Venice 2012 Guidebook
Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:
Best: Alessandro's Cicchetti Tour
Why: He was charming, informative and enjoyable. It was like having drinks and dinner with your favorite uncle who has a great sense of humor!
Drew Garcia in Cairo, Egypt 12/31/2011
Best:
Why: Even with maps, I found it impossible to find some of the recommended restaurants. Maps were nearly useless. I probably walked to Rialto/St. Mark's a dozen times, but never the same way twice. It is a maze, and not nearly as compact or easy to navigate as your book makes it seem. Also, the area to the right of St. Mark's -- the park and surrounding area -- is a residential area for Venetians with none of the directional signs of "tourist" Venice. I recommend a stroll through this area but pay attention to where you are so you won't wander lost for an hour.
Suzanne in San Diego, CA USA 12/27/2011
Best: National Museum of Rome, Palazzo Massimo
Why: To be able to see mosaics and frescoes created over 2000 years, reconstructed to scale and set in rooms as they originally existed was one of the highlights of my trip. The garden room of the Villa of Livia was unforgettable.
Worst: The Metro in Rome and the buses in Rome
Why: There's nothing fun or charming about being crammed in like a sardine. I recommend to everyone to either walk, take a taxi or use one of the hop on and hop off buses. Public transportation in Rome sucks.
Nancy in Driver, WA USA 11/14/2011
Worst: Alessandro Schezzini's Bar Tour
Why: While it was fun talking with other travelers, the tour was not as described in in Rick's book. In no way were we introduced to typical Venetian cicchetti. What we were offered were frozen deep fried cheese balls or rubbery calamari reheated in a microwave. We felt completely ripped off. Save your Euros and go to the bars on your own.
Jill Irwin in Kingston, ON Canada 10/19/2011
Worst: Hotel Riva
Why: This hotel showed callous disregard when I fell down their unlit marble stairway. Owner was in a hurry to get me up and out of the way even though I was quite injured. He gave me some ice and never asked how I was doing. I had to return home for surgery on my wrist that was broken in four places. Hallways did not have sensor lighting that was working. While this place is centrally located and cheap, the rude owner (who purports to be a doctor) unkept rooms and crummy breakfast makes it a good place to skip. Stay somewhere else. It's not really up to the Rick Steves standards. Oh, I forgot to mention the rat I saw running across the lobby.
Karen Naman in San Francisci, Ca USA 10/07/2011
Best: Sections on art
Why: We are art nuts and love to check out the art museums in cities we visit. With limited time, we would probably have missed the Guggenheim, the Scuola de San Rocco, and the Scuola de San Giorgio, all of which were outstanding.
Best advice was to walk, and get lost - only way to really discover the charming little squares, corners and communities. On one of our "lost" evening walks, we stumbled on a yoga class in session in a tiny triangular cobbled space right next to a small canal.
Elizabeth Bamberger in Portland, OR USA 09/26/2011
Worst: Walking tour in Verona
Why: It was great going to verona and following the guided walk in the book. However, we had a hard time returning. No directions to go back to main square
Kenneth in Redmond, WA USA 09/18/2011
Best: Alessandro Schezzini's Bar Tour
Why: It's a personal experience, led by a local man who obviously loves his country, has a great sense of humor, and isn't shy about sharing his thoughts and feelings about Venice. He is "real Italy!" The bars you visit on the tour are welcoming and had great wines!
Stacey Baker in Goffstown, NH USA 07/13/2011
Best: Mercato Rialto
Why: The fish and produce market was outstanding! Closed on Monday and replaced with an antique market that day, the produce stands are set up Monday and Tuesday (the two days I visited).
Mike in Wheeling, IL USA 06/22/2011
Best: la scuola grande di san rocco
Why: Tintoretto's large works throughout are eye feasts extraordinaire!
Roxanne in Seattle, WA USA 06/20/2011
Worst: Murano visit
Why: The island itself is beautiful. However, as soon as we got off the ferry, we were herded by men directing us to a free glassmaking demonstration. The demo was only three to four minutes and then you were funnelled through their very expensive gift shop. It was obvious the men at the ferry were employees of this particular factory. Also, on the main canal, we found that most of the factories charged 5 euros a head to watch a demonstration. We finally found a lovely shop, off the beaten path, that allowed us to just go in the back and watch them work, no fee, no time limit. I was happy to spend money in their shop afterwards. Ask at the Glass Museum for the name of this shop. Definitely, get away from the ferry dock and you might have better luck to find a true demonstration of glass blowing. Also, we learned that if something glass is more expensive, it is probably made in Murano. If it is really cheap, it was probably made in China!!!! If you want the real deal, make sure it is made in Murano!
Allison Garth in Little Silver, NJ USA 05/24/2011
Best: avventura bellisime venice tours
Why: We did a whole day- the guided walking tour- you would never have gotten the full history and sense of Venice without it-our guide Rita was wonderful; then a gondola ride through the back canals; then a motor launch tour of the Grand Canal and more. It really gave us a real feeling for Venice and it was worth the money.
Allison Garth in Little Silver, NJ USA 05/24/2011
Best: Scrovegni Chapel - in Padua
Why: A rare chance to see truly ground-breaking art.
This may be obvious to some, but you might want to mention that Padua Cards ordered in conjunction with an on-line Chapel reservation can be picked up and activated at the Musei Civici Eremitani seven days a week.
Bill Bozo in Springfield, VA USA 04/13/2011
Best: Way too many! St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark's Square, the Rialto, the Fish Market and the gondola ride
Why: Venice is an amazing place! It is a feast of an experience! My husband thinks that St. Mark's Basilica should be one of the next wonders of the world. With it's 1" by 1" tile mosaics EVERYWHERE! It is pretty awesome. St. Mark's Square is unparalleled at night. We wanted to do your pub crawl but couldn't pull ourselves away from the magic of the Square at night. The Rialto is unlike anything we had ever seen before and was such an experience. It's a whirlwind of vendors of all kinds, locals and people from all over the earth. The Fish Market had to be one of the coolest things we'd ever seen! A two foot shark, a man getting the dye glands out of baby squid, whole octopi, not to mention the rest of the produce! So fabulous! And then our gondola ride. We decided to go during the day because we had elected to do the traditional vows at our wedding and then read our personal vows to each other on our gondola ride - daylight therefore became very important! And to be honest, I don't think it decreased the romance at all. Our gondolier, of course, took us beneath the Rialto so we could kiss and showed us the "behind the scenes" Venice which was so quiet and magnificent. We loved everything about Venice!
Shannon Fonferko in Schaumburg, IL USA 03/20/2011
Best: Day trip to Vicenza
Why: Romina Rampazzo was fantastic! We arranged to meet her for a full day of sightseeing. She met us at the train station and could not have been more interesting, accommodating, informative - and just plain delight to be with. Would recommend her to anyone wanting to see the town. She is so justifiably proud of it.
Elaine Wolfson in Reston, VA USA 12/04/2010
Best: Avventure Bellissime Venice Tours was the BEST!
Why: I emailed them, telling them I wanted to do a Grand CAnal tour, a walking tour, and a gondola ride, but wanted to do these over 2 days. Jonathan wrote back to indicate this in the comments and sent me the web connection. After booking, and a small glitch they booked these for me. When I took the walking tour I hooked up with an Australian couple. They were taking the Grand Canal tour in the afternoon, but I had told the Tour Co. employee I wanted to do this the next day. He fit me in with the couple that day! It gets better - the next day I was 15 minutes late for the gondola ride check in(checked into my cruise and had to take the Vaporetto back to St Marks). The Tour Co employee was checking in other people and I was the last to arrive, so he was waiting for me to show up and told me so! Even if he wasn't that made me feel very special! Hands down I would recommend this tour company! By the way all 3 tours cost $77 Euro!
Niki Bruick in Santa Cruz, CA USA 11/02/2010
Best: Osteria de la Campa
Why: Locals know of this place and the food is authentic and delicious. I loved the sardines so much as an appetizer, I ordered a second plate as dessert!
Worst: Antica Sacresetia, Calle de Sacresetia two blocks behind St. Marks.
Why: My husband and I ate at this restaurant on Sunday, October 17, 2010 after reading a positive review in Rick Steve’s Venice 2007 guide. This cozy-looking restaurant offers the promise of a special meal but is simply overpriced, understaffed and offers meals that are just adequate.
We arrived at 7:50pm. We immediately got seated with menus and had high hopes for a lovely experience. At 8:20pm, noticing that we were being ignored, the owner gave us a local drink, the one that we saw being given to all patrons when they entered the restaurant. It was iced, reddish in color with a lemon slice and sugar on the rim. It was a tasteless and watered down. After forty minutes, at 8:30pm, the owner actually took our order. He must have known that his two wait-staff were overworked. We watched two waiters as they bussed tables, set up tables, served tables, and brought checks to a full house. They ignored all new customers so that they could attend to those already in service.
The poor service would have be compensated for if the had food measured up. My husband’s E33 four course pre-fixed menu was completely unremarkable. The appetizer was venetian sardines that were vinegary and oily – not the ones that are Venice’s claim to fame. We ordered this at Osteria de la Campa two nights prior and understand how this dish should taste! He had pasta in tinta as the prima which he described as tasteless and cuttlefish as the main course which was unremarkable. My meal was E45 for the seafood complete plate. It was better than my husbands except all the vegetables were boiled, bland, thawed out, and microwaved. If you ask for local tap water – you will be told it isn’t permissible. One waiter told my husband that the glass of water would be free and then billed us E4 for the water.
This is a restaurant for tourists. You are treated like you are passing through and will never return. It fools you with its low ceilings and homey atmosphere. It offers very disappointing service with overpriced and forgettable food.
ellen berger in miami, fl USA 10/22/2010
Worst: Osteria Enoteca ai Rusteghi
Why: I ordered a bottle of beer and was later charged 10 Euros (9 Euros for the bottle of beer and 1 Euro service charge). That was $13.50 for a bottle of beer. When I questioned the owner about the price, he had no apologies. I felt truly ripped off!!!
Dennis Hart in New Orleans, LA USA 10/22/2010
Best: the dueling orchestras at night at St. Mark's Square
Why: You could sit for hours or stand and dance-- it was Fun!!! the music was wonderful and the atmosphere was just perfect- no hassles-just a place to enjoy!
Worst: finding my way around
Why: none of the maps were accurate with the street signs-- we asked for directions from the shop owners and found our way by counting bridges and churches
Jean Chinni in Ellicott City, Md USA 10/06/2010
Best: walking tour around venice
Why: I was so happy to be away from the crowds and see venice in a different light. It was nice to get away from all the touristy vendors and see where the venetians spend their time shopping and living.
Tricia in New York, NY USA 08/23/2010
Best: Treviso Car Service
Why: I planned just a one day get away with my daughter and friend and her daughter. Flew into Treviso airport(08.45) and was able to skip the bus ticket line and have our driver waiting there with my name on a piece of paper ready to wisk us away on our holiday. I called 12 hours before we flew in and they were able to take care of us. We paid €55 to get to Venice in 40 minutes!! Or we could have done the bus would have cost 4 of us, €24 total and 90 minutes. Double the price but half the time, sooo worth it. We told him to meet us between 19.15-19.30 to take us back to the airport, when we got there at 19.05 and he was there waiting us! Same amount again to get back but got to the airport in 45+ minutes versus the bus that would have taken 2+hours during rush hour. Which gave us 1.5 hours more of sightseeing!!! English was great, service was great and the van(seats up to 8 people) was clean. I highly recommend them!! Thanks for tell us about them.
Kelley Kagele in APO, AE USA 08/16/2010
Best: Bag check at San Marco
Why: We saw people getting turned away at the door b/c they had backpacks, after waiting in the line to get in. We knew backpacks weren't allowed, which is common at churches, but the nice thing about the tip in the guidebook is that it told us where the bag check is. I doubt we would have found it on our own and I doubt those turned away would be able to. We were too chicken to try "scooting in" with our claim tag as the book suggests, but the line was only about 10 minutes long.
Worst: Using the directional signs after "getting lost"
Why: This isn't that big of a deal and the "getting lost" suggestion is a good one as it does get one away from the crowded areas. But once away from the crowds and the "main" streets, there aren't very many of those signs. Also they direct you along the "main" streets which are also crowded. So if you are going to "get lost" make sure you have a good map with a good index so you can find your location when you are done being "lost" and make your way back to wherever you need to be. For maps, I recommend the "Streetwise" series(www.streetwisemaps.com, but readily available in chain bookstore travel sections). They are very detailed (essential in Venice) and are somewhat waterproof (essential in a downpour).
Tom Farrell in Santa Clara, CA USA 06/16/2010
Best: Hotel Ala
Why: Check out their specials. i got a double upgrade, free night and huge discount for staying the end of July into August. Have already booked for this year - same unbelievable deal. Could not be more convenient, comfortable and friendly. Loved the breakfast - kept me going for the day. The bar certainly was interesting - I got to watch very tired tourists struggling in the heat. When they were gone, I was refreshed and just about owned Venice!
Robert Violette in Bordentown, NJ USA 06/03/2010
Best: Doge's Palace
Why: It was really interesting and fun to go through it. There was so much to see and the guided tour in the book was really easy to follow.
We also enjoyed the guided walk from St. Mark's to Rialto Bridge.
Jennifer Duke in Peabody, MA USA 03/16/2010
Best: Torchello church, Frari chruch, Canal Grande cruise
Why: churches: for their historical and artistic content, the canal for its significance and beauty.
Farago Eva in Szombathely, Hungary 02/21/2010
Best: Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo
Why: Hotel was in a great, quiet, location, very elegant, but the thing that was outstanding was Allesandro and the staff They were superb.
W. Kent Levis in Fresno, California, Ca USA 01/22/2010
Best: Take the backstreets
Why: You really cannot get lost in Venice and you see so much of the culture when you get off the beaten path. I traveled with my 9 year old daughter and I always felt safe at night when we went out. The people are friendly and helpful.
Marsha Poree in Queen Creek, AZ USA 12/06/2009
Worst: Rialto Frari Church walk
Why: The route markings in the book left me stumped in one of the campo's. Couldn't see a route out of the campo that appeared to resemble the map.
Mindy Mitchell in washington, DC USA 12/04/2009
Best: The Grand Canal Tour by Vaparretto
Why: The history of the various buildings was great to know and the #1 route made enough stops that we could read about what was coming up. We even spotted the traffic light!
Jennifer in Grafenwoehr, Germany 11/30/2009
Best: the water buses
Why: at first these were a little confusing, but your introductory information gave us the courage to try this extremely affordable mode of transportation
Worst: crowds in Venice
Why: I don't suppose that anything can prepare a traveler for the hordes of people -- not just tourists but people selling souvenirs and the beggers -- in Venice. We were glad to escape to Murano each afternoon.
Laralyn Sasaki in Columbus, OH USA 10/09/2009
Best: St. Mark's Cathedral/ Guggenheim Exhibit
Why: St. Mark's Cathedral/Church/Basilica is a marvelous place to visit. The artwork and church itself are just simply amazing. The Guggenheim exhibit is a fun, fresh escape from the medieval art that is shown everywhere else. The modern pieces go nicely when paired with the scenes of antique Venice.
Worst: Doge's Palace
Why: It is a really big place, and while the beginning rooms are fascinating, seeing the what seems like 1,00 pictures of the same man in a "funny hat" gets tiring after a while and there is no place to sit down.
Julia Bodson in Salt Lake City, UT USA 08/14/2009
Worst: artviva tours
Why: You might consider removing them from your recommended list of tours. We paid $361.06 in USD (270 euros), and the experience was uneven. The effect was decidedly decrescendo, with Jennifer, the first guide, just perfect, full of insights and always welcoming questions. Our guide for the tour of the grand canal was bubbly, but the tour was silly--consisting entirely of People Magazine-style gossip about movie stars.Our next-to-last tour was supposed to be one-way to Murano, on a water taxi with comments. We got up extra early (we were staying near Ferrovia) in order to be at the meeting place before 9 a.m. We waited for over an hour, until after 10 a.m., and no one ever showed up. Rushing to get there on time (vaporetto #2 wasn't running that morning) was a definite inconvenience, and so was wandering up and down looking for a guide who never materialized. Another couple eventually showed up and was also disappointed. Incidentally, when we mentioned this to our grand-canal guide that evening, she didn't feel it was her problem. [We and the other people tried numerous times to call the artviva office while we waited in vain, but no one ever answered.]
Jason in Silver Spring, MD USA 08/05/2009
Best: Murano glass blowing tour w/ water taxi
Why: Although Rick warns about the "comically high pressure" sales presentation, we still gave it a try. We were approached by a salesman near St. Mark's Square who offered us a water taxi ride to Murano. We went to the Colleoni factory. Our young kids LOVED the water taxi ride there-- that alone made the trip worthwhile. The demonstration was good, and remarkably, we had almost no pressure afterwards to buy anything. We left a tip for the guy doing the demonstration-- maybe that helped take off the pressure. Anyway, we enjoyed strolling around Murano away from the crowds and had a nice lunch at the restaurant Rick recommended near the tower. We took the vaporetto back to Fondamenta Nove-- only 2 euro per person for this short ride. Overall, it was a fun day.
Meredith USA 07/08/2009
Best: Allogg Barbaria B&B
Why: This place and its manager, Fausto, are fantastic. The place was great, the location convenient, and Fausto was the best! He was so helpful through all my emails before the trip and just as helpful during our stay. He was born & raised in Venice and gave us all the inside tips. He arranged a memorable gondola serenade for us, gave us good restaurant recommendations, helped us save money, and helped us make the best use of our time in Venice. He cares about his guests and wants them to have the best possible experience. He and his B&B truly made our May 2009 trip a dream visit. I hope to go back again and stay at the same place.
David Benson in Bloomington, MN USA 06/06/2009
Best: San Marco Museum Pass
Why: Allowed us to bypass long lines and save money, too!
Laura in Louisville, KY USA 06/05/2009
Best: Checking Bags at St. Marks
Why: The line to get into St. Marks, even later in the day went all across the square. However, we used Rick's tip to check our backpack and our family (2 adults, 7 & 11 yr. old) went straight into the church w/no waiting. The kids actually enjoyed it, which they might not have if they had to stand in line for hours first! We also didn't have to wait in line at the Doge's Palace because we got our tickets at the museum across the square. We love no lines!!!
Kris R. in Frankfurt, Germany 04/13/2009
Best: Sunset boating back from Burano, Torcello
Why: We've done this twice, on a sunny day, leaving after breakfast on the vaporetto to Burano, walking, having lunch, enjoying the lovely pastels of the houses and watching lace being made. Then taking the vaporetto to Torcello, a very spiritual calming place with its must-see first Venetian cathedral! Catch the 5-6 pm vaporetto back to Venice proper and you'll be delighted with the sunset and the silhouette of this most wonderful city!
Worst: Seeing cruise ships in Venice
Why: Poor Venice is deluged with so many visitors without cruise ships being part of the equation. It is just ugly to see them there across the harbor. Hundreds of people are herded into Venice from the ships every day; they don't contribute to the tourist dependent economy through hotels or restaurants the way those of us who have traveled there by conventional means, and are staying there, do. They just take up space and crowd the city more than it already is.
L.Kelly in Newbury, VT USA 04/04/2009
Best: Corte Campana
Why: There are already many accolades recorded here - and justly so. Riccardo is the best host you will find. This is his old family home and you are made to feel as welcome as a guest of the family. I will stay there again gladly.
Dennis in Round Top, Tx USA 03/26/2009