Hey all, I need some help. I'm travelling to Venice on Saturday, and I cant wait!! My girlfriend and I are spending a couple of well earned weeks away! :)))) I need advice because I've never been and I'd like to ask all you good folks for some tips on how to survive and have a good time in Venice and Italy =P. Venice, and Rome are two places I have always wanted to visit, and finally I have the chance. I just want the best time I can possibly have. ANY tips, advice, or things I might need to know about would be greatly appreciated. I realise we all span a good portion of the globe here in Renderosity, so it seemed a good place to ask :) Thx in advance... Kutter.

Bring a Camera, Bug spray...

You will have fun. I'm green with envy. Stay in Venice - not on the mainland. Take plenty of money. The evenings are beautifull. This web site may help; http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/countries/italy.htm Visted there in 1999 on a bus tour and fell in love with it (did a gondala ride around dusk - magic). It'a on my short list of places to revist. Richard (in Australia)

Also take time to visit Pompei - you need a full day to see it properly and take some water.

Oh great, Kutter! I've been to Venezia dozens and dozens of times. Good stuff to do... 1. If you're there for a full day or several days, get the full day or 3-day vaporetto pass. The vaporetto is like a bus, but on water. Stops everywhere. Very nice to get around. If you get a pass, like a 3-day pass (they have several types), it saves time on having to purchase ticket. 2. Take the vaporetti around to Lido, outer areas some time. Nice views. But watch rush hour!!! 3. Go to San Stefano; wonderful Tintoretto there, as I recall, and marvelous bar with good ice cream in the piazza outside the church. 4. People watch at one of the bars on the piazetta across from the Doge's palace. Cheaper than the ones on Piazza San Marco. You can get a cafe and stay there for hours. They don't kick you out! 5. Wander the back streets and alleys, way away from San Marco. 6. Around corner from San Moise (about 10 mins from San Marco), wonderful shop with reproductions of old prints, as well as originals. Brilliant souvenir of Venezia. 7. Eat LOTS of tiramisu. It's incredible!! You are going to Roma too?

This is sad. All you folks get to go to Venice and Rome; Im lucky if I get to go to Hoboken. LOL Good luck on your vacation, Kutter.

Djeser had some great advice as does RichardT. Do get the Vaporetto tourist pass(3 days)as Djeser said. Transportation is not cheap and that is your best bet to travel about without putting a hole in your pocket.I agree, DO NOT check into a hotel on the mainland! I did the last time I was there and lost precious hours getting to and from Venice. -Use your tourist vaporetto pass to go to Murano and Burano. These Venetian lagoon islands are great fun to visit and you'll especially love the wonderful pastel colors of Burano. They say the cemetary is good to visit too but I never have. Others say to forget the Lido. It's just a beach and expensive. -Splurge and do a romantic trip in a gondola in the evening. -Often they have people selling tickets to the opera in the streets. Buy a couple, what the heck. Opera is fun in Italy. -Eat lots of ice cream! Do not use the excuse of being on a diet not to eat some. It's the best in the world! -TAKE A DIGITAL CAMERA and come back with lots of stucco, old iron, wood, cobblestone, graffiti wall,etc. textures for the free stuff area! lol You'll both love it so have a marvelous trip!!!!!

Wow thanx guys :) Your advice im sure will be invaluable. I will try and check out the places you suggest. DJ, we hope to get to Rome, but don't know yet if we will. We realise that stuff aint so cheap, but hopefully we will have that covered counts his pennies! I am taking my digital camera with me, and will be sure to put some shots in the photography gallery. I'm sure there are probably a million pics of Venice already, but what the heck :) As for textures... You KNOW i'll be on the lookout LOL.. and of course if I get some decent ones, there will be a free zip or two to download from me. Thanks again folks.... I'm going to pack :) Kutter.

Hehe, good luck on your Voyage... I wish I could go there, too... Be sure to take some unique textures in Venice - Im sure youll get the chance...