Arriving a day early??

[Travelbug 2]

Is there any valid reason for arriving a day early in Venice if the ship is staying in port overnight and through the next day? It would be a plus to use the ship and not have to book a hotel for the first night.

 

How easy is it to get to the ship from Venice airport. Would it be worth buying a transfer from the cruise line (HAL)? My wife uses a 4 wheel walker and we will be arranging our own flights.

[readboat]

Venice is wonderful. If you can have an extra day there, take it. There is a lot to see and with an extra day you can see it at leisure. That extra day helps you get over the jet lag so you can enjoy the cruise.

Check out this board for places to stay in Venice. I think there is a few threads further down. check Trip Advisor for Venice hotels for good rates.

Have a great time.

[Susan-M]

I agree with the reasons that readboat gave for spending an extra day in Venice, esp. on a first visit .... but I'm not sure how easy it will be for your wife to get around. Walking is the best way to see the city - you can also view it from a vaporetta or gondola but I think you will have lots of time to do this on your full day in Venice.

 

With the overnight on the ship in Venice, you have measure of safety in case of a flight delay, you'll save a bundle on the cost of a hotel room, and you only have to deal with getting from the airport to the ship as opposed to transporting yourselves and luggage to a hotel and then the ship.

 

A taxi will take approx. 20-25 minutes by road from the airport to the terminal ... not sure exactly how much it is (hopefully someone will be able to advise on the cost) - but if it is comparable or less than transfers, I think it is a preferable way to go (no waiting for other passengers to arrive).

 

This site gives directions on getting from the airport to the cruise terminal: http://www.vtp.it/pages/comeRaggiungerci/dettaglio.jsp?idm=N9TJQI370QEBK450YX34KN08MM3PCGHM&iconaInfo=ico-raggiungerci

There is also a map on this site showing the location of the cruise terminal, and a "ship schedule" which tells you which berth at the dock your ship will be at.

 

Enjoy your cruise!:)

[hajekfam]

It is good to arrive in Europe a day early because of the long flights. Arriving and boarding the ship is a wasted day, with the stress of flying you are usually too tired to do much in the way of sightseeing. Arriving the day before enables you to see a little bit of the sights, get a good nights rest, get a little more adjusted to the time change, and be set to go after you board the ship.

[sea-explorer]

I know what you are asking, you will have a full day to explore from the ship, will this be enough? I suggest you study your options in Venice and plan exactly what you want to do, how much is feasible etc, before you decide.

 

Venice is a walking city with the only real option of transport being the vaporettos or water buses along the Grand Canal. (Taxis too maybe, but I should think these would be more difficult to find for short hops.) You will be able to use the vaporetto from St. Mark's Square to the Rialto bridge area for example, rather than walking, but this could extend the time needed, maybe waiting for the 'bus', I really don't know.

 

If you look at a map of Venice & follow the route of the Grand Canal where transport is accessible, you can perhaps plan your itinerary. This may be of help.

 

http://maps.venicexplorer.net/venice-mapquest/index.php?hlangs=en&s=vb&r=6&c=10&src_module=mappe&

 

I assume one area you would wish to visit would be St. Marks. I think there maybe a couple of small steps to the entrance here, but am not sure. If it is busy, you will have to queue, Oooops, sorry,;) wait in line, so I suggest you pre-book to try to avoid this. The Doge's Palace too.

 

There are so many other places to see, other churches etc, the Jewish quarter, the islands, Eastern Venice etc. You need to decide if you want to spend one day to see a few specific things, or several days to see more, at perhaps a slower pace. That is the problem with cruising in general though, we only have a few hours in a port where we could happily spend a week exploring.

 

Perhaps when you have decided where you would like to visit you could ring them to ask about accessibility. Maybe google some images. I also did a quick search and found this that may be of some help.

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/accessible_venice.htm

 

I know you are really asking advice of some-one who has been, but sometimes even then they don't look at things with the same eyes. Two small steps into a building may not even register to some, but can be a mountain for others. Only you know how far your wife can walk, when it may start to become painful for her, how much you can do before it simply becomes too tiring etc.

 

It will also depend on when you are travelling.Will it be busy? Will it be hot?

 

I know I will get shot down in flames for this, but Venice is a city that is falling apart. Built on mud on islands in the lagoon to escape invaders at the time of the Romans, many buildings are showing signs of decay. It was badly flooded in the 60's and I've also heard that many canals are polluted & can smell at the height of the Summer. Having said this, it really is a place you should visit & is magical in many ways. I am really looking forward to my visit but want to go there with my eyes open so I am not disappointed.

 

I have decided to stay 2 nights in Venice pre-cruise, but then we don't have the luxury of an overnight on the ship. Perhaps if we did I would probably decide to 'do' Venice in a day, given the expense of staying there. On the other hand, if I wanted to see several places at a slower pace, perhaps I would stay.

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip whatever you decide.:)

[Travelbug 2]

Sparky 1664,

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to post good information, I appreciate it.

 

My wife is not 100% dependant on the walker and can negotiate a few steps up and down. As long as she has the walker to use as an emergency seat when she gets tired it is ok.

 

We have been to Venice once before on a bus trip through Europe in 1984 and we fell in love with it then vowing we would someday return. Of course we were much younger and fitter back in those days nevertheless we are plum determined to see Venice again before we leave the planet!

 

Because of our limitations I think one day will be ok to see what we want to see. I would love to be able to just roam all over Venice and "do it all" but we will pick out our "must do's" and I just know we will enjoy every minute.

Upon our return to Venice for disembarkation we will have to stay over one night due to plane schedules (very early flight) so will book a hotel near the airport for convenience.

 

Thanks again for your information.