After spending two days in Tuscany, we moved to the city of romance Venice.
Showing posts with label Venice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venice. Show all posts
Day trip to Venice - Italy
After spending two days in Tuscany, we moved to the city of romance Venice.
Essentials: things to know before you go to Italy
Essentials:
1) Cash: Most important one. We travelled italy while residing in UK and had British bank debit cards. Last year we had been to swizzterland and had used the HSBC UK
debit card to withdraw money. Since there were no issues we were relectant to carry any cash. The ATM or the Bankomat machine allowed us to sucessfully withdraw 100 Euros at the Ciampino airport. In evening we tried using the ATM at Rome termine and our transactions were declined for all the cards. Even after calling up HSBC and Natwest call centers but the cards were rejected. Ultimately we exchanged few GBP at high rate to pay the Hotel bill for tonight. In the hostel we learnt that there were other tourist who had similar experince. However the good newz was that the British chip and pin cards were declined. Since we had US banks debit card with us, we had to withdraw our emergency funds from that bank. Moral of the story is that one should carry enough traveller cheques while travelling to Italy.
2) Summer clothes, petties, shorts, cotton T-shirts
3) Water bottles: There are lots of drinking fountains around rome. You can fill up your waterbottles using them. The shopkeepers near tourist attractions will try to sell you mineral water for 2 Euros and cold drinks for 4 Euros each. Which is too costly. At the waterfountain, splash bit of water on your hands, face and hair to keep you cool. This prevents you from dehydration and keeps you cool. Remember do not wipe out that splashed water.
4) Snack bars: There is lot of walking involved in these 2 to 3 days so stuff your sack with some snack bars.
5) Sun screen, Sun glasses, Caps, scarfs, fans, umbrella are helpful.
6) Locks and Keys: Italy is famous for pick pokecters and thiefs who snatch valuables from you. So its handy to lock your bags with small travel locks or use safety pins in case you have hand bag.
1) Cash: Most important one. We travelled italy while residing in UK and had British bank debit cards. Last year we had been to swizzterland and had used the HSBC UK 
debit card to withdraw money. Since there were no issues we were relectant to carry any cash. The ATM or the Bankomat machine allowed us to sucessfully withdraw 100 Euros at the Ciampino airport. In evening we tried using the ATM at Rome termine and our transactions were declined for all the cards. Even after calling up HSBC and Natwest call centers but the cards were rejected. Ultimately we exchanged few GBP at high rate to pay the Hotel bill for tonight. In the hostel we learnt that there were other tourist who had similar experince. However the good newz was that the British chip and pin cards were declined. Since we had US banks debit card with us, we had to withdraw our emergency funds from that bank. Moral of the story is that one should carry enough traveller cheques while travelling to Italy.2) Summer clothes, petties, shorts, cotton T-shirts
3) Water bottles: There are lots of drinking fountains around rome. You can fill up your waterbottles using them. The shopkeepers near tourist attractions will try to sell you mineral water for 2 Euros and cold drinks for 4 Euros each. Which is too costly. At the waterfountain, splash bit of water on your hands, face and hair to keep you cool. This prevents you from dehydration and keeps you cool. Remember do not wipe out that splashed water.
4) Snack bars: There is lot of walking involved in these 2 to 3 days so stuff your sack with some snack bars.
5) Sun screen, Sun glasses, Caps, scarfs, fans, umbrella are helpful.
6) Locks and Keys: Italy is famous for pick pokecters and thiefs who snatch valuables from you. So its handy to lock your bags with small travel locks or use safety pins in case you have hand bag.
Luggage Deposit counter Venice Mestre Station
Luggage Deposit counter:Venice is all about vaperetos and small bridges over water flooded streets. The best way to get around venice is by water bus and foot. Hence its advisable to drop your luggage at deposit counter.
Venice Santa Lucia Train station is in heart of Venice. However there is luggage deposit counter at Venice Mestre, so the later was our unanimous choice. The counter is at the far end of the Platform. The person in charge will weigh your bag and charge you accordingly. They will also photocopy your passports first page as proof of identification.The counter closes at 11 o clock at night. So remember you are cinderella in Venice and the magic will stop working at 11 o clock. You have to rush to Venice Mestre to collect the luggage.
End of Day trip to Venice, Italy
We finished our dinner by 10 o clk at night and headed to the Venice Santa Lucia Station. Since we had booked Hotel Ala Casa Rosa at Treviso. We should thank the hotel owner, a kind lady by whose courtesy, we were able to enjoy our dinner. She was willing to come and pick us up at Treviso Station at mid-night. You need to buy tickets for the train to Treviso.
Venice Santa Lucia is one ferry stop before Pizzale Ro
ma. We got down at Pizzale Roma and had caught another water bus to return to Train station. The hotel owner offered us room which was bank opposite the Treviso airport. We reached hotel had shower and had brief sleep.
Next day we had early morning flight to Rome.
Romantic four course Dinner by Rialto bridge, Venice
Romantic four course Dinner by Rialto bridge is must in Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the world.
The luggage counter at Venice Mestre station gets closed by 11 pm. On reaching Pizzale Roma we took bus number 3 to Venice Mestre and collected our bag from luggage deposit counter. And came back to Pizzale Roma with same bus. Took water bus and reached Rialto Bridge.
There is big line of restaurants on the right hand side of the Rialto Bridge which offer you seat next to sea side and exclusive range of sea food and wine. One cannot ask for anything more romantic then this. But the restaurant will ask for high price for the same. Well that’s not the reason for skipping the dinner. There is a cheap restaurant bank opposite these restaurants. It charges you 22 Euros per person for 4 course dinner and it includes all services taxes.
So one can enjoy fantastic view of Rialto bridge while having four course dinner. Simultaneously you can listen to the songs sung by the artists in gondola.
The luggage counter at Venice Mestre station gets closed by 11 pm. On reaching Pizzale Roma we took bus number 3 to Venice Mestre and collected our bag from luggage deposit counter. And came back to Pizzale Roma with same bus. Took water bus and reached Rialto Bridge.
There is big line of restaurants on the right hand side of the Rialto Bridge which offer you seat next to sea side and exclusive range of sea food and wine. One cannot ask for anything more romantic then this. But the restaurant will ask for high price for the same. Well that’s not the reason for skipping the dinner. There is a cheap restaurant bank opposite these restaurants. It charges you 22 Euros per person for 4 course dinner and it includes all services taxes.
So one can enjoy fantastic view of Rialto bridge while having four course dinner. Simultaneously you can listen to the songs sung by the artists in gondola.
Venice Vaporetto Ride or Water Bus Ride
Its good idea to see Venice City in vaporetto. Try grabbing a seat at front or at the end of the boat to get the better view of the city. We started from St Marks Square and got down at the Pizzale Roma. If you want to freak out and have no constraints on Budget then you can even hire private boat or Water Taxi to move around Venice.
The Vapareto ride is covered in the Venice Local transport day pass.
Gondola Ride at Venice
The Gondola ride at Venice is the most romantic and important To do item in Venice visit. At the same time its too costly. For lucky person, the Gondola ride will have singer who will entertain you with some melodious italian music during the ride.
We flocked around the starting point to find fellow travellers to share the ride and price both.
Where to get the Ride from?
After relaxing in the St Marks Square, we reached the back side of the St Marks square where the Gondola’s are parked.Gondola Ride Rates
The ride migh cost you somewhere from 80 to 100 Euros in day time for half an hour tour. The rates sky rocket to 150 Euros or more in evening when the city is lit with lights. For budget travellers it’s advisable to share the Gondola with others. The Gondola can accommodate up to 6 people maximum so it turns out to be cheaper.We flocked around the starting point to find fellow travellers to share the ride and price both.
St Marks Basilica, Venice
The church St Marks Basilica stands in midst of
St Mark Square in Venice. Entry to the church is free of charge however there is big queue to enter the church. The queue usually extends on the right hand side. On reaching the entrance you realise that the official is rejecting you for the bag packs. There is a counter on the left hand side of the church to keep the bag packs. The service is free of charge. The basilica has special fee for visiting the golden altar etc
St Mark Square in Venice. Entry to the church is free of charge however there is big queue to enter the church. The queue usually extends on the right hand side. On reaching the entrance you realise that the official is rejecting you for the bag packs. There is a counter on the left hand side of the church to keep the bag packs. The service is free of charge. The basilica has special fee for visiting the golden altar etc
St Marks Square or Piazza San Marco, Venice
St Marks Square or Piazza San Marco:
Its one of the great buildings in the world. For bollywood film fans, the courtyard of St Marks,Venice is place where Dipika Padukone flirts with Ranvir Kapoor in latest film ‘Bachna E Haseeno’. This place has been filmed numerous times in movies.
Back to historic details of St Marks square can be checked at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_San_Marco . After visiting the church you can sit and relax in square like thousands of other visitors do. One
can spot many tourists in feeding pigeons. The toilets facility and free water fountains can be found along the sea side i.e. at the right hand side of the St Marks Basilica. You have to pay 1 Euro for access to toilets.
Roaming in streets of Venice
Roaming in streets of Venice
We took water boat from Murano to St Mark Square. Instead of getting down at St Mark Square, we got down one stop. The bus stop had similar name. J. We walked along the streets of Venice. After crossing several small bridges and canals we reached St Marks Square.Murano Glass Blowing Factory visit
Murano Glass Blowing Factory visit
We found the Murano Glass Blowing factory visit in Venice more interesting then the Murano Glass museum. There are few glass factories on the opposite bank of the Murano glass museum.
From the Glass Museum we took water boat to St Marks Square and got down at the very next stop – I don’t recollect the name. The workers in factory were having their lunch break so had to wait for while. In mean time we decided to have some hot paninis and coke for lunch.
The glass worker actually picks up molten glass mass and blows it into glass vase the glass.
It’s free of charge and is only conducted for group of people. Well it’s actually not, the people are then tempted to visit the shop and buy some expensive glass work.
Even if you don’t intend to buy something, it’s worth visiting one of the exclusive showrooms which have board ‘No Photographs please’ on their entrance door.
Murano Glass Museum, Venice, Italy
There are many water buses from Piazzale Roma, Venice which will take you to Murrano Glass museum. It is 10 to 15 minutes journey. If you get down at Murano instead of Glass museum stop then you will have walk to the glass museum.
On way you can enjoy glass work displayed in the shops and if you have some Euros to spare then might as well buy something.
The Entry fee for glass museum is 5 Euros. And its not worth it if you plan to visit an showroom with exclusive pieces of glass work.
On way you can enjoy glass work displayed in the shops and if you have some Euros to spare then might as well buy something.The Entry fee for glass museum is 5 Euros. And its not worth it if you plan to visit an showroom with exclusive pieces of glass work.
Local Transport in Venice
The local transport in Venice can be much cheaper if you buy travel pass.This pass has validity of 12 hours or 24 hours and is priced 14 Euro and 16 Euro respectively.
The local transport available in Venice is water bus and normal buses.
If you want to commute in heart of Venice then you need either catch water bus or private water taxi. These are small water boats. These passes were available at tourist information centre at Venice mestre. The individual trip ticket cost is around 6 to 7 Euros. Hence someone with common sense will always opt for Day pass to start with.
For more information visit http://www.actv.it/english/navigazione.php?pagina=tariffe_vaporetto
You have exit station and cross the road to take bus number 3 to Piazzale Roma.
Getting to Venice Mester From Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station
Since we were on budget travel, we decided to take local train journey to Venice Mestre station instead of Eurostar.
Local Train to Venice Mestre From Florence
We took a local train at 6:25 am from Like Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station to Firenze Campo Di Marte. From there train to Bologna. At Bologna there was another train change to Venice Mestre as there is luggage counter. We got down at Venice Mestre and headed to the Luggage deposit counter.EuroStar to Venice Mester From Florence
There is a Euro Star service available from Florence Santa Maria Novella Station at 08:38 am daily. You reach Venice Santa Lucia Station by 11:17 am . The Euro Train facility is much faster and equivalently costlier.Click here to go to Venice Main page
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