Dennis Callan your philosophy on travel are true words of wisdom!

Been twice to Venice on my own. Enjoyed my stays immensely. Took ACTV unlimited pass and couldn't care less about getting lost. Whenever I saw a vaporetto, I got on and went like 5-7 stops, then got off and switched to another boat without looking at the directions whatsoever. Returned to hotel around midnight.

The first time I visited Italy, which was in May 1997, Venice was once of the places our tour group visited. I took more pictures in Venice than any other city I've been in.

...we did meander a much more than just walking that main path -- but you're right, follow the people and the signs. Venice is endlessly fascinating, walking everywhere -- just go for it. My other videos have many other Venetian neighborhoods and routes as well.

Lovely 😊 tour of Venice. Thank you!

Some good tips. Deserves more hits. Lived in and visited this region for decades. Viewers: Book a hotel in Mestre for cheaper prices and train it across to the main station on the Venezia side of the lagoon. Don't walk on the main drag... walk two or three streets parallel and LOOK UP. Stencilled on the corners of every building are arrows pointing in the directions of the Stazione, Rialto bridge, or Piazza San Marco. You can wander to your heart's content and never really get lost.

Thanks for the wonderful video sharing your experience walking the back street in Venice. It will help my visit there in two months.

Great coverage Denniscallan.... thank you so much....hope I will be here soon....:)

another great video Dennis...you are great...thanks for posting!!!!!

Ah, Venice....busy busy busy.. I didn’t mind the crowds..I just ignored them.. concentrated on the glorious architecture and the faded splendour of this wonderful unique city!

Very well done and well explained. Greetings from Venice (I live there).

Amazing!

Dennis I love your videos. You make the site itself the star and act as a reporter on what´s important for us travellers to know about the place. For a moment we feel transported to the place you are showing. It feels as if we were really there. Thank you for the spectacle.

Beautiful!

Venice is beautiful

I love Italian Venice Pasta! The city is wonderful!! I really want to go there!!

Im Tony from Algeria very nice video . thanks so much

Thank you very much for this perfect video ♡

venezia is a beautful city i've been there with my school:)

was there 5 years ago.......bus tour.......love to visit again in near future, will try to tour again for a good 4 detail days, really love all about Italy...........for now, tour in my dream......

I agree with you Thumper. I love staying in one place for two weeks and really getting to know it.

Outstanding!

I hear you and agree -- we really do make effort to leave room for others to walk past -- Daniella makes a point of keeping us to the side. And by the way, it is the groups of tourists on the streets who make it possible for locals to survive in a town that has no other economy.

Love the style of the narrator and the content.

@barbaracronin5937

4 жыл бұрын

Oh lord

This was fantastic, definitely going to be sticking to the back alleyways :)

Gorgeous. Simple beautiful🌹

You're right!!! That's why I don't go with tours. I love to go places for like 2-3 weeks and enjoy the heart of the place. :) This is nostalgic for me .. Thanks.

Very nice...

there are fields and parks further down away from san marco along the canal towards the naval base, if you want to get out of the city streets

great video

great tour ,i was a bus tourist few days ago so i couldn't see all these places

It’s a wonderful place, just ignore the negative and just take it all in, Don’t waste time being snobbish, a bore, just enjoy it ! You’ll regret it if you don’t

What Dennis missed out from those bus tours was the copious taking of selfies! Once they've done that they've 'done Venice'. Pity they're doing it in, too..

This is the main path from the railway station to to San Marco square, you don't really need a guide, just follow the wave of people. The are also road signs. You can't get lost in Venice.

There are soccer fields behind church rec center walls in Venice proper not to mention on the Lido.

I was considering the economy inside "Venice" not the greater region, but of course you make a good point, catching me in an exaggeration. Another big sector inside Venice is the university, but otherwise, it seems the shops all rely on the tourists and local workers who are there because of the tourists. I'm not disagreeing with points brought up here -- it's good to remind visitors to have courtesy and respect and patience, and get out of the way, attenzione.

Methinks that the street musicians from Central Europe (gypsies?) are playing the Neapolitan 'O sole mio'.

@LibbyRal

4 жыл бұрын

Santa Lucia

No, I didn't know about the 2-tier system, but somehow I'm not surprised. Haven't been in Venice since '96. I spent a month there (taking an Italian class) and held the same unvalidated ticket for Vaporetto travel all month. No one ever checked it. I wonder if they've begun to crack down on that kind of thing. If you want a chuckle, check out Donna Salerno's Venice travel video. She mispronounces every Italian word, including ones that are common to Americans, like "gondola."

Interesting tour. I was surprised to see a lot of graffiti. We have graffiti in New York and other cities. I always thought graffiti spoils a landscape.

THIS IS TRUE, SOO MANY TOURIST

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

But they all disappear early. Cruise ships set a curfew, or they don't want to miss the evening meal.

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS§

That's right, I like to stand but newbies feel less secure in that bouncing boat. Did you know they have a new price schedule for traghetto, with a two-tier system? For locals it is still 50 cents, but visitors now pay 2 euro! I suppose the gondoliers easily know who is local. Perhaps more tourists will hike over to the next bridge and spend their coins on a gelatto. Thanks for your comment.

she has a very nice n jucy cucina

Street buskers have become over the years since this video, in practically all major European cities, regulated. Bands with makeshift quality such as in this video are seldom seen, thank goodness.

Wonderful video, so much wisdom, engaging and truthful talk. But when your group got on the traghetto, why didn't you stand? You must know that the locals who take them do stand.

How much euros did this tour cost?

Hi my names Tessa and I'm doing a school project on Venice, Italy. I was wondering if it was a great place and i was wondering if it was expensive to go to Venice??????

nice

I am really interested in the walking tour...Is there a website I can check out? :)

Povoledo is expensive, just ate there. Last October....

@denniscallan

8 жыл бұрын

+Tom B There are cheaper places, yes, but Povoledo is not too steep, and you are paying for the view also, outdoor tables on the Grand Canal, which not many restaurants have. There are so many bad restaurants in Venice, it is nice to have a real meal, like here.

@cbtomsd

8 жыл бұрын

+denniscallan It's Steep

@savamac

6 жыл бұрын

Tourist rip off joint near the station (same as in any large torurist destination).

how far is this place from cruise port ?

hi dennis .. awesome video with your interesting comments ..i am planning to visit venice next month , could u help me with place i can stay .. the location which is close to all the major sightseeing places, and do u advice me stay in a canal facing hotell ? or a home stay or the ones with car park ? pl guide me .. thank u .savy from india

@denniscallan

10 жыл бұрын

The important factor in choosing a hotel is to make sure it is in Venice, and not in Mestre or other mainland places. We like the Hotel Abbazia, near the train station on a quiet side lane, not on a canal. You can browse for other hotel locations using google maps.

Venishy is a great example

I wonder, are there any houses left that is 1000 years old?

@denniscallan

8 жыл бұрын

+thiery572 No, not that old. There are many houses 500 years old, and some churches older yet. Perhaps the oldest building is St Giacomo di Rialto, according to Wikipedia " the first document citing the church dates from 1152. It was rebuilt in 1071, prompting the establishment of the Rialto market with bankers and money changers in front of the church. The system with the "bill of exchange" was introduced here, as clients went with such a bill of exchange with a credit inscribed from one banker to another.

@thiery572

8 жыл бұрын

+denniscallan 500 years is old enough (even though I was hoping there are original houses older than the church). Thanks for the explanation. Great video. I appreciate the fact that your hands that hold camera don't shake that much. I wish to go there someday.

@franciscoferreiradesouza550

4 жыл бұрын

@@denniscallan r

4:35 I only came for the gondola

Woww, I maybe never heard an American saying Central Europe. (usually it is only west and the rest is east) Thumbs up!

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

Just a carry-over from the days before the Berlin Wall fell. I lived in Europe for almost 40 years... and it has definitely changed. Italy was one of the first countries to see refugees after the Balkan Wars caused thousands to flee.

Ggreat

I can't see this magnificent beauty every one talks about. By the way, how does the sewer system work?

So he talks about the view from the bridge and all we see are the people

How long it takes the walking ?

@denniscallan

8 жыл бұрын

+juan nolibos Our walk with Daniela is usually 2-3 hours. Of course it would take many days to walk through all the main parts of Venice on your own.

@jucano

8 жыл бұрын

There is a way to contact Daniela to get the tour ? She speaks english , spanish or portuguese ? (the 3 languajes that i understand)

@denniscallan

8 жыл бұрын

+juan nolibos Daniela is great, speaks perfect English. I am not at liberty to disclose her personal contact info, but you could find it by googling Daniela Cominotto and look for TripAdvisor comments.

@jucano

8 жыл бұрын

+denniscallan thks , will search it.

One question pls if you can clarify me. I will be there next month. I will rent a car in Milan and i will be driving from there to Venice. I am aware I can´t park the car in Venice. My question is where do you recomend me park the car out of th island?

@denniscallan9279

10 жыл бұрын

There is a multi-story carpark in Venice, and you can ride a little shuttle train, yes an elevated rail line, from the garage to Piazalle Roma, for quick access to Venice. Or park in Mestre and take a bus or train into Venice.

too many people ..when is off season?

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

October through March-April is slower season for the cruise liners. August seems to be the big vacation month for Italians.

That's ridiculous. If you look again at that 3:45 moment in the video, we are simply walking along on a fondamenta not getting in anyone's way, and leaving room, if anyone was coming the other way or wanted to pass us -- we're not hogging the lane. Walking, talking, two people next to each other -- what is your problem? You want visitors to march single-file even on a path that has room? Don't blame us for day-tripping tourists -- we leave plenty of money behind, and my vids promote Venice.

Todas estas casas jogam seus esgotos sanitários nestas águas.

I do appreciate the interest you are taking in the video and our behavior, really I do, but I think you are being too picky about how we walk. Yes, we meander, guilty, but isn't that how one walks while on vacation? Are you suggesting a new traffic law for Venice tourists: walk only single file on the right side? That fellow managed to scrape past us OK, that's the way people get by in Venice. I do agree with your basic point, we need to be as courteous as possible, and I'll remind my groups

@denniscallan

4 жыл бұрын

@Wally Banter "self-aware and considerate" that's good advice for all of us, all the time, especially in Venice with the narrowest lanes anywhere. Venice welcomes visitors because without them, there is no economy. The problem is managing and educating the mobs. It is all a matter of degree, and yes, consideration. New visitors need to learn the etiquette, don't block traffic, go with the flow.

Maybe if I knew a Venitian who could walk around with me and show me what they personally like. The locals see that group coming and give them folk lore made to order, perpetuating the touristers stereotypes and prejudices. This is the most oft visited place on the planet so no wonder the locals leave for vacation season, renting out their homes to return after they've left.

@denniscallan

4 жыл бұрын

Daniela is a local Venetian and one of the best, most accurate guides you will ever know. If you want to experience more of Venice as locals see it, look at my 21 other Venice videos bit.ly/2qGAljI

minute 1:00- 1:05 They are not Italians ...of course...why they don't come back to Romania....

@jeannestanley1136

7 жыл бұрын

stePN100

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

Considering the history of the eastern Bloc and the former Yugoslavian states, I applaud anyone who was able to make their way out in pursuit of a better life. Those of us who live in strong democratic/capitalistic states forget how lucky we are and for some reason sometimes don't believe the rest of the planet deserves the same luxuries. There are still plenty of places on the planet that treat their people like crap. If they made the journey, show some respect and cut them some slack. In the NY harbor there's a statue to remind us that...

im seriously going to be the only person wearing dresses in venice arent I?

@denniscallan

8 жыл бұрын

+Alton Smiler Dresses would be lovely, yet Venice is quite casual -- wear comfortable shoes of course. Funny that in my first visit in 1985 I wore jeans and t-shirt, even to a concert at night, and felt soooo under-dressed, but now it is different., just like the theater in London and everything else.

The thing that spoils modern cities is traffic and the pollution that comes with it.

@interstellarlapisthecccp4946

9 жыл бұрын

+Jagdtoq there is no traffic in Venice, the old city center is closed off from the modern part

Scuba. Snorkel.

A biggest tip to give to people when they go to Italy is... DO NOT GET SPINNER WHEELS!!! THe streets of ITALY WILL lLiterally keep u constantly STUCK

Life is hard enough for the Venetian with out taking tourists into the peace of local life.

@denniscallan

5 жыл бұрын

But without tourists Venice has no economy -- the challenge is to balance things and place reasonable limits.

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

Besides, Venetians have the city to themselves 50% of the day. And many are laughing all the way to the bank. A sunrise or sunset on the lagoon, or standing on any of the many bridges is worth putting up with all the turisti during the ship and tour bus visits.

@denniscallan

5 жыл бұрын

The best thing tourists could do for the beleaguered Venetians is get out of the way. If they would only stay on one side of the narrow lanes, locals would be much happier. When you hear attenzione, move over. It is hard enough for locals, who have to walk everywhere, sometimes pushing heavy handcarts, to have tourists blocking the way. There should be some education provided at entry points, rail, garage, bus and airport, for visitors, MOVE OVER.

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

I usually see most re-stocking and moving of heavier items done in the early A.M. hours or later in the afternoon/ early evening after the crowds have diminished. Others deliver via the canals and waterside doorways. I always wonder how much of the confusion of pedestrian jams comes simply from the fact that not all cultures walk or drive on the same sides of the street? Some locations around the world post signs advising slower traffic to stay right. The problem I have is with the folks who just wander ALL OVER the pathways back and forth and you can't get around them. They're a pain in the backside, but they are the city's bread and butter.. and a continual source of amusement.

tHANK'S,BUT IT LOOK'S dULL,AND YOU HAVE TO WALK EVERYWHERE,NOT GOOD IF YOUR AROUND 70YR.OLD OR MORE.GOOD TO GO WHERE U CAN RENT CAR,OR RIGSHRE WITH HOP SING,..AND YOU GOTTA WALK IN ALLY'S..=/

@denniscallan

6 жыл бұрын

hah, hah, very funny

All the graffiti is disturbing !!!!!!!!

@denniscallan

9 жыл бұрын

websterbodybuilder You're right, it is a shame to have so much graffiti in such a beautiful place, but after you are there for a while it becomes much less noticeable. It seems there is so much of it there is no attempt to clean it up, despite all the major scaffolding on monuments for keeping them clean. Just try and ignore it, don't look at it. Venice is still one of the world's most beautiful cities.

@minaturedinofan

8 жыл бұрын

I cant actually notice much graffiti :o

@tonycarpaccio9550

6 жыл бұрын

Fjæsing664 what a strange comment. You must be a very strange person not to see how disrespectful and sad graffiti is to the beautiful buildings.

@jameshatfield8410

5 жыл бұрын

@@tonycarpaccio9550 Graffiti is art

@bradthompsonuk2011

5 жыл бұрын

I agree... if it's more than just some fool tagging a wall with his name. There are locations throughout Europe that sanction areas for artists to display their work. Some have even erected walls for that sole purpose. There's a big difference between creating Art and just displaying your moniker all over town.

Lamentable que haya tanto grafity, parece grafity tour.

Just look at the guy at 8:40 who has to scrape against the wall to get by your meandering Hawaiian horde. He does not appear to be a happy camper.

By the way, large groups like yours really aggravate the locals especially when you take up the whole street and don't walk single file. It's really Daniela's fault for not telling you how to avoid ticking the locals off.

T

Hideous graffiti everywhere

@denniscallan

4 жыл бұрын

It's an Italian invention going back thousands of years. Yes, mostly ugly but so pervasive, one gets used to it and ignores it.

These tourists look bored and boring !!!

nice