Italy
Pay virtually and pee virtuously in Venice
Venice, Italy - Venice wants to make itself an easier place to go, so it is launching an online service to allow visitors to pre-pay for access to public toilets with the click of a mouse.
Instead of paying the current 1 euro ($1.33) fee to get into a public bathroom, tourists who think ahead can get one week or day passes to the lavatories online.
Visitors can pay 7 euros online for 10 toilet visits over 5 days in high season, and 5 euros in the low tourist season.
For a regular toilet card, bought at a bathroom or other site, the corresponding costs are 9 euros and 7 euros.
The online day rate for 2 visits is 1 euro in low season, 2 euros in the high season. Otherwise, the card costs 1.50 euros and 3 euros respectively.
"For people who want some security, who don't want to go into a bar to buy a coffee or a roll, so they can go to the bathroom, this is a solution," a Venice city spokesman said.
The online bathroom pass is accessible starting February 1 as part of the city's Venice Connected card which gives access to various services and allows reservations online. The purchase has to be made at least 15 days before use.
City residents pay 25 euro cents per visit to the public bathrooms.
The pass is another attempt by Venice, which hosts about 20 million visitors a year, to deal with tourists who use the streets as urinals.
Tourists, who face "no toilet" signs at many restaurants and cafes, were in favor of the move.
"I'm not used to paying to go to the toilet anyway, but if you haven't got a coin on you, but you need to go to the toilet, you have the card ready to go," said Zoe Dawson, a 20-year old bar waitress from Surrey in England.
Comments
Venice is one of the worst places in the world -the locals want to earn as much as they can from tourism, but are absolutely hostile.
I recommend the following;
Do not stay in a hotel in Venice.
Stay in cities nearby, such as the wonderful spa towns like Abano Terme, or in lovely Padova and take the train for one or two day trips to museums and other tourist stuff, and spend as little as you can in the overpriced and lousy restaurants in Venice.
Carry your own lunch or snacks, but of course do not litter.
Take a cruise that stops in Venice, but do not spend more than a day or two there.
Do not buy overpriced glass items which may have been made in China.
Do visit the Jewish ghetto in Venice and do go to the restaurant there. Very warm and welcoming environment. Please make a donation if you are going to a Friday night dinner there.
Avoid the Carnevale events - all for tourists. A local practically spat on beautifully dressed visitors waiting to enter a palazzo when I attended one of the events. It costs a fortune to rent the costume, attend the event, and then to be cursed at and treated in such an ugly manner is disgraceful but all too common.
Manners by locals on the vaporetti (water buses) can also be extremely poor. They hate the outsiders and will not allow them to sit, scream on their cell phones, etc.
All in all, not a good place to be. Sorry to have to say this, but too many people there deserve it to be said.
Spend your money in places like Bologna or Florence or Rome (but beware of the pickpockets) or in Tuscany.
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