I just found out that our one full day in Venice, May 1, is one of Italy's national holidays. Has anyone experienced their Labor Day Holiday?
Will all the sights requiring admission be closed?
What about Canal Transportation?
What about the Restaurants?
What about the shops?
Murano & Burano?
Please advise. Thanks so much.
Posted by
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
241 posts
Last June 1 (approx) was national holiday too. We found little if any closings. Plus there was a holiday-type atmosphere. Lot's more people out and about than a normal day. You might, like us, even see something special.
Posted by
Texas
531 posts
We were in Italy for All Saints Day which was also a big holiday. We left Venice in the am by bus and it took us 2 hours longer to get to Florence. If you must travel on the holiday from one city to the next....I highly suggest the train. Otherwise Venice should have services and shops open...not sure about the museums
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2724 posts
I was in Venice on May 1, 2006. All tourist oriented sites were open and vaporettos were running on normal schedule. There were holiday crowds as well, but the place was quiet after dinner time (and was quite magical). Be aware that May 1, being labor day, is a popular day for strikes, so you should expect the unexpected....not that there won't be any transportation options, but they may be sporadic. Do double check museum websites to confirm they are open.
Posted by
Bloomington, Illinois, USA
11 posts
May 1 will be a double holiday this year. As May 1 is also Ascension Thursday. I don't know if this will make a dny difference or not.
Posted by
Calitri, Avellino, Italy (& US - where I live the majority of the time)
223 posts
will not be a problem at ALL in Venice...everything you need will be open (barr any strikes as mentioned) I was just there over Easater Sunday and Monday and, if anything, it was just more crowded with Italians away for the long weekend.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I was in Italy on May 1 last year. The problems I ran into were that it was difficult to get a last-minute reservation at my favorite hotel in Monterosso; school was out and the trains were very crowded for the week preceding the holiday. I would recommend having your reservations in place for lodging and trains as much in advance as possible.
Posted by
bergamo
401 posts
Everything will be open, though this year the May 1st holiday is a "ponte" a bridge, meaning that most people will also be taking the Friday off as well, so in Venice there will be many Italian tourists as well. Be prepared for monumental crowds and book in advance. It will be like this in all tourist destinations in Italy.