Europe travel photos and trip planning information
Venice Webcams: San Marco, Rialto, the Lido Webcams over S.Mark's Square, Canal Grande, Rialto and elsewhere. Mostly from the Commune de Venezia, The Tidal Forecasting Centre at Palazzo Cavalli and Veneto Tourism. Refresh the page to see a new view (Click F5). The ones with the blue line along the bottom refresh every 20 minutes. Webcam on St. Mark's Square looking out on the Piazetta Webcam San Marco … [Read more...]
Gondolas in Venice Not just a rowing boat - how it's built, traditions and "the gearbox"... A Gondola can be up to 11 metres long and 600 kg in weight, but still only needs one man with his single oar to propel it along, albeit in a stately fashion. Not many people know that gondolas are built asymmetrically; the left side is larger than the right by 24 cm and so it always floats along leaning slightly to one side. As a result, the gondolier does not have to keep … [Read more...]
Arriving by car in Venice Getting to Venice: From the west (Turin) or east: You'll probably travel to Venice via the A4 autostrada. From the south: the A13 from Bologna as far as Padua and then via the A4 again. From the North (and Trieste): the A27. If you're arriving by car and want to give the Autostrada a miss, try the state roads (SS.309 Romea from the Adriatic Coast, SS.14 from Trieste, SS.13 from Treviso, SS.11 from … [Read more...]
Arriving by plane in Venice: Transport from Marco Polo Airport to Venice: Venice Marco Polo International Airport (VCE) Marco Polo Airport "reflects the uniqueness of Venice. The airport's architectural features highlight the lagoon environment and are suggestive of the city's civil and industrial architecture (such as the historic Arsenal). The visual impact is strong. With the city outlined on the horizon, the great windows overlooking the lagoon are an immediate and intense link with the … [Read more...]
Arriving by train in Venice Don't get off at Venice, Mestre (unless you're staying there!), S.Lucia (Stazione Ferroviaria Santa Lucia) is the name of Venice's train station and it's the end of the line. The station is a modern building in the sestiere of Cannaregio in Venice's west, and is serviced by Eurostar, Intercities and Express trains. Oh, and the Orient Express stops here from March to November on its way across Europe. Facilities The station has a bank … [Read more...]
Venice Transportation Choices Arriving in Venice is different from arriving in other cities, because there are no roads in the central city area where you'll probably be staying - hotel transfers and downtown transportation are a bit different in Venice! That said, until that last stage, things are pretty much the same as elsewhere. If you're staying in Mestre, or are just visiting during the day, it's still pretty easy to get into Venice's historic centre. Follow our tips and you'll be in St. … [Read more...]
Dorsoduro, Venice's "Hard Ridge": Dorsoduro's (literally 'hard ridge') refers to the character of the land in this part of Venice, which is a bit higher and rockier - or at least, more solid - than the other less firm areas of land that emerged from the lagoon over the centuries. It's a sprawling sestiere that extends over a large chunk of the southern part of the city, beginning at Punta della Dogana, a v-shaped promontory that juts out into the San Marco basin like the prow of a … [Read more...]
Gay and Lesbian Venice: In February, Carnevale is a meeting point for gay people, but apart from that, although it's a marvellous city (and in spite of Truman Capote's famous quote: "Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go"), if you're looking for gay-specific action: "Masks off, Venice has not that much to offer to the GLBT community, that's why most gay people go to Padua (Padova), which is a short hop from Venice, for a drink in the evening or looking for some … [Read more...]
Restaurants on the Islands in the Venice Lagoon and elsewhere Restaurants on the islands of the Venice lagoon are often not open in the evenings, so be sure to check on opening hours and rest days! Trattoria "Da Romano" Via San Martino Destro, Burano This restaurant has an impressive list of clients, including famous painters and sculptors, singers and musicians and other illustrious names. Trattoria ’Busa alla Torre’ da Lele Campo S. Stefano, … [Read more...]
Restaurants in Giudecca and the Lido, Venice It's important to check that the restaurant at which you're interested in eating is open! Restaurants in Venice do not all close on a Monday, rest days vary, and not all open at night. Booking is highly advisable, especially when you want an outside table. And not all restaurants (especially the smaller ones) take credit cards. Giudecca Altanella Calle delle Erbe, Giudecca 270 A family … [Read more...]
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We're Helen and Tony Page, and we love travelling - lucky as we've been doing it for the last few decades!
Tony has long been a professional photographer and writer, but Helen now writes most of the posts and takes a lot of photos herself!
Travelsignposts is our main travel planning site, but Tony also runs the Travelsignposts Photo and Guerrilla Travel Photography web sites, as well as publishing the Take Better Digital Photos and Guerrilla Travel Photography eBooks.
Read more about Helen and Tony or contact them.