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 Capital |
Rome |
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Language |
Italian |
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Currency |
Euro |
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Telephone Calling Code(s) |
39 |
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Electricity |
220V, 50 Hz |
| Hotels in Rome, Italy |  Aphrodite Hotel, Rome
 Astura Palace, Rome
 Bernini Bristol Hotel, Rome
Cardinal Hotel St Peter, Rome
Central City Hotels, Rome
D Inghilterra Hotel, Rome
Grand Dei Cesari, Rome
Grand Hotel Beverly Hills, Rome
Heart of Italy Countryside Pkg, Rome
Hilton Rome Airport, Rome
Hotel Centro, Rome
Hotel Executive, Rome
Hotel Galles, Rome
Hotel Gioberti Rome, Rome
 Hotel Imperiale, Rome
Hotel Impero, Rome
Hotel Lido Di Garda, Rome
Hotel Madison, Rome
Hotel Napoleon, Rome
Hotel San Remo, Rome
Hotel Terminal, Rome
Intercontinental De La Ville Rome, Rome
Mercure Roma Corso Trieste, Rome
Mercure Roma Delta Colosseo, Rome
Mercure Roma Piazza Bologna, Rome
NH Giustiniano, Rome
NH Leonardo Da Vinci, Rome
NH Vittorio Veneto, Rome
Radisson SAS Hotel, Rome
Regina Baglioni Hotel, Rome
Residence Candia, Rome
Ripa Hotel, Rome
St Regis Grand Hotel Rome, Rome
The Dependance, Rome
The Westin Excelsior, Rome
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Travel to Europe - Venice, Italy
Venice (Venezia in Italian) was created more than 1,000 years ago by men who dared defy the sea, implanting their splendid palaces and churches on mud banks in a swampy and treacherous lagoon. The city was built on over 100 islands. Gothic styles were adapted to create a new kind of Venetian Gothic art and architecture. Venice is extraordinarily beautiful, presenting an urban landscape so rich in its lavishness that it can be overwhelming. The major sights like the basilica and piazza of San Marco are perhaps the city's most famous. The Piazza San Marco is the hub of most activity, signaled from most parts of the city by the Campanile, which began life as a lighthouse in the ninth century.
Venice's most celebrated event is the Carnival, which occupies the ten days leading up to Lent. Another major event is the Regatta Storica, held on the first Sunday in September, an annual trial of strength and skill for the city's gondoliers. Venice is also the home of the Venice Biennale, set up in 1895 as a showpiece for international contemporary art, and held every odd-numbered year from June to September.
Travel to Europe - Venice Packages (including Air)
Travel Tip
The unfortunate side-effect of the quaint back-alleys which make Venice such a delight to visit is that it is remarkably easy to get lost. Even maps provided by hotels are frequently inaccurate, and the maze-like structure of the city can become very confusing indeed.
One tip, as you cross bridges note the house numbers before and after. A small change probably means you are on the same island/district and have crossed a "new" canal. A major change means you are now on another island. Most maps clump islands together into their voting districts, there are many more islands than districts.
Getting Around
Since Venice is built on water, getting around by boat is a necessity—and it's a surprisingly pricey one. A 40-minute gondola ride, for example, costs about €80 ($104) for up to six passengers—and €100 ($130) between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. (Surcharges of €40 to €50 are added for each additional 20 minutes.) Water taxis are even more exorbitant; just a cruise along the Grand Canal can cost up to €80. One way to keep costs down is to get your gondola kicks on traghetti, the large gondolas for ten or so people that shuttle back and forth across the Grand Canal. The three-minute journey—which locals always make standing up—costs just 50 cents
When To Go
To see the lagoon city at its emptiest and most atmospheric come in November, season of mists and acqua alta (tidal flooding: bring rubber boots) or January, between Christmas and Carnevale. August is sheer insanity: Avoid it if at all possible.
Weather
Venice in winter is cold and damp—also sometimes flooded—and summertime has roasting sun and mosquitoes, but whatever the season, consider leaving the Jimmy Choos chez vous. Endless walking, cobblestones, boat hopping, and church-tower climbing demand flats.
How To Get There
Flights arrive at Marco Polo airport about five miles from the city center. To reach the city, get a water taxi (about $130) or the hourly ACTV motor launch, which makes stops at Murano and the Lido before reaching San Marco. If you're coming from elsewhere in Europe, consider the train—it approaches the city most scenically on a causeway across the lagoon from Mestre and deposits you directly on the Grand Canal.
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