Travelling to Venice – What to Expect

One of the problems when you are travelling to Venice is that you may fear there could be a risk the reality cannot possibly live up to all your pre-journey expectations. The trouble with being one of the most beautiful iconic cities in the world is that there is inevitably a lot of hype, due to the fact that the competition for tourists is tough.

This isn’t just an issue for the Water City of course - it affects most other major global tourist cities such as London, Paris, San Francisco and so on. So, if you are travelling to Venice for the first time, are you likely to be disappointed when you arrive? We think not, but the following may put your mind at rest.

A simple answer

Sure, to some extent the answer will depend very much on the sort of person you are. To put it bluntly, there’s a lot of truth in the old saying that "you can’t please everyone", and there may be some for whom the city isn’t quite their thing. However, if you are like the vast majority of visitors, you can put your mind at rest. Quite simply, NO, you are not going to be disappointed after travelling to Venice for the first time!

This is a fantastic and beautiful city, which mixes a unique natural location together with all of the best characteristics of the Italian people. There’s really not much more than can be said on the subject beyond what has been covered so eloquently within the innumerable travel guides and documentaries. Just be sure that very, very, few visitors to the city are going to be disappointed or think that’s its beauty and attractions were somehow overstated. If anything, it exceeds most people’s expectations.

Being realistic

Of course, no place is heaven on earth. Like every major city and tourist attraction, it has a few issues you will need to be aware of.

These include the following:

• It can be very hot in the height of the summer.
• Prices around the main tourist spots are just as you’d expect – typically high.
• You can find some of the best Italian food anywhere on earth here, but you may need to ask around as to where to find it if you want to avoid the rather more middle-of-the-road or indifferent ‘international-Italian’ food served up in many of the more touristy restaurants.
• The public transport services, notably the world-famous water buses or ‘Vaporetti’ can be under intense pressure during the peak periods. In other words they’re crowded, with jostling being far from unusual.
• Some of the main tourist spots can be very busy during the height of the season. That is no different from any other major tourist city at the same time though.
• Just like everywhere else, the city has its fair share of undesirables who just love to con, fleece and plainly steal from gullible or unaware tourists. Be sensible and stay on your guard (though not paranoid) just as you would anywhere else.

In short, you can believe most of those tourist guides you've read about travelling to Venice. Inevitably some may exaggerate a little, but this is a beautiful city unlike anywhere else on the planet. Look forward to loving it!

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re travelling to Venice, Shuttle Direct can provide pre-booked shuttles to this and all major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.