Post
by Dawie » Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:42 am
Venice is dirty and smelly, especially in summer. Think one big open-air sewage plant. If you're after pretty canals you're better off going to Amsterdam or Stockholm to be honest. You get more bang for your buck there.
As for the visa issue, like everything else, it all depends on what your nationality is, how many previous Schengen visas you've had, what your immigration status is in the UK, how big your bank balance is, and what side of the bed the visa officer got out of on that particular day.
I've known some people to get 3 month multiple entry visas from the Italian consulate on their first go, and others who have only got single-entry visas for the exact amount of time. One thing you are guaranteed of, though, is to be served by an Italian visa officer with a serious attitude problem. So be prepared for the most unfriendly welcome to Italy you can imagine, rivalled only by the Spanish embassy. The French embassy is equally rude and unfriendly but at least they run a tight operation, often processing and returning your visa to you a few hours after you apply. With the Italians and Spanish you can expect to wait a week at least.
In a few years time we'll look back on immigration control like we look back on American prohibition in the thirties - futile and counter-productive.
