Venice
Italy
A city built on water, sinking beautifully
Photo by Dan Novac on Unsplash
Best time to visit
April to May, October to early November
Climate month by month
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 87mm in Nov
Currency
ExpensiveEuro. Venice has the highest concentration of bad exchange booths in Italy — all of them around San Marco. Use a card.
ATMs & cards
Bank ATMs thin out inside the islands. Withdraw near Piazzale Roma or Rialto from Intesa or UniCredit. Decline conversion.
Avoid these
- Euronet
- ATMs around San Marco
Use these instead
- Intesa Sanpaolo
- UniCredit
Bank machines thin out inside the islands — withdraw near Piazzale Roma or Rialto.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety
SafeExtremely safe — no cars and few crimes beyond pickpocketing at San Marco. Check for acqua alta flooding forecasts between October and January.
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa
No visa needed
Freedom of movement — no time limit, and no visa. Bring a passport or national ID card.
No visa neededup to 90 days
90 days within any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area, not per country. ETIAS, a paid online authorisation, is being introduced for these passports — check the official link for whether it applies to your travel dates.
Visa required in advance€90 (Schengen short-stay visa)
A Schengen short-stay visa is applied for before travel, at the consulate of your main destination.
How to get it: Apply at the consulate or visa centre of the country you will spend most time in, typically 15 working days ahead and no more than six months before travel.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport rather than where you live. This is a starting point — the embassy or the official page above is the authority, and the airline will check before you board.
Health & emergencies
Excellent and cheapRequired to enter
No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.
Worth having
- Routine vaccinations up to date
Getting treated
EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment. Pharmacies handle a lot of minor problems directly and are the fastest route to advice.
Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
GoodDo a giro d’ombra: hop between bacari bars for small cicchetti plates and a glass of wine. Cannaregio and around Rialto market are where locals do it.
Getting around
Workable- Walking — the primary way to move, but expect to get lost, which is half the point
- Vaporetto — the water bus, €9.50 single, so buy a 1-3 day pass if using it more than twice
- Traghetto — a standing gondola ferry across the Grand Canal for €2, the local’s shortcut
- Gondola — fixed €90 for 30 minutes daytime, a splurge not a transport option
- Airport: Alilaguna water bus (75 min, €15) or bus to Piazzale Roma (20 min, €10)
Must-see
Things to do
A week easily- Visit St Mark’s Basilica early
- Tour the Doge’s Palace
- Ride vaporetto line 1 down the Grand Canal
- Go to Burano and Murano islands
- Get deliberately lost in Cannaregio
- Climb San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower
Nearby day trips
Say a few words
Italian
- HelloBuongiornobwon-JOR-no
- PleasePer favoreper fa-VO-reh
- Thank youGrazieGRAT-tsyeh
- Yes / NoSì / Nosee / no
- Excuse meScusiSKOO-zee
- How much is it?Quanto costa?KWAN-to KOS-ta
- The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KON-to
- Cheers!Salute! / Cin cin!sa-LOO-teh / chin chin
Ciao is for people you know. With shopkeepers and waiters, buongiorno until evening, then buonasera.
Religion
Catholic
The Vatican is a sovereign state inside Rome. Dress codes are enforced at St Peter’s and most major churches: shoulders and knees covered, and they will turn you away.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Say buongiorno rather than ciao to anyone you do not know
- Drink cappuccino only before about 11:00; after a meal it is an espresso
- Cover shoulders and knees to enter churches, including the major basilicas
- Validate regional train tickets before boarding or risk a fine
Don't
- Do not ask for parmesan on seafood pasta — it is a genuine culinary offence here
- Do not sit on monument steps in Rome or Florence; both cities fine it
- Do not order a coffee "to go" and expect it to be normal
- Do not tip beyond rounding up; coperto already covers the cover charge
Where to stay in Venice
No Holistay rentals in Venice yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
