Is there a student rate for the vaporetto passes in Venice? Also, should I buy the Venice Museum passes online before I go to Venice, or should I get them the day I arrive? Where can I buy these passes (one website said pick-up at the Doge's Palace only, but I thought your book said to buy at the Correr to avoid lines). Finally, does the Venice Museum pass also offer a student rate. I am travelling with my husband and teenage daughters, 15 and 18. Thanks, Allison Garth
You might consider this site:
http://www.veniceconnected.com/ It covers museums, vaporettos, Wi-Fi - even toilets. And there is a great google-street-view-like feature that you can follow through all the canals.
Venice Connected is a very good option. If you buy before you go, you will save 8 euros on a 72 hour vaporetto pass. You will also save 2 euros on the "Museum Pass" but be sure that is what you will truly use. We found out after we purchased that we really only needed the "Museum of St. Mark's Square Plus" pass. It looks like there are student discounts for the museum pass options. However I have read somewhere that those only apply to EU residents. You can sure buy them online it would seem! Bottom line: buy online. You have to buy at least 7 days before arrival in Venice. They will send you a voucher with a "PNR" code. Whenyou get to Venice, claim your passes at the Hello Venezia booth outside the train station, bottom of the stairs on the right. Oh, and don't buy toilet passes! They were never where we needed them! the owner of our B&B laughed because he says everyone buys them and no one uses them. He had a pile of them to "share." Also, if your lodging has Wi-Fi, don't bother with the Wi-Fi service pass. Another waste IMHO.
Allison It is not clear from your post that you realize that the Helpline is not staffed by ETBD (RS) staffers. We are, instead, a committed group of volunteers who have a great deal of experience travelling to and through Europe. We support this Helpline because we enjoy helping new and newish travelers to experience some of what we have. Do bear in mind that we all have individual points of view and preferences, and that will come out in answers that you read. Do look around - there are threads devoted to almost everything related to European travel.
Allison, I have just found out that the week I'm in Italy is also the "free art" week so most places are going to be free to enter with perhaps "only a small fee for reserve" as they told me at one museum. I believe it starts the week of April 9th. I tell you that to say that while it can sometimes look tempting to get things done online I'd suggest you keep reading these posts and check with your lodging - I found out about 'free" week after having used a booking service for tickets that didn't need to get purchased! Yes, I was able to cancel but it reminded me to go slowly and carefully.
Happy Travels!
It appears that Italy does have a Culture Heritage Week, usually for a week about two weeks before Easter. That means that all civic musuems are more or less free. This year it is April 9 to 17. Make sure you are aware of this before booking passes. I was alerted by the Roma Pass website, but not all sites give you the heads up.