Venice Lagoon Tour

By "day we arrrive" do you mean jet-lagged from Salt Lake? If you've slept on the plane, you can probably handle it. At least being outside will help you get on local time. I would only go if the weather is nice, though. Not a good rainy day activity. I think you are right to skip San Michele. Are you stopping on Murano? It is interesting, buy I think Burano and Torcello are far more beautiful. We were quite taken with peaceful Torcello. It's a location that would make a fine lunch stop. We were sorry we had eaten on Burano. Burano and Torcello are a 5 minute vaporetto ride apart, so easy to visit both. But it is a long ride from the main islands of Venice.

Yes it will be our first day in Italy. I do plan to stop in Murano. Seeing the glass blowing is one of the very few things my Mom has said she wants to do. It has been like pulling teeth to get her to contribute to the planning so I definately want to do the things she has expressed an interest in.

I think Torcello would be a nice contrast to Murano... if you both would be interested in an island that's mostly deserted, with two lovely early churches, a few small restaurants/hotels, and a pleasant walk from the vaporetto. It was one of my favorite places in Venice. If that doesn't appeal, Burano is also lovely, less touristy than Murano, but still with shops, restaurants, etc. I found some fascinating neighborhoods in Burano (while lost and looking for the vaporetto stop).

Julie, I would opt for Burano. It is a lovely place with all the pastel houses and is much more of a "real" workaday world. Go to www.bing.com and use the map feature with the birds eye option and see what you think. TC

One thing I've realized about arrival day on European trips is that any activity that involves a lot of sitting, such as riding a bus or a boat, tends to put me to sleep. For your arrival day, you might think about something that involves a little more movement. And visit the islands on the next day.

Lexma said exactly what I was thinking. Short train or boat rides might be fine but I would suggest exploring Venice, look for a good place for dinner, turn in after dinner and do your Lagoon tour the next day.

Whenever you decide to do it, watch out for the tacky mass-produced glass factories on Murano. They will direct you to their cheesy tours, which end in their gift shop, filled with ordinary junk. Look instead for galleries, with beautiful real art glass for a treat to the eyes. For nice souvenirs consider getting Pandora style bracelets and/or necklaces, and add Murano glass beads, which cost a fraction there compared with US prices for same. (I paid about $15, instead of the $60+ they charge here.) I also bought some as gifts -- great in the luggage! I did not see Torcello, but Burano was sensational! It is like a well-maintained version of Venice, SO beautiful. The lace is wonderful, and you might see little elderly ladies tatting away, making lovely creations. Shop for linens, parasols and art. This was a favorite stop on our whole three week trip, and my favorite souvenir was the silk scarf trimmed in Burano lace that I got there. You will have a wonderful time in Venice -- one of the top three places I have ever been! Have fun!

I also agree about being careful about the glass you buy. It's worth looking around... I was surprised at the truly wretched quality of much of the glass I saw in many stores. The quality was far below what I could get at home. Ultimately, I found some good quality pieces at really good prices, but it took some time before finding them. (Actually, I hate spending time shopping, so I really didn't "find" the shop; more like stumbled upon it)

Julie, I would prefer Torcello to Burano. Be aware that the churches are a fair distance from the vaporetto stop and there's not much shade on the walk. It's a beautiful, peaceful place and worth the time to get there and back.

Just a quick comment about shopping in Italy....I am so disappointed to walk into my local TX Maxx or Home Goods and find "MADE IN ITALY" products. I know it's a global market, but how much fun is it to travel and bring home that unique item? Like mentioned above, to actually go to Murano and buy something you saw in Italy...that is the joy of travel. That special keepsake. I know that stuff in the stores in the US is not the same quality, it's produced just for the US market, but still. I remember my first trip to Europe and how unique it seemed to find McDonald's in Germany....oh that harbored things to come. Sad invasion of the US into the culture of European countries. Now when I travel, I so wish I didn't see Starbucks, KFC, etc. I long for the escape of US brands. We are planning our next trip to Italy, and reading the comments above, I will make sure to visit Burano island, and buy from the locals.

We also are going to Italy in September and while we are not shoppers, we do buy a couple of small, locally made souvenirs to remind us of our trip. When we took RS Turkey tour in 2010, I remember being told at several places that much of Turkey's leather crafts are shipped to Italy where they are stamped "Italy" - not "Made in Italy" because the folks in Turkey knew that tourists would buy Italian items before they would buy Turkish items. After touring Turkey that would not apply to me.