Venetian start
Our trip to Europe could not have ended in a more romantic place than Venice. Contradictory, enchanting and out of the ordinary, the maritime republic has collected so much information about itself on the Internet that only the lazy one would not dare to look at all this mess with their own eyes.
Prior to our arrival, we were preoccupied with the financial side of life in Venice. Since our trip was coming to an end, the bags were noticeably heavier from a bunch of gifts, the head was equipped with a lot of impressions, the stomach learned to easily digest the delights of the sea and fast food delicacies, and the wallet, accordingly, was empty, since he alone was obliged to pay for all these animal delights.
According to online reviews, restaurant owners easily paid for a year of university education for their offspring after a day's earnings, owners of gondolas and less noble vaporettos poured money into their bosoms in large bills, and having a 24-hour ticket to use local toilets, which could be bought via the Internet, engendered coldness and skepticism towards the idea of visiting this city on the water.
But curiosity and anticipation of the holiday won.
Having studied the Internet, I realized that we just need to buy a ticket for these same vaporettos (Unfortunately, I did not find gondola tickets, but I think if they were, they would cost like a round-trip plane ticket from Vorkuta to Magadan ). A one-hour vaporetto ticket for 75 minutes for a one-way trip (possible with transfers) costs 7 euros. On the way back no longer rolls. A 12-hour pass with an internet discount cost 15.20.
(You need to buy at least 7 days in advance, otherwise you will not receive a discount). Moreover, it can also be used for bus trips on the island of Lido, or in Mestre. Here is a site that provides such wonderful services.
Veniceconnected. com (when issuing travel and museum tickets, you will need to indicate the date from which you plan to use them)
After paying on the site, you will receive a confirmation in the form of a code. When you arrive in Venice, you will find automatic ticket offices in Piazza Roma, San Marco and a couple of other places (check the map on the site). Enter the data and your code there. A ticket will drop out of the window for you, the validity of which will begin at the same minute. It will also indicate the time at which, as expected, the carriage turns into a pumpkin.
Vaporettos go all over Venice, and also run to the neighboring islands of Murano, Burano and Lido.
Many stations are on one side of the canal, so first take a closer look at where the boat came from so as not to hoot in the opposite direction. In principle, line 1 is sufficient for use, since it goes from Piazza Roma directly to San Marco and then to the Lido, stopping along the way at almost all museums and places to visit.
Bus tickets. Since we lived in Mestre (didn't I say? ), we went to Venice by bus 12.12L and 12, which costs 1.30. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the main squares or at your hotel. The ticket is a card that must be brought to the yellow validator when boarding. You can't just buy a ticket from the driver. You need to know the rules of good manners, and also the Italian language. So don't risk it.
There are also water taxis and art vaporettos that stop right outside museums and provide audio information along the way.
You should not buy them separately, but there is an option for an extra 10 euros to make yourself a ticket for both types of boats, coupled with simple vaporettos. But this is not very necessary (Although it may suit you - vaparettoarte. com, at the same time tell me too ).
The question may arise, why did we take a ticket for 12 hours, if we were there for 2 days? Just taking into account all the options for moving and visiting, it turned out to be the most optimal and cheapest option. Because I could not sleep peacefully, knowing that my 24-hour ticket was on fire, and the 36-hour ticket was already being sold for serious money, which none of us wanted to lay out. In addition, you can safely move around Venice on foot.
Having secured the passage, it was necessary to take care of the tourist part of the route. After a couple of squabbles on live Internet forums, they were bought on the same site Museum Pass for 18 euros each, allowing you to see 11 central city museums, and we would hardly have been capable of more.
Same procedure. Paid and received a barcode. They printed it out (or better 2 times and hide the 2nd copy in family swimsuits) and at the entrance to the museum you simply substitute hand scanners under the greenish rays. It is written there that no one will scan the screens of your tablet-phones. So just print. (During the indiscriminate movement along the streets, I managed to lose a leaflet with a barcode. Fortunately, the cable with the carrier, as well as the printer, was nearby in the office of some company. And the Italian, offering me a handkerchief out of sympathy, nevertheless went for concessions. )
By the way, there is also the San Marco Museum Pass for 14 euros, but giving the right to see only the Doge's Palace and the Correr Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the National Library. In my opinion, it makes sense to take a full ticket for 18.
The ticket is really good and we happily visited almost all the museums included in its list.
In fact, there are 3 times more museums there, but they will interest you only if you settle there for 5 days. By the way, the only gallery that is not included in the list, but worth a visit (according to numerous applause), is the Galleria Dell'Academia . Entrance to it is one of the most expensive 11 euros.
Housing was sought everywhere. The price level in Venice did not allow you to relax, besides that very often this money was asked for the lack of service or amenities at the location. In addition, it is really difficult to evaluate all this, having never been there.
In the end, we chose the hotel in Mestre and did the right thing. Hotel San Carlo, located next to the bus stop to Venice. In addition, it was only 10 minutes walk from the bus stop delivering passengers from Treviso airport to Mestre and Venice. There is another option to rent a hotel near the train station. station in the city of Mestre. The final stop of the bus from the airport is located there.
There is also a scattering of acceptable hotels. That's just to Venice, as I understand it, you will travel by train. It takes 3 minutes to go there, but in the late afternoon the number of flights decreases significantly.
Our hotel, for 60 euros, offered excellent room conditions, coupled with a basic breakfast.
We flew to Treviso on a RyanAir plane. The planes of this company fly around Europe, like taxis drive around the city. Flights are really put on the conveyor. Since you paid negligible money for a ticket, you will be promoted by manufacturers' products all the way and drive you crazy with advertisements. But you can wait for an hour.
Having landed on the runway, the already trained European diaspora jogged along the runway and, not paying attention to the baggage conveyor, sat like a fly in the bus. My wife and I followed them on their heels, grabbing almost our only suitcase from the tape along the way.
In the same lobby, I spotted an Atvo ticket machine for the Treviso-Mestre-Venice bus. But since the capitalists left the apparatus unattended, so did we. Later, I bought a ticket at a girl's window. €7 one way, €13 return, but must be used within a week. Flights are tailored to the arrival and departure of airships. The schedule can be found there. You can buy a ticket on the bus, but only for 7.
When we rushed the bus, all our plane neighbors were already there and noticed with slight indignation that, they say, where did you mess around (they, as I understand it, paid for the transfer directly on the RyanAir website). The bus set off immediately.
We occupied the first row on the 2nd floor of the auto train and gazed at the Italian beauties with pleasure, through not very transparent glass. Italy delighted literally from the start. How much I love Spain, but I must say that Italy has a brighter color.
The greenery here is certainly 2 times more, in contrast to the meager palm thickets of Spain.
