When you think about Venice you picture beautiful canals, romantic gondola rides that are all tucked within an intricate maze of narrow streets, right?. Venice is a magical place to visit, but it also has a massive tourist draw. That can make for long lines, crowds, and take away from the ambiance of it all.
The natives live here year-round but several restaurants and businesses may be closed during the off season. This makes it a less desirable time to visit. With a little planning you can experience all that Venice has to offer during peak tourist season without hassle.
How to get there…
Public transportation in Italy is key to getting around. Many locals use the trains, buses, and subways as part of every day life. On the plus side, it is extremely affordable. I booked my train ticket using the Wanderio app leaving from Vicenza to Venezia S. Lucia for 6,40€. The ride was about 50 minutes and the inside was very clean despite some graffiti on the outside.
When you arrive at Venezia S. Lucia (it will be the last stop of the route) you will see bathrooms on the far left wall. If you have to go, now is your best chance but here’s the catch, to get in it will cost you 1€. You must have exact change as the entrance gates do not accept larger denomination coins. Once you take care of business, walk out of the train station. You will be standing in front of a church with a green dome across the Grand Canal. You’ve made it to Venice.
Starting your adventure…
While facing the San Simeone Piccolo church, you have two options. You can cross over the first bridge to the other side of the canal and into the San Polo district. This is where you’ll find the high end shopping, but I recommend heading left through the Cannaregio area to get a taste of “everyday” life in Venice.
You’ll follow the main street for a while and cross over a few bridges past several small cafes and shops before coming to the famous Rialto bridge. We stopped for breakfast at this adorable Pasticceria named La Donatella. Two croissants with coffee ran us 9€. They also make homemade macarons!
The low down on Gondolas…
A lot of people come to Venice with the sole intention of taking a romantic Gondola ride through the canals. If this is your bucket list item there are a few things you need to know beforehand. The gondola rates are established by the city and start at 80€ for 40 minutes during the day. Additional increments are 40€. And if you want to take one at night, you’re going to pay more for it. However, after 7pm the rates increase to 100€ and 50€ for additional time.
Unfortunately there’s no getting around the prices. If you’re looking to save money you can always book with a group of up to 6 people to get the experience while saving money. Each gondola is made of 8 different types of wood taking about 2 months to build and start at 38,000€ to buy. Your gondolier will have attended 400 hours of instruction and passed an exam so you are in good hands while on the water.
The area in which you book your gondola ride is the key to your best gondola experience. I recommend taking a gondola through the smaller canals within the city. The outer waters are usually very choppy and much more crowded. Ask your gondolier to review the route beforehand and confirm the length of your ride.
That Rialto bridge though…
Also called the heart of Venice, the bridge built in 1588 is the oldest of four bridges crossing the Grand Canal. There are small shops with world famous Murano glass items, jewelry, and linens for tourist shoppers. This bridge is very congested during the day, so get here early to beat the crowd (before 9AM.)
One important note is the bridge is mostly comprised of steps over the archway. This makes it difficult for strollers, wheelchairs, and luggage. Actually, rolling luggage is difficult to navigate with anywhere in Venice. Hiking packs are the way to go, I love my Kelty Redwing 44 pack!
St. Marks Square, Basilica, & Campinele di San Marco
Known for being the drawing room of Europe in terms of art, history, and faith, this church is definitely a world treasure. That being said, it is also the most visited attraction in Venice. Thousands of people line up to get inside per day. The best advice I can give you is to book a private tour well ahead of your visit to avoid waiting in line for hours. Walks of Italy offers a tour after hours which may be more appealing for some tourists.
Across the way is the Campinele di San Marco, originally a lighthouse for the lagoon in St. Mark’s Square. Tickets are 8€ for an elevator ride to the top (no stairs option), giving you a 360 degree view of Venice. Binoculars are 1€ each, 2€ per audio for each cardinal direction. I wouldn’t recommend downloading the app Venice panorama. It was $1.99 in the Apple store to download +additional fees for each side.
Pranzo, or lunch in English…
We decided to try out Devil’s Forest pub for lunch hoping to find some curry fries. It has a very traditional pub vibe, but they serve Italian food starting at noon. We ordered two Caprese salads, an entree, and 4 beers that ran us 46€, which is pretty pricey for lunch in Italy. I’d recommend coming here for drinks only.
Venice is like no other place in the world, and absolutely worth the visit. It is very feasible to do in a day trip or spread out over a few days to see the islands as well. Bring some good walking shoes, an appetite, and take some time to wander around the narrow streets beaming with traditional Venetian culture.
