Someone was telling me recently that the best way to be a responsible tourist is not to travel to places that are being overrun. They cited the example of the island of Bali, which gets about 10 million tourists each year, doing untold damage to its ecosystem. Venice has to be up there (billed by the NY Times as the Disneyland on the sea) but I figured if I stayed on Lido, I’d do less damage. That said, getting from Treviso to Venice, to Lido, is quite a chore.
The airport in Treviso is about 40 km from the city and strangely, is actually in the middle of the town – or so it seems. People live directly across the road from it. Mad. The flight from Budapest took just over an hour so I was all set for a quick turnaround, on to the bus and away with us. But we had to wait for those who’d checked their bags – the bus wasn’t going until every seat was full. At €22 return to the Piazzale Roma, and taking 40 minutes, it was quick enough in the end. Tickets are on sale in the arrivals hall with no advance booking required.
From there, we had to get a water bus 5.1 or 6 to Lido. This was quite the experience. Water busses are the way to travel in the city but they’re not cheap. A daily pass is €20 with each trip costing €7.50. It was all very exciting. I was like a kid at Christmas. I’ve been to Venice before but still, there’s something about travelling by water that makes the commute special.
As we passed one magnificent building after the other, I was consumed with thoughts of flooding – it wouldn’t take much of a rise in water levels to do some serious damage. The Guardian ran a post back in 2016 about what they called the ‘sinking city’. The pictures don’t do much for real estate potential. I was rather amused, too, at the familiars, who were taking it all in the stride, preferring their mobile phones to the stunning views outside.
Is it possible to be jaded by the city? Budapest can hold her own when it comes to beauty and I’m still marvelling at what she has to offer. I can’t imagine losing interest in Venice. But I’m a tourist – so perhaps it’s different for me.
All told, it took us three hours to get from Treviso to Venice, more specifically to Lido. But it was some commute.
