Destination: Venice

These days, I’ve noticed that Americans have become very “follow the crowd” in their travels. Our appetite for bucket-list, crowdsourced, Instagrammable travels is funneling countless tourists into the same few places. Consequently, popular cities are feeling crushed by mass tourism, and popular sights are congested to the point where many find them not only less enjoyable… but actually dangerous.

Citizens of over-touristed cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Venice are getting grumpy about mass tourism. And “must-see” sights like the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Gaudí buildings in Barcelona, and Michelangelo’s David in Florence come with discouraging lines.

What to do? The “bad tourism” that residents of overcrowded cities complain about is mostly a result of blitz travelers — those who day-trip in (from cruise ships and in big buses), congesting streets and squares and leaving more litter than money. I find that travelers who stick around to have dinner and spend the night are still appreciated by locals (and valued as part of the economy).

As for the overwhelmed sights: Whenever possible, make a reservation in advance online. Then you won’t be frustrated with crazy lines at ticket offices that close for the day as soon as they sell out. I was just at the church in Milan that holds Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. It would be a chaotic mob, if not for their very smart program of reservations: Only 25 people are allowed inside every 15 minutes. When I arrived, there was total peace and sanity, as about 800 people a day come in at a steady and organized pace. The trick: Book in advance. Be thankful when that is required!

Another tip: Realize for every Anne Frank House, there’s usually a Dutch Resistance Museum a few blocks away — less trendy, never crowded, and often actually offering a richer travel experience. Remember, ninety percent of Europe has no crowd problems.

Finally, we tourists can be a little more considerate in the way we travel. Here’s a video created by an organization in Venice that offers a good reminder for people traveling anywhere to be more thoughtful guests. In fact, that’s a great practical tip: If you want to be warmly welcomed, be deserving of a warm welcome.

Venice has battled rising water levels since the fifth century. But now, the water seems to be winning. The Italian government declared a state of emergency today after Tuesday’s historically high tide — an event that the mayor is calling the “apocalyptic” result of climate change.

I’ve been thinking about a conversation I had a couple of years ago with the Italian archaeologist Dr. Salvatore Settis. We talked about what it’s like to live in Venice, the challenges of rampant tourism, and the efforts to address flooding in this gloriously canaled city. If you missed it the first time around on my radio show and podcast, you can listen to that conversation now right here. Just skip to minute 13:00 for the Venice segment — and then share your thoughts below or on Facebook.

(As a traveler, I see the reality of our changing climate everywhere. And as a business owner who promotes and profits from carbon-emitting travel, I understand that I play a big role in that — which is why my tour company has pledged to donate $1 million a year to nonprofits that fight climate change. This money comes straight out of our profits as a self-imposed carbon tax — and until we have a government that sees the wisdom of fighting climate change, we’ll keep paying it. )

I’m in Venice, doing research for the next edition of my Rick Steves Venice guidebook — and I just spent a great evening updating restaurant listings with the help of two American expats, Maya and Adam Stonecastle of Venice Bites Food Tours. We all happen to share the same favorite cicchetti bar, Cantinone Già Schiavi. Join us now as Maya explains what I’m having with my wine.

Here’s how this delightful place is written up in my guidebook:

[$] Enoteca Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi, with a wonderfully characteristic cicchetti-bar ambience, is much loved for its €1.20 cicchetti, €4 sandwiches (order from list on board), and €2 glasses of wine. You’re welcome to enjoy your wine and finger food at the bar, in the back room surrounded by wine bottles, or out on the sidewalk. (Specify “fuori” to sit outside, and they’ll provide plastic cups; please don’t sit on the bridge.) This is primarily a wine shop with great prices for bottles to go (Mon-Sat 8:30-20:30, closed Sun, 100 yards from Accademia art museum on San Trovaso canal; facing the Accademia, take a right and then a forced left at the canal to the second bridge — it’s at Dorsoduro 992, tel. 041-523-0034, they have no WC).

Any visit to Venice is filled with ornately painted masks. These are more than just colorful souvenirs — they come with a story. Throughout the centuries, these masks have always been a big part of Carnevale celebrations, the weeks-long Mardi Gras festivities leading up to Lent — and high-class people have traditionally put them on to hide their faces while they are out and about, doing less-than-respectable things. 

Join me now at a mask shop in the heart of Venice for a peek at the history of these masks — from the 17th century, when doctors used them to treat victims of the plague, all the way to the 1970s, when local hippies incorporated them into their wild outfits.          

I’m in here in Venice to do some guidebook research. If you’re heading this way too, you can pick up the latest edition of my Rick Steves Venice guidebook here. Happy travels! 

Buongiorno! I’m in the heart of Venice, at a beautiful viewing point on the Ponte dei Carmini. Join me now for a peek at the gondola action that keeps the canals busy.  

If you’re heading this way too, you can pick up the latest edition of my Rick Steves Venice guidebook here. Happy travels!