Visiting Venice is like unwrapping a present for the senses: The toll of church bells; beribboned gondoliers churning their oars; the sharp scent of coffee; glass chandeliers twinkling; and slender, twisting streets suddenly turning onto sun-filled market squares. The elegant piazzas and glistening waterways of this northern Italian city breathe ancient urban grandeur and romance.
Before You Go: Need-to-know info
Entry requirement: Passport
Language: Italian
Currency: Euro
Flight time: 10 hours from NYC, 14 hours from LA, 14 hours from Dallas
Getting around: Vaporetto, traghetto (a gondola with fixed stops), gondola, water taxi
When To Go: Venice at its best
Best weather: April to June, September, and October. July and August are hottest months, and the canals may smell when it’s hot. Tourism swells May through September.
Best prices: Winter (excluding the Christmas holidays and Carnevale week), early spring, and late autumn.
