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 910395 times)

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1400 on: October 27, 2014, 03:40:52 PM »
Wondering is it enough one full day to tour venice? Thinking of doing that on the way back from Israel. Thanks for your advice.
If your full day means you spend the 2 nights (getting in late one night and leaving early two days later) then yes. To arrive and leave on the same day is not with it. It takes 75 minutes just to get from San Marco to/from the airport.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1401 on: October 27, 2014, 03:48:06 PM »
If your full day means you spend the 2 nights (getting in late one night and leaving early two days later) then yes. To arrive and leave on the same day is not with it. It takes 75 minutes just to get from San Marco to/from the airport.
But at the same time, if touring "the whole Venice" just means walking around the streets and canals, seeing the square and shops, then technically it can be done. I think one can enjoy Venice without doing any official "activities". Man all this talk today about Venice (see Aharon's thread) is really making me miss the place.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1402 on: October 27, 2014, 04:01:49 PM »
But at the same time, if touring "the whole Venice" just means walking around the streets and canals, seeing the square and shops, then technically it can be done. I think one can enjoy Venice without doing any official "activities".
True, but it would be better to at least have a real full day. At the least stay one night and have most of the next day.

Offline Yaalili

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Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1404 on: October 27, 2014, 04:03:11 PM »

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1405 on: October 27, 2014, 04:03:30 PM »
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=46113.0 - trip planning thread.
Beat me to it.

True, but it would be better to at least have a real full day. At the least stay one night and have most of the next day.
True. Venice is awesome. Don't just go for a day and not spend the night.

Offline sky121

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1406 on: October 27, 2014, 04:05:18 PM »

True. Venice is awesome. Don't just go for a day and not spend the night.
+1
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline lifetimedeals

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1407 on: October 27, 2014, 04:06:33 PM »
But at the same time, if touring "the whole Venice" just means walking around the streets and canals, seeing the square and shops, then technically it can be done. I think one can enjoy Venice without doing any official "activities". Man all this talk today about Venice (see Aharon's thread) is really making me miss the place.
Not looking to visit every tourist place just the main or basics of exploring/visiting venice, Thanks.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1408 on: October 27, 2014, 04:08:07 PM »
Not looking to visit every tourist place just the main or basics of exploring/visiting venice, Thanks.
If I had a stop on the way to TLV, I would stop at FCO, taxi to BA"Ghetto Milky for some pasta and taxi right back to the plane. Iy"h one day I hope to do that.

Offline lifetimedeals

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1409 on: October 27, 2014, 04:09:12 PM »
True, but it would be better to at least have a real full day. At the least stay one night and have most of the next day.
Is there anything more interesting then just walking around the streets and canals? That I should not miss if I'm already in venice? Yeah was thinking arriving for example Sunday night till Tuesday noon.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1410 on: October 27, 2014, 04:12:14 PM »
No, it's mainly walking around. Murano & Burano are nice, as well as the Lido (I haven't been personally to Lido), but they can be skipped if you're pressed for time. If you do your current plan you could possibly do them on the way to the airport.

Offline lifetimedeals

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1411 on: October 27, 2014, 04:23:18 PM »
No, it's mainly walking around. Murano & Burano are nice, as well as the Lido (I haven't been personally to Lido), but they can be skipped if you're pressed for time. If you do your current plan you could possibly do them on the way to the airport.
do I have to take a car service from the airport or is there any public trans. like train that can be used? Thanks.

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1412 on: October 27, 2014, 04:24:41 PM »
do I have to take a car service from the airport or is there any public trans. like train that can be used? Thanks.

No train from the airport, but there is public buses and boats.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1413 on: October 27, 2014, 04:25:03 PM »
Is there anything more interesting then just walking around the streets and canals? That I should not miss if I'm already in venice? Yeah was thinking arriving for example Sunday night till Tuesday noon.
That's it. Sure there are things to do, as Yehoshua listed plus Doge's Palace and maybe a gondola ride, but the beauty of Venice is really just walking around and checking out the shops.

do I have to take a car service from the airport or is there any public trans. like train that can be used? Thanks.
No cars on Venice. From the airport, you take a boat called the Alilaguna (private company, but that's the only "public" transportation to Venice. You could also take a taxi boat (which is private and will be just you and your family).

Offline VacationLover

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1414 on: October 27, 2014, 04:27:12 PM »
do I have to take a car service from the airport or is there any public trans. like train that can be used? Thanks.
Alialaguna is cheapest and quick from the airport.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1415 on: October 27, 2014, 04:31:03 PM »
There is another option of taking a bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma and then either walking or taking a vaporetto (water bus) from there, but it takes longer and is more expensive. It would only be good if you really couldn't take a boat.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1416 on: November 02, 2014, 09:07:50 AM »
Wondering is it enough one full day to tour venice? Thinking of doing that on the way back from Israel. Thanks for your advice.
Did you decide if you're going?

Offline lifetimedeals

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1417 on: November 03, 2014, 01:00:03 PM »
Did you decide if you're going?
Not yet, I have the option of a day in London too, so it's not an easy decision.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1418 on: November 03, 2014, 01:23:01 PM »
Not yet, I have the option of a day in London too, so it's not an easy decision.
From those 2 options, IMO, it is. :)

Online mgarfin

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Re: Venice Master Thread
« Reply #1419 on: November 03, 2014, 01:32:48 PM »
Im going to be in venice for 1 night the day after pesach Apr 12 (stopping on the way back from Israel) with my DW and 4 children,

Any recommendations where to stay?