Please Help!! ...Why Don't I Like Venice?

No need for help. Just don't go back. Not everybody likes the same things. I didn't particularly care about living in Florence either. Never have. I'm much happier visiting it for as little as possible than being there. In fact I moved away from it as far as I could and as soon as I could. I hated living in Florence with a passion. I still have to go there, even briefly, every year because of family matters, but I would be happily do without. Unpleasant weather (cold in winter, unbearably hot in summer), horrible traffic, no parking, lousy airport, pretentious people, loud sloppily dressed Americans all over the place. I can see there are many beautiful things to see for a tourist, but I don't see the big deal about Florence, yet lots of people rant and rave about it. However I will suggest to anybody who wants to visit in Tuscany to stay in Florence rather than Pisa any day. If I could tear that leaning tower down I would, so nobody would go there. Actually no! I would straighten that damn tower. Who would want to visit the "Straight" Tower of Pisa?

Whoa, Monigue! Chunk your husband, boyfriend, parents, same-sex-partner, whatever - - and come live with me until the end of time. I don't usually comment in any way on places I don't like, but this opening is too good to pass up. I've been to Venice exactly four times, the first as a kid, and when I told Mom it sucked I got whumped. The other three were as an adult, the first because I felt obligated to show it to my kids - - who said it sucked, but didn't get whumped. The last two were traveling with others and I did it to be polite, but it ain't about to happen again. I've walked every street early in the morning before people got stirring, and late at night when things were dead - - it still sucks. I've been shot up, shot down, and just plain shot - - I liked all of the places those things happened more than I live Venice. I'd rather sit nekkid on a fire ant pile than go back to Venice. You're perfectly normal and rational. Other people aren't - - except my own good self. My pal Nigel might have a different opinion.

I agree with you. I like (don't love it) but it is not high on my list of places to immediately return. We will someday but it can wait. However, you do have to be careful about saying that because the Venice lovers will climb all over you. Much prefer some other areas. We have spent a total of about three weeks in Rome and just find it - for us - more interesting. However, I do think everyone should spend a couple of days Venice just for the historical perspective. The helmet is on and I am ducking.

Isn't it amazing how extreme people's views are about the same place? Personally, I absolutely fell in love with Florence the moment I saw it, and we only stayed 2 days. Went back and stayed 2 months in 2011 and going back this spring for a month. Can your family just adopt me?...

You are not obliged to like a place just because other people do. Be free to have your own criteria and your own preferences :)

More proof that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to travel. I think a lot of one's opinion of a city can come from all sorts of variables - weather, lodging, meals, random encounters with interesting people. I felt the same way about Lucca - Meh. And yet other people will rave about it. I'm glad they enjoyed it. Some people would prefer to spend a vacation lying on a beach. For me, that would be hell. But I'm not going to spend time wondering which one of us is right or wrong. That's just not a question that should be asked. Live and let live.

My dirty little secret is that I didn't fall in love with Paris. I was so happy to be going on my 40th, and over Valentine's Day, it seemed a perfect week away. But it was extraordinarily cold and both my hubby and I left thinking it was nice, but we'd take Vienna any day over Paris. That said, one day I would like to go back in the nicer weather and try again. But there's so many places that have bumped up my list over Paris. We did have a wonderful 3-week trip the following year through France during which we didn't spend any time at all in Paris!

Sometimes I think expectations have a lot to do with it. I had been to Venice 4 times and thought it was unique, interesting and enjoyable, but after the 1st time I had no need to return...just went again because of who I was traveling with. Then... a few years ago I spent a week there with 3 other photographers during Carnavale...and it was like a whole different place. So, when I am singing the praises of Venice... it is that trip that is in my mind. The cool, blue, misty light, the costumes, the balls, the masks, the amazing mystical feeling of the whole city. So, unless you have my experience and my memories I can totally understand a bit of disappointment. FYI... I really don't care much for Florence, or London and have just recently begun to fall in love with Paris (after 8 trips there) I needed to get beyond the 'must see' sights to enjoy it.

@Ed - I'd love to come and run amuck with you in Florida, but I am leaving for Italy in the spring. Mind if I try my hand at a few locals first? :) @Michael - "But I'm not going to spend time wondering which one of us is right or wrong. That's just not a question that should be asked"
I know very well there is nothing wrong with me. It's just a way of phrasing a question that lends toward the idea of hey, if the hundreds of people on this site mostly like the same thing, maybe I missed something, which there is nothing wrong with asking. And if there was, just add it to the thousands of some of these other questions on this board that "shouldn't be asked". Chastise them. Terry Kathryn has a good point. When I first saw Rome, I was like "what is this insanity??". Then I spent extended time there. I adore it now! Awwww poor Venice needs a second chance.

Monique... Seriously...go during Carnavale... bring a wonderful velvet cloak, buy a mask, go to a concert/ball, and get up at dawn every morning and walk the streets (the Venetians in the costumes are wandering the city before first light )...and above all, go with someone who will appreciate that kind of experience.
Guess you won't be asking Ed to go with you:)))

@Ed, LOL! That's one of the most entertaining replies I've read in awhile. You have a unique way with words! Hopefully no one here has a desire to "whump" you for your comments. @Monique, I've found that travel is a very personal thing, and opinions always vary about destinations in Europe or anywhere else. One person might really like a particular location, while others may be "lukewarm" towards it or will dislike it completely. To answer your question, I don't think there's anything wrong with you. Venice just didn't "resonate" with you. Although I've enjoyed touring in Venice, I was a bit "underwhelmed" and therefore I'm not in a big hurry to go back. I also found it somewhat more expensive than other locations in Italy. However, I'm not completely ruling out a return visit. It's a very unique location and if I had to opportunity to take a photography workshop as Terry kathryn described, I'd definitely go. The costumes and sights of Carnavale would provide a lot of great subject matter! I also agree with a couple of the other comments in this Thread. While Florence, Lucca and Milan are beautiful and well worth visiting, they're also not high on my list of return visits at the present time (perhaps that's just my mid-winter blues attitude, so might change when I actually start planning my next trip?). Cheers!

Monique
I agree with you except for one small word change. Wherever you typed Venice put in Rome. Once was enough.

i absolutely hated venice and everything about it. i would not go back even if it were free. im not really sure what you are looking for here. i dont really need any validation that its okay for me to hate venice so i cant see why you would either. lifes too short, if you hate it, dont go back. simple.

OMG- I HATE Venice! Im so glad to hear of others that dont like it.
I felt like I was at Disneyland. Everything was made for the tourist. I know people do live there but all they want is a tourist dollar. I thought it was fun walking around for a couple hours but thats it. We even left early. We were suppose to stay 3 nights, left after 1. I would go back to Italy in a drop of a hat... unless it was Venice, you would have to pay me.

I am getting the biggest kick out of this thread. (And I loooove Venice. We're going back for our fourth visit in May. Same for Rome. Can't get enough of it.) Paris, on the other hand, left me cold.

This is such a timely thread. I am in the process of planning my family of five's 14 day vacation in Italy (Rome, Siena, Lucca, Florence, Cinque Terre....)and am currently debating staying a few extra days in Cinque Terre OR going to Venice at the end of our trip. My only pull to Venice is feeling like I "should" show it to my kids (teens). That being said, Cinque Terre looks so amazing, I feel like we might enjoy and get more out of an extended stay there. Your posts really have me thinking...

I think that it's funny that anybody would "hate" a place so strongly. I can see disliking it or not enjoying it but I guess I am biased because I think any place OTHER than my office is better. A crowded day in Venice is better than a deployment day in my office any day. But in other news, I was hesitant to visit Venice on our trip because I have never had the desire to go there. I also have no desire to visit London. However, I am pretty excited about our overnight in Venice in September. The hotels are just so GD expensive that month.

I think I love the idea of Venice more than it's reality. I was first there as a child and loved it, but on four more recent trips I find it less appealing, although I do love those dawn and dusk moments. I hate to say it but the big tour groups on those narrow streets drive me nuts. As for Florence, I do like it a lot, but I much prefer the spirit of Siena.

Thank God, each of us is different, I, for example, do not like Milan! with this statement, however, if you set foot in the territory of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, you could be arrested and taken to Piombi.

Dancing beneath a full moon in San Marco with my non-dancing husband was a magical and memorable moment for me. There were other "slices" of Venice that I treasure. Having said that I know I'll never return just on my own. If you want a similar VERY lively conversation, jump over to England and see if Stonehenge is "all that". Wouldn't it be horrible if we could all agree on the great places? They'd be awfully crowded.

It's just natural for people to like some places they travel to more than others. I've been to Venice 6-7 times, and have wonderful memories of getting lost in a maze @ 2:00 a.m. with a beautiful redhead on my arm. I also have great memories of visiting the wine gardens in the Vienna Woods with a large group of friends. Spending a night at the "old" Hofbrauhaus was once a highlight of my life. It's now a different place and not so enjoyable. I've been treated like "a tourist" in Paris, but have enjoyed greatly staying outside the city center other visits. And who can ever get tired of the architecture and sheer beauty of the place. My wife and I have been on so many cruises that the "special" has simply worn out. When the "special" is missing from visiting a specific place, it's time to visit other areas/regions. I'm guilty of going back to places I know well, like Munich, the Austrian Alps, Venice and Central Italy. It's now time to move to other unfamiliar places, like the Algarve of Southern Portugal, Croatia, Budapest and Prague.
After all, we all only have "X" days on this earth, and there are just so many places to see and experiences to have. Wait too long to get started, and you've missed so much.

@Susan - you are so correct! If we all liked the same places and hated others, it would be horrific getting reservations, and worse yet, this board would be VERY boring :) There are a couple places I visited that were more or less like "ho hum" while I was there, but it was after I returned home and watched travel shows about that place, and had the realization of "wow - I was actually there!" or "I actually saw that!" made me appreciate the experience more. I have come to realize that like or dislike, spectacular or blaaaah, it's all an experience, and many people wish they had it.

Monique: You are definitely not alone in your thoughts about Venice. I visited Venice once while attending a conference for 4 days in 2005. I was turned off by the crowds, with everyone seemingly going in the same direction through narrow streets; kind of like rats through a maze. I felt like I was in Disneyland. We saw St. Mark's, the Doge's Palace, the Accademia, the Guggenheim, the Rialto Bridge, Murano, Burano, attended a private concert in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and took the obligatory gondola ride (which was nice, but definitely was not worth the price). We also did some walking off the main drags to see the 'back door Venice' and, during the last day, were 'fortunate' to experience some 'aqua alto'. In my opinion, Venice's museums paled in comparison to those in Florence or Rome, although we did greatly enjoy the special Dali exhibition at one of the palaces. And, they were filiming the movie 'Casanova' with the late Heath Leger, which made it a little more interesting in the area around La Salute church. Although the food was generally unremarkable, the highlight of our Venice experience was staying at the Hotel San Clemente Palace (HSCP). There, we had some of the best meals ever in our 20+ years of European travel. The HSCP is a luxury hotel situated on its own island in the Venice Lagoon. Peaceful and quiet; such a nice contrast to the 'zoo' across the lagoon. Although we are glad that we experienced Venice, my wife and I have no desire to ever return there.

To each his own as has already been said. I now know the second person who doesn't like Paris, my brother-in-law is the other. He doesn't like it because my sister and I love it, I suspect. We just cannot get enough of the city of lights. Happy Travels!!

I loved Venice when I visited in the 80s: the museums, wandering around, the uniqueness of it. It wasn't that crowded and there were no hideous cruise ships ruining the landscape and disgorging multitudes of people into Venice. I guess I should just keep my memories and not go back after reading about the horrendous crowds. I agree that travel likes and dislikes are very personal and thankfully, we all don't like the same things/places.

@Jennifer: I wasn't really "looking" for anything and I don't need anyone's validation either. At the same, if you are on this board to begin with, cleary you take an interest in the opinions of others... Hey - if my question bothers you that much, don't reply. Same as you tell me not to go to Venice if it bothers me that much. I used your own logic against you :) I just thought it would be a nice break from the usual "what hotel in Sorrento?" or "should I use a money belt?". And I have LOVED hearing your opinions do far! Rome? Florence? Paris? Who would think these popular places are secretly the bane of some people's existence! I love it!

Danielle-with 14 days you are going to have trouble just covering Rome, Siena, Lucca, Florence, and Cinque Terre. Stick with that plan and do not include Venice. Your family will enjoy relaxing in Cinque Terre after the city action, and Venice is out of your path. I am one of those who really loves Venice, but I would never ever go in the summertime. (I suspect that a summer visit is what caused much of the Venice aversion seen on this board). It is hot, crowded, and expensive, and the hoardes of cruise ship passengers who pour in each day do lend a "Dismey-esque" feel to the place. So if you feel you "should" see Venice (and no one need fell that way), save it for another time. INstead, head to CT and go for a swim in the Mediterranean (off the rocks just north of Manarola is our choice) and enjoy the cool sea breezes and amazing views.

Monique, I love this thread. I've enjoyed reading other's views. I'm on the pro Venice side myself, loved everything about it, was there in late Sept one year and the weather was perfect, there were crowds but I'm thinking they weren't the crowds of summer because they didn't have an adverse affect on my visit, would go again given the chance. I think 'hate' is a pretty strong word and personally I don't hate anyplace I've been, but there have been places that I didn't particularly like and won't go back again (however most of those places are in US, not in Europe). One place I don't have any desire to go back to (which I keep to myself so people don't think I'm nuts) is London. Sometimes, like you, I wonder if there's something wrong with me. I was only there for 3 days 15 years ago and saw the normal 'must see' tourist sites but for some reason I just don't see the appeal it has for others. If I was traveling with someone who wanted to go I would but not on my own. I have a friend who has never been to Paris and has no desire to go. I think she's nuts, but that's o.k. I still like her. I've spent a total of 33 days in Paris and would go again in a heartbeat. As others have said, we're all different and we like different things and different places, and isn't that wonderful!

I have sure enjoyed reading these posts! Just illustrates how different we all are. I sometimes hesitate giving advice to other travelers for the same reasons. For instance, everyone I know seems to love a cruise...not me! My husband and I are MAD about New Orleans, yet I know many people who think its the most disgusting place they have ever been!! Go figure!

I visited Venice for the first time in '03 & loved it. I'm planning to return for the second time this coming August and I hope I love it as much as I did the first time. Your thread illustrates how everybody has a different perception which is of course based on our individual experiences. I visited Lucca on the recommendation of one of my doctors who has traveled the world extensively and said that Lucca was his most favorite place in Italy, yet it is my least favorite place in Italy so far! I personally can't understand its draw, yet many people like Lucca. Here's to hoping that I don't regret staying in Venice for 4 days on my upcoming trip!

I too have really enjoyed this thread and all the different opinions.. I too agree that hate is a pretty strong word for anywhere, and I personally have never hated anywhere that I have been(even Jamaica where we really did not feel the love, lol ) That said, I too didn't love Venice the first time I went on my own in my twenties, but truly believe that sometimes a first visit isn't enough to judge a place. Second time I went I was on a RS tour about 5 yrs ago, and had my 11 yr old with me. hmmm, still, didn't love it.. but enjoyed seeing my daughter see it( but it was not her favorite place either, Wengen was) . I agree its worth seeing, but for me, its not worth going back again. I really enjoy places that have lots to do ( although its nice to nothing somedays and just sit in a cafe) . I like lots of museums, amazing churches and ruins etc.. Venice seemed to have way too much shopping for me, and I dislike spending my vacation time going from shop to shop, 90% of the time buying stuff make in China made to look like a local souvenir, lol
I was also unimpressed with food, but its such a touristy town, prices are high, and they "gotcha" really, its an island for goodness sake.

mmm,,, quite a few people said they wouldn't go back to Paris, haven't seen one single post critisizing them for those comments or defendinding Paris,, maybe people see what they want to see?
Monique I think this thread was very successful in that so many felt free to state opinions and very few got upset by anyones thoughts.

Monique... Carnavale this year starts tomorrow. Every year is different...has to do with Lent. You can check next year's dates. The early mornings were very much like Masquerade... I am a photographer and have some amazing photos from that time. Very few people out then, so we really had Venice to ourselves. During the day, and near St. Mark's and the Rialto it was definitely wall to wall people, so you need to time your sightseeing accordingly. We were really in a whole different mindset and if I went back again it would never measure up to that trip... but, I think part of the magic was that we did not know what to expect and we all brought costumes and allowed ourselves to be caught up in the fantasy of it. When you visit Venice you see all the masks and costumes, but it is during Carnavale when the whole thing comes together. Another bonus... the misty weather made my hair (which was really long at the time...I was growing it out to donate) go in these incredible waves without doing anything. I was sure I had found the perfect length... after I left it never went that way again!

One of the reasons I love Venice so much is that I love photography, and there are few cities on the planet as photogenic as Venice. I read "City of Falling Angels" and the author talks about a photographer he knew who decided to do a "test" to see if Venice really was all that beautiful. He started roaming the streets and alleyways randomly. Whenever he saw a dog or heard a bell he would freeze in his tracks and take a picture of something. At the end of the day, he looked over his photos from that day. They were almost all beautiful. Here's a collection of some of my photos and a few video clips from Venice and the surrounding islands to illustrate my point: Magical Venice

@ Lola - THANK YOU so much for the great advice. My husband and I, thanks to this thread, now are going to skip Venice and stay in Cinque Terre a few extra days. Thanks for starting the conversation Monique!

I agree with the above. It's so hard because many of the questions on this board (when it comes down to it) want your personal opinion, but your opinion of a place, a museum, a meal, an activity, etc... could be the total opposite of what they would have thought had they tired it. So you can only say what you think and hope they make the best decision for themselves. For instance if someone were to ask me "Venice of Florence?", it would be such a no-brainer... FIRENZE!!!! But others would flog me if I answered Florence. To them it's a no brainer.

It's not uncommon to dislike Venice. I personally love it and count it as probably my favorite city in Europe but I live about a half hour away which affords me the luxury of going there often. In the 13 years that I've lived here I'd guesstimate that I've been probably 60-70 times and for me, every time is still like the first time. I've sort of developed a reputation as the Venice guy here and am often asked to go and show people around and I've learned over the years not to judge anyone for disliking Venice. It's just not for some people. In my case, part of the allure is that I've become very familiar with the island, I know my way around, I know places to go and things to see and do that the average tourist doesn't. I've made friends with some locals which has helped tremendously. I even put together my own personal Venice pub crawl that I take friends on when they visit. I see the bad side of Venice and I understand why some people hate it but she's my girl and she has never let me down. On the other hand, I hated Brugge, a city that everyone else in the world seems to think is paradise on Earth.

monique - i never said your question "bothers me so much". it confused me so i simply asked for clarification. i apologize for this egregious error. in the future, should you post anything that is unclear to me, i will follow your "logic" and not dare ask again.

It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who doesn't care to go back to Venice....or Paris for that matter. Neither city captured me the way Rome has. I don't hate either city but if given the option between those and somewhere else it will always be the "somewhere else". They just didn't have that magic for me that certain other places have. We're all different and like different things. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to travel. I'm glad that you went and experienced Venice, as I think everyone should, but not everyone will come away loving it and wanting to return as soon as possible. Donna

Oh no! - I think Jennifer is mad at me because she secretly likes Venice! :) No, in all seriousness, I really had no intention of sounding snippy in my reply to you and I apologize if it came off that way.
But I see for the most part people got what I was trying to do here. Of course if I don't like a place, the simple solution is to not return. I need this website for many things, but that I can figure out on my own ...almost haha! I just wanted to have a light-hearted discussion about Venice and it's popularity and/or other places that some people praise but others don't like. Or, like in some replies, find out WHY they think it's such a magical place. I am actually thinking about the whole Carnavale thing. When is that exactly? Is it like the "Masquerade" scene from Phantom of the Opera?

We just returned from our three months there and plan on returning for another three towards the end of the year!!! What can I say?

Oh, but I would not go there in the summer months nor during carnevale. I love it during the quieter time of year.

Wow Terry Kathryn, you raised a good point about your hair. I mean, it just really goes to show that even the smallest of factors can contribute to the whole experience. For example, when we were in Venice, it was my first European trip and I had yet to appreciate the value of packing light. All I can think about is lugging a huge suitcase, a medium size suitcase, a duffle bag and my purse, up, down, over, maneuvering around canals and small children. Also, I had this huge pimple on my forehead and I can't even look at photos of myself from that part of the trip. Not saying I would have loved it otherwise because it still might come down to Venice just not being my cup of tea, but there were definitely some non-Venetian factors that contributed to my overall experience of the place. Interesting...

Monique, I have to say, I was not thrilled with Venice either, not at all. I am happy my (now) hubby and I visited it and experienced it but as we are planning our delayed honeymoon to go back to Rome and hit the spots we missed, (i.e. Florence, Naples, Pompeii) we have no desire to go back to Venice. We did have one cray fun night. We were walking across a bridge, Mike says "he could use a beer" and I look to our left and there's an "Irish Pub." It was so funny but what made it best were the people we met, two american sisters, two crazy venetian men who spoke no English (one was dressed like Jack Sparrow) and an american couple on their honeymoon! (Oh and can't forget the stray dog I was feeding all the hotdog type thingys that the bar was selling, lol!) It was a great time! To each their own but I'm glad we are not the only ones who didn't go crazy over Venice.