About a week ago, my family and I returned from a weeklong vacation in Venice, Italy.
I have been to Venice several times before. The city’s canals, Gondolas, and architectural splendor make it a fascinating and stunning tourist destination.
In this piece, I’d like to offer some suggestions on how to best spend your time in Venice.
There are a lot of visitors to the city. Thousands of tourists arrive on a handful of cruise ships every day. In addition to arriving via automobile, train, or bus, many visitors arrive via Marco Polo Airport.
During our two-hour walking tour of San Marco area, our guide shared that there are currently only about 53,000 Venetians living in Venice, with 73 tourists for every inhabitant. Go ahead and figure it out.
That’s why it’s so packed in the plazas and key thoroughfares. Numerous people from nearly every nation can be found worldwide.
You should not plan on taking it easy in Venice. Seeing everything Venice has to offer requires constant motion.
You’ll be doing a lot of walking and using boats, either the pricey water taxis or the inexpensive Vaporetto public water bus.
The Vaporetto runs along the Grand Canal and features multiple routes and numerous stops. Since there are so many sightseers, the Vaporettos are typically jam-packed. While the Vaporetto does have seating, most passengers prefer to stand in order to take in the sights.
What a Traveler to Venice, Italy Should Know
What follows is some guidance for making the most of your time in Venice, Italy.
These are just a few of the things I’ve done in the city that you might find interesting or helpful.
Tips and Advice when Visiting Venice, Italy
1. Wear a good pair of shoes
If you really want to get a feel for the city and everything it has to offer, you’ll need comfortable shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of walking. There are numerous bridges, large plazas, and quaint alleyways to explore.
It’s exciting to wander aimlessly through the maze of streets and stumble across hidden gems. You may always get back on track by consulting a map or searching for directions online.
#2: A place to have a seat and relax
Unless you go to a coffee shop or restaurant, you will have to stand or walk for hours because there are no seats or other places to sit.
You can sit on the stairs leading up to a church or museum if you can’t find a bench, but those are few and far between.
3. Toilets
It’s not easy to find a public restroom, and I didn’t notice any retail centers with restrooms.
The best places to use the restroom are at eating and drinking establishments.
You may learn to control, alter, and enhance your life with the various books we offer.
One thing I discovered is… If you buy something, even if it’s just a bottle of water, most cafes will let you use their restrooms.
4. Venice is not a cheap city
Venice is a very costly city to visit. However, there are numerous dining options available. You can discover inexpensive places to dine if you look, especially if you avoid the busy and noisy areas.
Pizzas were a staple in our diet, and for good reason.
Guests of an Airbnb can go grocery shopping for lunch and dinner. There is a wide variety of high-quality cheeses and breads available there.
5. Using the public transportation
If you’re staying in Mestre and plan to take the bus or Vaporetto into Venice, you’ll need to purchase tickets in advance.
All of the Vaporetto lines in Venice, including those to the islands of Murano and Burano, are included in the price of a day pass, and there are also multi-day passes available that may be used on the bus to Mestre. You can save a lot of time and money by doing this instead of buying individual tickets for each trip.
As of May 2019, the price of a bus ride from Mestre to Venice is 1.50 EUR, while a ride on the Vaporetto within Venice costs 7.50 EUR. However, if you buy a 24-hour ticket, you can ride as much as you want for just 20 Euro.
You can find cheaper hotels and Airbnbs outside of Venice in Mestre on the mainland, but getting there will require a bus ride. It won’t take more than fifteen or twenty minutes to get there.
At least three or four times a day, you will use a boat to get around Venice. Depending on how long you want to stay, buying a one-day or three-day ticket will save you a significant amount of money.
6. Drinking Spritz
I swear every where I went in Venice, someone was holding a reddish-pink drink with an orange slice in it. I was told that it was a spritz cocktail when I inquired as to its nature. People of all ages can be seen sipping it in Venice, as it is the city’s most popular beverage.
I have to mention that the Spritz that we ordered was quite tasty. It was delicious.
It was a delight to drink because the alcohol was not overpowering.
Sparkling mineral water is combined with Prosecco wine and an amari liqueur like Aperol, Campari, Cynar, or Select to make this cocktail. Common garnishes are an orange or lemon slice and ice cubes.
The Spritz is available at numerous Italian bars, and its ingredients vary depending on where you go. Different cities and towns prepare it differently, but Prosecco and sparkling water are always present.
7. A trip to Murano
Visiting Murano by boat is an excellent idea. From Venice, you can get there in roughly 15 minutes. There are many lovely shops here, all of which sell jewelry and other decorative items made from Murano glass, and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing.
Throughout the city, you may visit many workshops where artisans create works of art entirely out of Murano glass.
8. Free guided tours
You may locate a number of businesses offering free guided tours of the downtown area on the web. These excursions are approximately 1.5 hours long and are given in a number of different languages.
At the conclusion of the tour, a gratuity for the guide is expected. We went on a tour like that, and it was great.