Question 1

Venice on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Once you reach Piazzale Roma, Venice is a city for walking, with the water buses for longer stretches. A simple day is the Grand Canal by water bus to the Rialto and St. Mark's, then a slow walk back through the lanes. Line 1 down the Grand Canal: Water bus Line 1 runs from Piazzale Roma past the railway station, along the Grand Canal to the Rialto and St. Mark's, and on to the Lido. It can be very crowded in the day. The Rialto: The bridge links the San Polo and San Marco districts. Near it are the open-air markets: the Erbaria vegetable market and the Pescheria fish market, where a traghetto crosses the canal. St. Mark's Square: The Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica, begun probably in 1063, stand together on the square. The access fee: On peak days, day visitors to the historic center must pay an access fee online in advance. It applies only on set days, so check the official calendar before you go. The canals: Swimming or bathing in the canals is forbidden and can bring a fine. 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.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

No cars run in historic Venice, so you move on foot and by boat. Public water buses called vaporetti cover the canals and islands, and traghetti, simple gondola ferries, cross the Grand Canal at a handful of points. The historic city spreads over more than 100 islands joined by more than 400 bridges. The People Mover runs 870 meters between Tronchetto, Marittima and Piazzale Roma, a trip of just over three minutes. Tram line T1 and buses cross the road bridge, the Ponte della Libertà, from the mainland to Piazzale Roma. Trains between Venezia Mestre on the mainland and Venezia Santa Lucia in the historic center take about 8 to 10 minutes. A traghetto crossing takes just a few minutes and costs much less than a gondola ride.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Venice's everyday food is cicchetti, small bar snacks often eaten standing up with a glass of wine. The city's bacari, small wine bars, specialize in them, and at lunchtime most cafés and osterie set them out on shelves under glass. Typical cicchetti include tramezzini, triangular sandwiches on white bread, small rolls with cold cuts, and polpette, fried balls of minced fish or meat. Order by pointing at what you want. Venetians call a small glass of wine an ombra, and the other usual drink is a spritz, made with Aperol, Campari or Select. Prices go up as soon as you sit down at a table to be served, sometimes to double the price at the counter. The Erbaria, the vegetable market, and the Pescheria, the fish market, are both beside the Rialto Bridge.

Question 4

Tipping in Italy

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not customary in Italy. Most restaurants charge a cover charge, the coperto, and waiters do not expect a tip, though they will not refuse one. If you want to leave something, a euro or two is plenty. Leaving the change for taxi drivers is quite common.

Question 5

History

Accepted Answer

Venice grew from settlements on the islands of a lagoon into the capital of a sea republic that lasted until 1797. Marghera, on the mainland opposite, is a 20th-century creation: an industrial port planned from 1917 so that heavy industry could be kept away from the historic city. Founding: By tradition, the city was founded at noon on March 25, 421, with the dedication of the church of San Giacomo on the Rialto. The doges: The first doge of Venice, by tradition, was elected in 697. The city was the capital of the Republic of Venice from 810 to 1797. 1204: After the Fourth Crusade captured and sacked Constantinople in 1204, Venice became an imperial power and brought home great quantities of Byzantine plunder, including gilt bronze horses from the city's Hippodrome. The end of the Republic: Napoleon ended Venetian independence in 1797. After decades of French and Austrian rule, Venice joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. A new passenger port: The Stazione Marittima at the western end of the Giudecca Canal opened on March 1, 1880, linked to the railway. Building Marghera: In 1917 the Italian government decided to build an industrial port at Marghera on the reclaimed lagoon edge, with Count Giuseppe Volpi as a leading backer. A canal linking Marittima and Marghera opened on May 17, 1922, and port traffic began in 1925. The Second World War: Allied bombers targeted the factories of Porto Marghera. World Heritage: Venice and its lagoon were listed by UNESCO in 1987. Cruise ships move out: From August 1, 2021, large cruise ships were no longer allowed to berth at Marittima in the historic center, and the Marghera quays are among the berths used instead. To learn more ashore: The Museo Correr, on the upper floors along the south side of St. Mark's Square, covers both the art and the history of Venice.

Question 6

Venice with Children

Accepted Answer

Venice keeps children busy with boats: water buses, the elevated People Mover and the traghetto ferries across the Grand Canal. Watch them closely near the water, since many lanes end straight in a canal with little lighting at night. Younger children: Ride the People Mover between Marittima and Piazzale Roma, then take Line 1 down the Grand Canal and count the bridges. School age: Cross the Grand Canal by traghetto at the Rialto fish market, then visit the Museo Correr on St. Mark's Square, which has a collection of globes from the 16th century on. Teenagers: Book the Secret Itinerary tour of the Doge's Palace, which goes into the offices where the Republic was run, the cell where Casanova was held and the 500-year-old roof timbers.

Question 7

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Venice is nearly flat, but getting from one district to another means crossing bridges with steps or taking a boat. The water buses are generally wheelchair accessible, though a wheelchair user may not be able to board a crowded one. A few bridges have ramps, but most are crossed by steps, so plan routes carefully and allow extra time. The cruise terminal company offers assistance for passengers with reduced mobility; arrange it through your cruise line before you travel. The People Mover's track is gentle, with a slope of no more than 6.2 percent at its steepest point. During acqua alta, the high tides that flood parts of the city several times a year, mostly in the colder months, raised walkways are set out. The tourist offices at the railway station and St. Mark's Square give out maps of the higher, drier routes.

Venice(Marghera), Italy

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