Venice 2012 Guidebook
Favorite discoveries or tips:
We were only in Venice for two nights, but the first thing we purchased upon arrival was a 48-hour vaporetto pass. Well worth the money. Anytime we had 30 minutes free, we would buy a gelato and get on a watertaxi for a scenic ride on the canal.
We found an adorable hotel off an alley between the Rialto bridge and San Marco, called Ca' San Marco (on Calle dei Fabbri) - cute and cozy with only six rooms, breakfast included, desk staff who are fluent in English. A superb location.
Marlys in Mahomet, IL USA 01/11/2012
Please address what to do if the Vaparetto service is on strike. Although staff sold me a multi-day ticket at the train station, as soon as I had purchased it, I asked the cashier where to catch the boat and was told they were on strike on all weekdays; therefore I had just paid 30-some euros in cash for something I could only use for two weekend days, not the 72 hours I had paid for. I was then worried about finding my hotel on foot rather than from a vaparetto stop. It was actually easy; all of Venice is accessible by foot and travelers should be reminded only to travel with what they can comfortably carry over many bridges.
Suzanne in San Diego, CA USA 12/27/2011
In the Scuola de San Rocco: there is no mention of the lovely, outstanding wood carvings all around the walls underneath the paintings, in the main upstairs hall, 17th century, by Francesco Pianta. They focus on various allegories, with beautifully carved, playful details. Highlight is the carving of a library, with eye glasses, wrinkled books, a safe etc.
Be careful with the mirrors supplied to see the ceiling paintings: they weigh a ton and could do serious damage to your feet if you drop them!
A restaurant recommended by the Hotel Campiello: the Wildner Pensione restaurant on the nearby Riva. Fabulous seafood, and great service. Expensive, but worth it for that rare special occasion.
Elizabeth Bamberger in Portland, OR USA 09/26/2011
The gelato place recommended in the book was awesome!
Kenneth in Redmond, WA USA 09/18/2011
For those who love Venice, or would like to, we highly recommend Donna Leon's 20-novel mystery series starring police detective Guido Brunetti. The descriptions of Venice are very precise and enticing. There's even a guidebook to Brunetti's Venice, with many walking tours. We were able to cover a couple of them on our recent visit.
Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 06/30/2011
Domus Orsoni, a small hotel in the Cannaregio that doubles as a mosaic museum: Valentina and staff were very friendly, and my breakfast hot chocolate was dreamy!
Roxanne in Seattle, WA USA 06/20/2011
The St. Mark's to Rialto walk from the guidebook. I had really wanted to see the Scala Contorini del Bovolo and we never would have found it without the book. We also found a great open air market and bought the most amazing marzipan!!
Allison Garth in Little Silver, NJ USA 05/24/2011
We found a day trip from Padua by train to Bassano del Grappa with a stop at the walled town of Cittadella on the way back to be delightful. Just be sure to turn right at the T intersection after leaving the train station at Cittadella, since there are no signs directing you to the old town. (Given a 50/50 chance, we always seem to get it wrong.)
Bill Bozo in Springfield, VA USA 04/13/2011
Loved concert at the San Vidal church. No costumes; reasonable prices; outstanding musicians. The cellist was amazing!
Elaine Wolfson in Reston, VA USA 12/04/2010
Vini Ai Bottegan, Fondamenta Nani, Dorsoduro - popular wine bar/cicchetti Paticceria Rizzardini, 1415 Calle Madonetta - fantastic pastries; try the mandorle
La Piscina restaurant at Pensione La Calcina - popular with guests and locals; great views of traffic on the Giudecca Canal; vegetarian options
Ristorante Oniga, Campo San Barnaba - in 2010 but not 2011 book; why deleted?; reasonable and good, with vegetarian options
Antica Osteria Ruga Rialto: note that there are vegetarian options
Museums: allow extra time for special exhibits
Roselyn in Hirsch, NY USA 11/07/2010
I love the sense of humor throughout the book. It makes the experience of touring even more of a pleasure!
ellen berger in miami, fl USA 10/22/2010
We always travel with our Rick Steves book and have benefited from his experiences. Thank you for your clear and concise guidebooks!
Cherie Bernave in Walla Walla, WA USA 10/19/2010
We found Ristorante Ai Barbacani on Calle del Paradiso, 5746, in Venice to be the best dining experience we had on our three week trip to Italy. In our opinion, it should be included in your guidebook. The food was excellent, service was attentive, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and prices were moderate. The potato gnocchi were the best we've ever had, anywhere! (We're Italian-Americans, and our mothers made homemade gnocchi, so we know good gnocchi when we taste them.) David and Elaine Crowell, 102Woodlawn Drive, Newfield, NJ 08344 email: dvdcrow@comcast.net
David Crowell in Newfield, NJ USA 10/12/2010
Venice is very confusing. Even with the best map, it is a difficult city to get around. My advice is to relax and enjoy the city. Trying to find a specific restaurant was impossible. Enjoy the sights and the people. We had wonderful food everywhere we stopped to eat.
Jean Chinni in Ellicott City, Md USA 10/06/2010
Ca' Pisani...what a great hotel right across from agli alboretti...same price basically
Keith in Smith, Ok USA 10/03/2010
Viewsonvenice.com rental agency Not on your list this time. The staff is very friendly, our apartment Ca' Cerchieri Terrace was perfect and with a spectacular view on the Grand Canal.
Emma in Locarno, ch Ch 09/02/2010
If you visit Venice and are looking for a great hotel out of the hustle and bustle of Venice I would ure you to try the Hotel Villa Gasparini in Dolo,VE,Italy. Your host will be Riccardo and Michela Gasparini and two of the most helpful and friendly people you could ever hope to meet. Dolo is located 15 Km from Venice and there is a bus stop located about 100 yards from the hotel. If your not driving the bus drops you off in the same area that you would park.
The hotel offers a great breakfast selection as well. We have stayed at this hotel three times in the past and will use their facilities again on our next trip. Ron & Diane Palumbo Houston, TX
Ron Palumbo in Houston, TX USA 08/02/2010
Here's a tip about the recommended Vaporetto "cruise" down the Grand Canal. Start at the San Basilio stop on the Giudecca Canal. The boat won't have many people on it and you can get a seat up front. Then it makes 3 stops where LOTS of people get on, including Tranchetto (parking garage), Piazza Roma (bus stop) and Ferrovia (train station). People getting on at Ferrovia don't get a seat and they don't get much of a view. The disadvantage of this "tip" is that one has to take a special Vaporetto trip after already being settled in to the City, whereas the Guidebook's suggestion combines arrival to Venice with the "cruise" which you have to do anyway if you your lodging is far down the canal from the train station. Note that the boat going down the canal from San Basilio is only a #2 so it is the fast boat down the canal. But #2 isn't like being on a speedboat, it is faster b/c it doesn't make as many stops.
Also, some friends we met for a day in Venice (they are on a university sabattical in nearby Ferrara for a year) discovered that there is a blue Vaporetto ticket machine behind the ticket booths at the Ferrovia station. This machine sells tickets for only 1.10 Euros for 75 minutes on the boat! They only discovered this after they had bought the 6.50 tickets, so I'm wondering if these were for locals only (who ride the Vaporetto at far lower rates). Perhaps if there is a ticket-check and you have one of these, you could be fined? A reader with knowledge of Italian might be able to discern this by reading the info on the blue machines. My friends also said the machines said something about not having bags, so it would only work if you were day-tripping.
Tom Farrell in Santa Clara, CA USA 06/16/2010
Venice: Hotel Ala a Great Western Hotel at www.hotelala.it
Robert Violette in Bordentown, NJ USA 06/03/2010
We enjoyed seeing the show Venezia at the Teatro San Gallo, it is 25 euros for students and 39 euros for adults, showtime is 7 pm.
Karen Campbell Motsinger in Urbana, IL USA 06/03/2010
My family highly enjoyed our stay at B&B Casanova ai Tolentini (Dorsoduro 3515) and recommend that you add it to recommended accommodations. It is a perfect location, 2 minutes walk from Pizzale Roma, very convenient for access to water buses, land buses and train station yet located on a quiet side canal. We loved our 4-day stay in May 2010.
Karen Campbell Motsinger in Urbana, IL USA 06/02/2010
Although we stayed at the Molino Stucky on Guidecca Island, I would highly recommend anyone staying on Guidecca as it is bit away from crowds within Venice. Their were other hotels on the Lagoon, which would have great views to watch the boat traffic, especially the cruise ships coming and going.
Susie Deyo in LaConner, WA USA 05/22/2010
I just returned from Venice and found the best restaurant. It is Brek Ristorante at Cannaregio, 124, 30121 just 2 minute walk from the train station. Go out the train station toward the canal and the street is to the left. There are free toilets in the back right instead of 0.80 euros in the train station and 1.5 euros in Venice at the public toilets. The food is great and cheap(cafeteria style so you do not have to speak Italian. Excellent house red or white wine is 1.6 Euros for a small carafe. Go to the back where the kitchen is and get steaks or a dozen other items for the best price ever.
Ken Pace in Carlsbad, CA USA 05/17/2010
Because of volcano my trip to Venice was canceled. Just wanted to mention that VeniceRentals.com has been helpful in getting our deposit reinstated for another time in Venice. I found them in the Venice Guidebook. In addition, europeforvisitors.com website has been very helpful to me in planning. In fact the website owner is in Venice right now and has personally helped me in planning.
Nancy Peterson in Ann Arbor, MI USA 04/22/2010
GET LOST, as everyone says. The Venice of St. Mark's Square and teh Rialto Bridge is fascinating, but also crowded, touristy, expensive and exhausting. The Venice we enjoy most is when we explore off the beaten path--especially in the evenings when the day trippers are gone. That's when Venice becomes magical. We especially loved the area around the Piazza San Giaccomo (between Rialto and Pza. Roma).
Steve in Tulsa, OK USA 04/21/2010
Everyone says Venice is an expensive city, but it certainly doesn't have to be. We just got back from a week in Venice and I can't tell you how much of a help your Venice book was. I scoured your section on accommodations and must have googled a dozen or so sites. The one we chose was Casa Cosmo, which you do discuss in your book. We were given an offseason rate of 74 Euro's a night but if you skip breakfast and pay with cash, we got the rate down to 64 Euro's a night. Yes, the rooms are modest, but the beds are quite comfortable and the place is very clean. Having a private bathroom was outstanding at this rate and the third floor deck was wonderful when you just wanted to be outside and rest your feet. What was the favorite discovery and I think gets missed in the review is the location. If the Rialto is the heart of Venice, then Casa Cosmo is in the heart of the heart. We were within a 2 minute walk of a great coffee bar. Less than a 5 minute walk of the Rialto bridge, open air fish and vegetable market, main post office, a great pizza shop, several banks, a wine shop and you are one block from the central shopping avenue. Add less than 5 minutes more and you are at San Marco. If your intent is to walk until your feet fall off and see all of Venice, this location can't be beat. Davide Cosmo speaks English better than most and when we asked for his recommendations for restaurants (Davide, where do YOU like to go eat) his choices were spot on and affordable. And doing Venice in March is FANTASTIC!! No crowds.
Marty LaRue in Vancouver, WA USA 03/21/2010
I loved the whole book. It made are trip smooth flowing, easy to plan, relaxing, and all around great! Thank you! I wouldn't recommend getting the Vaparetto pass unless you can't walk a lot or your hotel is far from the main attractions. It was pretty easy and enjoyable to walk everywhere we wanted to go. We ate at a great little restaurant near the Rialto called Trattoria Antica Torre.
Jennifer Duke in Peabody, MA USA 03/16/2010
Since February 2010, one can buy on the homepage www.veniceconnected.com in advance transport tickets from 12 h to 7 days, different museum passes, and other services (parking, toilet cards, etc.) and it works. I recommend to buy the map and guide of Venice for 2,50 EUR, sold at Venice Connected offices. The handy guide is organised by areas, showing a map detail and description of the sites located there. I enjoyed it by walking and reading about where I passed by.
Farago Eva in Szombathely, Hungary 02/21/2010
I would like to recommend a new addition to your Venice guidebook. My wife and I have just returned from a week in Venice from Christmas to New Years. On our last night, New Year’s Eve, we did not make plans since so many restaurants were charging outrageous sums for the evening and reservations at desirable places were hard to come by. We instead searched for a bar or tavern that did not serve full meals. We headed from San Marco across the Accademia Bridge and found a wonderful place that fits into the Rick Steve’s mantra of off the beaten path. The establishment is named the Cichetteria Al Vecio Marangon.
We first walked in at about 7:30 and immediately knew that we had found just what we were looking for. The bar is on a corner lot on a side street. The place consisted of a small bar and sitting area with 5 tables. This space measured about 10’ x 10’. The bar had a glass counter below which were as impressive an array of cicheterri that we had come across in our week’s stay. There were olives, pickled vegetables, and the standard swordfish in red sauce. In addition, there were about 1 dozen other dishes of a quality that we did not expect including a frutti di mare, tongue with polenta, a lima bean type dish with onion, and tripe among others. Every so often, the third proprietor would leave and reappear with a new steaming hot dish. It was not clear to us which of the three were the owners. In all, there were 2 men and one woman. Each seemed to take an owner’s interest in the food and the well being of their clientele. They were clearly proud of their place and that people would choose to patronize their establishment. Of the three, only one spoke very broken English; the other two very little if at all.
Fearing that they might close early, I asked the larger man who did speak some English what their hours were. He eventually communicated that they would indeed close early if they didn’t have enough business. Fortunately, a steady trickle continued to come in, keeping nearly all five tables full (or the equivalent at the bar) but never more. We ended up having 5 glasses of house red wine (served from the tap), a cappuccino from their beautiful domed brass espresso machine, 2 dessert wines, a large platter of ciccheteri (tripe, pickled vegetables, swordfish, beans), 2 orders of olives, and an order of tongue. When aqua alta forced us out at 11: 15, we were stunned to receive only a $45 Euro bill. This was far and away the best value meal we had in our time in Venice in an atmosphere that could not have been more charming. I highly recommend you include this wonderful establishment in your guidebook, which we considered our essential planning device for our trip. Including this establishment will make your guidebook even more valuable for future travelers looking to find a true hidden gem.
If you have any questions or would like further detail, please let me know.
Regards,
Bob Sellers
Bob Sellers in Hoboken, NJ USA 01/03/2010
Found that the VeniceConnected card was an excellent value. The unlimited public transportation for the week was worth the entire price alone. When I would tire of getting lost in yet another dead end alleyway, I could get to the closest vaporetto stop and hop on a boat. The vaporetto to Place de Roma and the bus to the airport all covered by the pass made getting out of town easy, inexpensive and quick. While you did not recommend the WC cards, I found them to be quite useful. The WCs are clean, have attendants, and are well located. The system clearly has kinks, I was given incorrect or contradictory information more than once, and while the integration of the Chorus church pass and the Museums pass is not well worked out yet, the total savings was substantial using this easy to pre-book system. In addition there are not as many internet cafes in venice and the wi-fi access with the card is a plus.
Mindy Mitchell in washington, DC USA 12/04/2009
We chose this way to see if the prices at a restaurant were reasonable. Since most of them have pizza on the menu check out the price for Pizza Magherita. It was between 6 and 8 euro's at various restaurants. The more expensive the pizza was, the more expensive everything else was.
Jennifer in Grafenwoehr, Germany 11/30/2009
The Opera at Musica a Palazzo- we saw Barber of Seville- as non opera lovers, this was a great surprise- an interactive opera in an old palace where the audience moves from room to room as the scenes change.Cast and musicians incredibly talented and at 50 euros each, an amazing night out! A magical night! We stayed in a delightful and perfectly located hotel near Teatro Fenice - The Duodo Palace- a gem -clean with renovated bathrooms, quiet rooms and amazing continental breakfast that was included complete with the best coffee of our trip. Helpful staff. Highly recommend.We would recommend restaurant Vino Vino nearby hotel. Great homemade meals with a very comprehensive wine list. Killer tiramisu.
Maura in Stamford, CT USA 11/27/2009
We stayed at a hotel near Campo San Barnaba and used Rick's guide for restaurants in the area and stumbled upon one we liked more than the ones he recommended. Its PANE VINO E SAN DANIELE Calle Lunga S. Barnaba 2861 tel. 041 2439865. The kitchen is right behind the bar, the salads are delicious, the meat succulent, home made pastas, and the daily specials, pork in wine and mushroom sauce, PLUS the owner greets you like a long lost friend and makes excellent recommendations, the waiter very friendly. Very informal relaxed atmosphere but place settings and presentation of the food modern. We liedk it much better than Ristorante Oniga, Ai Quattro Feri and Casin dei Nobili. We always use Rick's recommendations for restaurants and I guarantee you this would be a good addition.
Magie Finan in Madrid, Spain 11/09/2009
the Hotel Conterie on the island of Murano -- and staying away from the Venice hubbub generally -- was fantastic (however, they are known for having the WORST breakfast in Europe -- but don't mind guests supplementing with cheese, meat!)
Laralyn Sasaki in Columbus, OH USA 10/09/2009
We appreciated your tip about checking a bag in order to bypass the line for St. Mark's Basilica. I would add that worshippers can get in before everyone else is allowed in at 9:45 AM. We attended mass at 8:00 AM, and afterwards, we had its grand interior practically to ourselves as we slowly wandered out.
Jimmy Hendricks in Austin, TX USA 10/05/2009
Trattoria Da Remer, on Calle Remer, was an excellent lunch buffet for 20E inclusive of wine and coffee, recommended by Denise of Venice Rentals. We ate there three times.
Chris Turner in LA, CA USA 09/27/2009
Tip: the walk from the airport to the boats is an easy covered walkway that is free and very efficient. It did not seem like this when you described it.
Julia Bodson in Salt Lake City, UT USA 08/14/2009
You might consider adding to your recommended hotels the Abbazia, just steps from the Ferrovia vaporetto stop. Truly beautiful common area of this restored abbey. The staff was remarkably friendly and helpful--e.g., lending us a laptop without charge to check our email; providing great directions and advice for first-time visitors. Delicious full breakfasts, either inside or outside in the beautiful garden. Only downsides: lots of pigeons in the garden. Bells ring at 7:15 every morning and at least twice on Sunday: 143 peals each time! Trust me, I had ample opportunity to count them. Jason, Silver Spring, MD
Calle Priuli dei Cavaletti, 68 30121 Venezia (VE), Italy
041 717 333? 041 717 949? - Fax
Jason in Silver Spring, MD USA 08/05/2009
We stayed at Hotel Antico Doge in Canareggio: http://www.anticodoge.com/en/index.htm The rooms were beautiful and I thought the hotel was a great value.
Meredith USA 07/07/2009
A friend and I toured Rome, Siena, Florence, and Venice in May. We didn't go anywhere without the Rome, Florence/Tuscany, or Venice guide books and I can't tell you how many times I said I am going to write Rick Steves and his staff a thank you note! In Rome at the Piazza del Popolo we almost overlooked Santa Maria del Popolo, but thanks to you we looked past the unassuming facade and were treated to the wonderful art and architecture of this church. In each city we used your walking tours and were never disappointed. Finally, I have a funny story about Venice--we were sitting in the Sculpture Garden at the Peggy Guggenheim museum and I had just read aloud the section about the graves and the olive tree given to Peggy by Yoko Ono. Just then, Yoko Ono herself walked through the garden to her tree! Thank you so much for these wonderful books-I will not travel without one!
Janet in Boise, ID USA 06/28/2009
The Alloggi Barbaria B&B in Venice and Fausto its manager were fantastic! It was a great place to stay and Fausto made it a dream visit for us.
David Benson in Bloomington, MN USA 06/06/2009
This guidebook was amazing. The tips on when and where to pre-purchase passes for admission to multiple museums saved money and time. We bypassed lines that went around the block and walked right in, using the San Marco Museum Pass.
Laura in Louisville, KY USA 06/05/2009
Great guide! After three trips to Venice, we finally took our hotel's advice and went to the Lido. It was beautiful and like atotally different city. Should add some comments>
Phil McAtee in Warner Robins, GA USA 05/08/2009