Top time to visit Venice!
The best time to visit Venice is from May to September. Yes, this period is really crowded, and it can be annoying especially for taking photos. But avoid going from October to January, during this period there is Acqua Alta also known as the flood season.
How to get to Venice?
It is pretty easy but it really depends on your starting point. There are several options:
by Plane
- Venice has its own airport “Marco Polo” (VCE) and it is one of the busiest airports in Italy. It is located on the mainland near the village Tessera.
- Another airport “Treviso Airport” (TSF) is located in the Venice area and mostly serves low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air.
by Train
If you are an international traveler, the best thing would be to come to Milan first and then take a train going to Venice’s central train station – Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. You can come to Rome, Florence, Verona, and other Italian cities. Santa Lucia station is one of the largest and crowded train stations in Italy so pay attention to everything and take care of your belongings.
Note: in Italy, you need to validate your ticket before getting on the train. Just find a validating machine and validate the ticket. If you don’t do this, you might get a fine.
by Car
It is a well-known fact that Venice is car-free in the center, only a small part is accessible by cars and motorbikes. So the best thing to do is to cross the bridge from the mainland and then park it in the garage.
Here are the parking lots:
- Venezia Tronchetto Parking – 22 euros per day. But it is the farthest parking.
- Garage San Marco Venezia – 39 euros per day
- Garage Comunale AVM S.p.A. – 26 euros per day.
If you are on a budget, then consider parking your car before crossing the Ponte della Libertà and it will cost you less than 10 euros per day. After that, you can take a bus, train or a Vaporetto to come to Venice center.
How to move around Venice to complete the list of things to do?
As we mentioned before, Venice is a city without cars and bikes. Once you entered the old town the only way to move around is on foot or by water (taking a gondola ride, water taxi, or a Vaporetto).
You can get a fine (around 100 euros) if you have a bicycle there or even leading one by hand unless you are a resident of Venice or under the age of 8.
So don’t panic and embrace walking. Also, it is not a big deal because Venice is pretty small. The only challenge is going up and down the bridges that count around 400 of them.
Venice ACTV Vaporetto
The Vaporetto is a Venetian public waterbus and it is one of the best transport in Venice. There are 19 lines that serve Venice and nearby islands as Murano, Burano, and Lido. It is operated by Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV).
Let’s talk about prices
A single trip on this waterbus costs 7.5 euros and it is valid for 75 minutes.
There are Travel Cards:
24h. – 20 euros
48h – 30 euros
72h. – 40 euros.
7 days – 60 euros
Again, don’t forget to validate your ticket. It is obligatory and must be done as soon as you get on board. Each time you change travel means you must validate your ticket again.
Where to stay?
It can be really overwhelming to find the best place to stay in Venice. We spent several days browsing Booking.com and researching all the areas. As always, I wanted to stay in the center of the city to be close to all the sights but there was another thing to consider – the budget.
San Marco
It is one of the most famous neighborhoods in Venice. It is home to many significant landmarks. You can find the most breathtaking buildings and basilicas. As expected, this area is one of the most expensive to live in.
San Polo
This district is one of the oldest and most touristic areas in Venice. It is located right in the middle of the main attractions so it is easier to move around from there. It is also one of the prettiest areas with a lot of cute narrow streets and nice cafes. Speaking of cafes, our favorite breakfast spot is located right in front of Basilica S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and it is called “L’archivio”,
Santa Croce
This district is a passeig between a central and old-style San Polo and more local feeling Cannaregio. It is slightly far from the main touristic attractions so the prices are relatively lower that can be a really good deal for those who are on a tight budget.
Dorsoduro
This area is full of artwork. You can find it anywhere, starting from street art to having art galleries. Also, it is a great area if you come for the city’s nightlife and love going out for drinks to poshy places.
Castello
This district is the largest of all six. The main feature of this area is that it is packed with beautiful parks and fine architecture. It is full of restaurants and other fun things you can do days and nights. But you need to know, this area is not a typical Venice (narrow streets and canals) but with bigger streets and even squares.
Cannaregio
This is the second-largest neighborhood in Venice. Here you can enjoy wandering the narrow streets of the city with fewer tourists but still feel the mood of real Venice. It is the most budget-friendly area. This is where we prefer to stay. This district offers a great variety of accommodations with good prices and to be fair, it is still pretty close to the city center and main sights.
Which are the places to eat in Venice?
Italian cuisine is my favorite thing. When it comes to eating I always stick to a three “P” diet – Pasta, Pizza, and Pane [bread in italian]. And Venice is a perfect place to indulge.
If you are on a tight budget try these places to eat pasta: Dal Moro’s, Pasta & Pasta, or Pasta Go・Espresso.
If you want to try pizza: Pizza al Volo, Pizza 2000 or Pizzeria L’Angelo
We always mention how incredible the Italian Gelato is. It is fantastic, so creamy and flavourful. And also, there are gelato places on every corner, people love it here. We really liked gelato from Murano gelateria (Venezia), the Green Apple and the Heladeria Suso. It had a creamy but light texture. Some of them had crunchy Oreos and thick chocolate inside. The prices were reasonable and the service was outstanding. We can’t stop thinking about this whole experience..
What to do in Venice?
Even the number of tourists can’t spoil the good feeling. Without any doubt, everyone should have Venice as a must-see place on his/her bucket list.
Find a bonus track guide at the end (the best things to do in only one page)
1. Wander around the narrow streets (Top recommendation to do in Venice)
Sometimes we love to make our trips on a budget, with the least amount of money possible. It gives another perspective when trying to experience a new culture, a new environment. And we realized that Venice is wonderful for exploring it on a tight budget. Because the best sights don’t require any spending. All those beautiful bridges, cute narrow streets, main squares bring some fresh air and you start to see the treasure in everything. Just wear a pair of comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water with you while walking around. Also, don’t get intimidated by a lot of ups and downs when crossing the canals. It gets easier every day 🙂
2. Ride a vaporetto through the Grand Canal
Vaporetto is one of the most iconic forms of transport in Venice and it is a must thing to do, especially if you want to skip riding a gondola. It is also the fastest way to go to various landmarks if you are short on time. You can buy a one-time ticket or a pass, it really depends on your goals. It is easy to do, either buy on the vaporetto station (sometimes it’s getting really busy so plan your journey ahead) or you can buy it online here.
3. Go for Aperitivo
Venetians know how to spend the night properly – they go to the bars and order a drink with some snacks. Fun fact: Aperol Spritz was born in Venice and this is the best place to try this traditional drink. It is served everywhere.
The most common combo is Aperol Spritz + Bruschetta. Another traditional aperitivo drink is Campari. Follow the locals and don’t hesitate to go to the nearest small bar to enjoy your time in Venice.
4. Watch a sunset (cheap activity to do in Venice 😉 )
Venice is breathtaking and very romantic. Every bridge and every corner is something special. We were getting up early to go outside and enjoy every moment of being there. But also, we were celebrating sunsets every evening. Venice has some outstandingly colorful sunsets.
One time we went to a restaurant to watch the sunset, another time we bought ice cream and stood on the bridge to see the beautiful color of the sky while the sun was going down. Just take a moment, watch the sunset and appreciate the beauty of this wonderful city. One of the best places to watch the sunset is along the ferry pier at San Marco.
5. Enjoy the museums
Not everyone is coming to Venice to visit museums and maybe it is the least popular thing to do. But if you decide to do so, it’s totally worth it. Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Museum (26 euros per person), and Peggy Guggenheim Collection (16.5 euros per person) are wonderful. Peggy Guggenheim Collection, for example, has artworks from the most famous and influential artists of the 20th century.
Note: some of the museums require a Green Pass (also “EU Digital COVID certificate”) to access the museums. You need to check it on the website of the museum before buying your tickets (because if you don’t have the document listed above it will not be possible to access the Museum and to receive a refund for the tickets).
Tip: The St. Mark’s Square Museum ticket is valid for Doge’s Palace. There is a Museum Pass that costs €36 and gives access to around 10 most important museums in Venice. You can buy tickets here.
6. Take a ferry to Murano and Burano
Murano and Burano are some of the most famous islands near Venice. Burano is famous for its lace. Also, it is such a colorful and cute island. Murano is famous for its glass production. You definitely saw a lot of accessories and other items made of colorful glass in the shops in Venice. All of them are produced in Murano. The must thing to do is to go to the glass factory and take a guided tour. There they will show you the whole process of glass blowing and after that, you can buy a product from glass. It is such a great and fun experience
You can visit both islands in one go or take it slow and do one island per day. Just hop on a ferry and enjoy the trip. It takes around 25 minutes to go to Murano from the “Fondamente Nove” station in Venice. And then 35 minutes to go to Burano from the “Murano Faro” station in Murano.
7. Visit “Libreria Acqua Alta”
It is a very small but cozy bookstore located in the heart of Venice. It features a lot of vintage and second-hand books. When you enter this unique bookstore you can see all books in an unordered and a bit chaotic way. You feel the smell of humidity and dust. But it is so special that after few minutes you completely forget about it. There are several local cats that welcome you and later they can go and sleep in the corner or directly on the books.
The highlight of the store is the gondola filled with books situated in the middle of the store. Some of the books are in the bathtubs. But we understand why it is so, Venice is flooded by the acqua alta so storing them in the gondolas is the way to protect such a delicate thing as a book.
At the end of the bookstore, there is an interior patio with a staircase of books. So you can climb a staircase, sit down on the old volumes of the encyclopedia and take a photo. Before that, you will probably encounter a line of tourists that want to take photos there as well 🙂
8. Go shopping to the Rialto Market
There is no way you come to Venice and miss the opportunity to go to the canal-side Market to buy some fresh produce: fruits, vegetables, fish. If you are into the touristic souvenirs – there is a whole section for this. This market works from 9 am to 9 pm. And it is located next to the Rialto Bridge. Just go there and see how fresh and colorful everything is. Yummy.
Have a Guided Tour
We absolutely loved exploring this city. There are so many things to do that you can easily spend days and even weeks here. However, if you have only one or two days to spare we really encourage you, to have a guided tour.
What to carry for all the activities to do in Venice?
Every city has something different, but in general you will need the same things to carry with you. It will only change depending on the season. You will carry more clothes during winter than summer. We really encorage you to check the things that we found in Amazon. They’re pretty cool and “weird” but useful for your trip. Click here to know them.
Bonus Track: A Checklist of the Top things to do in Venice!
Check out our ultimate bucket list for the top things to do in Venice. Save it to your Pinterest for an upcoming trip or post it on your Instagram stories & check of the places you’ve been.
Do you have something else to add to the post? If you have any additional tips or info for our readers or questions please leave them in the comments below. Thanks a lot!
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