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Any tips on things to do in Venice?
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Just oneDamoNorthStand said:Eat a Cornetto.
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I found myself "stranded" in Venice for the day. Me and my friends had been travelling, we parted ways in Ljubljana, I had to travel home for work and they were carrying on to Croatia. The cheapest flights were in the evening from Venice so I jumped on a overnight train and got there at 7 in the morning.
Trust me this is the best time to walk around Venice, the place is empty. From 7-9 I saw the infamous sites, Piazza San Marco, Rialto Bridge etc. At 9 the place started to get crowded, and I mean really crowded. 8.45 on the Northern Line crowded, so I decided what can I do that's off the beaten track.
Having previously managed Unione Venezia on Football Manager I thought a pilgrimage to their ground was in order. It took me an hour to walk there. It was getting hotter, suddenly long trousers (in an attempt to look like I'd just strolled of the streets packed with the most exclusive fashion boutiques in Milan) seemed like a terrible idea. But I endeavoured.
Now the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo isn't the most beautiful of stadiums. It's falling down, grafitti ridden, a real relic of 90s Italian football. This isn't the sort of place that has a club shop, or a stadium tour. In fact it was deserted. As I neared it's walls I noticed that there was a door open. Now most people would think trespassing onto private property in a foreign country on the day of your flight home is a stupid idea, but to me a small part of it felt like home and I had to look inside. As I went up to the door I looked out and saw the changing rooms either side and the tunnel leading out onto the pitch. How could I turn down an opportunity like this. After a quick look around into the very basic changing facilities where I would have "taken my team talks" I wondered out onto the turf. I stopped to take it all in, and then suddenly I heard a very loud voice over a tannoy system.
It was screaming in Italian, of which I speak none. In hindsight it probably wasn't even speaking to me, but at the time there was nothing else on my mind but to run, and boy did I ran, out of the ground, over the bridge, down the promenade. The trousers were now definitely a terrible idea. I can't have stopped for a good half a mile where I ducked into a small cafe and grabbed an Ice Tea.
It's still one of the best days of my life, but I digress. My tip for Venice, get up early one morning and take a stroll, you won't regret it...oh, and the stadiums not much to look at.10 -
Agree with Kimbo, go to Verona, great city- roman remains & Romeo an Juliet. Sirmione wonderful as well. Not sure about the Cafe Florian, a year ago a coffee was 12 euro's!0
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...heard the one about the venetian streetwalker - she drowned!Swisdom said:
I read it's €110 but I am probably going to go for it because, as you say, it's the special touches that count!Charlton Charlie said:Pretty expensive but take a water taxi from the airport - amazing way to arrive at your hotel/in the city - will be about 100 euros for a ten minute or so trip....but - to my mind - totally worth it for that 'James Bond' feeling ;-)
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There'a nice Lido in Charlton you could take her toThe Organiser said:We're staying on the Lido away from the hustle and bustle.
Seems so expensive (or rather poor Value for money) to stay central.
http://www.better.org.uk/leisure/charlton-lido
:-)2 -
Don't join the queue to go up the tower in St Marks Sq, Catch the water bus to the island opposite and go up the Clock tower of Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore, the view is better no queues and half the cost. You can also get the Red line water bus from Marco Polo Airport to St Marks Square for about 25euros return it takes about an hour but the route is via the islands.0
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So Venice this weekend with the kids (don't ask), can Charlton Lifers rise to that challenge?
Serious suggestions most welcome
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going on Boxing Day for a couple of nights, so watching with interest.0
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http://travelwithkids.about.com/od/italy/fr/Venice_with_kids.htm doing some research0
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I'm suprised that no one has mentioned Harry's Bar - but take a wad of euros as its very expensive. I walked in, sat down, looked at the prices and walked out again!0
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I'd swap a trip to Venice for an away day in Huddersfield ANY day .razil said:So Venice this weekend with the kids (don't ask), can Charlton Lifers rise to that challenge?
Serious suggestions most welcome
:-)
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Venice + kids? Oh dear :-(0
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Ice cream, pizzas in back streets, get vaporettos everywhere, in fact stay on them!. The islands might stir a cheer, especially in Murano if the glass blowers are strutting their stuff. Watching pigeons in Piazza San Marco. It's really not a kids place but if they are prepared to walk round the maze of passageways, ( it usually takes one ice cream per hour) you may even enjoy yourselves.2
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There's a beach on the lido island, also a big kids playground there0
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Ours picked us up from the Hotel, did a little tour around the canals and then 'opened the throttles' for the trip to the airport.Charlton Charlie said:Pretty expensive but take a water taxi from the airport - amazing way to arrive at your hotel/in the city - will be about 100 euros for a ten minute or so trip....but - to my mind - totally worth it for that 'James Bond' feeling ;-)
100 Euros and worth every penny. Absolutely beautiful wooden decked shiny speed boat and as CC said, you feel like James Bond.
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4 day pass for the Vaporetto is a real bargain, depends upon where you are staying but Lido is infinitely cheaper to eat. Guggenheim museum is good, full of "borrowed" art, Il Basilica St Marco has to be done, the golden screen blew me away first time I went at 11 years of age. Rialto is best seen by water than on foot. Lovely city, Jewish Quarter is quite humbling as well. And just round the back of The Doges Palace is a small restaurant that does the best bolognese meatballs I've ever had. Enjoy:)0
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Hold ya nose it can chuck up0
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managed to have a great time with the kids in Venice, thanks for all the advice. They loved exploring, and the boat trips, even a bit of the odd church and Palace, not much art tho
It's such a fantastic location (very pricey though) so well worth it.0 -
I think getting on top of the bell tower at the end of the night is part of his plans already.paulwentout said:Been there many times so if you can see the Jewish quarter, the Islands, go to the top of the Bell Tower, enjoy the place at night when all the day trippers have gone and you have Venice to yourself-believe me it will be quiet and romantic if you want that! Yes, its expensive but eat anywhere near the Santa Lucia Station and the prices come down but the food quality goes up! Plus, if you want a gondala ride go late at night after 9pm and you may get a good deal-we did as it was the fella's last trip for the evening.
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Off to Venice for 4 days tomorrow. As always, CL comes up trumps with info.0
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It's all been said above but do eat in the back streets where the locals go = better food at much better prices. Just spend your time walking, do more walking and getting 'lost', that's the real Venice.1
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swimming.0
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Off in early February, I love Italy and am really looking forward to this. I enjoy a bit of a wander and a tactical bierra stop.
109 for 3 nights in a 4* hotel with breakfast and flights from Gatwick, i'm quids in already.0 -
Head to the back streets for your evening meal, some excellent restaurants around. I really enjoyed the water taxi to the Airport.0
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Wear a gassmask and keep a big bag of pot-pourri strung around your neck in case you ever have to take the gasmask off.1
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The Mrs said the one thing she 'had' to do in Venice was go to Harry's Bar. So off we went. She had her Bellini and I had a Diet Coke.Solidgone said:I'm suprised that no one has mentioned Harry's Bar - but take a wad of euros as its very expensive. I walked in, sat down, looked at the prices and walked out again!
I'm still weeping now looking at that bill...
Other than that, Venice is bloody marvellous. Would love to go back there again sometime, so beautiful.
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Once got severed a pizza in Venice which was clearly made from a frozen base.JohnBoyUK said:
The Mrs said the one thing she 'had' to do in Venice was go to Harry's Bar. So off we went. She had her Bellini and I had a Diet Coke.Solidgone said:I'm suprised that no one has mentioned Harry's Bar - but take a wad of euros as its very expensive. I walked in, sat down, looked at the prices and walked out again!
I'm still weeping now looking at that bill...
Other than that, Venice is bloody marvellous. Would love to go back there again sometime, so beautiful.
Couple of Italians I were with were not impressed to say the least!0 -
getting severed is never a pleasant experienceJarman said:
Once got severed a pizza in Venice which was clearly made from a frozen base.JohnBoyUK said:
The Mrs said the one thing she 'had' to do in Venice was go to Harry's Bar. So off we went. She had her Bellini and I had a Diet Coke.Solidgone said:I'm suprised that no one has mentioned Harry's Bar - but take a wad of euros as its very expensive. I walked in, sat down, looked at the prices and walked out again!
I'm still weeping now looking at that bill...
Other than that, Venice is bloody marvellous. Would love to go back there again sometime, so beautiful.
Couple of Italians I were with were not impressed to say the least!
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Bump, any additional to the above advice / places to go etc gratefully received.
Staying near St Marks Square.
Particularly interested in any restaurants worth visiting that isn't going to see me washing dishes to pay for!
What's a fair price to pay for a gondola? I'm not the best at haggling0 -
Doesn't matter where you stay to be honest as I found it so easy to simply walk around the whole place. Do that and find the restaurants down the side streets rather than the ones in St Marks Square or on the river.
Think I paid about €120 for a gondola ride - it's expensive.
Get a book of tickets at the airport for the water taxis, you can then just jump on and off if your little legs can't take the walking.
Bridge of Sighs and Rialto Bridge are both decent but just wander around and you'll enjoy yourself.2
