windance

Any recommendations? I'll be there in July into August. Lots of good words about Context in Rome on this site, but I have found nothing on tours in other cities I'll be visiting. Thanks!

elaine

Venice is so much smaller than Rome, I've never felt the need to take a walking tour in V, lots of books and websites have suggested self-directed walking routes.

Here are some tour agencies

Enjoy Venice (tel: (06) 445 0734; web site: www.enjoyvenice.com

American Express, Calle San Moise, San Marco 1471, phone 041 520 0844 offers several guided tours. There is a two-hour morning tour that includes St Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace, the prison, the Campanile, and sometimes a glass-blowing demonstration. An afternoon tour includes several palaces and churches and a gondola ride. There are evening tours including gondola rides as well. The office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm, approximately. Call ahead to ask about the current schedule and to make reservations.

also offer group tours: www.walksinsidevenice.com, email [email protected] for small groups, charge by the hour, most tours about 3 hours. They have set itineraries, or they will design a tour for you. I have family who used this group, they thought they were fine, they thought the tour should have been shorter actually, no comparison in scope or interest to Context Rome/Scala Reale.

also www.venicescapes.org

suze

In Venice we used a small pamphlet with suggested self-guided walking tours (sorry don't remember the name, but believe it was a woman who had similar publications for various cities).

elaine

self-directed walks

www.veniceword.com

If there is no such thing for you as having too much information, then think about buying the book Venice for Pleasure by J. G. Links. This book has walking itineraries including places to stop for rest and refreshment, and wonderful details on things to look at while you are walking and even while you are sitting down. This book is not useful for restaurants or hotels or hours that sites are open. Includes history, and comments on Venice from famous writers of the past like John Ruskin.

the Blue Guide also has walking itineraries.

I still have a copy of a great book, a Frommer’s publication Walking Tours Venice but it seems to be out of print, according to Amazon.com. Not only has it guided me step by unfamiliar step through the various neighborhoods but it also gives brief explanatory comments on my surroundings, and even on individual art works and cafes to stop into along the way

There were also self-guided walking tours suggested in an article in Travel & Leisure magazine. You can access that article, and many more links about Venice by going to www.travelandleisure.com, do a search on Venice, and go to the article “Venice Step by Step.”

DeirdreStraughan

Milan is also quite small commpared to Rome. Unfortunately, that time of year it will most likely be unpleasantly hot and muggy. I would suggest a day pass for the public transit system (3 euros) so you can hop in and out of the metro and buses when you feel like - though those are also not necessarily air conditioned! And plan to do a lot in the evening/night, when most people go out in summer (to avoid the worst of the heat) and the streets will be lively.

For example, you could walk around the Naviglio area, which has a lot of street night life in summer, and there will be lots of people out strolling around the Duomo area and via Dante (which leads from the Duomo to the Castello Sforzesco.

See my site for some links and tips: http://www.straughan.com/italy/travel/milano.htm

best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

www.straughan.com (personal)
www.tvblob.com (work)

windance

Thanks, everyone, for some great advice. I've found that walking tours are a great way to meet folks when I'm traveling alone, as well as to get a good overview of the area at a relaxing pace. Molto grazie!