Venice tourist information

A city without cars, with fee days for day visitors and tides that can flood the squares, rewards a little preparation before the first day in Venice.

• Best time and how long to stay: Mid to late spring and early to mid autumn bring milder weather and thinner crowds than the humid heat of July and August. Two to three full days cover the main sestieri at a steady pace, and a fourth day fits in Murano and Burano. The 12 top sights in Venice
• Acqua alta and the MOSE barriers: From November to January, high tides can push water over the pavement several times, and wooden walkways go up in St Mark's Square when the paving floods. The MOSE system of 78 gates at the three lagoon inlets rises from the seabed when a particularly high tide threatens to flood the city. How the MOSE works (in Italian)
• Access fee and tourist tax: Day visitors aged 14 or over pay an access fee to enter the historic city on set days in spring and summer, during set hours, while guests of hotels and rentals anywhere in the municipality pay a nightly tax per person, set by type of accommodation and zone, and are exempt from the fee. Residents of the Veneto are exempt too, and exempt visitors still have to prove it at the checks. How the access fee and tourist tax work
• Local rules and fines: Swimming in the canals, sitting or eating on bridges, steps and monuments, riding a bike in the historic centre and walking around bare-chested or in swimwear all bring city fines, and drinking alcohol in the street is banned at night. Venice tourist rules
• Dress code at St Mark's Basilica: St Mark's Basilica is a church and does not admit bare shoulders, low necklines, or skirts or trousers that end higher than the knee. Photography is not allowed in the nave, and larger bags go to a deposit a few steps away before visitors join the queue.
• A city without cars: Cars, buses and trams from the mainland stop at Piazzale Roma and the Tronchetto. Beyond them the historic centre is car-free and closed to bikes, so every trip is on foot or by boat, and bags on the water buses must stay within 150 cm, adding length, width and height. ACTV transport conditions
• Money and card payments: Italy uses the euro. Italian law obliges businesses selling goods or services to accept at least one debit card, one credit card and prepaid cards, with fines for refusing since 30 June 2022, and the ACTV validators at the water bus stops and on board buses take contactless cards and phones. The rule on card payments (in Italian)
• Tap water and fountains: Veritas, the company that supplies Venice's water, says its tap water is carefully controlled and safe, drawn mostly from wells up to 300 metres deep and tested independently by the regional environment agency and health authorities. Public fountains are for drinking and rinsing hands, not for washing. Veritas on water quality (in Italian)
• Public holidays: Italy has 12 national public holidays and Venice adds one of its own, 21 November, the feast of the Madonna della Salute; public services close, and shops, museums and boats can switch to holiday hours. The tourist office guide lists the dates of 2026.
• Emergency numbers: 112 reaches the police anywhere in Italy, 118 an ambulance and 115 the fire brigade. The single 112 answering service that handles every emergency call is still being set up in the Veneto, the region of Venice. Emergency numbers in Italy
• Language and entry: Italian is the language of the Republic. Italy is in the Schengen area, so visitors from the UK and other visa-exempt countries can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and the EU Entry/Exit System can register fingerprints and a photo at the border, free and with no action needed before arrival. UK entry advice for Italy
• Gondolas: Gondolas are a regulated city service rowed by licensed gondoliers, and a gondola carries no more than five passengers, so a larger group needs a second boat. Rides pass beneath the Rialto Bridge all day. Gondola rides and the Rialto Bridge
• Cruise ships: Since 1 August 2021 a national decree-law has barred ships over 25,000 gross tonnes, longer than 180 metres or with an air draught over 35 metres from St Mark's Basin, St Mark's Canal and the Giudecca Canal, declared a national monument. Decree-Law 103/2021 (in Italian)
• Free map: The free Venice tourist map numbers 13 top sights and links 10 of them on a 3.9 km walking route, about 45 min on foot without the visits, as a printable PDF.