Venice Travel Advice
Although Venice is a particularly easy city to navigate and visit - most people working within the city speak English and many also speak French and German, for instance - there are some elements that you still need to be aware of before you plan your stay.
Summer Peak Period
Not only does Venice become incredibly busy in the summer months (generally from May through to September), it can also become unbearably hot. As the canals of Venice often serve as sewerage outlets and garbage disposal areas, when the weather heats up the water can become incredibly smelly, sometimes enough to make people feel sick. There are few green areas within Venice, which can increase the feeling of overheated oppression. If possible it is advisable to visit Venice in the quieter months in autumn and winter - prices will be slightly cheaper, queues will be shorter, and your stay will be much more pleasant.
Acqua Alta
Venetians say that acqua alta, or 'high water', occurs over a hundred days a year in Venice. Although most of the high-water incidents (the tide rises above the ground level of Venice, causing localized flooding) are not severe, in periods of bad weather or heavy rain it can make getting around the city quite complicated. The tourist board of Venice has a number of temporary bridges that are put in place during these events, and also publishes a 'high water' map for tourists to show the routes to use during the flooding. Unfortunately St Mark's Square is one of the main areas to suffer from the flooding, making it difficult to get into the attractions around the square during a 'high water' event.
Scams
As is common in any popular tourist destination, there are several common scams that are played out against unwitting tourists in Venice. Gondoliers, for example, will hassle tourists as they walk past and may even follow tourists to pressure them into paying for a ride. It is not uncommon for tourists to be charged extortionate prices for gondola rides, particularly if they do not negotiate the fare prior to getting into the boat.
Another scam that occurs particularly in the summer months is the switching or fabrication of the tourist attraction signs that help tourists navigate through the narrow Venetian streets. These signs usually indicate the direction of nearby sights and can be a godsend when you get lost; in the summer months, however, fake signs have been known to appear that lead tourists into dead ends or in the direction of secluded shops or restaurants. If the signs look fake, they probably are, so it pays to be aware and follow your instincts.