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Venice Travel Guide


General planning:


Transportation:


Enjoying Venice:


On the mainland:


San Giorgio Maggiore photo by Matthew Dixon

Aerial Venice
Explore Venice from the air, with explanatory text.


More resources:

Top 11 Tourist Mistakes in Venice, Italy
(and how to avoid them)



Tiny dog in Venice

ABOVE: Puppy lover or dog snatcher? (Paris Hilton, watch your pooch!)

Mistake #9: Being careless with valuables.

Man with unprotected backpackViolent crime is practically unknown in Venice, but--like many popular tourist destinations--the city is a magnet for pickpockets, purse thieves, and other crooks who prey on careless or inattentive visitors.

We've never had anything stolen (maybe because thieves have been intimidated by our scary-looking canine bodyguard), but friends, acquaintances, and relatives haven't always been so lucky:

  • Our niece lost her purse in the railroad station, and we know a travel writer whose video camera disappeared when she set down her tote to buy a gelato.

  • At a language school that one of us attended last winter, three women in a class of a dozen students reported having their wallets lifted in Venice.

Most thefts occur because people make careless (and easily avoided) mistakes such as:

  • Carrying wallets in hip pockets, where they're easy for a pickpocket to reach.

  • Wearing purses over and behind the shoulder.

  • Storing valuables in hip pouches or "fanny packs."

  • Stuffing mobile phones, passports, and other valuables in backpacks.

  • Lowe Pro camera backpackCarrying heavy camera bags (or, worse yet, obvious camera backpacks) that might as well be labeled "Steal me."

  • Resting handbags on top of luggage while concentrating on a map or guidebook.

  • Hanging purses from chair backs in cafés and restaurants.

  • Wearing "neck wallets" outside clothing, in full view of thieves, instead of hidden inside a shirt or blouse.

Our advice:

  • Use common sense, be aware of your possessions and surroundings, and read our "Crime in Europe" article before you leave home.

  • Keep a small amount of cash, a credit card, and an ATM card in a thin wallet that you're carrying in a safe place (such as a zippered shirt security pocket). Store your passport and other valuables in a separate, hidden neck wallet.

  • Carry photocopies of your passport, driver's license, and credit or debit cards in a separate location (e.g., with your companion) so you'll be able to report your losses and get replacements if the originals are lost or stolen.

Next page: Mistake #10: Annoying the locals.



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Photo by gianlucabartoli

Hotel Advice:

Location can be important in a car-free city with 400+ bridges, especially when you're walking with luggage. Before you book, see:

  • Aerial Venice Hotels
    Read our tips on choosing the right sestiere or district. Then view individual hotels and their surroundings in large satellite photos and aerial close-ups.

MSC cruise ship in Venice

Venice for Cruisers:


Venice canal reflections

A water taxi ride to Venice Airport
A warning about water taxis
Venice Railroad Station: a vaporetto view
Long lines at Venice Airport
Free boat trips to Murano
Need to pee? Prepare to pay
Crime in Venice
The perils of overpacking
Venetian daily life


Maggie in Venice

From Maggie in Venice:

A dog's life in Venice
A Beagle boards a water bus
Maggie in Venice video clips


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