Question 1

Venice on Your Own

Accepted Answer

A day in Venice from Fusina starts with a boat: Line 16 crosses the lagoon to the Zattere waterfront in about 25 to 30 minutes, and St. Mark's Square is about 15 minutes' walk from there. A simple plan is one crossing in the morning, a walk to St. Mark's and the Rialto, and an early boat back. The boat: Line 16 runs every day of the year, with more or fewer departures depending on the season. Tickets can be bought online, are not tied to a date, and are shown as a QR code when you board. The access fee: A fee for day visitors to the historic center applies on set days; check the official calendar before you go. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Check the last Line 16 departure back to Fusina for your date, and plan to be on an earlier one. Keep your receipts: Italian law obliges shops and restaurants to give you a receipt, and you should keep it, because it can help you avoid a fine if you are checked.

Question 2

Getting Around Venice

Accepted Answer

Venice has no cars in its historic center, so you get around on foot or by water. The public water buses, the vaporetti, run by ACTV, are the main transport, and some lines run around the clock. Line 1 serves the Grand Canal. Some lines run only in the summer season, from April to October. The city is built on more than 100 islands joined by more than 400 bridges, so allow more time on foot than the map suggests. Terminal Fusina sells ACTV integrated tickets for 24 and 72 hours, which cover the water buses in the city. From Terminal Fusina a second line runs to Alberoni, at the southern end of the Lido, and on to Pellestrina.

Question 3

Where to Eat in Venice

Accepted Answer

Many classic Venetian dishes come from the sea. Look for sarde in saór, marinated sardines prepared to keep the fish for long voyages. Bacalà mantecato is made from dried Norwegian stockfish and olive oil. Risi e bisi is rice cooked with peas and unsmoked bacon. Fegato alla veneziana is veal liver cooked the Venetian way. Bisàto is marinated eel. Tiramisù is generally thought to have been invented in nearby Treviso in the 1970s.

Question 4

Tipping in Italy

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not customary in Italy, and a large tip is never expected, though leaving a euro or two is fine when you are happy with the service. The tip is your choice, not a charge on the bill. Italy uses the euro, and Visa, Mastercard, American Express and the local Bancomat debit cards are accepted. Shops and restaurants must give you a receipt, so ask for one if it is not offered.

Question 5

Culture and Architecture in Venice

Accepted Answer

Venice's culture is its buildings and its water: a city of canals, churches and palaces that UNESCO listed together with its lagoon in 1987. Among its landmarks are the Doge's Palace, once the seat of the republic's government, and St. Mark's Basilica. Since the 16th century, the Doge's Palace has been joined to the prison by the Bridge of Sighs. The Carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent. It was abolished in 1797, revived in 1979, and now draws about three million visitors. Venetian glass has been made on the island of Murano since the 13th century. The Venice Film Festival, held on the Lido in late August or early September, was founded in 1932. About 25,000 people live on the other islands of the lagoon, and most of the city's population lives on the mainland.

Question 6

Venice's History: The Serene Republic and Trade Dominance

Accepted Answer

Venice grew from refugee settlements on marshy islands into a republic that ruled trade across the eastern Mediterranean for almost a thousand years. Flooding is the recent chapter: the high water of 2019 covered most of the city. 421: Tradition dates the founding of Venice to noon on 25 March 421, with the dedication of the first church on the islet of Rialto. 697: The traditional first doge, Paolo Lucio Anafesto, was elected. 810 to 1797: Venice was the capital of the Republic of Venice, a sea power that controlled Crete, Cyprus and much of the Aegean and dominated the salt trade. 1348 and 1630: The Black Death struck in 1348, and the plague of 1630 killed about a third of the city's 150,000 people. 1797: Napoleon took the city on 12 May, ending the republic, and in October he handed it to Austria. 1848 to 1866: A revolt led by Daniele Manin briefly restored the republic in 1848, and in 1866 Venice joined the Kingdom of Italy. 1987: UNESCO listed Venice and its lagoon as a World Heritage Site. 2019 to 2021: Severe flooding in 2019 covered more than 80 percent of the city. The MOSE flood barriers were raised against a high tide for the first time on 3 October 2020, and in 2021 large cruise ships were barred from the Giudecca Canal. To learn more ashore: The Museo Correr, on the south side of St. Mark's Square, covers the art and history of Venice.

Question 7

Venice with Children and Families

Accepted Answer

With children, the boat ride across the lagoon is part of the day, and Venice works best for children old enough to walk a fair distance, since everything is on foot or by boat. Folding strollers can go on the Line 16 boats. Younger children: Keep the day short: the crossing, the walk along the Zattere waterfront, and lunch. With more than 400 bridges in the city, a baby carrier is worth packing. School age: St. Mark's Square, the basilica and the Bridge of Sighs work well together, and the Doge's Palace has an armory and prisons reached across the bridge. Teenagers: A water bus ride down the Grand Canal on Line 1 shows the city from the water, and Murano's glassmaking history suits an older child with an interest in how things are made. On the Lido: Terminal Fusina also runs a boat to Alberoni on the Lido, where at least half the seaward coast is sand.

Question 8

Accessibility in Venice

Accepted Answer

Venice's historic center has no cars and more than 400 bridges, so plan any route with a wheelchair or walker carefully before you set out. The Fusina boats and terminals are easier: Line 16's boats are accessible, and staff help with boarding. The cruise terminals run by the port's passenger company have ramps, lifts, accessible toilets and dedicated check-in desks, and wheelchairs are available at each terminal. Line 16 has room on board for luggage and folding strollers, and staff help passengers with disabilities to board. Ask your ship before you sail about the route from the berth to the Line 16 landing at Terminal Fusina. Passengers who need assistance at the port should ask for it at least 48 hours before travel, through the port terminal or the cruise line. Line 1 water buses serve the Grand Canal, so you can see much of the city from the water; ask the operator about wheelchair boarding before you go.

Question 9

Shopping in Venice

Accepted Answer

Glass from Murano is Venice's classic craft, and the city's Carnival masks are the other classic thing to bring home. Buy in a shop that gives you a receipt. Venetian glass has been made on Murano since the 13th century, often with gilding, enamel or engraving. Carnival masks and costumes are part of a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.

Question 10

Beaches on the Lido

Accepted Answer

Venice's beaches are on the Lido, the 11-kilometer barrier island between the lagoon and the Adriatic, where at least half the seaward coast is sand. From Fusina, a boat runs to Alberoni at the island's southern end. Much of the beach at the town of Lido belongs to hotels, and the large public beaches are toward the northern and southern ends. In Lido town, a wide avenue crosses the island from the water-bus landing on the lagoon side to the beach.

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