Travel Guide: Venice

 Venice is one of the most unique cities I have visited. How many cities float on log pillars after all? A major city that does not have a single car or street is just hard to fathom for those who have never been to this Italian locale.

(Canal view taken from a gondola)

I have spent more time completely lost in Venice than I wish to admit. Upon my first visit I spent over an hour looking for my hotel which ended up being just a block away from where I had first started out. I must have asked at least 10 locals to point me in the right direction. I'm not sure if they honestly did not know or if they got a kick out of sending me on a wild goose chase but, each of them pointed me in a different direction.  I challenge you to be prepared when you arrive and come with detailed directions to your accommodations.

As there are only narrow cobble stone passageways for streets, I highly recommend that you leave large rolling luggage at home. You will have a great deal of trouble rolling that luggage to your hotel. Then, once at the hotel you will be hard pressed to find an elevator. If they do have one, it will likely be the type of thing that is only large enough for you OR your bag, not both.

 (View from Rialto Bridge)

The first hour or so in Venice is a bit of a headache. You are overwhelmed by the beauty and the distinctive character of the city. However, you will have a bit of a fish out of water feeling as you have never had to navigate in a place such as this before. Every time I have been in Venice I have noticed this feeling amongst my travel companions. Once you find your hotel,  leave your bags and get out and start exploring, the anxiety is over and you will find yourself on cloud 9!

DIY Tour Guide:  

I am famous for traveling with a guide book. Yes I stick out like a sore thumb as a tourist but I am a well informed one! There is no need to guess at the age of a statue or wonder where the best coffee shop is located; all of the most important information is in your hand and has been vetted by travel pros! You will not need to pay for the audio guides in museums or guided tours of historical monuments - you have the book and it has all of the information you would get from a guide. I spend the first day or so in a new place exploring the must see, most visited, obvious places as listed in the guide book.

 

(Reading the gondolier a bit of shocking information about some famous Venetians from the guidebook)

Fodors, Rick Steve's, Lonely Planet, Eyewitness Travel - all are great and will do the trick. I usually check out everything the library has on the city I am visiting. I then scan over them and take just one or two on the actual trip. Once I hit the highlights from the book I have likely also found my bearings and will be able to get around the city more easily.  At that point I ditch the book and can spend the remainder of my time getting lost in shops, museums, side streets and restaurants I happen upon.

In Venice these books are indispensable. The maps in the books will save you time as you figure out how to navigate the maze of corridors and canals that is Venice. They will also save you money as you will not need to hire a guide.

While you are at the library (or book store) pick up a pocket Italian language guide. Make sure it includes information about food and wine. Everyone can order spaghetti and pizza but Italy has SO much more to offer! To get a real flavor for the local cuisine you may need to understand a little Italiano!

Getting Around:

The single most important thing to understand about Venice before you arrive is the Vaporetto system. The Vaporetto are public transportation boats that can move you around the city for a minimal cost. The Vaporetto is the equivalent of the subway or bus system in any other major city. Venice is a city of eighteen islands connected by 354 bridges and, again, they have no streets so no buses. You can buy a 1 day, 3 day or week pass for the Vaporetto. These are good for infinite rides within the time frame you have paid for. I was able to explore the main islands of Venice as well as outliers like Lido and Murano with my Vaporetto pass. Check out prices, schedules and routes online before you travel.

(A vaporetto boat docked at a stop near the Rialto Bridge)

Most any way you travel to Venice you will need to get from the main land into the city. The trains drop you off across the open water from the main part of the city. If you drive you will need to park your vehicle in a lot (I recommend the Tronchetto Parking area) and find water transportation into the city.

You can take the extremely pricy water taxis but I would suggest the public transportation.  You will most likely be approached by boat owners who want to offer to be your guide. That is always an option but, you never know who you are getting on a boat with and how much it will end up costing. The city is relatively easy to navigate by vaporetto especially if you have a good map and a travel guide book with you.

When traveling on public transportation in any part of Italy it is imperative that you validate your ticket before you ride. You will see small yellow or red boxes by the subway, vaporetto, train or bus stops. Slide your ticket into that box and it will time stamp your ticket. If you neglect to do this and you are stopped by authorities you will be subject to a steep fine! If you're confused, just watch the locals and do what they do (unless they jump off a bridge... I would not recommend doing that :) ).

Must See: 

• Piazza San Marco - This is the main square in town and is one of the vaporetto stops. There is a massive church with all sorts of historical relics and significance. Your guide book will be able to fill you in on all of the details.  Make sure to inquire about the large horses outside and inside! 

(Views of San Marco)

• Rialto Bridge - You can not miss it. Again, check the guide book for historical information. I highly recommend taking the vaporetto down the grand canal in both directions at various times during the day (sunrise, sunset, mid day, after dark...) as the light changes  on the Rialto Bridge and makes for unforgettable views and photo ops.
• Glass Blowing on the Island of Murano - Venice is famous for its blown glass figurines. The island of Murano is where all of this originated. Go early in the day and you will be able to see Venetian artisans blowing the glass. Be aware that they stop working around 3pm. While you can still visit the shops on this island, after 3pm you will not be able to view the artists at work.
• Lido island - Have you ever been on a cruise and joined in on a conga line on the lido deck? Well, this island is to blame for the famously named pool deck. It is the family friendly beach/party island. If you have a spare day, go out to Lido and enjoy the beach. Grab a cone of gelato and have a fantastic and relaxing day on the beach!
• Fish Market - Each morning there is a fish market starting around sunrise. Get up early, get an Itallian coffee and pastry before heading out to the fish market. You will peruse the days catch with local restauranteurs.  Ask the fishermen what is in season and order it later that night for dinner!
• Drinks - Venice is located in the Veneto wine region. The crown jewel of this region is Amarone. It can be expensive but it is an amazing wine and must be tasted while you are in the area. Another alcoholic beverage that can not be missed is the Belini. This blend of prosecco (sparkling white wine/Italian champagne)  and peach puree is a Venetian tradition!
• Gondola ride - You kind of have to... The cost of a 45 minute ride starts around 90 euros in the off season and goes up from there and you have to pay extra to get the gondolier to sing.  If you are trying to save some money, pair up with another couple or family and share a ride. The gondolas can hold 6 to 8 people and you can just divide the cost amongst yourselves. Also, I suggest taking a bottle of wine with you and enjoying it on your ride (I do turn into a bit of a lush as soon as I hit the Italian border so, you can disregard that suggestion if you do not share my love of Italian wines #PurpleTeeth).

(Canal view from the bow of a gondola)

There is so much to be written about this fantastic destination. However, the best advice I can give you is to get out and explore it on your own. You will find some little cafe or resturant that will make your trip memorable and uniquely yours.  My friends and I wound up at a James Taylor concert in the middle of a public piazza in the pouring rain. "Oh I've seen fire and I've seen rain..." has never been more moving! We then stopped in for a drink at a random bar near our hotel and found that it was the after work hang out for the gondoliers. We were the only ones in there not in striped shirts and straw hats. I hope your time in Venice is just as exciting and memorable!

Read This Post Before You Attempt to Purchase an Unlocked iPhone in the US

I moved home from Germany 5 days ago. I will be spending a few months in the States then I'm moving to Japan. I know the best option for me is an unlocked phone that I can move from one network to another as I travel around.  I thought this would be a simple enough problem to resolve. However, it seems that few mobile phone sales representatives in my area have any idea what to do in this situation. I started at the Apple store. They sent me to AT&T who sent me to T-Mobile, at T-mobile I was sent to Verizon, Verizon suggested I check with the Apple Store - I had gone full circle. I stopped at Target somewhere in there too, just to ensure that no one in my area had a solution for me. Frustrated, to say the least, I felt I should share the information I gathered with anyone who might possibly be looking to resolve a similar problem. The good news is that I have found a solution and so will you; Read on!

CDMA vs GSM

There are two major types of wireless voice technologies used globally: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). GSM is the standard in Europe. Japan is on CDMA. For other countries and regions of the world,  I have no idea but a quick Google search should provide an answer. In the United States we have a mix of both. Some US wireless networks such as Verizon and Sprint are on CDMA, while AT&T, T-Mobile and others are on GSM.  iPhones can be either CDMA or GSM compatible.  Apple does not produce a model that is both CDMA and GSM compatible (not in the US market at least). The CDMA iPhone and the GSM iPhone look the same and, for the average user, function exactly the same. The only noticeable difference between the two types of iPhones is their model number.  So you need to find out what type of technology you require and purchase the appropriate model. 

Wikipedia has a comprehensive list of US carriers detailing whether they are CDMA or GSM.

Click here for more information on iPhone Model Numbers. 

Purchasing an Unlocked iPhone

This is going to be expensive. You should expect to pay no less than $600 for the latest model. At the time of this writing I was quoted $712 for a 16GB iPhone 5s at Verizon or $699 for the same phone at the Apple Store. That being said, do your homework! The prices do vary based on promotional offers or excess stock or holiday weekend sales or whatever. On the day I checked at Verizon, they were selling the 5c and the 5s for the same price due to a promotion. However, both phones at Verizon were more expensive than they were at the Apple Store.

Not all wireless providers will sell an unlocked iPhone. Most will only sell the phone locked to their network. This means that unless you do some mid-level hacking (not recommended), you cannot take the phone off of their network. T-Mobile, Verizon and the Apple Store will sell the iPhone unlocked. Verizon requires that you are on their network for at least 7 days. This to me sounds like their way of locking you into a one month commitment to their service at a minimum.

WARNING: Beware of purchasing unlocked phones from 2nd party vendors. An iPhone that has been jail-broken and unlocked, AKA hacked, to allow it to leave it's original carrier's network may cause big problems down the line. They may have all sorts of glitches and quirks and you will unlikely be able to upgrade your software when a new version of iOS comes out. If you aren't particularly savvy with technology, you should avoid this route!

Contract Free Wireless Service

Once you have purchased your unlocked iPhone that operates on the voice technology you need (CDMA/GSM), you have one more problem to work out. Which US pay as you go service will you be selecting? There are several carriers that sell pay as you go SIM cards and credit refills at Target and other major retailers near you. If you have a GSM compatible, unlocked iPhone you can use the AT&T or T-Mobile options (beware of shockingly low data allowances!). CDMA folks, you'll be looking for other options.  Sprint has a program called "Sprint as you go" - this was not a great option for me as Sprint has spotty coverage in my area. Verizon does not have a pay as you go option that is worth your time. They have something listed online but it seems to be a daily rate. The representative in the store told me there was nothing compatible with the iPhone.  My father has a contract with Verizon and they offered to put me on his plan for $40/month with unlimited talk & text and 2GB of data. Since I have a phone that is unlocked, I have no commitment and can be dropped from the plan whenever I wish. Check with your friends and family to see if you can opt in to something like this temporarily.

Here you will find a list of CDMA carriers world wide.

And the GSM guys are here!

*Companies are known to switch technologies so these sites are subject to errors and changes.

More Good News

In many circumstances, buying an unlocked phone upfront will save you money in the long run. I did the math, if I had an individual plan with a 2 year contract I would pay about $90/month. For this I would receive the same service as I will receive with my unlocked phone piggy backing on my father's existing plan. I paid $599 for my phone and I will pay $40 per month for my service. If I was on this plan for 2 years I would spend $1559 in total. If I went the traditional route and paid $90/month for the service with the phone included for 2 years my total would be $2,160.  See what I did there? I just saved over $500! You can do it too! Plus you can have the freedom to leave the country, pick up a SIM card on the road and have mobile service throughout the world without being tied to a recurring monthly payment to a mobile provider back home.


"Fear commitment?" that's the marketing tagline they like to use to target people in our situation. How about "Are you a super cool, globe trotting, wanderlusting, nomad who deserves all the functionality of an iPhone even though you can't be counted on to stay in the same area code for long?" There are plenty of us out there and wireless providers are making this way too difficult to navigate. Until they get it together and help a "hopeless wanderer" out, I guess we have to rely on blog posts and internet research. Best of luck to you on your adventure into wireless contract liberation and global cellular mobility!