Things not to do in Venice

Things not to do in Venice are those things which you should avoid to make your trip more meaningful,happy and satisfying.

Venice is undoubtedly one of the best cities to visit and there is so much the city has to offer but you have to be cautious when you are in this most popular and crowded city.

When we visited Venice for the first time we were advised on some things by our friends and relatives and after having first hand experience of the city ourselves, we too have some suggestions for you.

As you already know the Top things to do in venice now here is our list on what not to do when in Venice=

• Don’t opt for a water taxi but walk instead.

Walking is the best way to explore any place and if it is a place like Venice it’s a definitely must do thing according to us. I have always stressed on this point in many of my blogs as I really feel walking is the best way to see and experience any place.

Water taxis are a good option if you want to enjoy the scenic view of the water canals but the real beauty of Venice lies in its small lanes, piazzas, bridges and cozy restaurants which you can only enjoy if you walk around.

We always prefer to walk as we can chat with the locals, explore the shops on the way, meet like minded tourists and exchange information and it also gives us some nice couple moments as well.

• Don’t keep money or wallets in back pockets of your jeans or trousers.

This tip is especially for all the men. Venice is damn crowded in summers and there have been cases of pick pocketing. We actually experienced this, but we were saved as we had nothing handy and everything was inside our back pack.

We always carry a back pack whenever we roam around. Our sack has an additional lock near the waist area and we keep our wallets, money and other documents in the inner most compartment of the sack. Its best this way so even if anyone tries to snatch it we can immediately get hold of the bag and we are saved from getting robbed. For all the 5 international trips we have used this strategy and have never lost a single penny.

• Don’t take help of any strangers for your luggage, even if you feel they are volunteers to help the tourists.

Many a times you see teenagers with a badge especially on railways stations and main tourist areas who come to help you with your luggage. Any tourist will get the feel that they are government authorities appointed to help but they do charge you later.

So if anyone approaches you with such kind of help, better say No in the first place.If you really need help for your bags and luggage, then just make sure its free or ask for the charges before hand, otherwise you cannot escape and its difficult to get rid of them later.

When we were about to board a train going to Venice, we had to walk a lot as it was the most farthest platform. Throughout our Europe trip we had carried two huge travel bags which really proved to be a ‘pain in the neck’ as we had to struggle a lot with the bags(we had taken a lot of things which we never used so read my next blog about ‘essentials in a travel bag’)

At this time a teenager girl, with some ‘volunteer badge’ approached me and without even asking me started helping me with my luggage.When we reached the train, she put my bag nicely in the compartment and came to me.I was about to thank her, when she asked for 20 Euros :)…phewwww and this can happen to you too

PS: I never gave her any money..:), Common, when will my convincing and self guarding skills come to use..LOL

• Never ask any stranger to click snaps.

When you are on a trip there is always a situation where you feel like a ‘couple snap’ here is necessary and at some times selfies don’t work.At this time, we are tempted to ask other fellow tourists to take our picture.Nothing bad in doing this and we (Sid+Nik) do it many times but when in Venice just identify the person to whom you are giving your camera and just don’t give it to anyone.

There can be a situation where you are busy giving a ‘nice pose’ and the person has vanished in the crowd with your expensive SLR.This has happened with people so just be aware.

• Don’t roam alone in Venezia Mestre area at night:

When we travelled in 2014 and at one situation when we had to return late from Santa Lucia, we had to walk to our hotel. The vibes which I got were not the safe ones. I cannot tell for sure that this area is dangerous but personally I didn’t feel very safe in this area that night while returning from the train station.

So if you have a huge group of friends, then not to worry but if you are roaming as a couple or have small bunch, I will definitely recommend to not go out in Mestre area late nights.

• Don’t feed the birds in St Mark’s Square (very important but ignored thing in Venice)

This popular square is one of the top most attractions in Venice is always crowded and flocked with birds mostly pigeons all around the year. There is this huge craze in tourists to feed the pigeons and many say its an exiting experience to do so. Earlier tourists used to purchase bird seeds from vendors to feed them but now its prohibited.

The birds just peck and cause huge damage to the gothic architectural wonders in and around the St mark square.It used to be a tradition to feed the birds in this square but considering the amount of tourists and the increasing number of pigeons its officially banned now in venice.( http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24390018/ns/world_news-europe/t/when-venice-please-dont-feed-pigeons).

So even if your kids demand it or you feel like feeding them just never do it. The historical pieces of art needs to be saved and protected and as tourists, its our duty to follow the rules.

• Don’t opt for a private taxi or cab to reach airport but take ATVO buses

Our flight back to India from Venice was at 3 am in the morning and hence we had to reach the airport at midnight.Obviously considering the odd timings to reach the airport our first choice was taking a taxi, But as I just mentioned earlier I did not get very safe vibes in Mestre area and hence I was pretty doubtful for taking a taxi.

But ATVO( http://www.atvo.it/it-venice-airport.html ) buses came to our rescue which had direct airport buses till 11 pm in the night. We had to buy the ticket at the ATVO Bus counter (which is near to the railways station).One can also buy a ticket on the automatic ATVO Machines, outside railway stations.They have space for your luggage, they are comfortable and most importantly they are safe.

AVTO also have buses from airport to many other areas of Venice so its super convenient. Its economical too as it just costed 6 Euros per person to reach the airport.

Exploring any new place is always fun but if we know about certain things that can cause us damage or are not worth doing in that place its always better to know them before hand.

Hence next time if you are travelling to Venice, make sure you skip the ‘Dont’s’ and enjoy the experience whole heartedly.

If you too want to suggest some dos or donts write me back…I will be waiting.