VENICE

Return to Venice Guide Overview

Sheila Umolu
Sr. Programming Director
SoulOfAmerica.com

Sheila's interest in Italy has

spanned three decades.

She has fond memories of

the monuments, museums,

and beautiful

Italian landscapes.

Venetian masks in a boutique

VENICE FACTS & TRAVEL TIPS

TRAVEL TIPS

Venice is a wonderful city to visit anytime of the year. If cold weather is an issue for you, then visit Venice during the spring and summer. If you want to save money and see fewer tourists, then visit Venice during the winter and fall.

Currency is the Euro with major credit cards accepted by most establishments. Time in Venice is six hours ahead of New York City. Italian is the official language and some English is spoken by locals. Hotels have the most expensive rates on phone calls, so purchase a phone card for your international calls. Post office hours are 8:15am-7pm (Monday-Saturday).

Banks are open from 8:35am-1:35pm and 2:45pm-4pm (Monday-Friday). ATMs are plentiful and the most convenient way to get Euros. Some ATMs may only accept PIN numbers with 4 digits. Passports are necessary for U.S. citizens. Most large stores are open 4pm-7:30pm (Monday), 10am-1pm and 4pm-7:30pm (Tuesday-Saturday).

Electricity is different than the U.S., so bring an adapter for your digital camera. It's convenient and you can discard unwanted photos immediately.

The major holidays in Venice are New Year's Day, Easter, Easter Monday, Liberation Day, Labor Day, Assumption Day, All Saints' Day, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Christmas and Santo Stefano. For specific dates, go to the Italian Government Tourist Board website.

Venice is a major tourist destination, so visitors should use common sense when out and about. For more travel tips, go to Advice and Observations.