Sarah HT Admin is jetting off to Venice today - she'll be back Sunday so she may be able to help you on her return.

Gondola trips are around €1.50 per minute (usually a 40 minute trip) but you can try the traghetto gondola ferry across the Grand Canal by the Foscari Palace Hotel for about €2. Short trip but at least you will have tried it. The splendid vaporetti river buses are much better value and you could spend the whole day on them for much less than one gondola trip.

The further you eat from St Mark's, the cheaper the food becomes. There are masses of good places to eat. Look for those with a tourist or day menu outside. These will give the prices before you enter.

3 days sightseeing will be a bit rushed. You should really try the museums, especially the Palace in St Mark's (don't walk between the columns at the entrance to the Square from the Canal). Have a look at Santa Maria della Salute opposite. It isn't really the ugliest church ever built, just wildly over the top and the inside is wonderful, probably my favourite building anywhere. Amble around the markets, stopping for a drink or coffee here and there. Peggy Guggenheim gallery. The Rialto Bridge. The Guinness Corner Bar. La Fenice opera house. Try and squeeze in a trip across the Lagoon to Murano or Burano. Spend the whole visit walking around the City. It doesn't matter a bit, you'll love it.

For some reason I can't ever recall seeing a Maccy D's in Venice.

Suggest you buy a 3 day ACNIL pass at the Piazzale Roma, so you can hop on and off all the vaporetti, including those to Murano, Burano and Torcello.

Harrier,

last time we went to Venice it was 40 degrees!! Only reason we went to MacDonalds is because it has air-conditioning

Bill

Where's the Macdonalds in Venice then? I can't ever recall seeing one.

I should think there are quite a few on the mainland though.

Hi Kazzy,

We came back a few days ago. Must sees are of course St. Marks Square and Basilica, do not eat around this area though. Both are free of charge.

Gondola is a must do, we did a 50 minute trip around St. Marks area taking in the Bridge of Sighs for €100. We could have done a shorter trip for €85. Gondelier very informative.

We bought 3 days Vaporetti (water bus passes) they cost us €31 each, well worth the money. Get on the no 1 and do the trip up the Grand Canal and visit the Lido, beautiful. With your passes you can also visit the Islands of Murano for glass blowing and Burano for lace, they are far away.

The Rialto Bridge is a must see even if it is a bit tacky with all the shops.

Becareful where you eat, its very expensive, you need to venture down the back streets. If you like fish and seafood you'll be fine. Pasta in abundunce and Pizza. Not a lot of meat dishes on offer and if there are they are expensive.

There is a Macdonalds and a Burger King in Venice.

Any questions please ask.

Sarah

Where's the Macdonalds in Venice then? I can't ever recall seeing one.

Macdonalds in on Strade Nove in the Carneggio area.

Yeh. I looked on the Macdonalds website after and found one in Cannareggio near to where we stayed once. It must have opened recently.

There's also one in St Marks Square. I wonder if they charge the same prices?
If it really is there how on earth did the Venice city fathers give it planning permission?

Don't forget your scuba gear when next in Venice:

Guardian today

If it really is there how on earth did the Venice city fathers give it planning permission

I didn't see one in St Marks, I can't see them letting one open there.

Sarah

Not quite in St Marks but Macdonalds say it is.

Map: http://tinyurl.com/2thkgb

Address: http://www.mcdonalds.it/ristoranti/rist_dett.asp?id=2171

Good lord, can you imagine a Macdonolds amongst the high price cafe's

Not quite in St Marks but Macdonalds say it is.

I remember seeing one very near St Marks Sq, and that was 5 years ago but it wasn't very obvious as the building was very old as you would expect and the M sign a little more discreet than we're used to in the UK. It certainly wasn't one of those purpose built things we have here.

I guess If people don't notice it, the Planners must be doing a good job at blending in the old with the new!

No idea about prices though, I never went in!

thanks to everyone for all the venice info.
looks like we'll being sightseeing on foot most of the time, I love to wander around just to see what we come across. Will definetly take you up on some of the suggestions. I think we may do the gondola, is it price per person or per gondola?? between 4 of us it might not be too expensive.
Three weeks and counting down to 3 days in venice then med cruise.
think hubby will sniff out the mac D's and burger king. At least he won't starve whilst we eat pasta.
karen

Sorry about hi-jacking the thread earlier.

There really is no need for hubby to eat at Macdonalds anyway. Look for takeaway food bars and try a nice warm Prosciutto ham roll. Heaven. Or real pizza slices 1/2inch thick.

Wherever you look in Venice, or anywhere in Italy, you'll find great food snacks.

is it price per person or per gondola

Price is per gondola for upto 6 people I believe.

Sarah

Best thing to do in venice is just forget the maps, and enjoy wandering around the back streets. Don't worry, virtually everywhere you go there's a sign for Piazza San Marco, or the Rialto
Also, you MUST do the small islands, go to Murano, Burano, Torcello. Burano is my fav place in the whole of the venetian lagoon, just beautiful