This year in Italy, when I comment to locals that I’ve noticed no decrease in crowds even with the slow economy, they say, “Yes, but spending habits are much different.” Many more tourists are blitzing in from cruise ships and cheap mainland hotels — meaning there are fewer overnights in hotels and fewer dinners sold. So, the cafés on St. Mark’s Square may be pretty empty in the evenings, even with the allure of their orchestras, but crowds still fill the midday streets and blockbuster sights. Getting up to film for a 7:00 a.m. appointment at the Doge’s Palace (what a treat to be in there all alone!), I was struck by how the square is an entirely different experience without the mobs. The simple moral: Get up early and stay out late, and you’ll have Venice all to yourself…except for a few joggers.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
I’ve been to Venice twice and neither time was I happy. The congestion, the merchants, the foreigners -like Chinese speakers as servers in restaurants – made it seem like a U.S. carnival. I was glad to leave and go to more rural areas in Umbria like Norica. But alas, there is no cachet for aspirationals in places like the Castellucia mountains so you won’t see many Americans. Hooray.
I think the cruise ship has been a good option in the past few years because of the high Euro, but the Euro is dropping like a rock right now and you may see many more people going back to travel on the ground. I think you better expect crowds especially in the summer in Venice, it is a very small conjested place. I would not spend the majority of my vacation there, but a few days would be ok.
The cruise ships certainly make Venice crowded but most of those thousands of dazed tourists are gone by about 5pm. Then Venice is almost all mine! So, I plan my days (I’m there a week every year) for early morning (get to my destination before the tourists do) and then later in the evening. God’s gift to human-kind (the riposo) is especially useful for avoiding crowds. If you must be out during the busy part of the day, stay away from the San Marco and Rialto areas. The more distant neighborhoods and other islands can be wonderfully charming – and quiet.
Ironic that those who complain about foreigners and tourists in Italy and Europe are….foreigners and tourists themselves. There’s always the option of staying home.
Venice reminds me of a remark attributed to Yogi Berra. “Nobody goes there anymore, its too crowded.” We were in Venice last week, and by simply avoiding St Mark’s during the day, it was relaxing and slow paced. Peggy Gugenheim Collection, Ca’ Rezzonico were uncrowded, La Fenice for the opera was crowded in a good way. The America’s cup yacht race in the harbor off St Mark’s multiplied the afternoon crowds as well as disrupting vaporetto traffic, but the street festival on Lido was a blast. Ty Le Blanc had ’em dancing in the streets behind St Mark’s square in the evening.
Its hard to choose a fotirave port, they all were wonderful. But I’d have to say Monte Carlo and Florence were my fotirave.We went on the Sea Princess last June/July for two weeks out of Southampton.Monte Carlo we didn’t take any excursions, since its so small. We easily walked the whole thing. My fotirave thing was the marina. The boats were incredible! The casino was cool as well. My husband loved all the expensive cars that he saw.Florence we did a tour that took us there and Pisa. Definately worth it because we saw so much. The only problem was that it was SO hot. The Italian’s don’t approve of showing your knees or shoulders either, so I was in jeans and a tee shirt. I loved the old churches, my fotirave was the church that had Galileo’s tomb. Pisa is pretty much the leaning tower. But that is quite a sight! Just watch out for the pick-pockets, there are quite a few.I’d go back to the Med tomorrow if I could, I absolutely loved it.