale" by Lauro Martines

I've read all of the above and this one gives me another whole level of understanding re customs, masques, balls etc.

wanderlust5

Just one comment regarding the "expense" of Venice. Everything must be brought in by boat, and takes more time, and more effort, and more manual labor, than if the city was located on terra firma.

Any of you who have either taken a gondola ride, or observed the boats, have noticed the gondolas piled high with cases of bottled water, soda, crates of vegies, etc., making their way down canals to their destination. I've also seen gondolas carrying stacks of plastic wrapped freshly cleaned linens being delivered to hotels. It takes so much longer to get deliveries, as they have to do them in tiny trips all day long.

I lived in St. Thomas, in the USVI, for 5 years and everything was much higher there, especially food. It wasn't because it was a resort, or vacation destination. It was because everything was delivered either by boat or plane, and the delivery costs jacked the retail prices up accordingly.

So, knowing this, and having had numerous conversations with shopkeepers and hoteliers on the island, I understand more why the pricing is so high. I consider it the "gate fee toll" to paradise and pay the higher prices for the privilege.

There is one exception, however. After one Belini at Harry's, I figured I had experienced what I had gone there for, and in all the many trips back have not bellied up to that bar again to pay an exorbitant fee for champagn, peach schnapps and a splash of grenadine.

WillTravel

Venice is not cheap, I admit, but I did not find the prices that ridiculous. Grocery store prices did not seem absurd. Restaurants on the main tourist drag around the most expensive, exclusive shops are definitely expensive, but restaurants elsewhere are not necessarily so.

In the off-season, hotel prices can be ridiculously cheap for what you get. I had a beautiful ensuite room in a nice 3* hotel for less than 48 Euros per night in December 2004. The admission prices are not out of line, considering the antiquity of the buildings and the cost to maintain them.