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Venice Street Maps
It's easy to get lost in Venice. In fact, getting lost is part of
the fun, since the city is small enough that you're bound to encounter a familiar landmark
before panic or exhaustion sets in.
Still, a good map can save wear and tear on your Birkenstocks,
and it's a good idea to buy one before you search for your hotel. Some of our
favorite maps are shown below; look for them at any bookstore or well-stocked
newsstand in Venice.
Tips:
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Don't rely on free maps or cheap pocket-size maps with little
detail. Such maps may be useful for giving you an overview of where you are or
where you're headed, but they'll leave you frustrated when you get lost and
can't find your destination.
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Read our article on
Walking in Venice for advice on finding your way around the city with
directional signs, street signs, and maps.
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Venezia
1:5000
Touring Club ItalianoThis large folding map is exceptionally
easy to read, thanks to its subtle color scheme, uncluttered layout, and
clear type.
The TCI 1:5000 map covers all of
central Venice. It's accompanied by 1:10000 maps of the Lido, Murano, Burano and
Torcello, the cemetery island of San Michele, and and major highways on the
mainland. All maps are on the front of the sheet, with a street index
printed on the reverse side.
Touring Club Italiano also publishes a cheaper, pocket-size
version of the map titled CentroCitt�
Venezia. The smaller map covers most of the city center, and it has the
same 1:5000 scale as the full-size version. (Our suggestion: If you're in
town for more than a day or two, buy both maps.)
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Venezia
1:4500
Istituto Geographico DeAgostiniWhen it's drizzling,
you'll appreciate this map's waterproof material and coating. It feels like
a slightly limp paper map but resists both water and static electricity.
The map itself is nearly as good as TCI's (see above), but
it doesn't seem to have quite as many street names. Unlike the TCI map, it's
split into two parts, with part of the map and index on the front and the
rest on the back.
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Out of print:
Venezia
1:4500
Touring Club ItalianoWith 50 pages
of highly legible grid maps and a 20-page index, this street atlas is a
perfect companion for your tote bag or purse.
The compact, spiral-bound book also includes a regional
highway map, a legend, and a color map of the lagoon's public transport system.It's
no longer in print, but if you're lucky, you'll find one at a secondhand
bookseller or on eBay--as we've done two different times.
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Streetwise Venice At US $7.95, this American map is overpriced
in terms of its cartographic content, but its small size,
sturdiness,
and plastic coating make it a handy all-weather pocket map for travelers whose eyes or
bicocals can handle the minuscule type.
Streetwise Venice cuts a few corners (more
specifically, Giudecca and most of Cannaregio) in the interests of small dimensions.
However, it does manage to squeeze in an index of major campi, streets, and tourist
attractions. And on a day when it's raining cani e gatti, there's
nothing better.
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Sile da Treviso a Venezia #5
Laguna di Venezia #6
1:50000
IdroviaThese regional tourist and nautical maps
cover the immediate area around Venice, with #5 reaching inland to Treviso and #6
extending south to take in the isthmus road to Chioggia.
Either map will help you get into the city by car
without getting lost, and both will help you stay within the navigation channels if you're
intrepid enough to rent a boat and explore the lagoon. |
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