Venice

[BillyStubbsTears]

Balby

We go to Italy a couple of times a year to see the in-laws. I rarely pay more than £60-70/night for a double room and in 20 years of visiting regularly and paying those prices, I’ve never once stayed in a hotel that comes anywhere close to the levels of grimness that you get in some English seaside guest houses.

So I guess what I’m saying is that you can go for the budget end of the market and still expect something very, very good by British standards.

If you’re really wanting to cut costs, you could stay in Mestre Near the station and get the train into Venice each day (10 mins - a few Euros return).  We stayed at this one at Xmas 2016 for a couple of night after we flew to Venice and before driving on to Bologna to see the relatives. You don’t get the “wow” of staying in the centre of Venice overnight but you do get a very, very nice hotel for a bargain price, and more choice of decent priced places to eat in the evening.


http://mobile-hotels.opodo.co.uk/hotel/it/albergo-villa-serena.en-gb.html?aid=365564;label=opo-link-uk-navtab-conf-mob-of_B;sid=db94ee226f6e4249af18ad73159bbcc0;checkin=2018-02-11;checkout=2018-02-14;room1=A,A,;homd=1;srpvid=80de562947c80156;srepoch=1518351354;atlas_src=sr_iw_title

[Filo]

Balby

We go to Italy a couple of times a year to see the in-laws. I rarely pay more than £60-70/night for a double room and in 20 years of visiting regularly and paying those prices, I’ve never once stayed in a hotel that comes anywhere close to the levels of grimness that you get in some English seaside guest houses.

So I guess what I’m saying is that you can go for the budget end of the market and still expect something very, very good by British standards.

If you’re really wanting to cut costs, you could stay in Mestre Near the station and get the train into Venice each day (10 mins - a few Euros return).  We stayed at this one at Xmas 2016 for a couple of night after we flew to Venice and before driving on to Bologna to see the relatives. You don’t get the “wow” of staying in the centre of Venice overnight but you do get a very, very nice hotel for a bargain price, and more choice of decent priced places to eat in the evening.


http://mobile-hotels.opodo.co.uk/hotel/it/albergo-villa-serena.en-gb.html?aid=365564;label=opo-link-uk-navtab-conf-mob-of_B;sid=db94ee226f6e4249af18ad73159bbcc0;checkin=2018-02-11;checkout=2018-02-14;room1=A,A,;homd=1;srpvid=80de562947c80156;srepoch=1518351354;atlas_src=sr_iw_title

Just curious BST, do you speak Italian or do you leave that to the wife?

[Geoff Blakesley]

We went back to hotel called Commercio E Pellegrino last october great value and top location. Go - it's good. San Zaccharia vaporetto stop. Out of the door of the hotel it's 50 yards to the Laguna !
http://www.commercioepellegrino.com/

[BillyStubbsTears]

I speak enough to get by Filo. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I can speak enough.

One of the proudest moments of my life was checking in at a hotel in Venice 10 years back. Dutch guy in front of me spoke no Italian but did speak English. Italian receptionist spoke no English or Dutch. Dutch Guy was going spare trying to get the receptionist to understand that he had an emergency and needed a taxi to the airport pronto. So I suavely asked him if I could help, and inmy broken Italian, managed to explain to the receptionist.

I reckon that might be the only time in history that a Brit has had to translate something for a Dutchman.

[balbyrover]

Thanks for the reccomendations guys. I've booked a tour that includes the water taxi 1 hour ride..


Tour commences from the entrance to the Royal Gardens (Giardini ex Reali) near San Marco Square

So ideally want to get quite close if possible without too much hassle of transport etc.
I am thinking to be honest of just booking somewhere reasonably cheap as we will only really be sleeping there and maybe have a bite to eat in the momring. Most of the day we will be out and about.

[Filo]

I speak enough to get by Filo. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I can speak enough.

One of the proudest moments of my life was checking in at a hotel in Venice 10 years back. Dutch guy in front of me spoke no Italian but did speak English. Italian receptionist spoke no English or Dutch. Dutch Guy was going spare trying to get the receptionist to understand that he had an emergency and needed a taxi to the airport pronto. So I suavely asked him if I could help, and inmy broken Italian, managed to explain to the receptionist.

I reckon that might be the only time in history that a Brit has had to translate something for a Dutchman.

Nice one, I suppose you have to learn enough to speak with the inlaws, unless the speak English ofcourse.

I firmly believe that the school curriculum in this Country should be geared towards every child learning to speak a second language, rather than as they do now learning them grammer of the language

[balbyrover]

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionProductDetail-g187870-d11447792-Skip_the_Line_Venice_in_One_Day_Including_Boat_Tour-Venice_Veneto.html

I was looking at booking this. Is this good value? I think it looks ok to say it includes a ride on the water taxi and it will take up a fee hours on one of the days rather than us just finding our own way around all the time. I just don't want to miss any of the big things whilst there.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Filo

None of the in laws speak English so I had no choice but to learn Italian. I’m glad it worked out that way to be honest. And I agree with you about how we ought to teach kids the practical use of a second language rather than obsessing about which auxiliary verb you use with a given past participle. Our national uselessness at foreign languages (me included until I met my wife) is an embarrassment.

[Geoff Blakesley]

Complete waste of money. It isn't like London. It's the size of Doncaster !! You need to walk everywhere. It is like a massive film set .Looking round is the thrill! You will not see it all in 4 days  - chill around walking. Go in the Doges palace - up the campanille if you get up early enough. just experience all the life in st marks square.The art is to die for - pm if you want the best of that. Go up the grand canal on the vaporetto as many times as you like on your day/multiday ticket. You don't need a water taxi. Don't' overplan your trip - believe me the best part is just wandering around and stumbling on a little bar at the side of a canal for a wine/beer/aperol spritz.

[balbyrover]

Fair enough. I get what your saying.  Although we are in Venice Thursday till Sunday we fly in at 9pm Thursday we arrive and we leave at 12.25 Sunday so we really have only got Full day Friday and Saturday to go at it.
Just don't want to waste any of our time. I am very much looking forward to it though.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Little tip. If you can choose your seats on the plane, get a window seat on the right ofthe aisle as you look down the plane. The direction that 99% of the flights to Marco Polo Airport take as they come in to land means that Venice is on the right of the plane just before landing. It’s a cracking view from low down.

And about 50% of the planes taking off circle round the lagoon so that you have a view of Venice from the right of the plane as you leave. That’s not a given though as it depends on routing. But if you do go that route, the view 5-10 mins after take off is unforgettable with the whole city visible beneath you froma couple of thousand feet up.

[hoolahoop]

Great tip Billy as are the comments of Geoff above. Don't overdo it , you have 2 full days but you don't want to spend the whole time travelling to and fro . Pick out 2-4 places you want to visit and give yourself at least half a day for a wander around aimlessly - its surprising how much more you will enjoy getting off the beaten track or rather tourist track. Watch your stuff though- it's easy to get too relaxed in that small bar or that lovely ice cream parlour.
Remember you can always go back - if you rush around  trying to see everything you might not feel so inclined to revisit . I think you will see why most if not all here love this city ....so great choice.
Bon voyage

[roversdude]

We stopped at Lido di Jesolo too fantastic place and like the rest of Italy stunning ladies.
Strange that Italian girls seem to be stunning then haggard overnight.
Sorry Billy hope that’s not true lol

[hoolahoop]

We stopped at Lido di Jesolo too fantastic place and like the rest of Italy stunning ladies.
Strange that Italian girls seem to be stunning then haggard overnight.
Sorry Billy hope that’s not true lol

On my first visit our family travelled down by caravan from northern Germany ( dad in the army ) and toured all the way down to Rome and stayed at the Lido di Jesolo too .... a fantastic place and 3 week holiday

[Bentley Bullet]

I've never been to Venice but I experienced the floods in Bentley in 2007. Comparing photos of the two places there's nowt to choose between them, although if you're a culture vulture Bentley under water takes precedence.

[roversdude]

Worst thing though B.B. it drained

[balbyrover]

We stopped at Lido di Jesolo too fantastic place and like the rest of Italy stunning ladies.
Strange that Italian girls seem to be stunning then haggard overnight.
Sorry Billy hope that’s not true lol

I have been looking there but am i right in saying its miles away from the main part of Venice  I.E St marks square,riatlo bridge etc??

It's just we don't drive and would like to get to the centre really.

Or is there easy transport ?

[silent majority]

We stopped at Lido di Jesolo too fantastic place and like the rest of Italy stunning ladies.
Strange that Italian girls seem to be stunning then haggard overnight.
Sorry Billy hope that’s not true lol

I have been looking there but am i right in saying its miles away from the main part of Venice  I.E St marks square,riatlo bridge etc??

It's just we don't drive and would like to get to the centre really.

Or is there easy transport ?

If you're only there for a few days stay in the centre and sample the nightlife of Venice.

[balbyrover]

We stopped at Lido di Jesolo too fantastic place and like the rest of Italy stunning ladies.
Strange that Italian girls seem to be stunning then haggard overnight.
Sorry Billy hope that’s not true lol

I have been looking there but am i right in saying its miles away from the main part of Venice  I.E St marks square,riatlo bridge etc??

It's just we don't drive and would like to get to the centre really.

Or is there easy transport ?

If you're only there for a few days stay in the centre and sample the nightlife of Venice.

That's what I thought and had planned.

Lido de jesolo looks lovely though.

[BillyStubbsTears]

If you stay in Jesolo, there’s a bus to Punta Sabbioni which takes about 25 mins. The bus stops right by the water bus stop. It’s about 30 mins on the boat from there to St Mark’s Square.

[hoolahoop]

I think we could start a new travel app between us lads . I wonder how many countries we have visited between us around the world ?

[Donnywolf]

I will put 28 on the board - using this link

https://www.state.gov/misc/list/index.htm

Here they are - so see how near we can get to "the lot"

AUSTRIA
BELGIUM
CANADA
CZECH R
ENGLAND / IOM
ESTONIA
FRANCE
GERMANY
GREECE (+30 of its populated Islands)
HOLLAND
HUNGARY
ITALY
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
MEXICO
MONACO
MOROCCO
NORWAY
POLAND
PORTUGAL
ROI
SCOTLAND
SLOVAKIA
SPAIN ( +  Majorca Ibiza Tenerife Furtev Lanza)
TURKEY
UAE
USA (24 States incl Hawaii)
WALES

[Bentley Bullet]

MALTA

[glosterred]

The sunshine states of


Afghanistan
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
Oman


The rainy state of

Brunei

[silent majority]

Using your list Donnywolf I have;

Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Kenya
Kosovo
Latvia
Libya
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Netherlands
Norway
Panama
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Serbia
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine

England/Scotland/Wales  (of course)

And a few dependencies which are not on the list, such as
British Virgin Isles
Guadeloupe
Cayman Islands

[auckleyflyer]

Gibraltar,
Seychelles,
Egypt,
Sri Lanka.
In addition to many on the lists above. Not quite the number as SM tho!! All football related sm?
Mine mostly in the Navy.
Edit, India thought it was on sm's list. How could I miss out the madness of India.

[roversontheup]

Ok I can add ...
Australia
New Zealand
Cambodia
Vietnam
Malaysia

[silent majority]

Gibraltar,
Seychelles,
Egypt,
Sri Lanka.
In addition to many on the lists above. Not quite the number as SM tho!! All football related sm?
Mine mostly in the Navy.
Edit, India thought it was on sm's list. How could I miss out the madness of India.

A lot of foootbal ones, and a few family holidays too! I'm adding Thailand to the list in a fortnight.

I must admit I didn't realise it would be so many until I typed it out.

[RedJ]

Christ I've only done 13. all mentioned on the lists above too

[IDM]

Italy
France
Switzerland
Austria
Luxembourg
Belgium
Holland
Germany
Czech Republic
Greece
Turkey
Croatia
Spain
Portugal
USA
Canada
Brazil
Chile
UAE
Singapore
Malaysia
Vatican City