All Venice Needs is a Ferris Wheel
20. Aug, 2008 
14 Comments
Venice in August is a theme park. You bus in from the airport. It drops you at the Palazzo Roma, where every other bus unloads hundreds of tourists per hour. You wait in line. You pay too much for a ticket. You get on the first ride, a ferry that takes you down the grand canal. Wee! The wind blows through your hair. You take pictures of the pretty buildings. The ferry stops and everyone disembarks for the plaza. You buy a souvenir from one of the many kiosks lining the streets, maybe a gondilier hat or a postcard. 
You walk around St. Mark’s, eavesdropping on tours conducted in Korean, Spanish and German (not all at once). You eat gelato. You get back in line. Someone’s kid is throwing a tantrum in Dutch. You give the parents a half smile. What ride next? A ferry around the perimeter of the island? A ride in the gondolier? A private water taxi to the next square?
The truth is, I loved it. It was August, hot, crowded, touristy, and gimmicky at times (do the gondolier guys really need to wear those hats? The same ones they sell at the tourist stands?). But the city is amazing. I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to see Venice again for some time, so I took it. If you can look beyond the trappings of the high season, you can imagine what Venice must be like in the spring or fall. The winding back alleys, quiet nooks and ancient buildings, framing a leisurely walk to lunch. An afternoon nap on a gondola as you slowly drift through silent canals. An evening glass of wine overlooking a plaza where couples walk, pigeons casting off in their wake.
Someday, I have to bring my husband here. Preferably not in August.
Hey! I have one of those hats! I´m loving the titles for your entries… cracks me up! Good thing your visit wasn´t a rainy one, mine was a wet one ;(
Chau
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I’ve been to Venice many many times, even during the summer, and it can be busy. It can be very theme-parkish, especially since very few Italians actually live in Venice proper. Most of them have moved out to Mestre. That means that it’s more difficult to get a good cultural experience. But it is possible to do.
Spring, summer, fall or winter, if you want to avoid touristy Venice, just stay away from Piazza San Marco and enjoy the rest of the city. Make sure you stop by the market and get some fresh fruit. Go watch gondole being repaired up on the north end of the Zattere. Or just find a place to sit and enjoy people watching!
Regarding gondola rides, you can get the same ride, in the same boats, going to Giudecca, for a few euros (versus 70+ for a touristy gondola ride)
Austins last blog post..Offbeat Accommodations: Wigwam Motel
Love the post and pictures. Venise is great anytime, but is truly magical in the ‘off’ months. All of the narrow streets and secret squares make it wonderful. I hope you got to stay on the main island while you were there… when everyone leaves to go back to their hotels on the mainland… the people left behind get to experience Venice as it is meant to be.
Ciao!
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I went to Venice in September and loved it. It is one of the few cities that demand a return visit from me.
I’ve been to Venice twice–both fortunately in the low season, though that does mean it can be a little chilly and gray–but I still feel like I’ve only barely touched the surface of the city. I definitely want to go back and get lost in more of the back streets.
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I’ve never been to Venice, but the feature photo definitely has me itching to go!
Julies last blog post..A Little Vanity Googling Never Hurt Anyone…Except Me
Did you also get attacked by all of the pigeons in the atrium? You’re lucky if you escaped unscathed. I did not have the same fate.
Annas last blog post..Wave Hello, Say Goodbye
Ditto on your titles lately. I’ve never been to Venice, but what a great recap! I love the pictures.
sforshners last blog post..JP makes my 100th post
Don’t go in December, either. Freezing! But those little streets and bridges are really cool when you only have to share them with locals.
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I liked Venice but it wasn’t my favorite. I thought it was a great place for a family or couple but for a young, single traveler on a budget it was not the best place to be….
but it is still beautiful
Nomadic Matts last blog post..The Saturday City: Places I Don’t Like
I’ve just finished a story on the same topic actually. We were there last month – not by choice, work of course. I hate it in August, and try to avoid visiting there in the summer if I can at all help it for the very reason you’ve given, that it is a theme park. As Austin says above, there are lots of ways to get off the beaten track and go local, and surprisingly you don’t have to go far to do it. We once rented an apartment there and it was wonderful – we were shopping at the market every day, buying wonderful fresh seafood to cook, doing as the locals do and taking our empty water bottles to fill with vino at our local wine shop – it was fab! Highly recommend it!
lara dunstons last blog post..Top 10 things to buy in Dubai, pt 2
We went last March … I recommend taking the boat, rather than the bus from the airport. And, most of the gondoliers we saw were wearing baseball caps, which they exchanged for ‘those hats’ when they had a client.
Top tip: If you want a ride in a gondola without the expense, there’s traghetti (sp??) which offer short ferry trips across the Grand Canal for only about 50c.
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Funny thing is that when I went to Venice at nine years old (30 years ago – gasp!) it was Christmas time and there was a Ferris wheel set up right next to the Grand Canal. One of my more powerful childhood memories is riding in it at night with my mother and sister and watching the way the lights played on the inky surface of the water.
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We were in Venice the end of July/first of August a few years ago. We arrived by train in the evening and stayed at a small B&B in a less touristy neighborhood. St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace were pretty busy, but we really enjoyed exploring the alleys and riding the water taxisdown the Grand canal and around the island, I would love to go back in the spring or fall.