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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Your tips in Venice please

101 replies

Frenchgirl · 27/02/2006 14:08

Off to Venice next week for 5 days (Monday to Friday) with dd (6 and a half)
dh went years ago but it's my first time

so what are your tips and fab secret places (I won't tell anyone else Grin)

Can't wait to go as we've had a sh*t two months...

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choccywoccydoodaa · 02/03/2006 11:00

Haven't read whole thread but take some warm clothes if going soon. We went in Feb 2002 and it was beautiful but soooooo cold - we have a 3 yearb old dd as a result Grin

Frenchgirl · 02/03/2006 11:02
Grin nice souvenir!!! I have been checking the weather there at the moment so I think the clothes we're wearing here will be just fine, ie jumpers and coats don't mind really as long as it is sunny
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Ellbell · 02/03/2006 22:51

Grin Hausfrau... Last time I was in Trieste I accidentally got on a bus with a gang of the little !£$&!*&^s and their teacher looked as if she was about to burst into tears!

Hausfrau · 03/03/2006 07:59

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koolkat · 03/03/2006 08:29

WALK > WALK > WALK !

It is THE City for walking and getting LOST !

I went in a very, very hot August 2003...unsurprising the locals had gone off somewhere else because they knew how hot it was and us tourists didn't !

This time of the year should be wonderful.

I don't have any tips other than, enjoy !

Italy and Venice in particular are my fave places on earth Smile

koolkat · 03/03/2006 08:31

Oh, unless you are very romatic, do not waste money on a gondola. Expensive and over-rated IMO.

We took the river buses everyday which are just as good !

Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:01

koolkat, I'm afraid dd got a 'voucher' for a gondola trip.... will try and negotiate a reasonable deal!Smile
3 days to go.... very excited now!!!!

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Hausfrau · 03/03/2006 10:17

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Hausfrau · 03/03/2006 10:17

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Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:24

I detest pidgeons, yuck yuck yuck
she shares my belief that they are rats with wings and knows there are going to be loads there.
not sure what she thinks of masks, so will mention that, thanks!

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koolkat · 03/03/2006 15:15

Oh, you have a voucher ! Good for you, sorry didn't want to put you off just wanted to say that if you are on a tight budget the gondola is no big deal. You can see the beauty of venice from anywhere.

Instead of paying for gondola's I spent £90 on an outrageously beautiful, soft pig skin, beige, Gucci look a like handbag. But then I am known to be a bit of shoe and handbag lady...

Masks and flying rats...yes remember the masks, but not the rats ! Aren't the rats with wings called "bats" ?? Grin

Obvioulsy Hausfrau is a bit more romantic than me or, watched too many Corneto ads ? Grin

Cam · 05/03/2006 21:50

Yes,one of the best views of the Grand Canal is from the balcony of teh Guggenheim Museum.

And yes, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (used to be a guildhall) with all the walls and ceilings painted by Titian, blows your mind.

And yes again to Traghetti, don't worry about standing up, you will get told where to stand so you don't rock the boat and little children will be able to sit down.

Venice is one my favourite places in the world. Its magical. Go to the Piazza San Marco for your first time just before sunset so that the rays reflect off the gold on the Basilica.

Get a water taxi to the Cipriani Hotel and have a meal in the Cip's club with its view across the water of St Marks as it lights up early evening.

Albert · 06/03/2006 00:42

The going rate for a gondola was 60 Euro for 20 minutes but everything is open to negociation, just don't pay more than that - I must admit to never going on a gondola in the entire 3 years I was there! When you cross the Academia bridge (in the direction of the Academia) over the Grand Canal (the only wooden bridge over the GC) turn around and look at the magnificent palace immediatley to the right - that was where DH worked and is, IMO, one of the most fantastic palaces there. My office was rather more humble but nonetheless a magnificent building.
Ooo you go tomorrow, have a brilliant time Envy

soapbox · 06/03/2006 00:50

Oooh! I'm so excited to see all these ideas!

We are going there for the late May bank holiday for 5 days. We are staying at an apartment \link{http://www.privatevenice.com/duca.htm\here} overlooking the grand canal!

Please let us know what your hot tips are Frenchgirl - can't wait to hear how you get on:)

Albert, so glad you posted on this thread - nothing like a local for good advice!

Thanks to everyone else too - it does make travelling with children easier if other;s have gone before and are willing to share their ideas!!

Frenchgirl · 12/03/2006 20:24

soapbox that looks amazing!!!

Haven't go much time to chat now but we had a fantastic time and cannot wait to go back and explore a lot more, there is so much to do and see! We are all in love with Venice, and had great weather.

Will come back with a lovely restaurant address as well as a shop you must not miss as it's part of Venice's history and is about to disappear (at least in its current form) and our favourite bits!

I must admit to thinking about all of you lovely Mnetters who gave me advice, and feeling guilty if we didn't manage to do what you recommended Grin .......

anyway, will be back soon to this thread with more..........

a very madly in love with Venezia Frenchgirl
xxx

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Hausfrau · 12/03/2006 20:27

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Frenchgirl · 13/03/2006 10:09

OK, so the weather was great, cold but not too cold, and brilliant sunshine, apart from the last day where we had some cloud and a couple of drops of rain. We wore our sunglasses a lot!
Best restaurant was Acqua Pazza (closed mondays) on Campo Sant'Angelo very near la Fenice: not venetian cuisine, more neapolitan. Fabulous pizzas (huge though, so just share one between two people, that's what they expect), great spaghetti alla vongole, free (yes free!) homemade limoncello (they give you two glasses and leave the bottle on your table...), delicious dessert (also to share): a plate of different fruits (apples, strawberries, apricots, lychees, small bananas, walnuts, etc...), cut in half and filled with their own sorbet, but be warned, it's addictive!! They also bring you lovely bruschetta to start with (just get a main course and dessert, the helpings are very generous). They were brilliant with dd, made her pasta to her liking, and another time made her a small pizza just for her. We went three evenings in a row and loved it every time, several waiters used to come and say hi and joke with dd (who practised her italian on them!), they were very friendly. Try and book though as it is popular with venetians. The cover charge is 5 euros per person, the main dishes vary between about 12 euros and 25 euros IIRC (it's all a blur because of the limoncello).
They have a nice terrasse on the Campo as well if you go at lunchtime. Definitely not a horrid tourist trap and they'll love you if you go more than once!
Robinpud: The hotel was perfect, easy to find (the street is on the corner of the Danieli...), opposite the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop, very clean, warm. Simple breakfast (cornflakes, rolls, croissants, yogurt, yummy coffee and hot chocolate, etc), nice staff. We were in 304.

Must do some work now but will come back later with the rest....

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Hausfrau · 13/03/2006 11:39

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Frenchgirl · 13/03/2006 20:16

lol Hausfrau!

Well we did take the water bus from Marco Polo airport (10 euros each one way - big queue to your left when you come out through customs...), it took 1 hour 20mn and was worth it, even though it was dark by the time we got there (at least we'd had an amazing view of Venice from the plane first). We also got our 3 day vaporetto tickets the following day from the tourist office by the Grand Canal behind Piazza San Marco (25 euros each I think, under 5s don't pay). They are worth it as you can use them for long trips to Murano, Burano, Torcello, but NOT the airport. Found the vaporetti very easy to use and loved just standing there looking at the view rather than sitting down.
Also used the traghetti to cross the Grand Canal several times (50 cents each), great fun, especially if you use the one at the Rialto market as recommended by Albert I think, as it's used by venetian old ladies with their caddies full of fish and veg, and you all have to stand there trying not to make the boat rock! Really makes you feel local Smile
Dd got her gondola ride: we didn't want to use those on the Grand Canal, so got on one on a small canal in San Marco and bargained a little to get down from 85 euros for 45mn to 60 euros for 30mn (which is plenty). Our gondolier was nice and didn't sing (phew) and told us a lot about the city, dd had the time of her life! It is worth it for seeing the small canals, but not particularly interesting on the grand Canal I found.
Had hot chocolate and biscotti at Florian's (inside), nice, but think I would have preferred Quadri on the other side of the Piazza... next time.
Also had our Bellini and Junior Bellini at Harry's Bar downstairs (watch out for very good looking waiter there.... Grin). Very nice as it feels like it hasn't really changed since it first opened, lovely waiters (gave us a menu before we sat down to see whether we wanted to eat as well - which we didn't after seeing the prices). There were mostly italians there (rich ones!!) having lunch. Dd got to see the lion mark showing where the water rose to in 66 (I think - she's the specialist). Dh in his enthusiasm knocked over our three half full glasses, the waiter came over and tidied everything and brought us new full glasses pronto!!! And didn't charge us for it. Emjoyed this more than Florian's.
In the Dorsoduro, had lovely afternoon walks, with italian kids walking home from school and playing on the Campo Santa Margherita (they played with dd quite happily too!), had delicious ice-cream from a shop just off there, near the Mondonovo mask shop. Worth going into Mondonovo as there are two people there making masks by hand which are reproductions of old mask, or made on order masks, really beautiful stuff, totally different from the old tat you see everywhere else. Got dd a lovely cat half mask in dark blue and gold (I think prices started around 30 euros)
Also worth going to Il Caffe (a little red cafe on Campo Santa Margherita) as it's got a gorgeous old espresso machine and great atmosphere (very studenty - therefore cheaper than most cafes). We wanted to go back for a light lunch there but never got round to it.
Have more to tell but will have to stop now!! hope you're still reading Hausfrau Grin

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Hausfrau · 13/03/2006 20:20

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Frenchgirl · 13/03/2006 20:22

Hausfrau thank you for reading my badly written memories of a wonderful few days Smile

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robinpud · 13/03/2006 20:22

OOh sounds lovely I am counting the days. we had our Italian friend over this weekend which put me in the mood! I am so relieved about the hotel. I wil be printing this off and taking it with me. I went to buy a guide book on Saturday but got bamboozled by choice so retreated to reread this thread and see what people suggest.

Frenchgirl · 13/03/2006 20:28

you'll be warm and cosy there robinpud, very nice bathrooms too. Rooms not big but hey, it's Venice!

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Gem13 · 13/03/2006 20:43

I think I know your red coffee shop! I went there with my mother when I was 7 months pregnant with DS and admired the good looking students. Then remembered that I was a) pregnant, b) married c) 31 and d) with my mother!!!

Frenchgirl · 13/03/2006 20:44

Gem13, the good looking students were out in force for me too!!!

Wink
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