Dos and Don’ts
Venice tourist traps
Dos and Don’ts
Venice tourist traps
tourist traps in venice
Dos and Don’ts in Venice
Venice Is a Popular Destination and of course, we completely understand why! We’re certainly not here to discourage you from visiting – who would we be to do that? After all, that’s exactly what this website is for.
However, we’d like to draw your attention to a few important points – to open your eyes a little and give you some helpful tips.
When we talk about crowds of tourists or say that the city is often packed, it’s not to put you off travelling to Venice. It’s simply a fact that the city struggles with the effects of tourism – particularly from so-called day-trippers arriving on large cruise ships. Since Covid, things have improved a little, but the issue hasn’t completely disappeared.
Anyway, what we really want to say is this: visit Venice, but don’t be surprised if it’s busy. Just try to follow a few simple rules to help prevent the locals from feeling overwhelmed.
This article is here to help you avoid tourist traps and offer practical advice on things like feeding pigeons, dealing with high water, and much more!
Enjoy your read – and your time in Venice! 😉
Table of
Contents
The Population
find out more
Access fee to Venice
find out more
Waste & More
find out more
Sitting and Lying Down
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Food: Expensive or Local?
find out more
Being Helpful
find out more
Flooding & Swimming
find out more
Souvenirs
find out more
Pickpockets
find out more
Pigeons
find out more
Photo Trick
find out more
Venice to yourself
find out more
Venice is small
The population
Venice is different. Venice is small, and often crowded with tourists. There is even an entrance fee in summer – like for a theme park…
But the city simply wants to protect its residents. In this regard, they have a real problem.
The population on the islands of the historic district (the mainland is also counted as part of Venice – which makes 251,944 as of 2022) has fallen below the 50,000 mark – 49,940 to be exact (as of September 2022).
When this happened, there was an outcry in the press. Here are some voices:
Quote from Euronews: “Less well known, however, is the fact that the historic centre of Venice has lost around 125,000 residents since the 1950s.”
Quote from FAZ: “Last Wednesday, according to city hall surveys, exactly 49,997 people lived in the historic centre. Twenty years ago, 64,000 residents were counted in the old town; by 2012, there were only 58,200.”
Quote from Wikipedia: “On the mainland, the Terraferma, the city had 179,794 inhabitants in 2019; in the Centro Storico, 52,996; in the lagoon (Estuario), 27,730; a total of 260,520.”
It is also said that Venice has more hotel beds than residents.
Anyone looking forward to visiting Venice who has never been there might not understand this at first, but as soon as they see the crowds pushing over the Rialto Bridge, they will. Venice is like a theme park. Tourists are everywhere.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as tourists bring in money, and those who appreciate the culture and the people are always welcome. But among them, of course, there are always some who annoy the locals, ignore certain rules, and show little respect for traditions.
The city is not Disneyland; it is the home of people who work, live, and grow old here. And it’s understandable that they sometimes feel pushed aside. Under the motto “Enjoy Respect Venezia”, there are certain behavioural rules, enforced by city-appointed supervisors. This might sound excessive, but unfortunately, it isn’t. Not everyone treats the city as they should. You can visit the official city website here, where this motto is introduced.
That’s why we want to share with you a list of dos and don’ts, to show what to bear in mind and what might actually make the locals happy…
Venice
Access Fee
For the past two years, there has been an entrance fee for tourists wishing to visit Venice. Who it affects, when the fee applies, and how much it costs is briefly outlined here, and will soon also be featured on this page, which will be dedicated entirely to the topic.
- Who has to pay?
Everybody, who has no hotelroom on the iland: Ergo every Cruise ship Visitor, every Tourist living in the sourroundings of Venice. - When do you have to pay?
It is not on every day, not during everymonth. It is only during the peak season, and then mostly on the weekends. Here is a calander of 2026:
- How much is it and where do I get the Ticket?
The official Website of Venice prepared a very good guide to the fee: https://cda.veneziaunica.it/en/access-fee
There, you will always get the information up to date and can buy it as well.
Price: depending when you book the Access fee:
EUR 5, for a day, when you purchase by the fourth last day before the day of access
EUR 10, for a day, if you buy it after the fourth last day before the day of access
Sounds complicated 😉
The amount is unique, for a single person and there are no reductions.
Important Note
Rubbish & Co.
Okay, simply throwing rubbish in the street is something you really shouldn’t do anywhere. But in the lagoon city of Venice, it’s a major faux pas—and it comes with hefty fines.
Venice’s ecosystem is already on shaky ground. Just think back to pre-COVID times: countless cruise ships were polluting the lagoon, and when things settled down, the dolphins even returned to the waters.
The city’s sinking has also been highlighted through art, although one particular sculpture no longer exists. In 2017, a giant white child’s hand supported the façade of a hotel, the arm protruding from the water. This piece was by the artist Lorenzo Quinn, who is now known for works such as Building Bridges and Baby 3.0.
The problem is that there often aren’t enough bins in public squares and alleys. As a result, people sometimes use corners and courtyard entrances to dump their rubbish.
Please: take your rubbish with you until you find the next bin!
lying down
and sitting
You really can’t just sit anywhere on steps or plinths. This is also punishable by a fine.
There’s a simple reason for this: when people sit on the steps of a church or building, they block the way for others. They also often leave their rubbish behind. We wouldn’t want someone sitting outside our front door eating a sandwich, would we? So we shouldn’t do it in Venice either!
Even if there isn’t a bench in sight, there are plenty—especially in the parks. And it goes without saying that you shouldn’t sit on sculptures or statues, since they are works of art that need to be preserved.
Throughout the city, you’ll find signs reminding visitors of this. Venice now even has its own “security staff” who remind people to respect the city and direct those who are sitting down to a proper bench to rest.
The fine: EUR 200
Food:
Expensive or local
With our restaurant tips, you already have a few addresses to get a taste of Italian cuisine. Here, however, are all the essential tips you need when it comes to dining in Venice:
Google reviews: Take them with a pinch of salt. Just because a tourist rates the service highly doesn’t mean locals even go there. Conversely, if a place has lower ratings, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. Often, it’s the old, traditional, perhaps slightly worn restaurants that show the real Venice in terms of food, but might not appeal to modern tastes visually.
Timings: Don’t expect to eat at 18 or 19h — locals eat much later! We give the same advice in Barcelona: if a restaurant is busy at 18.00 h, it’s mostly tourists. If it’s full at 20 or 21 h, that’s where you want to be—that’s when the locals eat!
Menus: Colourful menus in 15 languages with lots of pictures outside? Keep walking.
If someone is standing at the door trying to coax you in? Keep walking.
It’s normal to pay €1–3 per person for the coperto (cover charge)—that’s not a rip-off.
Some restaurants, cafés, and bars may charge extra for sitting on the terrace, but this should always be clearly stated on the menu.
In short: old, traditional, perhaps “ugly” restaurants are usually exactly the ones you want to visit. 😉
Be mindful
Be helpful
It’s a good idea to pay a little attention to your surroundings, rather than just thinking about your own rights. If an elderly Italian lady is coming towards you—make way.
If an Italian mum is picking up her child from kindergarten and has her hands full, let her pass.
Keeping an eye on your surroundings makes life easier for the people who live there. With the population declining year by year, every small gesture counts. For example, our Susi—who also speaks Italian—once helped an elderly gentleman with his shopping…
swimming &
High water
Now we come to the topic of water— in two ways!
First, a little warning for the autumn: Venice can experience flooding, especially in the autumn. This floods the city’s narrow streets. Locals are used to it. They pull out their wellies, build ramps in their shops and homes, and wait for the water level to drop. We recommend packing wellies! Who wants wet feet? There are also handy plastic overshoes available locally, so your suitcase doesn’t get too heavy. 😉
Then there’s the question of swimming in the summer: It might sound tempting, since Venice is made up of islands and water, but the canals are not suitable for swimming! (Honestly—I wouldn’t want to jump in myself, though apparently some people do…)
There is a proper Lido (beach) where you can swim and sunbathe! Definitely a much better idea.
Souvenirs:
Masks and more
Whether it’s Venice, Rome, Barcelona, or Paris—souvenir shops are everywhere! And quality is often disappointing.
In Venice, you can buy good souvenirs—but you need to know where to look. “Fake” masks for EUR 5 or less (made in China) are everywhere. Instead, seek out the small traditional shops selling genuine, expensive masks made in Venice.
Mask-making is a Venetian craft—an art that has existed for decades and is of priceless quality. Photographing the masks in shops is usually frowned upon or even forbidden. In some stores, you can pay €1 to take photos or film the masks, similar to a museum. Understandable, as the shops need to survive. Speaking of masks: if you want, you can even take a mask-painting workshop yourself!
The glass treasures—vases, earrings, or small figurines sold directly by Murano glassmakers—cannot be faked. But with the many souvenir shops on the main island, it’s not always possible to tell.
Caution:
Pickpockets
Of course, pickpockets exist everywhere—and in Venice, they tend to operate in the usual spots:
Where you’re distracted: In Venice, this is mainly at the Santa Lucia train station, on water buses, and at all the major tourist attractions. Essentially, anywhere you’re not paying full attention.
Appearance: These thieves can be young or old, smartly dressed or not. Anyone could potentially be a pickpocket. They usually look inconspicuous, brush past you briefly—and suddenly your wallet is gone. Phones can also be snatched right out of your hand…
In restaurants: Be careful too. Keep handbags on your lap or backpacks at your feet—don’t just hang them on the back of a chair. Try not to leave phones lying on the table. There are many tricks that pickpockets use, and they’re employed all over Europe.
at St. Mark’s Square
Feeding pigeons
Pigeons at St. Mark’s Square used to be part of the experience! They were a photo opportunity, fun for children, and people fed them. But they caused problems for the city and the buildings. That’s why feeding the pigeons has been banned for some time, with fines of up to EUR 50.
The ban seems to have worked—pigeons are now rarely seen in the city.
Apparently, there are still people who will hand or sell bird feed to you—just when the police are nearby. What advantage this gives them, I don’t know, and I’ve never witnessed it myself. I just thought it was worth mentioning here.
The photo
trick
I haven’t personally experienced this either, but it’s something that gets talked about: a group asks you to take a photo, and somehow they manage to make the phone fall. Not ideal, right? And of course, money is then demanded…
It’s hard to tell who genuinely wants a photo and who’s trying to pull a trick. But in general, you’ll notice: where there are lots of people, there are lots of requests like, “Can you take a picture of us?”… which can be annoying even without the trick. 😉
Our tip:
Venice to yourself
Venice in the early morning and evening:
Early risers and night owls can experience a very special side of Venice.
Before eight o’clock, the city is empty. And by empty, we really mean empty. 😀
The first rays of sunlight shimmer on the water, making it sparkle, and the city slowly begins to wake. Around 9 or 9:30, the large crowds start arriving by bus or boat. Venice is a popular day-trip destination from Caorle, Lignano, and Bibione. Visitors arrive in the morning and leave by late afternoon.
After 20.00 h, Venice becomes quieter again. You can wander through the alleys, enjoy a leisurely Aperol Spritz, and soak up the city’s atmosphere.
Conclusion
If you keep these points in mind, you can have a fantastic time in Venice and observe the locals a little.
But fundamentally, you should of course enjoy your trip to Venice and not feel guilty about visiting the city!
It is, after all, beautiful, and that’s the reason why we all want to go there!
If, however, you want to see Venice a little “emptier”, then pack your wellies and visit the city from November to Easter 😀
And if you don’t want to stay right in the historic centre, you can also stay on the mainland in the district of Mestre. The advantage is that hotels are a bit cheaper, it’s less geared towards tourists and therefore feels more “authentic”, and the journey to the historic centre is only about 20–30 minutes, which isn’t too long. But: You have to pay the Acces fee if it is during the high season.
One final tip for visiting in the summer: always carry a water bottle and sun protection (hat + cream)! There aren’t always many shaded spots.
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2023 – 2026
With support from Susanne Vukan.
