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My trip was made possible by the many valuable resources that I used
in order to develop it. The most valuable has to be all the resources and references that I obtained from Slow Travel
and Slow Talk. This is an internet travel website that has been around since 2001 and is solely responsible for how
I choose to travel these days.
All of these resources (including all the trip reports, notes, photos
and notes related to Venice, the Dolomites, Ravenna, Ferrara and Treviso) provided me with the inspiration, knowledge and
technical skills that made my trip the success that it was.
I wish that I could name each trip report that I read individually, but
to be honest I probably read most of the reports ever written on Venice by all the Slow Travelers. Each writer and traveler
has such a unique perspective, experience and insight and I learned from each one of them.
RESOURCES USED: VENICE & SURROUNDING TOWNS:
Chow Venice (2nd Edition): Wine Appreciation Guide & Chow Bella
Books-2007 (Guidebook)
"From the Serene to the Ridiculous" written by Colin Owen, 2005 - Website
Article (Update: This great article is unfortunately no longer available online)
Rick Steves' Venice 2007: Avalon Travel Publishing 2006 - Guide
Book
DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, "Italy," Dorling
Kindersely Publishing, Inc. 2002 - Guide Book
CHORUS PASS: ENTRANCE TO CHURCHES
I purchased the Chorus pass for 8 Euro. It was recommended
by a Slow Traveler (AnnieNC) and I thought it was worth the money. The Chorus Pass is good for a year and gives you entrance to 16 churches. You are given
a very nice booklet that has a map showing you all the churches that are covered by the pass. A brief summary is providing
highlighting the dominate pieces of art housed within them.
When you enter one of the churches, the attendent marks the number associated
with the church which is located in the back of this pass.
For more on the Vaporetta lines and costs, visit the ACTV website.
GROUP
TOURS I BOOKED AND LIKED:
THE DOGES PALACE SECRET ITINERARIES TOUR - I had read a lot about this tour and wanted
to take it so I pre-purchased my tickets through TicketItaly.com to take the tour on Thursday, November 15, 2007. I printed up my voucher
and showed up at my scheduled time and voila! It was so easy and I liked the idea of paying for as many things as possible
before my trip. I really enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Venice.
THE
DOLOMITES (TOWN OF CORTINA) : I booked a group tour with Adventure Bellisime which was highly recommended by a Slow Traveler.
I really enjoyed the tour and would highly recommended it to anyone.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION:
Trenitalia is the website for trains used in Italy. Before my trip, I researched
and printed out a choice of train schedules for my day trips to Teviso, Ravenna and Ferrara (on my return trip from my overnight
day trip to Ravenna).
This is a sample of a Train Ticket that is issued by Trenitalia.
This was for my trip from Ravenna to Venice. On my way back to Venice, I stopped in Ferrara using the same ticket.
They allow you 2 hours (stopover time).
Additionally, I would also recommend that you print out the actual schedule
of your train ride and the details of each stop on the way to your destination. It really helps me to anticipate when
I need to get off.
Before my trip, I knew that I was going to bring home some wine
and maybe a bottle of Olive oil. In order to help me pack them up safely on my return flight home, I purhcased a wonderful
product called "WineSkins" which I learned about on the Slow Travel message board. This is very light and easy to pack and it will
secure your linquid purchases and prevent leakage if they should break. I placed my bottles in the wineskins and stuffed
clothes around them for added measure. I highly recommend this product. You can purchase them directly with the
company or through other travel stores like Mageallans.
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