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Without Internet or phone access, what can we do to not get lost in Venice on a free time day ?

We always get lost everywhere we go . This is the most fear on every trip.

Posted by
8377 posts

Well sometimes there are advantages to paper maps. The world got along fine without GPS for centuries. One of the many cool things about Venice, is that you will see small signs with arrows up on the corners of buildings, pointing you in the general direction of things. For example "Rialto --->" so you know that is the general direction to head to get there. Because you're navigating a network of short streets and bridges, you just keep going until you see a landmark that tells you where you are, or you get wet. And of course, you can always ask someone.

It will make more sense when you see the lay of the land, and how compact the core area is. You will never feel unsafe.

Posted by
2527 posts

Relax and just wander about. Have the name of your hotel handy if itā€™s bedtime and still not there.

Posted by
26840 posts

If you have an electronic device (smartphone or tablet), you can use one of several mapping apps that do not require Wi-Fi or cellphone connectivity once you have the maps loaded. They'll show you where you are on the map. I think some will even give you turn-by-turn directions.

Posted by
4761 posts

You won't have a smart phone or tablet with you at all? Because you can download Google maps to use off line. Or just do as previously suggested. Get a paper map. Probably every corner Tabacchi sells them. Even the simple maps in the guide books can be useful. And when in doubt, just ask someone for directions. Pop into a bar or shop, or just ask someone nearby. Venice is small, so you'll never be lost for long. Some of our favorite walks involved just wandering around until we stumbled onto a recognizable landmark.

Posted by
16 posts

Google maps is provided with a function that gives you the chance to download the map of an area of your choice, so that you can use it without mobile device or wifi. If you have the latest version of Google Maps, you can find it at "Offline maps". By the way, most of the times getting lost in Venice doesn't represent a problem ;-)

Posted by
15043 posts

How can you get lost in an island full of people and with literally hundreds of yellow direction signs pointing you to the main famous spots in Venice.
Do you think youā€™ll end up like Robinson Crusoe?
Find your local Venetian Friday and ask you to direct you toward the Grand Canal.

Posted by
2455 posts

Learn the phrase: ā€œPer favore, dovā€™e ...ā€ and then add the name of a famous site, a bridge, a vaporetto stop, or a piazza near where you are headed. Do not expect locals to know the name of your street, hotel or restaurant.

Posted by
1542 posts

You may not even reach Venice by the sounds of it.

Thank you for the laugh Roberto.

Posted by
5687 posts

Google Maps "offline" only supports driving directions. In Venice, that's going to be not that useful (no directions), given that there are no cars. However, an "offline" map will at least show you where you are...though I'm not sure to what degree that will be true in Venice. I just used my phone and SIM card last time I was in Venice - so cheap for a phone and SIM card these days, I can't imagine not having one on European trips anymore. I've done plenty of navigation by paper maps in the past (three times to Venice). Sure, I managed OK, but "getting lost in Venice" is a highly overrated experience in my opinion, especially when it's late and you are tired and just want to get back to your hotel. Last time I was in Venice, I was out taking pictures late, and I let Google Maps guide me to the closest vaporetto boat stop, which it knew had a boat leaving soon. Let me get back a lot sooner, without a lot of hassle.

Otherwise...yes, get a decent paper map. And as noted above, follow the yellow signs posted that say (with arrows) "Per Rialto" or "Per San Marco" or "Per Ferrovia" (train station) so you know at least which direction you are headed in!

Posted by
8293 posts

Of course you will get lost. And then, as per Roberto, you will get un-lost. It is part of the experience. Relax.

Posted by
15679 posts

We don't travel with phones. Seriously. We don't even own smartphones (yet) so we find our way around the way tourists have for decades: paper maps. They work really well, never have to be charged, don't need net access, don't have to be protected from pickpockets, and if we lose or damage one we just pick up another one. Easypeasy. šŸ˜‰

Posted by
6431 posts

I'm with Kathy. But I did download some Google maps for offline use on my next trip (along with Streetwise city maps, on plastic instead of paper but work the same). Question though -- if I'm using a Google offline map, how can it tell where I am? Does my tablet have GPS independent of the internet? (Cue derisive laughter from posters under age 60.)

Posted by
1216 posts

If you are staying at a hotel, ask if they have a map you can take. It may be just a page ripped from a tablet of identical map pages, but it helps.

Posted by
3514 posts

When I was last in Venice, my iPhone using Google Maps with just WiFi turned on, but not logged into any of them, worked perfectly to get me back to my hotel. there are so many WiFi spots in hotels and other shops in Venice it just amazed me. They are all mostly mapped by Apple. The iPhone GPS system sees them and then will point you where you need to go. All I did to make this work is simply set my hotel location in Google maps while I was logged into their WiFi before leaving the hotel and then like a trail of bread crumbs it led me back.

Posted by
217 posts

I just tried google maps and maps.me ( I believe it was that one). Neither one worked very well. As I walked around, I figured out why...there are so many twists and turns. I tried a few different times to get an idea to tell other travellers. They didn't work for me except when I wasn't lost, in other words, in wide open spaces that were highly recognizable. I bought a map at the vaporetto kiosk, that wasn't much better. I am on the search for the best map for my next trip.

Posted by
5687 posts

Dick, some tablets have built-in GPS, some don't. Smart phones do. GPS works without any internet connection - no WiFi or cellular data, etc. But all GPS really is is a latitude and longitude number. It tells your phone where you are. That's it. What you need to make that useful are maps and directions - which need to be downloaded off the internet.

Offline maps (with driving directions) can be downloaded ahead of time. Then your device can make use of the simple LAT,LNG position it gets from GPS to show you a map of where you are.

So does your tablet have GPS or not? Try it at home. Assuming it has Google Maps installed on it, while on WiFi ask for directions somewhere a few blocks away. Tell it to start...and then put the tablet into Airplane Mode, and go for a walk. Does it accurately show your location on the map and guide you? If so, it has GPS. If not, it doesn't.

I'm assuming your tablet doesn't have a SIM card - that means, you aren't paying a monthly fee with T-Mobile or Verizon just for the tablet. You can use it only on Wifi. My Amazon tablet is like that, and it doesn't have GPS, either. But some do. Anyway, just try it out!

Posted by
2767 posts

You WILL get lost in Venice. The streets are narrow and twisty. Its confusing. Thatā€™s part of the fun. Itā€™s fun because it is impossible to get seriously lost. The island just isnā€™t big enough for you to get into real trouble and you canā€™t get off the island without knowing it. Walk and you will soon see one of the aforementioned yellow signs. Follow it.

Best advice is to become familiar with the basics of the city before getting there. As simple as train station=West, San Marco = east of it, Rialto in between, hotel, grand canal, and a few other key sights in relation. Look at maps, get a broad outline in your head so you know that if you see a ā€œSan Marco ā€”>ā€ sign you know if you want to go towards San Marco.

Offline maps work ok. Not perfect but if you download an offline map you can pull it up anywhere and your location will be marked with a blue dot. Said blue dot will move in real time so you can monitor your direction on the map. In Venice itā€™s not exact - streets are so small and not signed with names so you canā€™t tell exactly which one you need. But you can see if you are headed the right direction and correct as needed.

Posted by
15560 posts

The worst thing that can happen is that you walk around in circles. You can get that feeling when you get to a corner and the signs point in 2 opposite directions to San Marco or Rialto. Walking around the back rios (canals) you'll discover a new and even more charming Venice.

Posted by
14811 posts

The worst thing that can happen is that you walk around in circles.

Two trips ago, I was staying in a hotel west of San Marco and decided to continue exploring west. Somehow, with all the winding streets and alleys, I wound up at San Marco.

That's Venice. Getting "lost" and exploring is half the fun. Especially in the evening when the day trippers have left.

And, as mentioned previously, look for direction signs on buildings including ones to the nearest Vaporetto stop.

Posted by
11294 posts

I understand the point of your post. Some people have very poor senses of direction, and can get lost almost anywhere. They can get turned around and end up going the wrong way, even in a place like New York that's on a grid and is numbered. Those who don't have this problem, don't understand how truly disabling it can be (several of my family members have it, and I know the panic it creates).

That said, Mira is right. Venice is a special case - no matter how good your internal navigator is, you WILL get lost. So, instead of worrying about it, embrace it. Expect to get lost, and try not to let it throw you. Sure, the main landmarks are signposted - but good luck not getting lost trying to find anything else!

I know that to someone who has spent their whole life getting lost and has a real fear of this, saying "don't worry about getting lost" is like saying "airplanes are perfectly safe" to someone with a phobia about flying. But if you can do it in Venice, it will make your trip there better.

One thing I found useful was to take a vaporetto to places, even if I could have walked there. From the vaporetto stop, it's often more obvious how to get to a place than is by direct walking.

Do carry around your hotel's address. That way, even if lost, you can keep asking for directions back to there if you need help. In Venice, you're rarely more than a few feet from a shop of some kind, so there's always someone to ask who knows the city and will speak some English.

Posted by
258 posts

Just don't do what we did in Venice: We took pictures of the shops in the little square where our Air bnb was located. Thought we were so clever! Later, after dark, we whipped out our phone and tried to compare storefronts. Except now all the storefronts were closed up tight with those metal shutters that roll down. Haha on us! But as others have said, eventually you will find your way through the maze that is Venice. P.S. Don't be put off by the amount of graffiti, it was a little disappointing, at least it was 4 years ago when we went.

Posted by
23178 posts

The way we still do it -- paper map from hotel and compass. Hasn't failed us since 72. If you are always getting lost, it time to develop a better plan.

Posted by
203 posts

I used google maps without issue last summer. I used the ON line (rather than data-free OFFline) and it showed me exactly where I was. I used this ONLY for getting to a specific place on the fastest route.
Otherwise, I just walked around and if I felt "misplaced," i looked for one of the several signs pointing one direction to "Ferrovia" (train station) and the other to "San Marco."

Posted by
945 posts

We were in Venice at the end of May and used Google maps offline. For the most part, it helped us get where we were going except for the first night when it took us 45 minutes to find our restaurant (a hidden gem). Even with Google maps, you will get lost and I agree with the other suggestion, accept and enjoy. If you need to be somewhere, just give yourself time.

The other thing we ran into when we wandered is that we found someplace we wanted to return. My husband used AchorPointer on our iPhone and it led us back exactly to the place we needed to return. It can be used offline.

Enjoy Venice,
Sandy

Posted by
1540 posts

Get a paper map - they are in almost all hotels for free.
That is the way I navigate in Venice and it is fun to "get lost" once in a while.
Good advice above to just head for the canal.

Posted by
1025 posts

I am a techo-geek, and for planning purposes I spend hours on Google Maps and other sites planning out my destinations and routes to get to those destinations. For moving around cities, however, I swear by paper maps. Venice is truly "dazed and confused" territory, winding and twisting without apparent logic. and the previous posters nailed the essentials.

  1. You are going to get lost in Venice.
  2. Everyone gets lost in Venice.
  3. If you are wet and treading water, you have probably gone too far.
  4. The yellow arrows are everywhere.
  5. The streets are really alleys and are impossibly small.
  6. Get a good map--Michelin or Streetwise
  7. Type out the name and address of your hotel on a piece of paper to show people; they will help you.
  8. Don't be afraid to stop for a coffee to clear your head, or for un sgroppino to make you not MIND being lost.
  9. You will probably survive, and if you do, the memories of Venice are worth every misguided step.
  10. As simple as this sounds, a small compass is useful to use with your Venice map
Posted by
303 posts

We were in Venice the last week of April. Yes, we did get lost. We had gone to Barnes and Noble book store before we left and bought a map of Venice (MapEasy's Guidemap). I highlighted the location of our hotel and became familiar with the vaporetto stops nearby. Yes, we even inquired of a local, "Dove---?" Her reply was such that we still had no idea where we needed to go. There are indeed many narrow streets and "alleys" that provide a never ending maze to reaching your destination. What helped us was to zero in on the nearby campo. We'd stop at a cafe and study the map for the surrounding streets. We also looked for vaporetto signs. If you can see the Grand Canal, you are "unlost!" The good thing about being lost in Venice is the chance to see the charming parts off the beaten path. You will run into Campos where children play kickball and old timers sit together on a bench and share stories. The day we got lost was our best day in Venice!!

Posted by
649 posts

To Kathy & Barb
Best times we've had are getting lost. We do not have a smart phone either and have used paper maps throughout our travels. This time we were driving in the south of Italy around Matera, Lecce and up the coast, we had a Garmin with the Italy chip. After day one I nearly threw it out the window as it had made it difficult to get our next destination. So back to the great Michelin map and had no trouble. A few phrases as RS says, goes a long way. We have laughed sometimes when on very rural roads(we like to "wide track") people are more than willing to help out with directions, even though arms are going in all directions.
Enjoy

Posted by
227 posts

The beauty of Venice is that you cannot get too lost. Every street and alley will wind around and you will end up at a major street. Get lost and enjoy what you see. That is part of the fun.

Posted by
1542 posts

I believe the OP has lost his or her way back here, which was always their original intention.

Posted by
5 posts

Some of these comments are hilarious. We TRIED to get lost in Venice and couldn't! Wandering the streets is part of the charm of this amazing city.

Posted by
3961 posts

We are in Venice now! We had heard stories about getting lost. So far we are doing well. We are using the map provided by the hotel and reading signage on buildings. Love the narrow alleyways. Yes, it can be a maze, but we are having a ball. We felt taking the boat from the airport to Giglio stop gave us an idea of landmarks along the way. Enjoy this magical place!

Posted by
303 posts

Hey jlschandler--- are the arms still jutting out of the water on the Grand Canal?

Posted by
3961 posts

Hey Barb! Thanks for the heads up about the arms "jutting" out of the water. Haven't seen it yet. This am we walked from San Marco to Cannaregio so missed it. We tend to walk a lot.

Nice to see off the beaten paths along the way! The hotel map is still working!

BTW we had some excitement in front of the Burberry store this afternoon- A student demonstration! This was in front of the corridor to our hotel. Students were getting their heads shaved! Got some great photos! This is what I enjoy about traveling. Expect the unexpected! Love it.

Off to another adventure tomorrow.

Posted by
303 posts

I wish I could tell you which building these white arms were jutting up around. I looked at my picture from early May, but I don't have a clue. Nonetheless, it is remarkable to see these 2 arms coming up out of the water with hands that appear to hold the building up! You can't miss them if you take the vaporetto on the Grand Canal---if they are still there.

Posted by
3067 posts

The giant arms were part of last year's Art Biennale, so they may not still be there.

You can buy great detailed maps of Venice at the little news-stand kiosks.
I have mine from 15 years ago, and still use it when I'm there.
Venice is an island, so even if you are lost, you aren't really .
Have a good trip!

Posted by
75 posts

Getting lost is half the fun of Venice. Embrace it.
Also, paper maps still work as well as they have in past centuries... in fact, my girlfriend despises Google Maps and gps. She much prefers a paper map.

Posted by
3961 posts

Nigel, from what we heard, it was a high school students' union, created in 2008. They have protested in solidarity with Danish students against university reform, with Columbian students during the FARC peace process, and each May to memorialize victims of all mafias.

Posted by
75 posts

Also, many shops in Venice used to have little maps with a "you are here" star printed on the backs of their business cards and/or info flyer sheets. I'm guessing they still do that, but I haven't been there in several years now.

Posted by
154 posts

So if you download the italy map for offline use do you also have to do the cities I.e. Rome etc or does that download Italy get you everything in google maps. We used maps me offline last year in different countries and it worked well.

Posted by
1150 posts

Another vote for also using a compass. I have one that clips onto my watch band. (Amazon sells them.) It really helps when coming out of a subway and not being sure which way to head.

Posted by
2376 posts

Paper map. I got a good one at the ACTV store in the train station. There are many signs on buildings that say ā€˜per San Marcoā€™ or ā€˜per Rialtoā€™ that will direct you to those two key places

Posted by
6 posts

Some of our greatest discoveries in Venice were made by "getting lost"... it's essentially a small island so if you find yourself wading out into the lagoon, you've gone too far, haha. We found that trying to precisely navigate & find every little alley or canal on a paper map is a big pain in the butt and takes half the fun out of being there! Plus you stick out like a sore thumb and become a magnet for scam artists, pickpockets & pushy street vendors. I think your best bet is a combination of compass, a general knowledge of the layout & don't be afraid to ask. We spent 4 days in Venice and not once did I get a rude reply or led astray when asking directions. We ditched the map about half way through day one! Have fun and get lost!

Posted by
996 posts

While I have been lost in every major city I've ever visited, I've obviously found my way home again to make this post.

Seriously, getting lost happens. It happens to some of us more than others. I have now learned to embrace the fact that I will get lost. I chalk it up to some innate desire to see parts of a city that most tourists never see...

And I was lost in Venice. Now I wasn't lost in like - OMG, where am I? I was lost because I'd passed a restaurant earlier and couldn't figure out how to retrace my steps after enough turns. But this story has a happy ending. I found a wonderful restaurant where nobody spoke English out loud except for me, my other half, and a couple that wandered in about half an hour later. I'm still not sure what I ate that night. My Italian language skills were almost non existent then, but the food was amazing!! And I managed to find my way back to our hotel.

If getting lost truly upsets you, maybe invest in a paper map before you arrive? And then have the hotel mark their location on the map for you to help you navigate as you go out to explore the city.

Have a wonderful adventure!!

Posted by
217 posts

I have quite a good sense of direction and I felt incredibly lost in Venice. Thatā€™s the bad news...the good news is that I never felt threatened by it. I spent so much time worrying about getting lost! Completely a waste of time. I didnā€™t have much luck with google maps nor maps.me nor the map I bought at the vaporetto stop. So my advice is...

  1. You might get lost momentarily (half hour or so) but rest assured you will always find your way.

  2. Know your way via a major landmark. This was my most effective strategy. If I could find my way to St a Markā€™s- I could make my way to the hotel. (Sounds oversimplistic but it worked somehow)

  3. Get a vaporetto pass - it was easy to find the stops. If I had wandered offtrack, I would hop on a vaporetto and well, try again. The best part about this tactic was I could have a little rest from walking and start afresh.

  4. Follow someone else ...donā€™t try this one...they were usually lost too (actually, it made me feel better that I wasnā€™t the only one stumped by the geography.

  5. Write your address down or the place you are trying to get to ( waiters are the best!)

  6. Embrace the maze. It is glorious.

Posted by
15560 posts

I think the most important thing is to have exact directions to your hotel on arrival. You do NOT want to be wandering up and down bridges with your luggage, hunting for your hotel. After that, just relax and enjoy it. If you are heading somewhere specific, it's best to ask along the way, but be wary of asking other tourists, they may be turned around themselves. Ask shopkeepers.

I disliked Rome because I kept getting lost and frustrated. Then I figured out to just to get on a bus and ride until I saw a familiar place :-) At least in Venice, it's always charming.

Posted by
1315 posts

does that download Italy get you everything in google maps.

No - that confused me too in the beginning, but when you start to download, it shows you a map and you can then move the center and zoom in or out to cover the area you want. Easy enough on the third attempt.