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| How long are the tours? The tours vary in length from about 2 hours to 6 hours. The page for each tour describes the tour, including its length. When do the tours start? Our tours are totally private, so they start pretty much whenever you need them to start. Why do the tours cost so much? We think you will find that our tours are priced consistent with, or below, other private tours. Our tours are absolutely private - they involve only you, and us. We spend the time with you personally, and have worked to design tours around individualized and personal service. In the course of your stay in Venice you will see many large tour groups of twenty or thirty people, following behind a tour guide holding up a flag or an umbrella so the people in tour can find him or her. The tour guide will have on a microphone, and all the members of the tour will have on headsets to allow them to hear. You, on the other hand, will be walking just with us, and being guided privately through the streets of Venice. Is it true that Venice smells? No, that is a myth. Venice is criss-crossed with salt water canals that rise and fall with the tide, so the only real smell is similar to the ocean. On occasion one may come across an "organic" scent, but the same is true of any large city. Generally, you do not smell anything, other than bread or pastry being baked, pizza, or other food cooking. I don't have a PayPal account, can I pay another way? We only accept payment through PayPal, and you do not need a PayPal account in order to pay us through PayPal. The invoice we send you has a link you can click if you wish to pay with your credit card rather than with PayPal. PayPal is safe and secure for you, and it is an efficient way for us to invoice you and to receive payment. Should I Open a PayPal Account? Generally, no. If you have to pay within a day or two, it's the worse thing you could do, because you will not be able to fund it, and you may not be able to pay by credit card. If you have a week or so, it might not matter. If you do create a PayPal account, or already have one, but still wish to pay by credit card, our invoice will need to be sent to an e- mail account that is not associated with a PayPal account. I'm Having Trouble with PayPal Sometimes there is a problem with non-U.S. customers paying with Paypal. The biggest issue seems to be the inability to change the country selection when paying by credit card. PayPal has not been able to explain this to us, but we have devised a work around. Click here to go to a page where you can change the country selection and use your credit card. Are your fees in dollars or Euros? Our fees are in Euros. What if the exchange rate changes from the time I pay to the time I take the tour? The exchange rate fluctuates day- to-day, and will almost certainly be different on the day you take the tour, compared to when you made payment. The cost to you will be whatever the rate was on the day you paid; there is no adjustment for fluctuations in the exchange rate. I don't want to pay in advance, can I pay in cash at the time of the tour? No. The only way we can guarantee a date is to have payment in advance. This allows us to plan ahead and to be sure you have the date and time you want. How should I dress? The weather in Venice is very similar to the central east coast of the U.S. It is hot and humid in the summer, with the possibility of thunderstorms on occasion, and cool and wet in the winter. It does not normally freeze, but it can be rather cold. You should check a weather report for the time you will be in Venice, and dress accordingly. In all circumstances, you will need to wear comfortable walking shoes. It would also be a good idea to carry a small umbrella if rain is predicted, and a bottle of water in the summer. If you plan to go into churches, you must have your shoulders covered, and your shorts or skirt cannot be too short. You can either wear a top that covers your shoulders, or carry a sweater or scarf. Some churches provide a little shawl, either for free or for a small fee. What if it rains? Normally, the tours will continue rain or shine. If the rain is too heavy, we may delay or reschedule the tour, if possible. If time does not allow rescheduling, and the tour cannot continue because of heavy rain, you will be refunded some or all of your fee, depending on how far the tour has progressed. What if there is high water? It is possible that there would be "acqua alta," or high water at any time in Venice, particularly during the fall and winter. If there is high water, the tour will continue anyway, unless the water is too high to have a meaningful experience, or it is dangerous. This decision will be made at our discretion. You may need to purchase boots to facilitate getting around, which cost about 15 Euros for a pair. If we decide that the water is too high to give a meaningful tour, we will try to reschedule the tour - high water is tidal and retreats after a few hours. If that is not possible, you may be refunded some or all of your money, depending on the circumstances. Should I tip the tour guides at the end? It's not necessary, but gratuities will not be rejected. Will I have a chance to take pictures during the tour? Absolutely. Every inch of Venice is photo worthy, and we encourage the taking of pictures. Will I be able to stop and rest during the tour? Yes. Any time you would like to stop, just say so. There are many nice places to stop and rest, and it is all part of the experience. Will both Karen and Mike be on the tour? Generally no, just one of us will meet you. What if I am unhappy with the tour? We have put great effort in trying to make the tours a great experience for you, and we have attempted to explain realistically what you can expect from each tour. If, however, the tour does not live up to your expectations, please let us know and we will work with you to resolve the matter amicably. What is your refund policy? Please see the Terms and Conditions on the Rates and Reservations page. Where will you meet us? This will vary, depending on where you are staying and what tour you are taking, and will be agreed and arranged between us in advance. Can we go to the Jewish Ghetto? Yes, provided you take the Cannaregio backstreets tour. The ghetto was placed in a very out of the way place and is very difficult to make part of any tour of the main sights of Venice. For that reason, we can only visit the ghetto as part of the Cannaregio backstreets tour. Also, note that we only walk through it; we are not able to go into synagogues. You would, however, be able to go into shops (depending on the time and the day of the week) and to visit the Jewish Museum (subject to its hours) if you wanted to take the time (entrance fee not included). Note that the museum is at the top of a lot of steps. Can I split up my tour? Yes, subject to our schedule, but there may be an additional fee. Let us know at the time of booking what you want to do and we will tell you whether there is an additional cost. Will you meet us at our cruise ship? No. Most lines either run a boat to St. Mark's, or a bus to Piazzale Roma. We may be able to meet you near the bridge leaving the Maritime Station, depending on your tour. Check with your cruise line as to how one gets from the ship into Venice. Will you meet us at our hotel? Possibly, depending on where it is. Ask us in advance. Will you take us to our hotel? Not unless the hotel is on or very close to the tour path. You are responsible for finding your hotel. You must get detailed instructions from the hotel as to how to find them. We suggest also that you go to VeniceXplorer and plug in the address of the hotel. Please note: The street numbers in Venice can be very confusing, as they are not really street numbers, but house numbers for a particular section of town, and they are not necessarily in a meaningful order. Get directions and have it marked on your map. I'm leaving the ship with my luggage - where do I store it? It can stored either at Piazzale Roma or at the train station. If you are going to a hotel, they will keep it for you until check-in. Is there anything you would like brought from the U.S.? Yes:
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