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Post by Tim on Aug 22, 2015 13:18:20 GMT
What not to do?
I'm going to Venice and Lake Garda in a few weeks and know most of what you should do, but what I would like to know is what not to do? What, if anything did you do or see that you thought was a waste of time/money?
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Post by zippy on Aug 22, 2015 13:21:52 GMT
My wife went last year and her biggest piece of advice is to do your sightseeing in late afternoon/evening, when all the cruise ships have gone.
(sorry that's not a 'what not to do' but thought it might be useful anyway)
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 22, 2015 13:46:21 GMT
I didn't do anything I thought was a waste of time - we visited as many galleries and churches as possible... It's a wonderful place.
It may seem obvious but I would avoid spending money in any of the shops in and around St Marks Square - prices can be ludicrous... There are some great value places to eat if you do a bit of research and are prepared to do some exploring on foot!
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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 22, 2015 15:14:30 GMT
It's an embarassing shanty town falling into the sea
It stinks, mostly of urine
The prices are higher than rip off
Apart from that it's great
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Post by Tim on Aug 22, 2015 17:18:22 GMT
It's an embarassing shanty town falling into the sea It stinks, mostly of urine The prices are higher than rip off Apart from that it's great Haha, words of wisdom . . . not sure many Venetian's would be pleased by that description mind you. Yup Jules, I tend to get off the beaten track when travelling, especially for things like food and drink and you won't see me inside a 'tourist' shop anywhere in the world. I'll certainly take a walk around the square etc, but I'm going for the culture mostly. And you won't see me in a Gondola either, at €80 for 40 minutes they can keep that. I'd rather explore on foot and just see where my nose takes me. Good tip about late afternoon/evening re cruise ships Chris  I'm going out of season, so hopefully it won't be super busy. |
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 22, 2015 17:44:27 GMT
If you are going for the culture Tim, you will find it as amazing as I did ... All the galleries are wonderful and it's well worth going off-piste to find some of the lesser known churches that can still contain treasures ...
Having gorged myself on Renaissance masterpieces I found a very nice small modern art gallery that was very worthwhile.
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 22, 2015 19:09:55 GMT
Don't go looking for a loaf of Warburtons!
Never been to Venice myself, but I have a friend who lived there for a bit. She used to get cravings for sliced white bread every now and then. However, apparently in Venice, it was usual only to buy it by the slice. And it was very expensive. When she first tried to buy some, she asked for a whole loaf and the shopkeeper thought all his birthdays had come at once, while the other customers backed away from the mad English woman.
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Post by Clive on Aug 22, 2015 19:49:41 GMT
Did she not think of baking her own?
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 22, 2015 20:20:15 GMT
No, when you bake your own, you get nice bread just like traditional Italian baker's bread. What she wanted was plastic processed bread - cravings are usually inexplicable things!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2015 7:34:41 GMT
You can get a Gondola trip quite cheap. There is a crossing served by Gondola and it cost about €1.50, but it's a short trip.
It would be rude to go to Venice and not go in a Gondola.
What not to do? Don't drink the canal water.
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Post by steveeb on Aug 23, 2015 8:35:01 GMT
It doesn't sound like you would Tim, but don't be tempted to take a water taxi speedboat, they make Gondola rides look like a bargain!
Try not to miss Tony Green if he's in town. He is a professional local acoustic guitar player, Django style, living and playing in Venice eight months of the year. For the other four he lives and works in New Orleans. He is also a successful professional painter and has a gallery and studio in both locations.
It may not be your first choice of musical genre but I happened on him by chance on one visit and his dynamic style was a revelation and fascinating. I still play his CDs regularly, now many years later. You may even come home with the perfect music themed pretty picture to commemorate your visit.
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Post by steveeb on Aug 23, 2015 8:38:44 GMT
Lake Garda - Don't miss Sirmione |
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 23, 2015 8:59:12 GMT
It doesn't sound like you would Tim, but don't be tempted to take a water taxi speedboat, they make Gondola rides look like a bargain Thanks for reminding me - when you get dropped off by the bus from the airport, you will find there are some guys who are very keen to usher you to their speedboats. Of course they are very expensive. At the same terminal you can find the public waterbuses for a fraction of the price. When you first get there it can be a bit confusing and unsurprisingly lots of people get caught out by this... |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 25, 2015 17:02:26 GMT
Enjoy your trip, Tim.
If you want amusement, when we were in Rome we walked through one of the vast religious trinket shops just off St Peter's Square. The utter crapulence on offer will take your breath away and you will find it hard not to laugh out loud. Worth it for the experience!
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 25, 2015 17:56:46 GMT
Not to mention the unique opportunity to acquire a pink plastic musical toilet paper dispenser in the shape of 'Our Lady'. Stylish and practical!
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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 27, 2015 6:46:37 GMT
And of course none of that reinforces my thoughts on religion at all !  |
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Post by Tim on Aug 27, 2015 18:55:22 GMT
Lake Garda - Don't miss Sirmione Yup, already factored in - I'm spending 5 days at Desenzano del Garda, so will be visiting both Sirmione and Verona No water-taxis here either and I have decided not to stay in Venice itself, but Mestre which is only about 10 mins on the train and my hotel is right outside the station, half the price of Venice hotels and a much nicer (bigger) room. Also I won't have to drag my suitcase through those narrow streets or lug it in/out the water buses. I'm all sorted now and have a pretty good trip planned and saved a bunch doing it myself. I was going to go with 'just you' solo holidays, but thought it was too pricey and am doing it much cheaper, including a Club Europe flight with BA. I don't do economy flights anymore. Thanks for the tips chaps too. |
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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 28, 2015 16:37:20 GMT
I drove. Many years ago now
I loved driving on the continent. The lack of traffic was superb. Almost nice when we got stuck in a rare traffic jam.
Searched out B&Bs or small hotels as we were driving along.
Great fun. Occasionally it was rather too late before we found a place, but there always was one.
France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, possibly others
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Post by Tim on Oct 18, 2015 17:26:28 GMT
Well, reading my own thread title header of What Not To Do? . . it should have been, don't bother going to Venice! Never mind, glad I went in a way, as you have to do these things if you call yourself a world traveller - but I wouldn't go again and 2 days was enough for me. Been there done that and despite them being everywhere, I didn't buy a t-shirt! Loved Lake Garda though and also really liked Verona, I'll be going back there for sure to do the opera in the Arena. That's very high on my bucket list now Tranquil Lake Garda at Desenzano  I just had to have a Bellini in Harry's Bar too . . . . but the bill for just one drink . . . . WTF!  Yes, that is €18.15 |
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 18, 2015 17:39:37 GMT
Yoiks!!
Comparable to the bill for 15 Euros that I got for a coffee and a diet coke in the Vatican City!
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