Topic Wiki

Venice Overview
Venice is a gorgeous and romantic city that doesn't disappoint. It's a fantastic place to spend Shabbos because there are several points hotel options, a Chabad with several meal options, the ability to carry and because the biggest attraction of Venice - just simply walking the streets and bridges - is a perfect Shabbos activity which will keep you from just be sitting bored in a hotel room.

Trip Reports:
Dan, Avid Reader, MnM1130, ChAiM'l, aj26, Yosers1, jj1000, Hudi, Cbs, Eli, steve L, jmansour, VacationLover, Yehoshua, Mech, yg99, yls2011, ABC, AharonInIsrael, @Yehuda, shlonx  dvol, @Mootkim,Sam28,

Getting there and getting around:

How long should I go for?
There really aren't too many activities to do in Venice, so a 1-2 day trip could cover the must see/do sights, but the city is so beautiful that you won't regret a longer stay! Because the sights are mostly just walking around the streets, checking out the shops, etc. many people find spending just a Shabbos/weekend in Venice is enough to get their fill. Arrive on a Friday and leave Sunday evening and you'll get your fill. (Again, a longer stay rocks too!)

Travelling around Italy/Getting to Venice
Most often, if you're making a trip from USA to Venice, you're not just going to see Venice, but rather a few cities in Italy. When visiting Italy there are a few ways to travel around - trains, rent a car, or if you're going directly from one end of Italy (let's say Rome) to the other end (let's say Milan or Venice), it could be you'll want to fly.

Air:
If Venice is your first stop in Italy, then you'll likely be coming via air. VCE is the airport code, and the airport is not actually in Venice proper (no, the planes don't land in the canals). Rather, you'll have to take a water bus or water taxi from the airport to Venice proper. The water buses to/from the airport are run by a company called Alilaguna (buses here aren't run by the city), take around an hour to get to San Marco Square (the main points hotel location) and cost 14euro. You can buy a roundtrip in advance for 25euro. Private water taxis take around 1/2 hour, but are a lot more expensive. Because people arrive at VCE from many different locations, it's not practical to discuss the different routes you can take to get here.

Train:
If your Italy trip starts in a different city in Italy, then you may want to look into travelling via rail. There are 2 main train companies in Italy - TrenItalia and Treno Italo. Rates vary on a bunch of factors and neither site is fantastically designed, so check them out and ask for some help here if you need. Alternatively you can use loco2.com which is an easy to use site all in English it has all the options and they don’t charge anybooking fees. The express train Rome-Venice takes about 3:45 hours and the overnight takes 5.5-6.5 hours. As opposed to the airport, St. Lucia Train Station is actually in Venice proper. Once you arrive, you can take a Vaporetto to your desired location (again, likely San Marco Square). See "Getting around Venice" below for Vaporetto prices. You can also take a private water taxi, which won't have any stops, but will cost a lot more.

Car Rental:
If your Italy trip starts in a different city in Italy, then besides for taking trains, you may find that a car rental suits your needs better, especially if you plan on hitting up several cities along the way as taking a train usually means having to get a cab or bus to/from each train station from your hotel. That time/cost plus the cost of the trains may cause you to decide on a car rental instead. Since it's Europe, expect a manual car unless you pay more for an automatic. Driving in Italy may bother you if you're not super comfortable driving, but in terms of driving in Venice, don't be concerned. You'll be coming from a highway (which is just like highway driving back home), you'll get off onto normal sized/paved roads and within a few minutes, will likely be at your car rental dropoff - outside of Venice proper. There are no cars in Venice (although there is a Hertz in Venice proper that you could actually drive to and drop your car off, but rates at that location are super expensive), so you will likely drop your car off near the Venice-Mestre Train Station - not the St. Lucia station that's actually in Venice - but a second train station that's just outside Venice proper. From Mestre station, a 10 minute, 2 euro train ride will get you into St. Lucia station and from there you can follow the options listed above to get to your hotel.

Getting around Venice
If you're staying in the Jewish Ghetto or near San Marco Square (we'll get to where to stay soon), you'll be within walking distance (max 1/2 hour) of all the main sites in Venice. Even still, many people like to take a public water bus, known as a Vaporetto, to travel down the canals. You can buy tickets at many Vaparetto stops. An individual one way ride costs 7 euro, but there are also 24/48/72 hour passes that cost 20/30/40 euro, respectively. If you're between the ages of 14-29, you can buy a 72 hour Youth Pass for just 20 euro. It's possible that you may need to first purchase a "Rolling Venice" guidebook (should be available at the ticket counter) for 4 euro before they'll let you buy the Youth pass, but you can find that out at the ticket counter and even 24 euro is a great deal. There's also a special roundtrip beach ticket to Lido that costs 10 euro. Do some math to see what kind of pass will work best for you.


Where to stay:

There are 2 main areas where people normally stay: 1) The Jewish Ghetto, which is where the Shuls/restaurants are, as well as some Kosher hotels, but no points hotels and 2) San Marco Square, about a 1/2 hour walk from the Ghetto, but where most of the points hotels are. The walk is very nice, and helps you accomplish the "activity" of seeing the streets while on the way to your destination. The 30 minute walk may hinder your desire to make it to Shul for all Tefillos. YMMV ;)

Here are some places that are discussed in this thread:

NameAreaMore InfoComments
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pardes RimonimJewish GhettoWebsiteKosher hotel
Carnival Place<10 minute walk to the GhettoWebsiteNicest hotel near the Ghetto
Locanda Del GhettoJewish GhettoWebsiteKosher hotel
Westin Europa and ReginaSan Marco SquareWebsiteSPG Cat. 6; 20-25K/night. Beautiful hotel with marble lobby and a luxurious feel.
Comfort Hotel DianaSan Marco SquareWebsite10K Choice/night. Definitely dated, but kinda rustic in that regard. Cheapest points hotel option in the points hotel-lacking city of Venice.
Grand Hotel Dei Dogi, Autograph Collection<10 minute walk to the GhettoWebsite45K Marriott/night.
JW Marriott Venice Resort & SpaNOT able to walk to the Ghetto, But Free ShuttleWebsite40K Marriott/night.
"Get your own place"AnywhereAirBNB, VRBO, HomeAwayRenting an apartment can be a great option in Venice especially if your family is large enough that you would otherwise have to get a few hotel rooms. You can find apartments near the Ghetto, and with meals at Chabad, this can definitely be a cheaper option than a hotel.

There are 2 other SPG properties, Hotel Danieli and The Gritti Palace, but there are some downsides to them. Both are SPG Cat. 7 which means you'll be paying a premium to stay there. Danieli is in the Square, but in Dan's TR you'll see that he pointed out there's no manual door, which poses an issue on Shabbos. Dan also writes that Gritti is 10 minutes away from the Square. The Gritti has  undergone extensive renovations and is now fresh and on par with Aman. Many consider it worth it the distance from Chabad. There are very few base rooms, so upgrades are easy to come by.


What to do:

As said a few times so far, the highlight of a trip to Venice is walking the streets/canals and checking out the boundless shops that line the streets. But, there are of course some actual activities that one can do, although it's hard to say that any are "must-do"s.

Attractions & Activities
NameMore InfoComments
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Doge's PalaceWebsiteYou can get a classic tour of the palace, or you can opt for the Secret Itineraries tour, which will take you down to the dungeons where the prison was and up to the top floors to see offices, a torture chamber, and a court room while listening to the story of Casanova's supposed escape. The Secret Itineraries tour does not cover the main rooms in the palace, but you are free to walk around afterwards on your own.
Jewish Museum/ Ghetto TourWebsiteThe Jewish Museum offers tours of the museum and Ghetto. While the tours of the Ghetto in Rome are highly recommended by DDFers (and many would say a trip to Rome without a tour is nuts), there is not too much talk on DDF about the tours of the Venice Ghetto. Take that as you will. The tour is closer to an hour and costs 10 euro. Without the tour, you can't get in to see the nice Shuls that are not open that season.
Gondola RideN/AYou'll see gondolas everywhere you look. There are a few places where can get one that will take you on a 5 minute ride just going across the width of the canal for a couple of euro (called a "Traghetto"). There are options to get a private, 45-60 minute ride that usually costs around 90 euro. And finally, there's an in between option where you'll be in your own gondola among a group of others that are in their own gondolas. Some companies offer music and a serenade. Do some Googling to see different prices. A gondola ride will give you an additional "real feel" of Venice, but passing on it to save some money isn't a crazy idea. Walking the canals yourself is quite amazing.
San Marco SquareN/AWhether your hotel is in this area or not, this is a nice stop on your walks. A huge, open square with restaurants and shops overlooked by the large church and clock tower. During the day, you'll see people feeding pigeons, and at night, you'll see plenty of street vendors trying to get you to buy a rose for DW or a light up flying saucer. You can go up the bell tower for 8 euro for a beautiful view and you can get the very interesting audio guide for an additional 4 euro.
Lido BeachN/AIf you're in Venice for a few days, perhaps you'll enjoy a quick Vaporetto ride to Lido, where a 10 minute walk will get you onto a free public beach. Warning: Remember that this is a European beach.
Padua                ??                 Synagogue and cemetery dating to the 1500's.

Luxury Launch's Venice Guide nice list of different things to do in Venice


Shuls/Shabbos:

NameMore InfoComments
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jewish Community of VeniceWebsiteIn the Ghetto, there are 2 community Shuls - one used during the summer and the other during the winter - that are both right next to each other. There are daily Minyanim.
ChabadWebsite


Google Doc to sign up for meals
In the Ghetto, Chabad has their own Shul/Beis Medrash that acts as the Yeshiva for the Chabad students as well as a Shul during daily Minyanim. They also own a storefront that acts as the Chabad house. Chabad owns the fleishig restaurant, Gam Gam, as well as the pizza shop, Gam Gam Goodies, that are described below. On Shabbos, Chabad hosts several meal options. First of all, you could order takeout in advance and pick it up or have it delivered to your hotel. But where's the fun in that? For meals at Chabad, the options have changed as of June 1, 2015:

1) A Meal is offered after Davening both on Friday night and Shabbos day Kiddush - no reservations necessary. This is similar to the previous "free meals" that Chabad used to offer. The meal takes place in the Shul after davening. The meal provides the opportunity to sit at a big meal with Jews from all over the world with all different types of backgrounds, which many found to be an awesome experience. Please note that the "free meals" may be a little more limited in terms of options and quantities of food.

*Pre-reserved meals*
In the old system, there was only 1 way to reserve your own table, but now there are 2 ways. Meals can not be divided between the two locations and are served at any time you want after Davening. Reservations for both options can be made by emailing info@jewishvenice.org and including the calendar date of the Shabbos you will be there and the names/emails of each attendee, as well as choosing one of the below options:

2) Shabbos in the Gallery - This option existed under the old system. Three meals at a private table in a storefront near Gam Gam that normally functions as an art gallery. 90 euro per person

3) Luxury1 Shabbos at Gam Gam Restaurant - Three meals at your private table, with more of a luxury atmosphere & meal, including more food choices, than the Gallery. Minimum donation is 126 euro per person.
Ghimmel GardensWebsite


Food:

NameMore InfoComments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gam GamWebsiteA nice fleishig restaurant, owned by the Chabad Rabbi. Some food is better than others, the service is pretty classic, and the prices are a bit above reasonable. But hey, it's Kosher food in Venice! You can eat outside literally at the edge of the canal, which is pretty sweet unless it's cold at night. Reservations are recommended as it can get crowded.
Gam Gam GoodiesN/ALocated just a few steps from Gam Gam, this is a small storefront that serves as a pizza shop (no seating unfortunately, but you can find benches further along in the Ghetto and are welcome to sit in the Chabad house storefront to eat). You might also find other foods like falafel, chocolates, packaged deli and fresh baked goods, which can be great for breakfast (and deli and rolls can be great for a cheaper dinner or to take food with you to your next destination that might not have Kosher food). Pizza is priced fairly and is tasty.
Volpe BakeryWebsiteRight across the alley from Gam Gam Goodies is a bakery serving fresh breads and pastries. According to the link, it's under supervision from the Chief Rabbi of Venice (not the Chabad Rabbi), however, DDFers question the Kashrus here. As of July 2014, the Chazzan at the Italian Shul said he goes into the bakery to light the fire every morning and therefore you can eat there. The place is open on Shabbos, but it must be owned by a non-Jew (or else how could it get a hashgacha?) So, there are some concerns and you may want to check into the Kashrus before you go, but the locals sure make it seem like it's fine.
FrulalaWebsiteFresh fruit smoothies that the locals will tell you are Kosher as long as you get the water-based versions. There are 2 locations - a storefront and a kiosk - that are both on the main walk from San Marco Square to the Ghetto. The drinks are tasty and refreshing, while being reasonably priced. They also offer free shotglass-sized samples, which are a great way to get a quick thirst quencher while walking!
Ghimel GardenTheir FB pageFrom Hershelsdeals Gimmal Garden is a real restaurant, Gam Gam goodies doesn't even have chairs, and is officially a bakery, not a restaurant. so you can't even compare. GamGam goodies opens at 7AM and sells breakfast, Gimmal Garden only opens at 10AM and closes 10PM
Gimmal Garden also offers Shabbos meals, Friday night is meat and Shabbos day is dairy.The food at Gimmal is excellent, they have Pizza, Fish dishes, Pasta, salads, Falafel  ETC....

« Last edited by sam28 on September 12, 2023, 12:02:41 PM »

Author Topic: Venice Master Thread  (Read 898028 times)

Offline Ergel

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #760 on: July 16, 2012, 02:59:23 PM »
I have heard recommendations not to eat there. Don't remember from whom
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Offline Finckmyster

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #761 on: July 16, 2012, 03:12:25 PM »
Sleep in the restaurants?

It's also a Hotel, with 14 Rooms Total and I have reservation in August

Offline DrDanny

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #762 on: July 25, 2012, 02:45:53 AM »
Has anyone ever stayed at the Bauer Palladio Hotel,
                                  
Is it Shabbos'able? walkable to gamgam? do you need to get on a boat to leave the hotel?

Offline DrDanny

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #763 on: July 27, 2012, 12:41:42 AM »
Has anyone ever stayed at the Bauer Palladio Hotel,
                                  
Is it Shabbos'able? walkable to gamgam? do you need to get on a boat to leave the hotel?
Bump

Offline Cbs

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #764 on: August 13, 2012, 07:53:06 AM »
When buying a train ticket to go from Rome to Venice, do u have to pre book online or can u just come to the station and buy ticket?  And if you pre pay online can it be used for any train that day?

Does this apply to all train tickets between Italy cities?

Offline myb821

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #765 on: August 13, 2012, 08:03:06 AM »
When buying a train ticket to go from Rome to Venice, do u have to pre book online or can u just come to the station and buy ticket?  And if you pre pay online can it be used for any train that day?

Does this apply to all train tickets between Italy cities?
buy in advance trust me although if u want u can just go to a travel agent in rome and it will cost a few euro more. It is a pain to buy it in the station

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Re: Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #766 on: August 13, 2012, 08:14:41 AM »
buy in advance trust me although if u want u can just go to a travel agent in rome and it will cost a few euro more. It is a pain to buy it in the station
I don't mind buying in advance. The only thing is that Idk the exact time I'm gonna take the train. So can I use the ticket for any time that day?
And advance you mean a few days or just online?

Offline myb821

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Re: Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #767 on: August 13, 2012, 08:15:13 AM »
I don't mind buying in advance. The only thing is that Idk the exact time I'm gonna take the train. So can I use the ticket for any time that day?
And advance you mean a few days or just online?
i mean a few days it is a pain to buy it in the station

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Re: Re: Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #768 on: August 13, 2012, 08:19:22 AM »
i mean a few days it is a pain to buy it in the station
But why a few days before? If I need a ticket for Thursday,  why can't I buy it online on Wednesday if its available and then just print the ticket?

Do you know if its a general ticket or if its for that specific time and day?

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Re: Re: Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #769 on: August 13, 2012, 08:20:53 AM »
But why a few days before? If I need a ticket for Thursday,  why can't I buy it online on Wednesday if its available and then just print the ticket?

Do you know if its a general ticket or if its for that specific time and day?
you can thats fine it would be specific time i think. also they have different priced tickets if the "super economy" sells out you will end up spending like 10 -20 more euro per ticket

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #770 on: August 16, 2012, 02:42:19 AM »
If I arrive in Venice by train at 5:30 am. What's there to do? Where to go?

I'm only getting a place to stay once I talk to the shliach. He said hell arrange something. So u can't check into any where that early.

Any ideas?

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #771 on: August 16, 2012, 07:18:33 AM »

If I arrive in Venice by train at 5:30 am. What's there to do? Where to go?

I'm only getting a place to stay once I talk to the shliach. He said hell arrange something. So u can't check into any where that early.

Any ideas?
Walk to the yeshiva put down your bags (and your head?)
Just reading this conversion, there is no reason to buy your ticket in advance unless a saver or super saver rate is available there are long lines for a ticket agent but they have easy to use kiosks that I bought from seconds before my train

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #772 on: August 16, 2012, 07:25:24 AM »
Walk to the yeshiva put down your bags (and your head?)
Just reading this conversion, there is no reason to buy your ticket in advance unless a saver or super saver rate is available there are long lines for a ticket agent but they have easy to use kiosks that I bought from seconds before my train
if you have a chip and pin card

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #773 on: August 16, 2012, 07:39:16 AM »
Not in Italy
I used my amex platinum

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #774 on: August 16, 2012, 07:48:04 AM »
Walk to the yeshiva put down your bags (and your head?)
Just reading this conversion, there is no reason to buy your ticket in advance unless a saver or super saver rate is available there are long lines for a ticket agent but they have easy to use kiosks that I bought from seconds before my train
I didn't think it would be open at 6 am.

About the train, I actually bought it online and while trying to put my CC in the page stopped so I refreshed and the price went up a few euro.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #775 on: August 16, 2012, 07:54:08 AM »
I didn't think it would be open at 6 am.

About the train, I actually bought it online and while trying to put my CC in the page stopped so I refreshed and the price went up a few euro.
Somebody here learn't there (AsherO)
so pm him/or whoever

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #776 on: August 16, 2012, 10:40:07 AM »
When I was there the mikva was open 24/7 and had a couch...
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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #777 on: August 19, 2012, 09:23:20 PM »
OK so here are my thoughts on Venice
We booked our train tickets from Rome to Venice way in advance and got them for $30 for 2 people. I made the mistake of not buying an extra ticket for my baby which would have been worth it because the train was full so she had to sit on our lap for 4 hours. For an extra 12.50, it would have been worth it.
I was able to grab 3 nights on C&P at the westin before it became at cat6 so we stayed there. Got upgraded to a grand canal room which was gorgeous and right on the water. They gave us the first floor which was great for shabbos but if someone is staying there during the week, I would recommend trying to get a higher floor as the view is nicer. I can't vouch for any standard rooms as it seemed like nothing special if you didn't have a view of the grand canal.
Anyone staying at the westin- Read this !!!!- the 2 bus goes to San Marco-Train station-San Marco. There are multiple ports in San marco. In one direction, it takes you to zaccaria which is farther from the westin. The other direction takes you to the stop closer to the westin. Make sure you get on the 2 bus going towards Lido (down the grand canal). We went the wrong way and the ride was 45minutes, and another 45 minutes to get from the boat stop to the westin (with 3 bags and a stroller over 4 sets of stairs).
The highlight of venice for us was thursday night watching the orchestras and san marco square. We sat down and paid 30 euros for 2 cokes (9 + 6euor sittting fee) but I looked at it as 15euro concert and a free coke. You can stand in the back and watch for free though.
Friday we went to Murano. It was nice but not too exciting. All teh glasswork comes from the same factories and everyone basically sells the same stuff. There wasn't really anyone doing glass blowing in their shops.
Overall, I wasn't so impressed with the food situation in Venice. We went to Fleshig Gam Gam Thursday night and the meal was nice, good food and good service. If you want to sit by the water, you need a reservation (early). We went at 7 at were told nothing was available till 9. We were told some people reserve a day before.
Friday morning we went to try to find breakfast, but there wasnt much in the way of that. The bakery had some pastrys, but after 2 weeks of Pastrys for breakfast in Paris and Rome, we couldn't have any more. We ended up just getting pizza from milchig Gam Gam. It was ok, very thin crust. Also, there is not much in the way of cheese/snacks/ other stuff for kids to eat. Plan on eating a lot of pizza.
Also, San Marco is a 25 minute walk (45 minutes with stroller) from ghetto so you need to take food with you for lunch (unless you plan on coming back to the ghetto 3 times a day).
We had no intrest in waiting till 11 for Shabbos dinner at Gam Gam so we paid the 120 euros for shabbos meals at the kosher hotel. The food was good, atmosphere nice and the food presentation was also nice. You have your own table, nicely set with china. The only complaint was that service was a little slow but that was just because there were a lot of people and each plate was prepared individually, so it takes time. Well worth it for  a 5 course meal.
Ate there for Shabbos lunch also. Seuda Shilishis had in our hotel with some challah we bought before shabbos at the bakery. Gam Gam wouldn't sell us dips before 12pm on friday and we weren't going to stick around the ghetto all day waiting.
Motzei Shabbos went back to gam gam for pizza. Waited 45 minutes. They also would not sell anything besides pizza and drinks. After some begging, I got them to sell some bags of bamba for the plane ride for my daughter the next day. It seemed a little silly because people were just standing around inside the store but wouldn't sell me anything besides pizza.
Basically, come to Venice prepared with food or be prepared to eat a lot of pizza.
Overall, Shabbos was nice but I wouldn't stay outside of the ghetto again. Walking through venice, especially on shabbos is not a very shabbistic atmosphere. Your not wandering through quite streets but through store fronts and shopping streets. It's like walking through a mall on Shabbos, not the type of atmosphere I'm interested in. If you can find a hotel in the ghetto, it might be nicer.
August was hot, and there were tons of tourists. Really really really try to plan your trip in November when it's much cooler and less crowds. Hot weather + tourisits = lots of people with very little clothing. Not really the place for a frum jew in the summer.
Additionally, the stairs there are a nightmare with a stroller.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #778 on: August 19, 2012, 09:34:20 PM »
I paid 150 and ate at gamgam in a private room in the art gallery
i felt the kosher hotel was more sephardic but each to his own

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #779 on: August 21, 2012, 07:18:03 PM »
OK so here are my thoughts on Venice
We booked our train tickets from Rome to Venice way in advance and got them for $30 for 2 people. I made the mistake of not buying an extra ticket for my baby which would have been worth it because the train was full so she had to sit on our lap for 4 hours. For an extra 12.50, it would have been worth it.
good price. i paid 59 eur for a night train from rome to venice. in a 4 couchette cabin.. slept like a baby!

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The highlight of venice for us was thursday night watching the orchestras and san marco square. We sat down and paid 30 euros for 2 cokes (9 + 6euor sittting fee) but I looked at it as 15euro concert and a free coke. You can stand in the back and watch for free though.
i opted for the free watching the orchestra :) and ill say that one of the nicest places ive been to was that sqaure in the day time. and sitting by the water there watching the view! too bad i dont have pics cuz i went there on shabbos :(

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Friday we went to Murano. It was nice but not too exciting. All teh glasswork comes from the same factories and everyone basically sells the same stuff. There wasn't really anyone doing glass blowing in their shops.
i was there on friday as well. what time did you go? i saw one glass blowing as well - quite cool. but otherwise it was a decent nice island - like burano better.

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Overall, I wasn't so impressed with the food situation in Venice. We went to Fleshig Gam Gam Thursday night and the meal was nice, good food and good service. If you want to sit by the water, you need a reservation (early). We went at 7 at were told nothing was available till 9. We were told some people reserve a day before.
+1. i wasnt impressed with the food as well. the second meal started at 9:30 and i came to that one.
 
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We had no intrest in waiting till 11 for Shabbos dinner at Gam Gam so we paid the 120 euros for shabbos meals at the kosher hotel.
wasnt 11. it was 9:30 but it was packed and food wasnt amazing. though the atmosphere was incredible!

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Walking through venice, especially on shabbos is not a very shabbistic atmosphere. Your not wandering through quite streets but through store fronts and shopping streets. It's like walking through a mall on Shabbos, not the type of atmosphere I'm interested in. If you can find a hotel in the ghetto, it might be nicer.
i may have to disagree with you here. i thought the shabbos walk was really nice. and didnt really feel not shabbosdik, but i guess it depends on where ur coming from. Someone coming from israel may feel that way but ive been to so many places like that and worse on shabbos so i thought it was nice.

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August was hot, and there were tons of tourists. Really really really try to plan your trip in November when it's much cooler and less crowds. Hot weather + tourisits = lots of people with very little clothing. Not really the place for a frum jew in the summer.
iwas very hot, though rome was hotter. bring water with you everywhere. and i think you're exaggerating a bit about how not good it is for frum ppl in the summer. noone walks around in bathing suits there. its like any other place in europe in the summer.

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Additionally, the stairs there are a nightmare with a stroller.
im sure it is, but its nice that on some bridges they have rounded steps for the strollers and luggage.