Things To Know In Venice

Updated: May 2023

In such a beautiful destination as Venice, one can easily become overwhelmed upon arrival. The excitement of seeing the canals, buildings, cobbled streets, and people can make it difficult to know where to begin. It is important, then, to know some essential things about Venice. Here is a partial list of some practical aspects of your stay.

Things to know

• No cars are allowed in Venice. Leave yours on the mainland and take public transportation to the Venetian lagoon. Transportation within the city is good, though crowded at times. Vaporettos only stop at certain points along the Grand Canal and two other places – you’ll need to walk around town.
  
  
• Get your Venice Card at Marco Polo airport, Piazzale Roma, or the train station (there are now more places where you can buy them). This card can help with museum admissions (discounts), vaporetto rides (lower fares), church admissions, and more. There is also a discounted version for young people.
  
  
• Public toilets are plentiful around popular tourist areas and charge 1 Euro per use. If you have a Venice Card, they are free. Cafes and bars also have toilets that you can use – as a common courtesy, buy at least a cup of coffee.
  
  
• Original Murano glass is generally very expensive. However, there are places where it is discounted (Piazza San Marco) and can sometimes be much cheaper away from commercial centers (in outlying areas like Burano). Just be careful not to buy fakes imported from Asia.
  
  
• Fixed-price “tourist dinners” are cheaper than a plate of spaghetti – there is no cover charge. However, the food quality of ‘menu turistico’ cannot be guaranteed. Also, restaurants now add a 10 or 15% surcharge on top of everything.
  
  
• The area around San Polo near Rialto and the fish market is typical of “bacaro” or “cichetteria”. These are typical Venetian places to consume small snacks and drinks. “Cichetti” (similar to Spanish ‘tapas’) are popular snacks.
  
  
• If you must insist on taking a gondola ride, here’s the lowdown: they are expensive tourist attractions or romantic tours, whichever way you look at it. They charge 80 Euros for the first 40 minutes and 40 Euros for every additional 20 minutes. After 7 pm, the rate becomes 100 Euros for 40 minutes and 50 Euros for every additional 20 minutes. The maximum number of passengers is six persons – you may split the fare with everyone.
  
  
• When ordering a fish dish, be aware that they are charged by weight and not by piece. 7 Euros for every 100 grams would add up to 35 Euros for a medium-sized fish that’s around half-a-kilo (500 grams). It pays to ask questions before ordering.
  
  
• Almost everyone sells maps to tourists – but these maps are FREE. You should get yours at the airport along with your transport ticket pass. If not, get one at your hotel’s reception area.

As with all other tourist destinations in the world, it pays to ask around before committing to anything – transportation, food, shopping, going places, finding the best times to go, etc.

The above list is just some of the things you should know about Venice. Be guided accordingly and enjoy!