The City of Canals is fed up with tourists who treat Venice like a pit stop — and now it’s slapping them with another toll for treating the floating city like a food court. Starting Friday, day-trippers who “eat and flee” — a phrase officials use for tourists who pack their lunch, snap a selfie and ditch without spending a dime — will once again have to pay an entry fee to stroll the storied streets of Venice.
The controversial charge was first introduced last year and is now back with a vengeance — and a price hike for procrastinators. Book your visit last-minute? That’ll be 10 euros — roughly $10.65 — instead of five. The goal? Fewer freeloaders and more respect for a city literally sinking under the weight of mass tourism.
