RENTING
IN VENICE

Gael Arthur puts you in the picture


With all the doom and gloom in the world economy, travel seems to be one of the first things people cut. Instead of suffering complete withdrawal, stay in travel mode by taking some simple steps.

 

 

First,choose an airline that is likely to still be in business for the duration of the trip. (On a flight back from the UK in September 2008, my seat mates were lovely people who had booked the full Alaska cruise adventure, complete with flights on Zoom, which ceased operations on August 28. The good news: they cobbled together other flights and refused to think about the extra cost.)

Second, choose a single city as your destination. Decide that you will get to know it in depth and ignore the temptation to visit three or four cities on a single trip.
Since the pessimists will remind you that Venice is sinking and the optimists will point out that it has experienced a bit of a rebirth, this really is a city to sink your teeth into, no matter what your taste.

Accommodation? While the Hotel Cipriani may have the reputations, a far more practical and reasonable solution is to rent a flat.

The internet abounds with choices and a simple search of “Venice holiday flats” will yield any number of web sites designed to entice you to their portfolio of rental flats.

After scrolling through several, the one we landed on Holiday Lettings, a UK based company. It’s easy to search and most choices provide enough pictures to get an idea of what you are in for.


We eliminated the “traditional” flats with heavy drapes and antique furniture (I confess the smell of mould almost came through the computer screen), and chose a recently renovated place away from the madness of San Marco.

We reasoned that everything is within walking distance and preferred the idea of a quiet neighbourhood, not too far from the train station and the Piazzale Roma buses to the airport.

Our choice of a Dorsoduro flat proved inspired – and much more affordable than conventional hotel accommodation.
The next way to maximize value is to plan to make the most of every day. Expect to walk – a lot. All those romantic bridges over the canals? Stairs on almost all of them, so after a few days, you are guaranteed to feel as though you are permanently on a stairmaster.

In case you haven’t thought of it, luggage without wheels is deadly.

It’s important to remember that Venice has been attracting tourists for centuries, so there are a lot of things to simply ignore.

The vast majority of the carnival masks are made somewhere else, so it’s hard to think of them as true Venetian souvenirs. Instead. spend that souvenir money on something you will remember for a lot longer – invest in a walking tour with Context.

Context provides walking tours for people who want the detail - they would rather learn a lot about one element of a city than skim the superficial. Most Context docents have PhDs and are passionate about their subject. In addition to Venice, they offer tours of Rome, Paris, Florence, Istanbul and New York.

Having been on tours in both Paris and Venice, I wouldn’t hesitate to take pretty much any tour with them, anywhere.

For Venice, we chose two, the islands of the lagoon: Byzantine and Early Medieval Venice, along with the unforgettable after-hours tour of San Marco.

A final note – the restaurants in Venice range from appalling to great.

The budget-minded visit will focus on getting the best foods in the markets and cooking at home. After two or three days, you may find a neighbourhood restaurant worth a try.

But remember, when you are on a budget, you can buy a lot of great wine and cheese for the price of a mediocre pizza and a carafe of house wine in a restaurant. It’s all a matter of setting priorities and knowing what you can afford. And remember, you can definitely afford the ice cream.

The next way to maximize value is to plan to make the most of every day.

Expect to walk – a lot. All those romantic bridges over the canals? Stairs on almost all of them, so after a few days, you are guaranteed to feel as though you are permanently on a stairmaster.


In case you haven’t thought of it, luggage without wheels is deadly.


It’s important to remember that Venice has been attracting tourists for centuries, so there are a lot of things to simply ignore.

The vast majority of the carnival masks are made somewhere else, so it’s hard to think of them as true Venetian souvenirs.
Instead. spend that souvenir money on something you will remember for a lot longer – invest in a walking tour with Context.

Context provides walking tours for people who want the detail - they would rather learn a lot about one element of a city than skim the superficial.

Most Context docents have PhDs and are passionate about their subject. In addition to Venice, they offer tours of Rome, Paris, Florence, Istanbul and New York.

Having been on tours in both Paris and Venice, I wouldn’t hesitate to take pretty much any tour with them, anywhere.
For Venice, we chose two, the islands of the lagoon: Byzantine and Early Medieval Venice, along with the unforgettable after-hours tour of San Marco.

A final note – the restaurants in Venice range from appalling to great.

The budget-minded visit will focus on getting the best foods in the markets and cooking at home. After two or three days, you may find a neighbourhood restaurant worth a try.

But remember, when you are on a budget, you can buy a lot of great wine and cheese for the price of a mediocre pizza and a carafe of house wine in a restaurant.

It’s all a matter of setting priorities and knowing what you can afford. And remember, you can definitely afford the ice cream.

Context tours: http://www.contexttravel.com
Accommodation : there are numerous sites with a great selection – here is just one: www.holidaylettings.co.uk

 

 

Gael Arthur ©

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