Useful Apps.
Useful Apps. This post gives an overview of the most useful free information apps for your trip to Venice. They can make planning and packing for your trip easier, more relaxed and ensure that you can maximise the time you have available in the city and the other lagoon islands. They are especially useful for frequent travelers or residents.
They will help you get around and make the most of your stay: vaporetto routes and time-tables; museum, exhibition, gallery and church opening times and entrance fees; useful discounts and which streets are flooded by the “acqua alta” and much much more!
It’s best to download and install the apps before you set off to Venice and if possible, create a separate window on the phone; with your new collection of Venice related apps.
Useful Apps – For getting around and general information
Please also enjoy some of my images to break up the rather dry text. Venice’s street art, reflects changing cultural attitudes over time and the relationship between authority and the people.
Il Meteo
Available for iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry, Bada and Nokia.
When in Venice, it useful to look at the app, first thing in the morning, so you know what to expect for the day.
The forecasts are given per hour for the first week and in 3-hour slots for the second week.
Before you leave, the 14 day forecast is useful to plan and pack for your. There’s also a link to webcams all over Venice, so you can see what people are wearing for planning what goes in the suitcase.
WVF – Water on the Venice Floor
Available for iOS and Android.
A useful app for the late autumn and winter. It shows you in real time which streets are flooded when the city experiences an “acqua alta”. These are shown in red on the map.
Find a way around the flooding and keep your feet dry. The app is managed by the Centro Previsioni Maree. You can however, also consult the 3-day forecasts on their website.
Hi!tide Venice
Hi!tide VeniceAvailable for iOS and Android
Complementary to the WVF app, you can use this app to see the acqua alta forecasts for the coming 3 days.
The home page allows you to quickly see the current water level and whether there’s any danger for high tides. You don’t have to worry when you see a number below 80 cm. Even with 100 cm, which corresponds with 5% of the city being flooded, you can plan your day accordingly and avoid the areas which will be impacted. St Mark’s Square is usually the first place to flood, it often comes up through the holes in the paving.
TIP. Every hotel, shop and business are well prepared for high water. Just ask. Wellington boots are heavy in the case and awkward to fit in; but you can buy them in Venice. The best option is to buy the plastic long overshoe waders, sold everywhere for about Euro 7-10. Make sure you buy them larger than your shoe size or else they may be difficult to get on or off. They also have a tendency to damage and leak a bit at the seams of the sole; especially if walking a lot and over many bridges. If high water tides are likely to persist, buy a spare pair. Be prepared to put them on in the hotel, especially if you are staying around the St Mark’s to Rialto area.
Maps
MapsThese may be available with the phone or at your Appstore.
The GPS facility, allows you to find your way around Venice, even though it’s often not straightforward. Away from the usual tourist trials; some small streets, alleys and courtyards can be blind or lead or into a canal!
I must say that, I have mixed feelings about constantly using GPS; for walking around in Venice.
If your taking pictures on your phone, it’s great that the locational information will be embedded with each image. However, if navigating around with your nose in the phone, you will miss many those small details that to me characterise what makes Venice so special and unique. As a photographer, I’m often looking for details that most people won’t see or would walk straight past. If you have the time, getting lost in Venice is one of its great pleasures! I’m also good at navigating by the sun!
Use it to get a general sense of the direction to follow and in conjunction with a traditional map or guidebook.
Maps are great for researching and planning your trip, or using at dead times in the evening when your there.
WebMapp
WebMappAvailable for iOS and Android.
This new app of the Comune di Venezia provides a series of regional maps including the lagoon islands and Mestre; which are organized by topic for example, tourism, health and security.
You can select your type of location from a wide range of choices, such as toilets, banks, tourism offices, and playgrounds; but also pharmacies or hospitals. For each location, it lists the address and a link to the website, which often has more practical information such as the opening hours.
Ulmon Venice
Ulmon VeniceAvailable for iOS and Android.
To create a customised list and map with your favourite museums, shops or restaurants; this app is ideal.
You can use it to prepare your trip at home and mark all the locations that you want to visit. Either search their database by category, or by name or address. The database gives you a short description, as well as links to nearby attractions and you can add your own notes for each entry.
You can also book guided tours and visits or accommodation.
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Chebateo – (literally translated “Which boat”)
Chebateo – (literally translated “Which boat”)Available for iOS, Android and Windows
This useful app. helps you plan your vaporetto route. You can use it with a normal search from one stop to another and it will tell you which line to take and when it arrives. Alternatively, you can start from the name of a specific vaporetto stop, to see which lines are expected first. You can also list your favourite trips, so you don’t have to retype the search each time. This allows you to quickly see how much time you still have to get to the vaporetto stop so you don’t miss it!
AVM Venezia
AVM VeneziaAvailable for iOS and Android.
This is the official app of the AVM Holding, which runs both the vaporetto and the land bus system.
You can search from any address in or around Venice, so not only from the stops, to another location. It will then indicate how far you are from the nearest stop and which lines you have to take. You can also buy your transportation tickets and passes with the app and charge your Venezia Unica vouchers to i
My Art Guide Venice
My Art Guide VeniceAvailable for iOS and Android.
My Art Guide, is your ideal companion if you love to visit the Biennale and/or other art exhibitions in Venice.
For each pavilion or exhibition, you get a short explanation, as well as practical information such as the opening hours, the price and the location on a map. The map with all the locations is also very useful when you are walking around Venice and you want to know what is taking place near your location.
When you register, you can also create your own guide and keep track of your favourite exhibitions.
Venice Art Guide
Venice Art GuideOriginally available for Android, but please check availability for iOS users.
If you love to know more about the art history of the city, this app is perfect for you.
The Venice Art Guide gives very detailed information about numerous masterpieces that can be seen inside more than one hundred buildings in Venice
You can browse through each district of Venice or search by artist. It feels like walking around with your personal art historian who answers all your difficult questions
My Pass Venezia
My Pass VeneziaAvailable for iOS and Android.
This app acts as your personal wallet of tickets in Venice.
Through the app, you can buy tickets for museums such as Palazzo Ducale, the Guggenheim Collection, for a guided tour at La Fenice (Opere House), or for events such as the Biennale. You can also buy vaporetto tickets and passes.
Google Translate
Google TranslateAvailable for iOS and Android.
When you don’t speak Italian, this app comes in very handy.
You can either type a sentence in your own language and have it translated in Italian; or in the other direction. Great for understanding the Italian name of a dish on a menu. (I used to know someone in Spain, that only wanted to eat in a restaurant with photos of the dishes on the menu)! You can also dictate a sentence, or have the app listen to the person talking to you in Italian.
Finally, if you don’t feel like typing, the app can recognize text on pictures.
Prontopia
ProntopiaAvailable for iOS and Android.
Prontopia is a service which allows you to connect to a local near you.
These locals can help you find the way, or explain something in Italian in a shop, or at the pharmacy. The app allows you to see where the nearest Prontopia local is. You can then request in-person help via the app and the local will come to find you.
You pay a small fee depending on the time you use their services. The costs will be charged to your credit card. The easiest way is therefore to configure this at hom,e so you don’t have to go through the registration process in Venice.
New addtions:
Fontanelle. Apple Store and Google Play
Buying a reusable water bottle is always a good idea. It is even more so in Venice where you can count on a discreet network of drinking fountains where you can fill it: save the cost of plastic bottles, reduce your ecological footprint, and the water will always be fresh. Perfect, isn’t it? Just open the geolocation, and you’re done.
iZioleti. Various stores and on the iZioleti website.
In Venice, the addresses divide by sestieri and then the house numbers. But no Venetian would tell you to go to a district and house number – they would explain by giving you the name of the square (campo) or the street and some references such as “near the pharmacy”, “after the bridge on the left”.
Also, remember finding house numbers in Venice is often confusing and Google Maps may be inaccurate inaccurate to rely on.
If, in any case, you have an address, but you don’t know where to find it, you can download iZioleti, choose the area, enter the house number – Voila! The app is free and very easy to use.
Links (internal–external)
Please see my other related blog post: Getting Around – Basic Terminology
You Tube Video:Things to know BEFORE you go to VENICE | Venice Travel Tips
VISIT VENICE is much more than a typical tourist app: it’s a 360° companion that transforms your trip to Venice into an extraordinary experience. It not only provides tickets for the main city attractions, but also gives you access to exclusive transportation services and breathtaking tourist experiences. With VISIT VENICE, your stay becomes an unprecedented adventure, offering you everything you need and much more. Discover the city’s hidden secrets, enjoy the best restaurants, and experience Venice like a true insider. Visit Venice – Apps on Google Play
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