Venice at Carnivale

Hi Michigan neighbor.... depends on what you mean by worth it... I thought it was an absolutely magical time to be in Venice. I spent about 6 days there during Carnavale a few years ago and would go again. The rooms were pricey and definitely near the Rialto bridge and other big tourist sites it was really crowded during the middle of the day, but if you get up really early and are in the square around dawn the costumed Venetians will be apearing, and about the only ones out there are photographers... it was very special. We also did take costumes (simple... and I bought a beautiful mask there) and we went to a small ball/concert. Very memorable. If you have ever been to Venice before it does not even seem like the same place... the weather could be dreary and misty but just dress for it and in my opinion it just added to the mystique...but I don't mind traveling off season as I am writing this from Paris on a cold but wonderful day.

If you do decide to go and are concerned about cost of lodging, I really liked Hotel Doni, about a block behind the Doge's palace, on a very quiet small canal. It's simple and and furnished like a grandmother's house; clean; they speak English; no elevator, but they carried my bag up for me when I asked for help. In Sept, I had a single room, ensuite, for 80E including very minimal breakfast.

It's very crowded on the weekends, Saturday in particular but you can still avoid the crowds in some areas. The showpiece of course is the Piazza San Marco, that's where all the people stand around in their costumes posing for pictures. I don't recall the prices being much higher during Carnivale than they are the rest of the year but of course, Venice is very expensive regardless of when you go.