ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
AIR
Most flights arrive on the mainland at Marco Polo Airport, 12 km from Venice. Low-cost airlines are a benefit to travellers, but a burden on the environment and Venice`s air quality; to travel with a cleaner conscience, consider a carbon-offset program. ALISON BING
TRAIN
Prompt, affordable, scenic and environmentally friendly, trains are an excellent way to travel to and from Venice. Trains run frequently to Venice`s Stazione Santa Lucia (signed as Ferrovia within Venice) from major European cities and locations throughout Italy, and all vaporetti (city ferries) stop right outside the station. Tickets for all trains can be purchased at selfserve ticketing machines in the station, online at www.trenitalia.it, or at Rail Europe in the UK. ALISON BING
Major destinations within Venice are rarely more than a 10 to 30 minute walk away, not including photo and gelato pit stops. Azienda Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV; www.actv.it) organises the vaporetto network that runs inside Venice and to outlying islands, including Giudecca, Lido, Murano, Burano and Torcello. In this book, the nearest vaporetto stop is noted after the in each listing. ALISON BING
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| VAPORETTO |
If you`re planning to use public transport often, buy a biglietto a tempo (24 -/ 72 h ticket € 16/31), a timed ticket that allows unlimited access to all transport (except the Alilaguna, Clodia, Fusina and LineaBluservices) for 24 or 72 hours from the first validation. Tickets can be purchased at ACTV ticket booths at vaporetti stops.
VeniceCard (www.hellovenezia.com; transport & culture pass junior/senior 3-day € 50.50/59, 7-day € 57/58) offers a three-day or seven-day transport and culture pass that entitles holders to unlimited use of vaporetti during the given period, plus free entry to civic museums and discounts on church entry, cultural events and special exhibitions. Venicecard can be purchased at the Azienda di Promozione Turistica Office; (www.turismovenezia.it) in San Marco; at hello Venezia ticket outlets at Stazione Santa Lucia, Ferrovia vaporetto stop and Piazzale Roma; or at a 15% discount online at www.hellovenezia.com .
For travellers aged 15 to 29, Rolling VeniceCard allows you to buy a 72-hour public-transport pass for € 18 and provides discounted access to monuments and cultural events. The pass can be purchased at helloVenezia ticket booths; identification is required. ALISON BING
VAPORETTO
Several vaporetto lines run up and down the Grand Canal, some with faster limitato (limited-stop) service. Line 1 makes all stops between Ferrovia and San Marco in about 30 to 45 minutes. Ticket should be bought in advance and validated prior to boarding in the yellow machines located dockside. Single-trip tickets cost € 6.50, so travel passes (above) offer good value. Time-tables are available online at www.actv.it/english/home.php and are posted at stops; next departures are often listed at the stops on digital displays. Some lines start as early as 5.30am, while others stop as early as 9pm. A night (N) service runs along the Grand Canal and serves the Lido and Giudecca, but all services stop at 4.30am.ALISON BING
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| VAPORETTO |
Get your gondola ride on the cheap. Both picturesque and practical, traghetti are large commuter gondolas that cross the Grand Canal at set spots for € 1 per passinger. But there are no seats - everyone crosses standing. Some operate from about 9am to 6pm, while others stop at around noon. Look for traghetto signs on calli (streets) parallel to the Grand Canal. ALISON BING
GONDOLA
More than a way to get from point A to point B,a gondola trip is an insight into a hidden Venice that is anything but pedestrian, offering rare peeks into palazzi (palaces or mansions) and courtyards. Official rates for 40 minutes are € 80 during the day or € 100 from 7pm to 8am, not including opera arias (negotiated separately) or tips. Additional time is charged in 20-minute increments (day/night € 40/50). You may be offered a price break in overcast weather or around midday, when other travellers get too hot and hungry for gondola rides. Agree in advance on a price, time limit and singing to avoid surcharges.
Gondolas cluster at stazi (stops) along the Grand Canal and near major monuments (including I Frari, Ponte dei Sospiri and Gallerie dell`Accademia). ALISON BING
WATER TAXI
The James Bond way to get around town is on these sleek teak speedboats. Official rates start at € 8.90, plus € 1.80 per minute, € 6 extra if the boat is called to your hotel, and more for night trips, luggage and large groups - so even short trips run from € 60 to € 90. But with unwieldy luggage or a group of 10 to 20, a water taxi may be the best way to reach your destination. Taxis are metered, but prices can also be negotiated in advance; a trip from Rialto to San Marco should cost around € 60.
Ignore water-taxi drivers at Piazzale Roma who claim there are no vaporetti stops nearby; the stops are in front of the bus terminal.ALISON BING
BUS
Buses run from Piazzale Roma to Mestre and other mainland destinations, as well as up and down the Lido. Tickets cost € 1 (or € 9 for 10 rides) at news-stands or tobacconists, and are good for an hour once validated in the machine on the bus. Schedules are posted at most stops and online at www.actv.it . ALISON BING
PRACTICALITIES
BUSINESS HOURS
Hours during August and winter may vary, but businesses are usually open from 9am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday. Restaurants and cafes are usually open Sunday and may be closed Monday or Tusday. See inside front cover for morespecific opening hours. ALISON BING
DISCOUNTS
Chorus pass; www.chorusvenezia.org offers single entry to 16 Venetian churches and is valid for one year; it`s for sale at ticket booths at the participating churches.
The Museum pass; www.museiciviciveneziani.it is valid for single entry to 11 museums over six months; a more limited ticket offers entry to the five museums around Piazza San Marco for € 12/6.50 per adult/child. The pass is available at the tourist office. See for information on VeniceCard and Rolling VeniceCard. ALISON BING
INTERNET
To find out what`s doing in Venice, check out these useful websites:
A Guest in Venice (www.aguestinvenice.com) Hotelier association provides information on upcoming exhibitions, events and lectures.
Guardian Travel (www.guardian.co.uk/travel/venice) The UK paper and its readers offer tips on travel that`s last minute, on the cheap, with dogs, and more.
Save Venice (www.savevenice.org)
Slow Travel Italy (www.slowtrav.com/italy) Offers accommodation and restaurant listings, trip-planning tips and forums to connect with other travellers.
Venezia da Vivere (www.veneziadavivere.com) This is the guide to what`s hip and happening in Venice now; it lists music performances, art openings, nightlife, new designers and more.
Venecija (http://marjan-venecija.blogspot.com/) Story about Venice! Nice page who offer cheep accomodation and all information about Venice.
Venice Tourist Board (www.turismovenezia.it) This site sells tickets to major city attractions; it also covers upcoming cultural events.
Weekend a Venezia (http:/en.venezia.waf.it) Discounted and last-minute tickets to major tourist attractions.
The following are a selection of Venice`s internet cafes:
Internet Point San Barnaba ; Campo San Barnaba 2759, Dorsoduro
Net Gate ;Crosera San Pantalon, Dorsoduro
VeNice ; Lista di Spagna 149, Cannaregio
World House ; Calle della Chiesa 4502, Castello ALISON BING
MONEY
Ignore water-taxi drivers at Piazzale Roma who claim there are no vaporetti stops nearby; the stops are in front of the bus terminal.ALISON BING
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| WATER TAXI |
BUS
Buses run from Piazzale Roma to Mestre and other mainland destinations, as well as up and down the Lido. Tickets cost € 1 (or € 9 for 10 rides) at news-stands or tobacconists, and are good for an hour once validated in the machine on the bus. Schedules are posted at most stops and online at www.actv.it . ALISON BING
PRACTICALITIES
BUSINESS HOURS
Hours during August and winter may vary, but businesses are usually open from 9am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday. Restaurants and cafes are usually open Sunday and may be closed Monday or Tusday. See inside front cover for morespecific opening hours. ALISON BING
Chorus pass; www.chorusvenezia.org offers single entry to 16 Venetian churches and is valid for one year; it`s for sale at ticket booths at the participating churches.
The Museum pass; www.museiciviciveneziani.it is valid for single entry to 11 museums over six months; a more limited ticket offers entry to the five museums around Piazza San Marco for € 12/6.50 per adult/child. The pass is available at the tourist office. See for information on VeniceCard and Rolling VeniceCard. ALISON BING
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| VeniceCard |
To find out what`s doing in Venice, check out these useful websites:
A Guest in Venice (www.aguestinvenice.com) Hotelier association provides information on upcoming exhibitions, events and lectures.
Guardian Travel (www.guardian.co.uk/travel/venice) The UK paper and its readers offer tips on travel that`s last minute, on the cheap, with dogs, and more.
Save Venice (www.savevenice.org)
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| Save Venice |
Venezia da Vivere (www.veneziadavivere.com) This is the guide to what`s hip and happening in Venice now; it lists music performances, art openings, nightlife, new designers and more.
Venecija (http://marjan-venecija.blogspot.com/) Story about Venice! Nice page who offer cheep accomodation and all information about Venice.
Venice Tourist Board (www.turismovenezia.it) This site sells tickets to major city attractions; it also covers upcoming cultural events.
Weekend a Venezia (http:/en.venezia.waf.it) Discounted and last-minute tickets to major tourist attractions.
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| VENICE |
Internet Point San Barnaba ; Campo San Barnaba 2759, Dorsoduro
Net Gate ;Crosera San Pantalon, Dorsoduro
VeNice ; Lista di Spagna 149, Cannaregio
World House ; Calle della Chiesa 4502, Castello ALISON BING
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| American express |
Italy uses the euro (€); see for exchange rates. Your accommodation will be your main expense in Venice, followed by meals, which start at € 2 to € 3 for a couple of cicheti (venetian tapas) or a slice of pizza - although the sky`s the limit at Harry`s Bar. An ombra (glass) of wine or prosecco runs to € 1.50 to € 3, and espresso at the bar costs € 0.80 to € 1. Instead of buying bottled water, you can save money and the environment with a glass of mineral water at the bar for € 0.20 to € 0.50. When your feet get tired, hop on the vaporetto for € 6.50. At € 80 for 40 minutes, a gondola ride is not a means of transport - it`s a main event, and a memorable way to explore the canals. ALISON BING
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| Euros |
GSM and tri-band mobile phones can be used in Italy with a local SIM card; these can be purchased at Vodafone and Telecom Italia Mobile outlets across the city. Coin-operated orange Telecom Italia phone booths can be found around major piazzas. ALISON BING
COUNTRY & CITY CODES:
When calling Venetian landlines, even from within the city, you must dial the 041 city code; local mobile numbers have no initial 0. To call from outside Italy, first dial the Italian country code (39).ALISON BING
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| TELEPHONE |
It is customary to leave a 10 % tip at restaurants where service is not included in the bill, and you can leave small change at crafts. Hotel porters are tipped € 0.50 per bag.
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| TIPPING |
TOURIST INFORMATION
Venice has tourist offices run by:
Azienda di Promozione Turistica (www.turismovenezia.it)
Marco Polo Airport (http://www.veniceairport.it)
Stazione Santa Lucia
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| TOURIST INFORMATION |
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