This page gives answers to the questions that people
often ask us:
How big is Venice?
It is tiny! You can walk from one end to the other in under 40
minutes. In fact you could fit the whole of Venice into Hyde Park.
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What do I do when I get to the airport?
You will receive detailed instructions when you book, but basically
you get into Venice either by
- getting the transfer bus or road taxi to Piazzale Roma then
getting a waterbus (vaporetto), or
- getting a public boat across the lagoon, or
- taking a pre-booked private water taxi - expensive but snazzy.
See the information
section of our Venetian Apartments website for
further details of transport in Venice. Arriving in Venice is always
the most difficult bit but remember, everyone's in the same boat!!
(or maybe not...)
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How long does it take from the airport?
About half an hour by private water taxi, or about one-and-a-half
hours by public transport. For further details, please see the
pages on getting around Venice in the information
section of our Venetian Apartments website.
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Will anyone meet me at the apartment?
Unless you have been sent keys, you will be met by a local key
holder or the owner of the apartment. They don't always speak fantastic
English but they do know the apartment well, so no searching for
the bathroom or the corkscrew I think.
What is important is that you remember that you are being met
by a real person, so you will have to firstly let us, or them,
know your expected arrival time in Venice and then on the day keep
them informed of your progress if you are late - there is nothing
more depressing than hanging around for hours in an apartment waiting
for someone to turn up, so do remember that it's important to keep
in touch.
You usually make your own way to the apartment (we send lots of
maps and instructions so it should be a doddle). It's always a
good idea to take some of your favourite teabags for when you arrive
(or something stronger).
We offer a meeting on arrival and water taxi transfer service
to make the whole process completely hassle-free: see our special services page for details.
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What will there be in the apartment?
That depends on which apartment you take - some owners take hygiene
to extremes and try to leave cupboards spotlessly clean, and some
are more providential. Generally, though, you will find sugar,
salt, pepper etcetera.
All kitchens have a fridge and a cooking hob unless otherwise
stated, so we only list additional items such as ovens, microwaves
and other accoutrements. Italian bathrooms have either shower only
(we usually specify shower room) or where we say bathroom you can
assume it would also have a shower attachment unless otherwise
stated.
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Can I buy a seven day vaporetto pass at the
airport?
You can buy a seven day (or three day) pass at any vaporetto stop
in the city itself - not at the airport. It's very good value if
you plan to use the vaporetto a lot. Think about it, as many people
walk everywhere in Venice, so you may not use it. But it does cover
the Lido and the islands too.
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Where can I get a map of vaporetto
routes?
You can get one free at any ACTV ticket office. Maps
of the most popular routes are shown on our Venetian Apartments
site - click
here.
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Where are the shops?
Venice is teeming with little local shops so you're never usually
more than 5 metres away from food and drink. However there aren't
too many supermarkets - there's an enormous one on the Zattere
waterfront on Dorsoduro but mostly it's the odd little mini market
here and there. Don't be shy about going into small shops - you
won't be the first ga-ga tourist trying to buy a kilo of grapes
and you won't be the last, so have fun!
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Does taking an apartment suit everyone?
No, I think some people prefer to be organised by others. Those,
however, with a more adventurous streak will revel in the freedom
and independence of a private apartment that allows them to organise
themselves. These days many people feel that - consequently there
is now huge competition to get the small group of apartments in
our portfolio, so you need to book as soon as possible in the autumn.
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Where can I park my car?
You can leave it at a car park close to Mestre on the mainland
and then take the train over into Venice, or you could park at
Tronchetto or Piazzale Roma in Venice itself - you can even call
ahead and book a place in a private garage - ask
us for details.
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Is Venice very touristy?
In some parts of the year the area around San Marco throngs with
tourists, but you only have to take a few turns away from the main
square and you are in quiet areas - a good example of this is Campo
Santa Maria Formosa
which is only about 3 minutes from San Marco yet the tourists don't
seem to find it.
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How do I book?
First you need to send us an online enquiry
form so that we can check availability for you - it is very
important to give 2 or 3 choices in order of preference.
Our booking guide gives
you detailed, step-by-step help.
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What happens then?
Once we have confirmed to you that there is availability we will
hold an option for you. You can then send us an online booking
form with your payment details. We will then confirm your booking
in writing to you and provide you with additional information about
your chosen property.
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How quickly can I expect a response from you?
We try our utmost to answer all email requests as soon as we receive
them, but it helps if you can be as precise and specific about
your requirements as possible. The site is well organised so it's
not too difficult to make a short list of what you want. But remember
also that our office hours are Monday - Friday, 9-5 English time!
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What is the Security Deposit?
We have to hold credit card authority for an amount of money as
a guarantee against breakages and or telephone costs. This payment
is not actually processed, except for any costs that are notified
to us in the two weeks following the holiday.
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Why isn't everything automatic?
Because unlike many sites where your booking is taken by a machine,
I still get a real thrill from finding the right property for the
right client, and will always advise you if I think something is
wrong for you. Tastes vary and people want many different things
from their holiday, which is why I have tried my utmost to offer
a good choice of places. I also put a great deal of effort into
making the website as honest and clear as possible, with good quality
pictures and detailed floor plans.
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Why do I need to enable cookies?
You will need to enable cookies if you want to use our site's clipboard, which stores
a list of your favourite apartments from which to make your final
selection. A cookie is just a small text file stored on your own
computer - we don't (and can't) extract any personal information
from your hard disk. If you don't want to enable cookies, you can
of course use the site anyway, except for the clipboard.
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