Travel Italy Destination: Venice
From LoveToKnow Travel
By Car
If you’re planning to go to Venice, it’s best to avoid arriving by car, for the traffic is often very heavy, particularly on the causeway from the mainland, and the parking is expensive. However, if you are approaching the city by motor vehicle, consider parking it in nearby Mestre and then taking a bus or train from here (as this will cut down on your traffic congestion problem and your parking costs).
By Plane
If you’re arriving by plane, you’ll fly into the Marco Polo Airport, just north of the city, on the Venetian lagoon. You can then take a taxi (at a cost of about 30 euros) to Piazelle Roma – or you can purchase an airport bus ticket to go to Venezia (Piazzale Roma) or a Venice airport boat ticket to go directly to the city center, the Piazza San Marco. The quickest way to get to the city center is by private water taxi, but it’s also the most expensive.
By Bus
If you’re going to Venezia (Piazzale Roma) by bus, Bus ATVO offers direct connection from the airport, while Bus ACTV (which is cheaper and slower) makes several stops along the route.
Purchasing a Venice Card
If you’re using public transportation, you can save money by reserving ahead and purchasing a Venice Card for 1, 3, or 7 days (and this will also provide you with free use of public toilets and free entrance into certain public museums).
By Train
By train, you’ll arrive at the Stazione Ferroviaria Santa Lucia, and then head towards the floating waterbus platforms; the #1 vaporetto makes stops all along the Grand Canal, and the #82 is an express boat directly to the Piazza San Marco.
By Vaporetti
From Piazzale Roma, you can take a reasonably priced waterbus (vaporetto) to the city center. You’ll arrive at the Piazzo San Marco via the Grand Canal, Venice’s main water thoroughfare, and you’ll witness the colourful and busy spectacle of gondolas and vaporetti (waterbuses) as you pass by several magnificent palaces and historical landmarks on your way to this destination.
St. Mark's Square
Piazza San Marcos (Saint Mark’s Square) is perhaps the most famous and most photographed plaza in all of Europe! Here you’ll see hordes of pigeons that inhabit the open Square, St. Mark’s Basilica (with its Byzantine influence), and St. Mark’s Bell Tower (where you can climb up for a great view of Venice, the lagoon, and the distant majestic peak of the Dolomites). And St. Mark’s Square is surrounded by several intriguing shops, cafes, and boutiques that await your exploration.
Canals and Bridges
Many of Venice’s so-called “streets” are actually canals, with the main “street” being the Grand Canal; it snakes through the city, dividing it into two unequal sections, and it’s spanned by three very different bridges: the wooden Ponte Accademia, the stone Ponte degli Sclazi, and the marble Ponte Rialto.
Exploring the City
The best way to explore Venice is on foot (for the area immediately around St. Mark’s Square) and by vaporetti, but for a more expensive treat (or for the romantic), there’s also travel by gondola.
Venice's Lagoon Islands
And Venice is actually a lot more than just St. Mark’s Square and its immediate vicinity, for the Venetian lagoon is an archipelago of more than a hundred islands, many of which are inhabited, vibrant, and well worth visiting by vaporetti (including Burano, Lido, Murano, and Torcello), so include a visit to at least some of these lagoon islands as a part of your trip to Venice.
For More Information:
Italian Government Tourist Board: wwwitaliantourism.com
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