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 910794 times)

Offline Ysturmwind

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2800 on: June 14, 2017, 09:26:27 PM »
Couldn't disagree more! Portions were very generous  (including doubles) and plenty of wine and drinks

The portions were fine, definitely enough, but I dont think the food was any different or better than what would be in the Gallery. There were definitely plenty of drinks and wine. I think the drinks and atmosphere are the value-adds of Gam Gam as opposed to the Gallery.

Offline nescafe

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2801 on: June 14, 2017, 10:42:15 PM »
The portions were fine, definitely enough, but I dont think the food was any different or better than what would be in the Gallery. There were definitely plenty of drinks and wine. I think the drinks and atmosphere are the value-adds of Gam Gam as opposed to the Gallery.
I was talking about the Gallery. Drinks, as I wrote earlier l, were more than enough. About the atmosphere, we had a very pleasant and enjoyable shabbos in the Gallery. But, I heard from people that ate in GG, that it was very stuffy and hot

Offline jose34

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2802 on: June 15, 2017, 06:34:49 AM »
Dont fly from VCE to Rome, its not worth it between the time it takes to get to the airport, security, etc... you can be there faster with a high speed train.

What about if your in the FCO anyhow and just switching planes?
I would think it cool to land in VCE and see the view of Venice while landing.

Offline kopite1

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2803 on: June 15, 2017, 08:54:21 AM »
I was talking about the Gallery. Drinks, as I wrote earlier l, were more than enough. About the atmosphere, we had a very pleasant and enjoyable shabbos in the Gallery. But, I heard from people that ate in GG, that it was very stuffy and hot

We ate in GG last Shabbos. It was perfectly bearable, not at all stuffy or hot (plus they keep the doors open).

Offline nescafe

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2804 on: June 15, 2017, 10:04:54 AM »
We ate in GG last Shabbos. It was perfectly bearable, not at all stuffy or hot (plus they keep the doors open).
I was there in July when the temperature was close to 100

Offline Ysturmwind

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2805 on: June 15, 2017, 11:01:19 AM »
I was talking about the Gallery. Drinks, as I wrote earlier l, were more than enough. About the atmosphere, we had a very pleasant and enjoyable shabbos in the Gallery. But, I heard from people that ate in GG, that it was very stuffy and hot

I agree with you, I am saying that I dont really know what the added value of paying more for GG was other than the restaurant atmosphere. I think the food would be the same in both situations. We liked eating in GG it was nice and not overly hot, however it was squishy in the restaurant. If we did it again, I dont think I would pay extra to eat there rather than the Gallery.


What about if your in the FCO anyhow and just switching planes?
I would think it cool to land in VCE and see the view of Venice while landing.

In situation above they said they wanted to fly from VCE to Rome and stay a few days. If your already in FCO and connecting then I assume it would not be any extra time because your not going early for security etc...

The reason people say its faster to travel by train because its only a 3h trip and goes straight from Venice in Rome. Versus flying where you need to get to the airport in Venice which takes around an hour, go early for security, plus the flight time. All in all that takes longer than just taking the train right into Venice.

Marco Polo, the VCE airport, is on the mainland and not in Venice proper therefore you either need to take a boat or a bus into the city which can take a long time. 




Offline captivate18

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2806 on: June 16, 2017, 02:48:20 AM »
Have just come back from 3 nights in Venice. We ate at Gam Gam for Shabbos. Candle lighting was 8.40pm and mincha was advertised for a few minutes later. In the end, services didn’t begin until about 9.15pm (we had decided to sit down for dinner by then) and so most people didn’t reach the restaurant until about 10.15pm.
...
My advice in the summer months is to daven at the Sephardi shul at 7.30pm and then go on for dinner at Gam Gam, as sitting down for dinner at 10.15pm isn’t personally for me – the people we were sitting next to from NY weren’t happy that services started some way later than advertised either. Alternatively Ghimmel Garden (milky) takes Shabbat reservations on the day. But a matter of personal choice I guess, and Chabad made us feel very welcome.
...
The guided tour of the shuls/museum etc was the highlight of my trip, and also well worth going into the art gallery next to the Sephardi shuls for some artwork of the Ghetto/Torah etc (we picked up a limited edition print of Bevis Marks Synagogue). The history in the streets and Ghetto is mindblowing.

Awesome feedback. A few Qs:

-Where is the sphardic shul?
-If you do that, and are booked in Gallery, how does it work with the timing, if everyone else is davening by Chabad and only joining at 1015?
-can tour be booked day-of or must it be done in advance?

Thx again.

Offline kopite1

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2807 on: June 16, 2017, 05:37:16 AM »
Awesome feedback. A few Qs:

-Where is the sphardic shul?
-If you do that, and are booked in Gallery, how does it work with the timing, if everyone else is davening by Chabad and only joining at 1015?
-can tour be booked day-of or must it be done in advance?

Thx again.

Glad to help.

1 - The Sephardic shuls are about 1 minute up from GG - next to a couple of art galleries in the Ghetto where the road/walkway 'kinks'. The services there started at 7.30pm. There was heavy security outside as well which was good to see. They use one of the shuls in the summer, one in the winter but they're basically next to each other (and signposted).
2 - I think in reality we could have started eating straight after we lit candles had we wanted to, but we didn't want to be the only ones in an empty restaurant. When we sat down at 9.15pm there were only a few other people in there. If you're booked into the Sephardi shul, it takes about an hour for services (people were coming out as we were walking up to Chabad at just after 8.30pm!). So I guess your choice is either to go straight to GG/Gallery but potentially be the only people in there, or walk around/sit in the square for an hour or so until people start coming out. I'm told the Chabad shul always starts quite some time after services are advertised - this is not a criticism, just what I was told last weekend.
3 - Assume you mean Ghetto tour? I tried to book online in advance but could only see Italian tour. We turned up on the day and it was no problem. The first tour is 10.30, the museum and ticket office doesn't actually open till 10am - but there was a queue already by the time we got there (about 9.50am). By the time the museum open there were quite a lot of people waiting in line. So my advice is buy on the day but just make sure you get there well in advance (particularly if you're planning on going to the 10.30 tour).

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Offline jose34

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2808 on: June 18, 2017, 08:02:03 AM »
Have just come back from 3 nights in Venice. We ate at Gam Gam for Shabbos. Candle lighting was 8.40pm and mincha was advertised for a few minutes later. In the end, services didn’t begin until about 9.15pm (we had decided to sit down for dinner by then) and so most people didn’t reach the restaurant until about 10.15pm.

Food was good, selection of starters, chicken, rice potatoes etc. Lunch the following day was good too, starters, cholent, fruit etc.

Some people seemed to be sat on benches for the communal lunch in the Chabad shul although I didn’t see what was on offer. Likewise couldn’t see into The Gallery as the shutters were down for privacy.

Gam Gam was full although everyone had their own table and could spend as much time as they wanted – there was no eating in shifts etc.

My advice in the summer months is to daven at the Sephardi shul at 7.30pm and then go on for dinner at Gam Gam, as sitting down for dinner at 10.15pm isn’t personally for me – the people we were sitting next to from NY weren’t happy that services started some way later than advertised either. Alternatively Ghimmel Garden (milky) takes Shabbat reservations on the day. But a matter of personal choice I guess, and Chabad made us feel very welcome.

The guided tour of the shuls/museum etc was the highlight of my trip, and also well worth going into the art gallery next to the Sephardi shuls for some artwork of the Ghetto/Torah etc (we picked up a limited edition print of Bevis Marks Synagogue). The history in the streets and Ghetto is mindblowing.

Other tips – book ‘skip the line’ tickets in advance to avoid queuing for Doges Palace and the Campanile in St Mark’s.

We stayed in a boutique B&B near Rialto which was formerly Marco Polo’s house. Got a water taxi from the airport to where we were staying, then the Alilagune from Rialto to Airport (Orange Line).

Noticed the kosher/Israeli smoothie place (Frulala?) was closed on Shabbos  :)

An amazing city. Any questions please let me know, glad to assist.

Nice TR!
I assume the Sephardic shul was the Nussach Italaci? Are there really shomer shabbos locals there besides for Chabad?
Did you go to Murano?
Earlier in the thread  I asked about going to Murano if not staying by a Fancy Hotel the advice go to St. Marks sqaure, any thing to add?
Did you do it? Do you know anyone that did it?
Any ideas if they give Jewish Ghetto tours on shabbos?

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2809 on: June 18, 2017, 08:06:55 AM »
Yes, there are religious locals.

Offline AsherO

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2810 on: June 18, 2017, 08:19:55 AM »
Yes, there are religious locals.

I don't think there are more than a handful or two.
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Offline captivate18

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2811 on: June 18, 2017, 09:54:53 AM »
Glad to help.

1 - The Sephardic shuls are about 1 minute up from GG - next to a couple of art galleries in the Ghetto where the road/walkway 'kinks'. The services there started at 7.30pm. There was heavy security outside as well which was good to see. They use one of the shuls in the summer, one in the winter but they're basically next to each other (and signposted).
2 - I think in reality we could have started eating straight after we lit candles had we wanted to, but we didn't want to be the only ones in an empty restaurant. When we sat down at 9.15pm there were only a few other people in there. If you're booked into the Sephardi shul, it takes about an hour for services (people were coming out as we were walking up to Chabad at just after 8.30pm!). So I guess your choice is either to go straight to GG/Gallery but potentially be the only people in there, or walk around/sit in the square for an hour or so until people start coming out. I'm told the Chabad shul always starts quite some time after services are advertised - this is not a criticism, just what I was told last weekend.
3 - Assume you mean Ghetto tour? I tried to book online in advance but could only see Italian tour. We turned up on the day and it was no problem. The first tour is 10.30, the museum and ticket office doesn't actually open till 10am - but there was a queue already by the time we got there (about 9.50am). By the time the museum open there were quite a lot of people waiting in line. So my advice is buy on the day but just make sure you get there well in advance (particularly if you're planning on going to the 10.30 tour).

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for the detailed response. The only thing that threw me off was "If you're booked into the Sephardi shul, it takes about an hour for services". Booked? Is that a typo or do I really need to reserve going to the sphardic minyanim?

Thx.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2812 on: June 19, 2017, 01:42:01 AM »
Have some issue that may require me to cancel Boscolo Venezia. Anyone have experience with Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia ? Look stunning and close enough to ghetto. Just want to make sure that I'm not running into issues with Shabbos.  Any advice appreciated. TIA.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2813 on: June 19, 2017, 09:41:27 AM »
Have some issue that may require me to cancel Boscolo Venezia. Anyone have experience with Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia ? Look stunning and close enough to ghetto. Just want to make sure that I'm not running into issues with Shabbos.  Any advice appreciated. TIA.

Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?  Lol thx guys.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2814 on: June 19, 2017, 09:47:02 AM »
Potential Shabbos issues at any hotel:
Electronic room door? Put your valuables in the safe, bring tape and tape your key card to the door jamb, leaving it unlocked at all times unless you're in the room, in which case you can lock the chain.
Lobby door? Call hotel and ask if they have a manual door.
Don't want to walk a lot of stairs? Call hotel and ask for room on low floor.
Shabbos candles? Most hotels won't officially allow you to light in your room, either light there and don't tell anyone or ask hotel where you can light (they might allow on front desk or in kitchen) or light at Chabad.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2815 on: June 19, 2017, 09:58:57 AM »
Potential Shabbos issues at any hotel:
Electronic room door? Put your valuables in the safe, bring tape and tape your key card to the door jamb, leaving it unlocked at all times unless you're in the room, in which case you can lock the chain.
Lobby door? Call hotel and ask if they have a manual door.
Don't want to walk a lot of stairs? Call hotel and ask for room on low floor.
Shabbos candles? Most hotels won't officially allow you to light in your room, either light there and don't tell anyone or ask hotel where you can light (they might allow on front desk or in kitchen) or light at Chabad.

All true and thanks for the awesome advice. But I was hoping for someone to chime in with this specific property. It seems from the Wiki, from people's TR, and from JewishVenice that there are only a handful of "sanctioned" properties people are willing to recommend/try but this place looks great and has very high TripAdvisor ratings/reviews.

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2816 on: June 19, 2017, 10:18:37 AM »
All true and thanks for the awesome advice. But I was hoping for someone to chime in with this specific property. It seems from the Wiki, from people's TR, and from JewishVenice that there are only a handful of "sanctioned" properties people are willing to recommend/try but this place looks great and has very high TripAdvisor ratings/reviews.
Just because DDFers haven't stayed here doesn't mean it's not good for Shabbos. Chabad probably listed a few options, but not every single one. Most DDFers either stay at a points hotel or AirBNB.

Offline captivate18

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2817 on: June 19, 2017, 10:20:22 AM »
Have some issue that may require me to cancel Boscolo Venezia. Anyone have experience with Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia ? Look stunning and close enough to ghetto. Just want to make sure that I'm not running into issues with Shabbos.  Any advice appreciated. TIA.

Just asked a frum Venice local about Hotel Ai Cavalieri di Venezia and that it's in Castello (Calle Borgolocco 6108, Castello, 30122 Venice, Italy) and she freaked out saying it's way too far from the ghetto, a 40 mins walk, etc. Google clocks it at 18m and it seems closer than the Westin which Dan and other TRs recommend. What say the Esperti per favore ?


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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2818 on: June 19, 2017, 11:09:51 AM »
Potential Shabbos issues at any hotel:
Electronic room door? Put your valuables in the safe, bring tape and tape your key card to the door jamb, leaving it unlocked at all times unless you're in the room, in which case you can lock the chain.
Lobby door? Call hotel and ask if they have a manual door.
Don't want to walk a lot of stairs? Call hotel and ask for room on low floor.
Shabbos candles? Most hotels won't officially allow you to light in your room, either light there and don't tell anyone or ask hotel where you can light (they might allow on front desk or in kitchen) or light at Chabad.
Motion sensors activating lights in the halls?

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #2819 on: June 19, 2017, 11:20:01 AM »
Motion sensors activating lights in the halls?
Ah yes! Missed that one. Also, motion sensors for the A/C, including opening/closing the balcony door. Thankfully I have yet to be in a hotel with those, but I believe you can generally ask hotel to send up a technician to turn off the motion sensor.