Venice, or Venezia as the Italians call it, or Venexia as the Venetians call it, is an outstanding city for many reasons.
Just the fact that nearly the city is built on massive poles, is enough to make it noteworthy. But Venice’s remarkable history spanning the centuries has resulted in a city full of extraordinary artistic treasures and stunning architectural treasures.
From its heyday in the Middle Ages, when Venice was one of Europe’s indisputable leading powers, to its decline in the 17th and 18th centuries, this city has developed into one of the world’s greatest tourist attractions. Despite this, the city has less than 50,000 inhabitants and the number of occupants under the age of 18 has long been under 1000. The city simply doesn’t attract young families due to the exorbitant cost of living. Venice is Italy’s most expensive city to live in. Most families prefer to cross over the bridge to the mainland and live in Mestre, just 10 minutes from Venice city centre where rents are one third that of Venice. So, apart from older people making the most of rent-controlled accommodation, Venice is mostly populated by the extremely wealthy.
The high prices are not exclusive to property and accommodation in Venice. Consumer goods are also pricey, as everything has to be transported over the water into the city. The cost of groceries is generally 10% higher in Venice than on the mainland. The prices also affect tourists so be prepared to dig deep into your pockets in Venice, as everything from hotels to apartments to restaurants are more expensive here than elsewhere in Italy - even than in Rome and Florence.
You can find cheap restaurants in Venice, but don’t expect sublime cuisine. In no other Italian town or city is it so easy to find terrible food! This is largely due to the fact that most of the town’s millions of tourists only stay for a couple of days at most so restaurateurs don’t make an effort to encourage their clientele to return. Most visitors only go after picturesque surroundings and cheap prices anyway! However, if you want to eat well in Venice, then simply get hold of one of the many guidebooks on the city or, better still, wait until around 20:00-21:00 and follow someone who looks local. You can almost be sure that where the locals eat will offer value for money.
If you’re planning on bringing a car to Venice, don’t expect to park next to where you’re staying. The nearest you can get to the city by car is the Piazzale Roma, situated at the end of the long bridge connecting Venice to the mainland. There’s a large car park on the Piazzale Roma. The cost is considerable, but your car will be safe. The same can be said of the car park on the recently constructed island "Il Tronchetto", behind the Piazzale Roma. If you’re not willing to pay the high prices for these two parking lots, then you can leave you car in one of the large car parks at the other end of the bridge. There is, however, no security here. There is a bus service from the car park to the city centre, which takes just 3-4 minutes. If none of the above options appeal, you can also park you car in Mestre, where you might be lucky enough to find a street where parking is free. You can then take a bus or train into the centre of Venice.
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