Venice - A Quick Tourist Guide to the Floating City
Venice, Italy, often referred to as the floating city, is one of the most gorgeous tourist destinations in the world. Located off the coast of northeast Italy, Venice is a completely man built city which is spread across 117 small islands. For tourism purposes, there are three main areas of note; Mestre, Venice and Lido di Venice.
Travellers who arrive by plane will land at the international airport located in the Mestre area. Access to the other two main areas is easily obtained via one of the many different water transport options. Venice is a city of water, after all, and traveling via boat is the easiest way to get around. Those who arrive via train will have the option of getting off in Mestre (at the Venezia Mestre station) or Venice (at the Venezia S Lucia station). If you're headed to Lido di Venice via train your best bet is to get off at the Venezia S Lucia station and then catch a water bus (vaporetti) headed to the Lido.
Hotels in Venice are typically quite expensive, especially during the spring and summer seasons. Budget conscious travellers will want to consider staying on the Lido island. Staying on the main Venice land, however, will save about 20-30 minutes of daily water travel (round trip), so if the hotels there are within your price range then it's definitely the most convenient option.
Venice is well known for gondola rides, canals and romance. There is a lot more to this enchanting city, though. One of the most charming, and often unexpected, aspects of the main land is that cars are not allowed. There are parking lots on the outer edges for those with automobiles, but once you leave those lots you'll need to navigate throughout the city on foot. Once you take to the narrow foot paths you'll join a bustling city full of art and some of the most unique architecture in the world.
The art museums are diverse and filled with works by many of the masters of the art world. For example, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection houses Picassos, Klees and Miros and is considered to be one of the more unique museums in the city. If art isn't your thing, or if you're simply very budget conscious, there are still plenty of places for you to explore and at no cost! The Piazza San Marco, known as the heart of the city, is a beautiful location to see a mixture of architecture and to people watch. For one of the best views of the city, head to the Scala Contarini del Bovolo and climb the five story spiral staircase. The view will definitely be worth the trek!
No matter what you decide to do, your trip to Venice is guaranteed to be a memorable experience. Godere!
Travellers who arrive by plane will land at the international airport located in the Mestre area. Access to the other two main areas is easily obtained via one of the many different water transport options. Venice is a city of water, after all, and traveling via boat is the easiest way to get around. Those who arrive via train will have the option of getting off in Mestre (at the Venezia Mestre station) or Venice (at the Venezia S Lucia station). If you're headed to Lido di Venice via train your best bet is to get off at the Venezia S Lucia station and then catch a water bus (vaporetti) headed to the Lido.
Hotels in Venice are typically quite expensive, especially during the spring and summer seasons. Budget conscious travellers will want to consider staying on the Lido island. Staying on the main Venice land, however, will save about 20-30 minutes of daily water travel (round trip), so if the hotels there are within your price range then it's definitely the most convenient option.
Venice is well known for gondola rides, canals and romance. There is a lot more to this enchanting city, though. One of the most charming, and often unexpected, aspects of the main land is that cars are not allowed. There are parking lots on the outer edges for those with automobiles, but once you leave those lots you'll need to navigate throughout the city on foot. Once you take to the narrow foot paths you'll join a bustling city full of art and some of the most unique architecture in the world.
The art museums are diverse and filled with works by many of the masters of the art world. For example, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection houses Picassos, Klees and Miros and is considered to be one of the more unique museums in the city. If art isn't your thing, or if you're simply very budget conscious, there are still plenty of places for you to explore and at no cost! The Piazza San Marco, known as the heart of the city, is a beautiful location to see a mixture of architecture and to people watch. For one of the best views of the city, head to the Scala Contarini del Bovolo and climb the five story spiral staircase. The view will definitely be worth the trek!
No matter what you decide to do, your trip to Venice is guaranteed to be a memorable experience. Godere!