I have plans to travel to Venice at Christmas this year. Can anyone report just how bad it is since the recent flooding? I don't want to pass up one of my favorite cities to visit, but if it's not plausible it would be nice to know while plans can still be changed. And I know tourist $$ would be greatly appreciated during this awful time for the city.
I would love to see your comments, especially if you are there and can see what's going on.
Many thanks,
Nelle
Are you afraid that the full moon will last for 45 days or that the southern winds will blow towards the mainland up to Xmas? You can easily Check the moon phase, but nobody can tell you what the winds will do and it's the wind that changes a tide into an high tide.
Here is a link to webcams- https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/piazza-san-marco.html
During local daylight you can see for yourself what the situation is
I would make sure whatever lodging I was planning to use is operational
Whether the waters recede readily or not, you have to consider the residual affects of such flooding. I would change my plans. Even though Venice is a great city to visit, I would be very weary of contamination which follows such a flood. Ask anyone in the US who has been affected by flooding in the US.
The point about contamination is a very good one. It's especially true in Venice. Many have pointed out that the sewage system involves dumping the waste into the Adriatic, which is pretty amazing. Guess what is in the water now throughout Venice? Yuck. I would go elsewhere.
@AshleyMIA: So, you were in Venice, wading through ankle deep water, in order to get to a midnight mass that was quite cold? Gee, where's the downside in this wonder of wonders?
Venice has experienced these tides for a long, long time...although not usually as high as they have this week. While anything can happen, I wouldn't expect a repeat performance over Christmas so would keep your plans. That's just me. If you're especially risk averse, then change your plans. "Feet on the ground" right now are no indication of what conditions will be 6 weeks from now.
If you haven't booked a hotel yet, then you might want to do so for one in a higher, drier part of the city.
I wouldn't be wary of contamination, but there are heavy damages - the St. Mark's administration are complaining that damages to the church are serious and we are talking about one of the major sight. We saw on TV also flooded hotel lobbies, the Fenice opera house was damaged, many shops are damaged as well, the music library at the Conservatory is very damaged. The emergency is still not over as a new tide is expected for tomorrow. It looks too early to definitely evaluate damages.
You can also check museum websites. Peggy Gugenheim is closed this weekend but open Monday for business.
Nelle, short of being there in person, I have found Facebook to be invaluable for up to the moment updates. For "on the ground" updates, I have been following https://veneziaautentica.com/ on facebook for 2 years and they are very informative with regular facebook Live videos and posts. Last year I was in Venice during exceptionally high acqua alta and both my host and Sebastian and Valerian of VeneziaAuthentica were very helpful when I wasn't sure if my group and I should stay or leave early.
Monica Ceserato, cook in Venice, is a good one to follow on FB as well. As is one of the shops in the Ghetto, she shares a lot of live video and updates: Antichita al Ghetto
When you go (yes, if it were me, I would not cancel) download the ap called W.V.F - stands for Water on the Venice Floor. It gives live tide level, a live interactive map to show you which places in Venice have water and which are dry, and shows the forecast. Have an awesome trip and please post a trip report upon your return (you can see mine from my 2018 venice acqua alta trip, sorry I don't know how to link it here...)
The flood of course should have calmed down by them. However there is for 1 billion damages in Venice. It is as bad as the flood in 1966 and seeing the state of the city, I believe it will take more than 3 month to restore the city to an acceptable state. As already said in another post, I am not so sure San Marco and some museums will be accessible.
Check before going.
Also check if your hotel has been hit, the most beautiful hotels in Central Venice such as Cipriani have been hit. Call them to know when they think they will reopen.
Maybe also, you could check on booking.com if they write something
If you look on the webcams the view of the altar of S Marco is normal and people are inside, and the view of the piazza outside is also normal. The view of S Antonio in Padova is normal.
Checking Venice cams at 1230 (Sunday Venice time) people in St Marks Sq look to more than ankle deep in water, but short of knee deep.
Rialto Bridge view shows water nearly up to windows of the adjacent bldgs
Tide table shows it is now high tide. Bad news is future high tides, even into mid-December show even higher tides than what is occurring now.
Will repeat advice to check with your lodging their status. Things may not get better in short term
https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Venezia-Italy/tides/latest
Nelle, (or anyone, really) feel free to email Igor at [email protected]. We've been messaging and he has been providing me with eyes in Venice. He said to share his email here for anyone who has questions. He said he expects that by December 1 there should be no problems. I hope that helps in your trip planning.
Buongiorno Nelle.
My husband and I are currently in Venice. We’ve been here since Wednesday (Nov. 13), a few hours after the big flood hit.
We have been flooded in for a few hours on Friday and today (Sunday), due to the high tides. Aside from the slight cabin fever, we’ve had a rather enjoyable time here.
We didn’t bother purchasing the overpriced pieces of neon plastic you’ll see tourists wearing, and our shoes have stayed very dry. If you are willing to get up a bit early and enjoy the city while it is just waking up, you can still enjoy all of the sights Venice has to offer. True that some museums are closed, but I don’t think it’s worth canceling or moving to another city. Just yesterday we ventured to San Marcos. The tide was receding. We toured Ducal Palace and by the time we came out, all of St. Mark’s Square was dry.
Many of the other churches are open to tour, like the Frari.
The Venetians are hard-working and shops either stay open, or open shortly after a quick mop and dry.
Just listen to the sirens and follow the tide table to get a good idea of when it is best to venture out.
https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Venezia-Italy/tides/latest
Enjoy your trip!
Rena,
Here is the link to your great trip report on touring Venice in acqua alta. I copied it to an earlier thread and it’s full of tips and coping strategies.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/venice-acqua-alta-oct-2018-lessons-learned
Your indomitable spirit and love of Venice shines through!
Tide levels in Venice can be difficult to understand. A tide may be predicted as say 130cm. This does not mean that water will be 130cm deep in any particular place, it means that the water level is predicted to be 130cm above a fixed reference point, the tidal gauge at the Dogana.
Fortunately Venice has been laser surveyed to an accuracy of one centimetre, and just a few centimetres can make all the difference.
So if you are sitting right by the musicians at Quadri in the Piazza, and the tide is at 81cm, your feet will be dry, but only just. If it is 85 cm, you will be glad that you packed that extra pair of shoes. Wet feet + Quadri’s musicians is a bridge too far for me.
Here is a link to the contour map. It is this data that drives the app Water on Venice Floor.
http://smu.insula.it/index.php@option=com_content&view=article&id=114&Itemid=81.html
Nelle, Just received an email from "Inside Venice." Our favorite hotel (Hotel Flora) reported "an extraordinary peak on November 12." "It was a difficult and discomforting time." "Little by little they are getting back to normality." "Tides are turning regular, and our town is restarting to live it's normal life."
For those who have stayed there, the photos shows the charming courtyard before and after the flood.
Best wishes.
