My wife and I plan on an end of October 2008 trip to Venice, Italy ONLY. From past experiences, I've come to accept the fact that one place at a time is the best route. Assuming that neither the planet or a critical body organ won't explode, we will get to the "someplace else" next time!

Here are some questions:

Do I need a visa? Shot records? Anything else? What credit cards work? I use Discovery and MC. Do Traveler Cheques work? Cell phones? ATMs or money changers?

From Marco Polo airport to Piazzale Roma where our apartment is, bus? taxi? water?

It looks like there is a water taxi and a water buslike vehicle. Can I get some sort of municiple "bus pass for a week?" We'd prefer the scenic route but not really as tourists . . .

Are there grocery stores nearby? Second hand clothing stores? Ok, I do find some cool stuff at the Starvation Army sometimes. I'm sure they do the same in Italy.

Do we take our own TP? In Japan we discovered our lack of preparedness at a perfectly inopportune time.

Is late October a good time? Humid? Similar to what part of the USA? I suspect this is off season. I heard it does flood--is this flood season? Do we need boots or raingear?

We're more like travelers than tourists. Do I need to take a tie and coat? I don't mind a sports coat or blazer, but I don't have the class for a tux. Still, we would like to go to an evening at an opera or play. I'd love to hear some Vivaldi in Italy!

My Italian is lousy, but I can sure fling my hands around and aptly misunderstand a language with gusto. Still, I'm cramming some audio language tapes just for gp.

How about an hour a day of language school/tutor?

Any personal experiences that might help us enjoy the week? Experience is the best teacher, but the tuition is cheaper if you get it second hand.

Ciao.

No visa or shot records are necessary.

MC will work, and bring your ATM card for cash. TCs are a waste of money and time: you will be charged a high transaction fee when trying to cash them, only certain banks will do it, and if it is like the old days, you stand in one line to sign them over and go to another one to get the cash.

There's a outdoor fish and vegetable market near the Rialto.

We were in Venice for four days this past October 27 - 30. We had very cold rain one day, with cool, but not freezing, temperatures the other three days. It was cloudy. We had very high tides while we were there (full moon), and there was some flooding, but it's not a big deal, and it recedes within a few hours. There are raised boardwalks in areas that are affected.

I can't answer all your questions, but here are a few answers:

No need for visas, shot records, or traveler's cheques. No need to bring along your own TP - there seems to be an adequate supply.

There are ATMs everywhere, and it's easy to get Euros when you need them. Our own cellphones work in Europe (we are from USA and have AT&T service.)- the cost for calls from Europe is higher than we are used to paying, so we didn't use our phones much.

The water buses are called vaporetti - and yes you can buy passes to cover a day or more. Keep your pass easily available, as they do check occasionally to be sure you have one.

As far as any experiences that we especially liked in Venice, we took a friend's advice and just wandered the winding streets until we were hopelessly lost. That was the best!

Have a great trip!

<<Do I need a visa? Shot records? Anything else?>>
If you are from the US, all you need is a valid passport.

<<What credit cards work? I use Discovery and MC.>>
MC yes, Discover no

<<Do Traveler Cheques work?>>
barely--difficult to cash, costs to buy, costs to sell

<<ATMs or money changers?>>
ATMs attached to your home checking account are most cost-effective access to cash.

<<Cell phones?>>
Yes, but you need to have the right kind with the right kind of card.

<<From Marco Polo airport to Piazzale Roma where our apartment is, bus? taxi? water?>>
Land bus would be very direct and inexpensive as well--from right in front of the airport terminal it goes directly to Piazzale Roma.

<<It looks like there is a water taxi and a water buslike vehicle. Can I get some sort of municiple "bus pass for a week?" >>
Here's the link to current transport fares and passes:
http://www.actv.it/english/navigazio...iffe_vaporetto

<<Are there grocery stores nearby?>>
Depends on where your apartment is actually located. Near Piazzale Roma can mean any number of things . . . do you have a street address?

<<Second hand clothing stores?>>
In 10 visits to Venice, I've never seen one, but I wasn't really looking for one.

<<Do we take our own TP?>>
If you're that concerned, buy some packets of tissues while you're there. It's usually not a problem.

<Is late October a good time? Humid? Similar to what part of the USA? I suspect this is off season. >>
October is good but it's no longer off season. Humidity should be down, temps may vary from warm to cool with some rain. Watch the weather report before you go and pack thin layers that can be combined for different situations.

<<Is this flood season? Do we need boots or raingear?>>
There could be high water, but it is tidal so comes and goes in a few hours. Don't pack boots as they may be unnecessary. An umbrella couldn't hurt in October.

<<Do I need to take a tie and coat? I don't mind a sports coat or blazer, but I don't have the class for a tux. Still, we would like to go to an evening at an opera or play. I'd love to hear some Vivaldi in Italy!>>
Not really necessary--a blazer would cover most opportunities and you could buy a great silk tie there if needed. Dressing up for music venues is not required, but would be respectful and festive.

<<My Italian is lousy . . . How about an hour a day of language school/tutor?>>
Most places you go in Venice will have English speakers--Venice is devoted to tourists and English is becoming the tourist language of choice. Learning the basic niceties would be respectful and appreciated.

If you're there for a week, consider getting the monthly travel card. It will cost you 26 Euro (for a calendar month; if you're there October/November, it might not work...) and 10 Euro for processing. You get it at the ACTV office on Piazzale Roma; you need to fill out an application form and you need a passport-sized photo and a photocopy of your passport.

Also, use the traghetti. These are public gondolas that cross the Grand Canal at various points. The fare the last time I was in Venice was 0.50 Euro per ride.

You would be wise to follow Ellenem's (10x trips to Venice to date) to a T.

You have time to get a Capital One charge card. No conversion fees.
A traghetti ride or two will serve
as a gondola experience @ an infinitely affordable rate.

Get a good guide book so you get the full benefit of your experience.
While there you might see folks in costume selling tickets to various concerts so buy one or 2 w/them.

There are chamber music concerts in churches almost every night. These concerts tend to feature Vivaldi. We attended one at the San Vidal church. The group was the Interpreti Veneziani, and I thought they were very good. They did not peform in period costumes, although there were concerts in other churches with a group (or groups) who did.

I always carry a small pack of tissues for emergencies.

An hour a day of language school or tutoring sounds wonderful. I listened to Italian language tapes for several months, which provided me with enough to feel semi-competent on the few occasions I encountered someone who didn't speak English. It probably wasn't necessary to be able to ask the shop attendant whether my daughter could try on those shoes; I probably could have gotten my point across with sign language, but it felt good to know what to say and to understand the answer. Extends the enjoyment of the trip as well, provided you like studying languages.

Zerlina - I found your comment interesting. When I was last in Venice I thought about a travel card, but as told it was for residents/workers only. I may well have been misinformed.

The ACTV doesn't exactly publicize it, but if you look at the link in one of the posts above, it's there (but without any helpful hints of what you need to do to get it). The 26 Euro version is available to everyone; it's the 13 Euro version that is limited to residents, workers etc.

My mum and I went to Venice for the first time in 2006 for 4 days. We loved it. Neither of us speak Italian, but we only came across one or two instances where the people we were dealing with didn't speak English - one was in the post office.

I was delightfully surprised at the availability, functionality and cleanliness of the Venetian public toilets - if that's your concern regarding TP.

I found wandering around the less touristy areas (ie Dorsoduro) was a nice break from the crowds of the St Marks and Rialto areas. Also, a trip to the islands of Murano and Burano on the public transport Vaparetto boats was enjoyable.

You might also find this web site helpful.

http://venicexplorer.net/index.php?hlangs=en

You can use it to search for shops, hotels, and restaurants by name or neighborhood. Once you've found one, the sit will show its location on a detailed map. this is especially helpful when searching for locations of places mentioned on this site without addresses or detailed directions.

There's a grocery store and post office in the Dosoduro, right off the promonade along the large shipping canal.

Yes, you can buy a multi-day pass for the vaporetto (the "water buslike vehicle" you mention). It is used by locals and tourists alike.

Unless you have a quad band phone, a US cell phone doesn't work in Europe. You can buy phone cards to use in public phones but I suspect those are getting rarer. Cell phones are ubiquitous in Italy. Here's a very informative "article" about cell phone options in Europe: www.slowtrav.com/europe/cell_phones.htm

can someone remind me again how much a water taxi is from the airport to the rialto bridge? Was it 100 euros?

We had a problem overseas with our ATM and credit card on the same day that wasn't resolved for a good day and a half! If it wasn't for the $500 I brought in TC we would've been stuck! I travel with a small amount Just In Case...we had no problem using them and you can always use them once you get home...Just a thought...

lvillinois, I suspect that you did not inform your bank and CC company ahead of time that you would be in Europe between certain dates...

You do have to let them know; otherwise, they will block the transactions as "suspicious".

Zerlina, that's the annoying thing, we specifically notified the CC company and they still stopped it "just to be careful!" Everything went smoothly on our next trip, never did use the TC, but I liked knowing they were there if needed.

In addition to a quad band phone, a tri band phone will work in Europe. The important thing is that it be GSM.