Venice Tourist Mistakes: Overpacking | Venice for Visitors (2024)

FAQs

Is Venice overcrowded with tourists? ›

Some 20 million people visited Venice last year, a city official said, with roughly half of them staying overnight in hotels or holiday lets - an influx which dwarfs the resident population currently put at around 49,000.

For decades tourism has been threatening Venice. They've found it impossible to confront the growth of tourists visiting from cruise ships or as Airbnb guests. Now we end up with segregation of tourists and local people. It seems it's now official that Venice has been reduced to a theme park.

Summary. In order to help with too many tourists, Venice, along with the islands of Burano, Murano, and Torcello, will limit the number of people allowed on tour groups. Only 25 people will be allowed per group, while loudspeakers will be banned. These new rules go into effect on June 01, 2024.

The farther you go from the Grand Canal, the more the crowds thin out, allowing you to glimpse a quieter side of the city. Better yet, leave the main island behind and venture out to the smaller islands in the lagoon. Here's how to enjoy the magic of Venice without the masses.

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Under the gaze of the world's media, the fragile lagoon city of Venice launched a pilot program Thursday to charge day-trippers a 5-euro (around $5.35) entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for its dwindling residents.

The city's ground level is currently sinking by around 1mm a year due to natural processes. Human activities have in the past made this worse, particularly the practice of pumping groundwater from beneath the lagoon in the 20th century.

"The combined effects of human induced and natural changes (due to sea level rise, extreme weather events and other climate change induced phenomena) are causing deterioration and damage to build structures and urban areas, and threaten the integrity of the cultural, environmental and landscape attributes and values of ...

Venetians Leave Venice as Tourists Increase

These include the increasing cost of living, overcrowded transportation systems, and the lack of well-paid job opportunities. Retail stores are being replaced by tourist souvenir shops, and housing costs are rising as tourists compete for accommodation with locals.

How is Venice affected by overtourism? ›

It's driving up the cost of housing and means only the very wealthy can afford to live here. Obviously, life for those remaining local residents is impaired by this influx of day trippers and tourists.

Many European cities are grappling with the strains of excess tourism. But Venice has become the symbol of the problem because of the clash between its worldwide appeal to visitors and the delicate fabric of a centuries-old city built on more than 100 islands.

The causes of overtourism in Venice. Recently, however, with the advent of low-cost airlines, affordable accommodation, and an overall increase in travel, Venice has become saturated with foreign visitors. It can take several minutes to walk a few meters.

The Venice Access Fee is a new tourist tax that the city introduced on a trial basis from Thursday, April 25. It applies only to visitors to the old city who aren't staying overnight, and costs €5 (£4.30) a day — a separate tourist tax is already applicable to overnight stays in the city.

Exemptions for people who are staying in Venice

If you're staying overnight in the city with a confirmed reservation, you don't have to pay the charge, as you will already be paying an overnight tax. However, you will still need to officially request an exemption, and receive a QR code to show if stopped.

Yes, Venice is so very congested. Yet visiting this unique Italian city doesn't always require taking what Italians call un bagno di folla — a bath in the crowd. Sign up for the Travel Dispatch newsletter. Essential news on the changing travel landscape, expert tips and inspiration for your future trips.

On an average day in Venice, there are 60,000 people, and half of those are tourists. So yes, there can be crowds. And yes, you should go visit the main sights, because they are famous for a reason.

October through late February is the best time to go to Venice if you're averse to large crowds; in fact, Venice is one of the best European cities to visit in November. If you visit during this time, you'll likely feel like the only tourist surrounded by Venetians, foggy mornings, and quiet streets.

The fragile lagoon city has a population of roughly 50,000, a sliver of what it was a couple of generations ago. On its busiest days, it can draw nearly as many tourists as it has residents.