The Lemon Fool

Has anyone been in Venice at carnival time? Is it magical, commercial, over busy, delightful? We are thinking about going away in February and thought of taking in an opera at La Fenice (a bucket list thing for us). The week we havr available overlaps with the Venice carnival. Is this a good or bad thing?

Thanks
C

My answer is I have not been to Venice at carnival time but I have in the winter. Surprisingly cold and damp when not actually raining!

Dod

commercial, over busy,

Isn't that reason to give it a miss....... But it's your bucket. I think mine has a hole

A more pertinent question might be: at what time are the least number of tourists in Venice?

Wait for a January storm, I guess.

Gerry557 wrote:commercial, over busy,

Isn't that reason to give it a miss....... But it's your bucket. I think mine has a hole

Carnival isn't our bucket list - seeing an opera at La Fenice is. It just so happens that the week we can go overlaps with the carnival.

Clariman wrote:Has anyone been in Venice at carnival time? Is it magical, commercial, over busy, delightful? We are thinking about going away in February and thought of taking in an opera at La Fenice (a bucket list thing for us). The week we havr available overlaps with the Venice carnival. Is this a good or bad thing?

I went for carnival some decades ago. It was cold & wet, rained all the time. St Mark's square was flooded and in it and a lot of the area around it the (I presume) municipality had put down planks on bricks to let people get around!

Yes, it was crowded and there were plenty of people in masks & costumes but it was all a bit difficult to enjoy when cold & wet, and we didn't go see the boat parade 'cos the weather was so miserable. Maybe if the weather had been better it'd have been a different story but I've never been tempted to go back for another try.

I have, however, been back to Venice several times at better times of the year, and the city is very certainly worth seeing, although it is somewhat an open air museum. Always crowded, with masses of tourists, and you'll hear a lot more Japanese and German than Italian. And expensive, and not just for tourists. I used to know a local woman who lived there and her family called the local grocers "Cartiers" 'cos it was so expensive!

I went once in off season. Actually a colleague and I were staying in Mestre while visiting glass factories in the surrounding area.

We drove down the causeway and parked in the big car park, then went walkabout. Many bars were closed, but we found one where we spent a pleasant evening. Dark in the evening of course, damp and cold. Presumably places will open at carnival time.

TJH

No. Forget it. Tourist hell.

Thanks everyone. We gave decided against Venice at carnival time.

It's utterly beautiful, though St. Mark's Square and thereabouts during daytime is a bunfight. Avoid that by spending time in quieter areas, then return to the main drag at night (hardcore costumes, as the masked participants are known, will still be around). Likewise stay a little further out, for availability, sensible pricing, quiet and fewer crowds.

Le Fenice is spectacular but the acoustics are poor. By all means go but don’t worry too much about what you see.

Spet0789 wrote:Le Fenice is spectacular but the acoustics are poor. By all means go but don’t worry too much about what you see.

Oh that's interesting. We've already been inside for a tourist visit but not heard an opera. Maybe we don't need to then

Clariman wrote:

Spet0789 wrote:Le Fenice is spectacular but the acoustics are poor. By all means go but don’t worry too much about what you see.

Oh that's interesting. We've already been inside for a tourist visit but not heard an opera. Maybe we don't need to then

It will be a fantastic experience anyway - just no need to wait to see (or more to the point, hear) your favourite opera!