European carnivals and street festivals: which city, which week?

It is not reduced to a ticket like a carnival, a concert or a match. It is a program that spreads to the streets of the city, lasts for days, and most parts are free. This turns planning on its head: instead of looking for tickets, you choose the right week, the right neighborhood and the right time of day. The wrong choice means a weekend spent trying to walk through the crowds instead of seeing the carnival.

Carnival dates shift each year because they are tied to Easter. General rule: carnival peaks about 40 days before Easter, meaning it hovers between late February and early March. That's why it's essential to check the exact date of that year before searching for a flight.

Which city, what does it offer?

Venice: masks and clocks

The Venetian carnival is unlike any other: it is more of a visual spectacle than a noisy street party. Costumed participants pose in the squares, and most of the day is spent on photography and viewing. The choice of time is decisive as the narrow streets of the city fill the crowd very quickly.

• St. Mark's Square is the center of the carnival and the place where scheduled shows are held. It becomes almost impossible to enter the square in the afternoon; The costumed people pose in the same square and in an almost empty area between eight and ten in the morning. The best time is definitely early morning.
• A boat parade is held at the opening of the carnival on the Grand Canal; To watch from the shore, the area around Rialto is filled, while looking from the bridges further north is both comfortable and scenic.
• If you can't stay in the city centre, Mestre is the land alternative and takes 10 minutes by train; However, note the last train time, if you are late at night, the taxi boat fare is very high.
• During Carnival week, Venice may impose a daily visitor fee; Overnight guests are exempt, but if you are visiting for the day, advance online registration may be required.
• It is possible to rent costumes and prices start by the hour. If you are going to rent it, make a reservation weeks in advance, there will be no stock during the carnival week.

Cologne: six-day street program

Cologne's carnival is the opposite of Venice: loud, crowded and entirely on the street. Thursday starts with Women's Day and culminates with the giant parade on Gülen Monday. Almost everyone in the city is in costume; Walking around without a costume makes you visible, even a simple accessory is enough.

• Cologne Cathedral is right next to the parade route and remains open throughout the carnival; The 157-metre gothic structure was completed over two centuries and is one of the few city center buildings to survive the war. There are 533 steps to climb the tower, and the queue will be long on parade day.
• The parade starts in the morning and lasts for hours; The crowd is less at the beginning of the route, and both the audience and the candy rain become more intense at the end.
• Public transport stops around the route on parade days; Choosing your hotel within walking distance of the route is much safer than looking for a taxi that day.
• Take into account that shops and some museums in the center are closed on Carnival days; Leave visiting the city to the day before or after the carnival.

Nice and the Mediterranean coast

The Nice carnival consists of two separate shows: the main parade, where giant models pass, and the flower fight, where flowers are thrown from boats. Both include ticketed grandstand areas, standing sections are free but visibility is limited.

• Nice is mild even in February: 14-16 degrees during the day, so standing outdoors for hours is much easier than at Northern European carnivals. Walking along the Promenade des Anglais is the best way to see the city outside of parade hours.
• If you are going to buy a grandstand ticket, choose the middle section of the route; At the starting and ending points, the show has not yet warmed up or has dispersed.
• 25-40 minutes by train from Nice, Monaco and Cannes; If you cannot find a hotel in Nice during the carnival week, a realistic solution is to stay in neighboring towns and come by train.
• It is part of the tradition to catch the flowers thrown in the flower fight; It's a good idea to wear glasses if you're sitting in the front rows.

Rules of moving in a crowd

1. Set a meeting point. In the carnival crowd, the telephone network becomes clogged and messages do not go through; If you are going in a group, agree on the time and place.
2. Use a small front-carried bag instead of a backpack. Pickpocketing is the most common crime in these crowds.
3. Carry cash and card in separate places, leave your passport at the hotel and take a photocopy with you.
4. Mark the exit routes of the parade route on the map in advance; While the main streets are closed, the only way is through the side streets.
5. Find restrooms and water points early. On carnival days, cafes only open toilets to customers and the queues are long.