Venice Questions
Apr 17th, 2009, 05:24 PM
#1
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Venice Questions
Venice will be our final stop in Europe. We will arrive there by train mid-afternoon on a Monday and will leave on an evening flight on Wednesday, so we have a little over 2 days. We'll probably do a lot of walking the first day, and our hotel is a 30 min. walk from Piazza San Marco. We'd also like to visit Murano. Here are my questions: 1. Do we need to take a tour to Murano if we want to see the glass blowing? 2. Can we combine Murano with the other close-by islands? 3. What else should we do during our short stay? 4. Is it worth our while to buy a Venice Card? It costs 48 euros per person for 3 days and gives unlimited transportation (land and water) and 2 free toilet visits per day.
Apr 17th, 2009, 05:53 PM
#3
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1. You don't need a tour to visit the glass blowing works on Murano.
2. You can combine Murano with Burano and Torcello the the last 2 are not that close to Murano.
3. Basilica, Doges Palace, churches, Ca' Rezzonico, Ca' D'Oro, vaporetto ride along the grand canal between Rialto and St Marks.
2. You can combine Murano with Burano and Torcello the the last 2 are not that close to Murano.
3. Basilica, Doges Palace, churches, Ca' Rezzonico, Ca' D'Oro, vaporetto ride along the grand canal between Rialto and St Marks.
Apr 17th, 2009, 06:45 PM
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I don't think there are enough public toilets in Venice to bother worrying about having a pass for them. You can get unlimited transportation using a regular transportation pass for these amounts of time:
16,00 € - 12-HOUR TRAVELCARD
18,00 € - 24-HOUR TRAVELCARD
23,00 € - 36-HOUR TRAVELCARD
28,00 € - 48-HOUR TRAVELCARD
33,00 € - 72-HOUR TRAVELCARD
The time is for the number of hours, so if you arrived in Venice on Monday and first validated a 48-hour pass at 3:00pm, it would be valid until Wednesday at 3:00pm.
16,00 € - 12-HOUR TRAVELCARD
18,00 € - 24-HOUR TRAVELCARD
23,00 € - 36-HOUR TRAVELCARD
28,00 € - 48-HOUR TRAVELCARD
33,00 € - 72-HOUR TRAVELCARD
The time is for the number of hours, so if you arrived in Venice on Monday and first validated a 48-hour pass at 3:00pm, it would be valid until Wednesday at 3:00pm.
Apr 17th, 2009, 08:28 PM
#6
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Yk, our hotel is on the Grand Canal across from the train station. Thanks adrienne for the advice. As for Murano, I collect glass paperweights and love to see glass blowing, so going there's a high priority for me.
I really appreciate the advice on the travelcards, ellenem. Would a couple of trips on the Grand Canal with stops along the way plus a trip to Murano and the other islands, plus the bus to the airport add up to more than 28 euros? Remember, w enjoy walking, too.
I really appreciate the advice on the travelcards, ellenem. Would a couple of trips on the Grand Canal with stops along the way plus a trip to Murano and the other islands, plus the bus to the airport add up to more than 28 euros? Remember, w enjoy walking, too.
Apr 18th, 2009, 04:14 AM
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each vaporetto ride is 6€ (or maybe it's now 6.50€). I believe a ticket is valid for 60 or 90min from the time you validate it.
You can do your own math, but it seems to me that since your hotel is near the train station, not a hop and a skip from San Marco, you'll get your money's worth buying a travel card for the time you need it.
You can do your own math, but it seems to me that since your hotel is near the train station, not a hop and a skip from San Marco, you'll get your money's worth buying a travel card for the time you need it.
Apr 18th, 2009, 05:43 AM
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The Venice Connected card http://www.veniceconnected.com has transport tickets for 21E for 48 hours, 24.75E for 72 hours.
Apr 18th, 2009, 02:25 PM
#10
If you collect glass, definitely go to Murano, but go as early in the day as possible. Most of the glass blowers have finished working by lunch time. If you buy glass on Murano or anywhere in Venice, make sure it was actually made there. Most of the glass you'll see in Venice and on Murano is (sadly) made in China or elsewhere.
Apr 18th, 2009, 03:23 PM
#11
hi spartan,
opinions vary here and elsewhere, but I would definitely buy the travelcard ellenem refers to. not only do one way tickets now cost €6.50 each, but the trip out to the islands is much more than that. and any saving you might have made by buying individual tickets will be far outweighed by the convenience of not having to buy a ticket every time you want to get a boat.
if you are on a tight schedule, IMHO the boats will let you see a lot more in a shorter time than you could by just walking. for example - you say that your accommodation is on the grand canal opposite the station and you arrive on Monday pm. buy a travelcard at the station, cross the canal, and after you've checked in, get the vaporetto no 1 or 2 down the grand canal. get off at san marco, and if possible, tour the basilica. then get the vaporetto across to the large church on the island opposite [san giorgio maggiore] and go up the bell tower - it's cheaper and less busy than the san marco one, but the views are just as good.
then get the boat across to the zattere, and walk along in the afternoon sunshine - there are lots of cafes. then you can wander back through dorsodoro and san polo and santa croce to your hotel, taknig in the Frari church and the scuola di san rocco if you are interested.
the next morning, I suggest that you get an early boat out to the islands, going straight to torcello via Burano. have lunch on either of those islands, then get the boat back, stopping off at Faro [a stop on Murano] and walking thorugh the island's streets. then you can get a boat back to Venice from the centre.
early wednesday morning, get up and go to the rialto market. after that, cross over into san marco and go to the doge's palace where I hope you will have booked your secret itineraries tour. this is the link:
http://www.museiciviciveneziani.it/f...&sezione=musei
after that, use your time to explore bits you have missed that appeal to you.
hope this helps,
regards, ann
opinions vary here and elsewhere, but I would definitely buy the travelcard ellenem refers to. not only do one way tickets now cost €6.50 each, but the trip out to the islands is much more than that. and any saving you might have made by buying individual tickets will be far outweighed by the convenience of not having to buy a ticket every time you want to get a boat.
if you are on a tight schedule, IMHO the boats will let you see a lot more in a shorter time than you could by just walking. for example - you say that your accommodation is on the grand canal opposite the station and you arrive on Monday pm. buy a travelcard at the station, cross the canal, and after you've checked in, get the vaporetto no 1 or 2 down the grand canal. get off at san marco, and if possible, tour the basilica. then get the vaporetto across to the large church on the island opposite [san giorgio maggiore] and go up the bell tower - it's cheaper and less busy than the san marco one, but the views are just as good.
then get the boat across to the zattere, and walk along in the afternoon sunshine - there are lots of cafes. then you can wander back through dorsodoro and san polo and santa croce to your hotel, taknig in the Frari church and the scuola di san rocco if you are interested.
the next morning, I suggest that you get an early boat out to the islands, going straight to torcello via Burano. have lunch on either of those islands, then get the boat back, stopping off at Faro [a stop on Murano] and walking thorugh the island's streets. then you can get a boat back to Venice from the centre.
early wednesday morning, get up and go to the rialto market. after that, cross over into san marco and go to the doge's palace where I hope you will have booked your secret itineraries tour. this is the link:
http://www.museiciviciveneziani.it/f...&sezione=musei
after that, use your time to explore bits you have missed that appeal to you.
hope this helps,
regards, ann
Apr 18th, 2009, 04:51 PM
#12
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Hi Ann,
Thank you for a GREAT itinerary! I copied it and plan to use it! My only change will be to visit Murano in the AM to see the glass blowing. You have been so very helpful, and I can't thank you enough!
SpartanTartan
Thank you for a GREAT itinerary! I copied it and plan to use it! My only change will be to visit Murano in the AM to see the glass blowing. You have been so very helpful, and I can't thank you enough!
SpartanTartan
Apr 18th, 2009, 05:09 PM
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We always buy the travel card then it is easy to hop on and hop off. The ride to Murano and Burano is lovely. Don't miss it. The glass blowing exhibit that we saw was interesting but not as good as other art glass places we have been.
We stayed our first time in Venice across the Grand Canal from the train station. It was easy to walk places from there.
If you are by chance flying with Ryanair, be sure to allow a lot of time as it takes over an hour by bus to the airport they use.
We stayed our first time in Venice across the Grand Canal from the train station. It was easy to walk places from there.
If you are by chance flying with Ryanair, be sure to allow a lot of time as it takes over an hour by bus to the airport they use.
Apr 18th, 2009, 05:38 PM
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Veniceconnected.com is the Venice card online, launched 2/1/09.
ellenem's price list is more than the one I referenced because of the savings ordering 7 days ahead of time before putting into use. The first time I looked at it, a couple weeks ago, it was 15 days ahead of time, so they have recently changed the time frame.
Here is the link for Venice card which features Venice connected:
http://www.hellovenezia.com/jsp/en/venicecard/index.jsp
Here is the ACTV transport fees, including tourist travel cards:
http://www.actv.it/english/navigazio...iffe_vaporetto
I'm 2 weeks out from Venice arrival, but according to another travel site (TA), the Veniceconnected.com card may be a very good deal if you know your Venice public transport needs before you arrive. I know that I will use vaporettos at least 3 times (arriving, Grand Canal, leaving) thus likely making the Venice connected transport card purchased ahead of time worthwhile.
Have a great trip, SpartanTartan.
ellenem's price list is more than the one I referenced because of the savings ordering 7 days ahead of time before putting into use. The first time I looked at it, a couple weeks ago, it was 15 days ahead of time, so they have recently changed the time frame.
Here is the link for Venice card which features Venice connected:
http://www.hellovenezia.com/jsp/en/venicecard/index.jsp
Here is the ACTV transport fees, including tourist travel cards:
http://www.actv.it/english/navigazio...iffe_vaporetto
I'm 2 weeks out from Venice arrival, but according to another travel site (TA), the Veniceconnected.com card may be a very good deal if you know your Venice public transport needs before you arrive. I know that I will use vaporettos at least 3 times (arriving, Grand Canal, leaving) thus likely making the Venice connected transport card purchased ahead of time worthwhile.
Have a great trip, SpartanTartan.
Apr 18th, 2009, 05:49 PM
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Just in case you don't get to Murano, there is at least one place near San Marco where they have glass blowing demonstrations and a nice shop. I'm sorry I don't remember the exact location, but I know it is there because I went. The demonstration was very good (about 1/2 hr), and they did not pressure anyone to purchase. I'm sure someone at the tourist office or your hotel would know the location.
