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Introducing VeniceAn orientation for first-time visitors
Are you planning your
first trip to Venice, Italy? If so, this brief introductory guide will make
your task easier.
Basic geographyAs you can see from the photo above, Venice is an island city: The centro storico or historic center is a tightly-integrated cluster of 118 small islands that are linked by more than 400 footbridges. (Every time you cross a canal, you're stepping onto another island.) See "Is Venice connected to the mainland?" for more details and aerial photos. The entire city center covers only about 1,800 acres or 725 hectares, which is a little more than twice the size of New York's Central Park or London's Hampstead Heath. The centro storico or historic center of Venice is connected to the mainland suburb of Mestre by the Ponte della Libertà, a long causeway that was built early in the 19th Century. The causeway carries road traffic to Venice's Piazzale Roma and the parking island of Tronchetto. Train tracks run alongside the roadway and end at the Venezia Santa Lucia railroad station, which is visible as a grey spot where the road curves toward Tronchetto. Important islands near the historic center are La Giudecca (separated from the centro storico by the Giudecca Canal, which is used by Venice-Lido car ferries and small cruise ships), San Michele (Venice's island cemetery), and the glassmaking island of Murano. To the right or east of the historic center is the Lido di Venezia, a long, narrow strip of land that separates the Venetian Lagoon (which surrounds Venice) from the Adriatic Sea. Picking the right hotel locationIn our "Picking the best hotel location" article, we make a statement that's worth repeating here:
Many first-time visitors book hotels (or let their travel agents book hotels) without giving any thought to location. This can lead to frustrating and expensive mistakes. To see why, let's look at another aerial photo:
Let's say that you're arriving by air and spending two days in Venice before departing on a cruise ship from the San Basilio pier. Your travel agent books you into a hotel in Castello, inland from the Piazza San Marco. You're traveling with large, heavy luggage. Because your travel agent knows a lot about cruising but very little about Venice, she didn't realize that:
You're going to have a frustrating experience that could have been avoided if you'd stayed at a hotel closer to your cruise terminal. The same principle applies if you're arriving and departing by train: By staying within walking distance of the Santa Lucia railroad station, you'll save time, hassle, and money. To find suitable hotels quickly and easily, see our Venice Hotel, B&B, and Apartments Guide.
Venice Transportation
Arriving:In our "Arriving in Venice" article, we tell you how to reach the city center from the Venice Marco Polo and Treviso airports, from the Mestre and Santa Lucia railroad stations, from the cruise and ferry terminals, or by car. If you're driving, you'll also want to see "Parking in Venice," which has advice (with Web links) about where to park in Venice or on the mainland. Also see our Venice for Cruisers section if you're arriving or departing on a cruise ship. Getting around the city:Our Local Transportation Index lists articles about water buses (vaporetti), water taxis, pedestrian and car ferries, tourist travel cards, and related topics. Most of the time, you won't need to use water buses or other boats unless you have limited mobility or you're traveling to an island such as Murano, Burano, or Torcello. What you will need is a good map, so read our "Venice Street Maps" article before looking for a newsstand, souvenir shop, or bookstore. Also see "Walking in Venice," which has more advice on maps along with tips about directional signs, street signs, and addresses. More about Venice, ItalyAfter you've read this introduction to Venice, go to our Venice Travel Guide, which lists all of our Venice travel articles by category. Finally, don't miss our Venice Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, which offers useful advice in an easy-to-read format. About the author:
Durant Imboden has
written about Venice, Italy since 1996.
He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching
Europe for Visitors (including
Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl
Imboden in 2001. |
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