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5 Reasons Not to Visit Venice

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5 Reasons Not to Visit Venice

In 1999, I went on a whirlwind trip around Italy through my high school. It was a very interesting trip and is what kicked off my love of travel. I mean, how could it not? It's Italy after all!

We spent the first three days in Rome/Vatican City (it was Easter Weekend, and I went to a Catholic high school... so you know, it was a pretty natural thing to spend the first three days in and around the Vatican, and it is honestly an amazing thing to be in the Vatican during Easter Weekend), then went to Florence, Pompeii, Assisi, Milan, Lake Como and of course... Venice.

Now I'm sure you've heard of Venice being so nice and romantic, but for whatever reason (okay, at least five since that's what this lens is about) I just didn't care for it too much. I normally try to write vacation guides for my favorite destinations so you can visit them too, but this time I'm writing an anti-vacation guide so that you can steer clear of this dud. Follow along and I'll tell you - in no particular order - why the city just didn't mesh with me, what to watch out for, and its one saving grace.

1) The Canals

Ferri da gondola, by JUMPINVENICESo, my intrepid reader, what do you think Venice smells like? Lavender and wildflowers? Not likely, since it's all brick and water. Well maybe it at least smells like the salty sea, right? Not quite.

I know the picture most people have of the canals is a relaxing gondola ride through the romantic city, with a burly gondolier powering the boat and singing Italian opera at professional levels, but that's not quite the case. Most traffic on the canals is power boats, both public and private, and their diesel fumes permeate the city. The other factor in the smells of the canals is that they're also the sewer system.

So if the prospect of smelling a monster-truck rally held on top of a garbage dump is appealing to you, then book your trip today. Otherwise, you might want to steer clear of this tourist town.

2) Angry Locals

The natives are restless

Venice is a tourist magnet. Look up "tourist trap" on virtual tourist's guide to Venice and it'll show you a picture of the whole city. And the locals are a little tired of it all.

This notion of grumpy locals who are sick of tourists cemented itself in my mind when our group was standing on the Bridge of Sighs and someone came barging through, pushing girls and boys aside and blowing a whistle. We asked our guide (after she finished yelling and waving her hands at him) if he was some form of Police Officer. Nope, just another one of the locals that was so sick of tourists they actually carry whistles on them to scare and trick people into getting out of their way.

Not exactly a friendly welcome.

Think I'm Wrong About Venice?

Convinced that Venice is still a wonderful place to visit? Then add links to your favorite part of the city - a museum, cathedral, piazza, shop or anything else.

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Vecchia Murano Glass Factory - Venice - Reviews of Vecchia Murano Glass Factory - TripAdvisor

Vecchia Murano Glass Factory, Venice: The only par more...0 points

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°°°°° Basilica di San Marco

A beautiful church, but go in daylight (you can't more...0 points

3) The Pigeons

San Marco Pigeons, by ArgenbergVenice is essentially Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" come to life! There is no escaping these things; they swarm all the piazzas and try to eat your food, wait on all the towers and tops of buildings to flock around intruders, and their is pigeon poo everywhere. Everywhere! You'll walk in it, probably get pooped on at least once, and just when you're far enough from the canals to stop smelling the diesel and garbage is when the smell of pigeon poo starts creeping in.

I never thought of pigeons as a nuisance bird (like seagulls are) until visiting Venice. Now I know how bad they can be.

What do you think about Venice?

I'm proposing that Venice is not exactly the impeccably lovely, floating, magical city that most would have you believe. But maybe I'm wrong; do you feel like I'm unfairly giving Venice a bad name just cause I had a bad experience there? Did you vacation in Venice and have a great time? Tell me about it!

Do you think it's worthwhile to visit Venice?

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Of course not! My cousin lost an eyeball to a vengeful pigeon in Venice - stay far, far away!

magictricksdotcom says:

I've never been, but I imagine it is exactly like you portray it. I always wondered about all that water. And mold. And dampness.

athomemomblog says:

Never been, but I've been to several places that were supposed to be amazing tourist destinations and were downright miserable, so I don't doubt you!

gardendoll426 says:

I have never been there, so maybe I am judging, but I think there are a lot more better places to visit. But isn't getting pooped on good luck? ;)

Of course it is! The architecture and history, lights reflecting on the water, and culture are more than enough reason to vacation in Venice

yummytrips says:

I guess Once in Lifetime would do no harm !!

jimbarnes says:

myself i went to naples, and enjoyed it very much

LittleLindaPinda says:

I went to Florence, Italy on a last minute decision. Lots of Art (you really need to love artwork and statues) and was a friendly quaint town. I nice gentleman even helped us to find a place to stay because every where we went they were full. I never went to Venice.

anka_n says:

When I first visited Venice it was magic, I liked very much the place. The second time, I didn't feel the same. I don't know why... anyway, it is worth to visit Venice at least one time only to see the beautiful old buildings. Pizza is not like one might hope (I eat better pizza in Slovenia, in Bled!)

RachelBicha says:

I went during the winter, so there were fewer tourists. It was worth seeing, but you don't need to spend longer than an afternoon there. You can walk across the city in half an hour.

kaposzta says:

You have to visit Venice at least once in your life! :)

gypsyman27 says:

I am an artist and I would like to visit because of what I could see there to sketch or paint. See you around the galaxy...

Terrie_Schultz says:

I'm sorry you didn't have a good time in Venice. I've been there twice, and I absolutely loved it. It is beautiful, clean, the people were friendly and I had a fabulous time. I would definitely go back again because it's one of my favorite cities in Italy.

 

4) Too Many Tourists

Venice is Kinda Crowded, by timatymusicAs noted in #2, there is no such thing as a "tourist trap" in Venice because the entire place is a tourist trap. If you've ever wondered what Vegas would feel like if it was built on the sea and made of buildings many hundreds of years old, then go to Venice. It might be missing the overbearing glitz of the neon signs, but there are just as many street vendors and hawkers doing everything they can to get your attention so you'll buy their wares.

If your idea of a vacation is constant pestering and people getting in your face so you'll buy something, head to Venice. If not, move along.

5) Flooding

The sea level is rising, and Venice is taking the hit

Walking in Venice, by Roberto TrmVenice is now being flooded (acqua alta) on a regular basis. It used to be that during an unusually high tide, the lowest parts of the city would flood and it wouldn't be too bad. The tide would come in, but in short order it would go out again and things would go back to normal.

But now, through a combination of rising sea levels (six feet over the last 1600 years) and sinking soil under the city, high water is spreading to the rest of the city, more frequently, and when it comes it stays around longer. Make sure you pack your rain boots!

Murano Glass is Amazing!

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Is There Anything Good About Venice?

Okay, so I think there is one big saving grace to the City of Venice, and that is The Murano Glass Factory. It is steeped in history, the glass-blowers are master artisans very eager to demonstrate their craft to the tours, and they make completely unique and beautiful items there. I even picked up a bracelet and earrings for my girlfriend there.

But maybe you think there is something else that is great about Venice. Vote in the poll and let everyone know!

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Tell Me What You Think!

  • JziE May 16, 2012 @ 4:49 am | delete
    like to have a thought again when you mention about too many tourist. its getting crowdy
  • magictricksdotcom May 6, 2012 @ 12:42 pm | delete
    Hilarious! Really enjoyed this lens.
  • Coe Apr 30, 2012 @ 10:17 pm | delete
    Wow, I now feel a bit more prepared to visit Venice. Thanks!
  • LittleLindaPinda Apr 30, 2012 @ 6:40 pm | delete
    Thank you for your thoughts on Venice.
  • athomemomblog Apr 30, 2012 @ 9:17 am | delete
    Interesting lens. I like that you aren't gushing over all the amazing stuff . . . when I went to Belize, everyone ranted about the beaches, so I expected amazing things. Instead, I ended up with my legs looking like I had chickenpox from the sand fleas. While Belize was a beautiful place, I would have liked to know that I would need to slather on bug repellent if I wanted to spend more than a second on the beach. So good for you telling the truth about Venice!
  • flicker Apr 28, 2012 @ 9:32 pm | delete
    I've never been to Venice, but appreciate your article about it. Good to know what to look out for in case I ever do visit.
  • Beautiful-Bridal Apr 28, 2012 @ 11:19 am | delete
    I think this is an amazing and honest evaluation of Venice that should help people who are thinking of going there, but may hate overcrowded tourist areas.
  • DiscoverWithAndy Apr 29, 2012 @ 9:24 am | delete
    Of course everyone should decide for themselves, but I wanted to present a different opinion than the norm. Thank you so much for the comment.
  • gypsyman27 Mar 7, 2012 @ 2:07 pm | delete
    All of the problems notwithstanding Venice would make for a memorable part of anyone's vacation. See you around the galaxy...
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DiscoverWithAndy

Hi there, I'm aspiring to be a travel writer while maintaining a day job working at a hospital in Milwaukee, WI. Much of my spare time is spent dreaming... more »

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