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23 days to go and a few question.

Leaving for Italy in 23 days, a few things left to sort through, hopefully you can assist.
Venice:
I have a Doges Palace Tour booked direct, but I am a little confused on where to pick up my tickets.
I have a St. Marks Cathedral & Treasures tour booked direct, and am a little confused where to pick up my tickets.
Any options for Gluten Free Cichetti?

Lucca:
We will be there the weekend of the Antique market. Arriving on Sunday, anyone have any idea what time the market starts to shut down?

Pisa:
Would like to see the leaning tower at night. Plan is to arrive at Rossore station from Lucca, and head to Florence from Centrale. Looks like the last train to Florence from Centrale is at 1030pm. Which would be nice because we can have dinner in Pisa. Only concern is do they cancel the late trains? Surely that would not be normal???

I do have a small backpack 20L ( 19" x 12.5" x 5.5" ). Any issues at Pompeii, Colosseium, Sistine Chapel, Doges Palace, St. Marks Cathedral ???

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
4105 posts

Antique market on Saturday 7:30/8:00-18:00. Sunday 8-16:00.

Sunset in Pisa mid September around 7:00pm.

Vatican Museum you will have to check your backpack in the cloakroom (free) if it's judged too large, but then you'll need to go back and pick it up. Even if you're on a tour that goes directly into St. Peter's Basilica.

Posted by
940 posts

Congratulations on your upcoming trip. I can help you with some of your questions, not others.

Backpacks:
- Here is the link to the information on backpacks at the Colosseum along with other relevant security information. We went in June and left all backpacks at home. I took a cross-body purse and it was okay. The site doesn’t list measurements on the size of the backpack.
- St. Marks: can’t enter with luggage, looks like backpacks are okay: http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/informazioni-per-i-turisti/orari-di-apertura/?lang=en. Again, when we visited, my husband took the Rick Steve’s Civita Day pack and we did not have to check.
-Doge’s Palace: we visited at the same time as St. Marks and took the Secret Passages Tour, my husband brought a small day pack
Vatican Museum: here is the link to the website. You need to check those backpacks that don’t meet their size requirements, but they don’t list them. It is up to the staff. http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/visita-i-musei/consigli-utili.html. When we visited only took my crossbody purse, my husband did not take is backpack. Note that the Vatican is very crowded and I wouldn’t recommend the backpack.

Sandy

Posted by
6428 posts

Don't you have any contact information for the tour operator(s) in Venice? No one here can help you about picking up tickets without knowing who's giving the tour(s). And with that information you should be as able as anyone else to find them on the internet.

Posted by
142 posts

I supposed you bought your tickets through venetoinsider.com ? If so, your confirmation email should have a voucher attached to it, open the voucher and it shows where the meeting point is.

Posted by
1206 posts

If you booked the Doges Palace tour directly with the Doges Palace - the Secret Itineraries tour, perhaps? - then you pick up your tickets directly from the main ticket office at the Doges Palace. The doorway to enter faces the water. Get there at least a half hour before your tour begins. After you pick up your tickets, they will tell you where in the courtyard to wait for your guide.

Posted by
1206 posts

If you booked the Doges Palace tour directly with the Doges Palace - the Secret Itineraries tour, perhaps? - then you pick up your tickets directly from the main ticket office at the Doges Palace. The doorway to enter faces the water. Get there at least a half hour before your tour begins. After you pick up your tickets, they will tell you where in the courtyard to wait for your guide.

Re. St. Marks in Venice and backpacks: the guard may determine that you need to check your backpack. Actually having a backpack to check can be a good thing. I suggest you don't even ask the guard. The office to check it is around the corner from St. Marks, on the left (Rick's Italy book gives the spot on a Venice map). Once you've checked your backpack, you are given a voucher which gives you "skip the line" privileges. Take it to the guard at the head of the line. Worked great for my son and me several years ago.