Venice, Italy Travel Information

The canals and gondola rides of Venice are a fixture of romantic films and travel magazines, and the stuff of vacation daydreams around the world. Those very qualities, however, can make Venice a crowded, expensive, stuffy place to see in the summer, and an awkward, tiring city to explore. A travel information for Venice is an essential ingredient to getting the most out of any trip to Venice.

When to Go

As an urban destination, visitors will spend as much time indoors and outdoors in Venice, so the weather plays only a minor factor in when to go. Of much greater importance is beating the crowds. Lonely Planet endorses visiting between October through March. An additional note is that the budget-conscious should specifically avoid events such as Carnevale, the Biennale, and the Venice International Film Festival. While this means missing costume balls and the star-studded fanfare of gallery openings and film premieres, it also means not having to pay an arm and a leg for accommodations.

Getting There

Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is located about 7 1/2 miles from the city proper, and is serviced by routes linking it to mostly to other destinations in Europe, but the airport does receive a few directly flights from the United States. Budget airlines in Europe reach Venice through San Giuseppe airport Treviso-Sant'Angelo Airport (TSF), about 18 miles from Venice. Trains from across Italy and some major European cities arrive at Stazione Santa Lucia, while inter-city buses stop at Piazzale Roma.

Getting Around

Venice is situated on a cluster of islands on off the Adriatic coast, in a body of water enclosed by barrier islands and appropriately known as the Venetian Lagoon. Cars are banned, limiting transportation to two options: boats and walking. The boats range from the motorized vaporetto (water bus) that ferry passengers between the islands or along their periphery, to the humble, muscle-powered skills that work the Grand Canal.

Cuisine

Venice is an odd duck in Italian cooking, due to its history as the center of a maritime trading empire. The spicing choices are heavily influenced by East Mediterranean cooking, and one is just as likely to find a dried salt cod dish from the Atlantic on the menu as bigoli (a thick, hearty version of spaghetti)or locally caught seafood such as eel roasted in bay leaves or clams with parsley.

Sources:

frommers.com/destinations/venice/0067020156.html
veneziasi.it/en/cuisine-venice-tradition/venetian-cuisine.html
lonelyplanet.com/italy/venice/weather