Venice, Italy, Mediterranean Cruises Port Profile
Travel Guide for Venice
 Benvenuti a Venezia! There’s hardly a more beautiful and popular
tourist destination in the world than Venice. A beautiful and romantic city boasting of some of the world’s
best architecture and artworks, it’s definitely a must-see when you book a spot on one of the Mediterranean
cruises. A perfect spot for weddings, honeymoons and vacations, Venice is one of the high points of
Mediterranean cruises. In fact, the city has more tourists than residents—such is its charm and allure.
Located on a lagoon for the past 600 years, there are so many sights to see, things to do, carnivals to participate
in and oh, so many things to eat, drink and buy! In fact, when it’s time to leave Venice, you’ll actually wish you
could stay back. In case your appetite has been whetted and you just can’t wait to visit Venice, this is the right
place to learn all you need to know to have an enjoyable experience.
Arrival In Venice
Venice is largely dependent on its lagoon which plays a significant role in everyday life. Once the cruise docks
at the Stazione Marittima located at the west end of the main part of the island, you’ll notice a plethora of
vaporetti (water buses) and water taxis waiting to transport you to the city center where you can begin to explore.
Actually your exploration should start with the sights you take in while on the vaporetti.
Getting Around in Venice
Moving around in Venice is basically by two means: on water and on foot. As mentioned earlier,
the lagoon plays an integral role in Venice and everything in the city is linked in one way or the other to it.
Thus, you’ll be getting in and out of vaporettis and water taxis a lot if you choose this method. To save a lot of
money, you shouldnt use the private water taxis too often because they are relatively expensive. The vaporetti is
controlled by ACTV and you have to obtain travel cards to be able to move around and save money. Travel card for a
day costs 18 Euro, a 3-day card costs 33 Euro while a single the cost of a single fare is 6.50 Euro.
The other option is to walk! Hey, you can walk the entire length of the city within a few hours plus it’s also a
great way to actually take in the city’s attractions. However, you should always have a map with you when walking
because tourists commonly get lost, thanks to the different numbering. For instance, District Numbers are used
instead of Street Numbers and without foreknowledge, confusion easily sets in.
Places to Visit in Venice
 • Saint Mark’s Basilica: The city’s
foremost church located on Piazza San Marco which attracts thousands of visitors at any point in time.
Admission is free unlike some other churches but you’ll probably have to wait for more than 4 hours to get in
due to the large number of visitors. You can make reservations (+39 041 5225205 (procuratorial phone number)
in advance to skip the waiting line (it costs only 1 Euro) Dress properly (no bare shoulders or short skirts),
leave your luggage at the entrance and do not take pictures and you’ll walk through the church in 10
minutes.
• San Giovanni e Paolo: The huge Dominican church holding the tombs of several Doges. There’s a
horse statue of captain Colleone in front.
• Museums: You can visit 6 museums on Saint Marc by buying a 14 Euro ticket. Another 18 Euro
ticket gives you access to 12 more museums. If you love museums, there’s more than enough to satisfy your appetite.
Some of the museums include Corer Museum, Doge’s Palace, La Fenice Theater, Mocenigo Palace, Bell Tower of St.
Mark, the Glass Museum , the Ca' d'Oro , the Ca' Pesaro, the Ca' Rezzonico and Carlo Goldoni’s House.
• Rialto Bridge: Completed in 1591 as a replacement of the original wooden one that collapsed
in 1524.
Eating in Venice
Dining in Venice is mainly hinged on seafood supported with garden products from the farms, rice, polenta and
game. Venice has hundreds of restaurants to cater to your culinary needs but you have to choose carefully to get
the best deal. You can try the Al Vecio Canton, Trattoria Veneziana and II Refolo but they are not exactly cheap.
Head over to the Rialto Bridge where you’ll find several restaurants that will give you the classic Venetian
experience of dining under the canal lights.
For pizza, check out Pizza al Volo in Campo Santa Margherita (5.0 Euro whole pizza, 1.8 Euro a slice). The Brek,
close to the train station offers cafeteria styled cuisine and drinks for a modest 5.0 Euro. For cheaper places,
head over to the Dorsoduro area where the locals and students dine. Ice cream is available all over the city at 1 -
1.50 Euro for one scoop and 2.50 - 3.50 Euro for three scoops.
Shopping in Venice
 Some of the items to shop for in Venice include gloves and accessories (at Fanny
on Campo San Polo), leather articles (Francis Model on Ruga Rialto) and scarves and shawls (at Venetia Studium
on San Marco). You can also shop for clothing, accessories and almost any other thing at the Piazza San
Marco, Calle della Mandola and Campo Santo Stefano.
Other Useful Tips
Internet cafes are usually expensive but if it’s urgent, you probably won’t have a choice. However, you can try
the Café Blue in Dorsoduro for free wi-fi but you have to buy a drink—a sprite will do. Also, hold your Passport or
National id or you won’t be allowed to use the internet.
Take normal tourist security precautions and hold tight to your wallet because of pickpockets. Collect receipts for
all purchases so that if you are stopped by the financial police, there won’t be a problem. The emergency number
for the Carabinieri is 112 while for the police the number is 113.
Original Article Written for www.mediterraneanfuncruises.com
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