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Your guide in visiting Venice, Italy
How to get to Venice?
Where to stay in Venice?
What to do and see in Venice?
Where to eat in Venice?
We are all drawn to Venice mainly for one reason; its 118 tiny islands that are separated by canals and linked by more than 400 bridges. However, Venice is not only about its canals, it is also rich in history where it was a naval power as the capital of the Republic of Venice. Because of its geographical location in the Adriatic, Venice was an important trade center as well. For architecture and art lovers, many wealthy merchant and other important figures in Venice built beautiful palaces along the Grand Canal. Today, a number of these palaces are turned into museums and art galleries. It has also been widely recognized that Venice is sinking. Although at a rate of about one millimeter per year, Venice is still plagued by flooding with high tides in autumn and spring. Currently, a project called MOSE is in progress to build mobile flood gates to prevent flooding from happening in the future.
HOW TO GET TO VENICE
Venice Marco Polo airport has seasonal international flights to North America as well as flights all over Europe with a big Easyjet presence. A majority of visitors to Venice also arrive from cruise ships as Venice is a major cruise ship port. Venice usually is not the only city that visitors visit in Italy thus many will arrive by train. Trenitalia is the main national railway operator with a great online ticketing system. Milan is the closest major city from Venice and it takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to get from Milan to Venice by train. Train runs at least once every hour. Take note that Venezia Santa Lucia train station is the one you want to go to as it is in the city of Venice. The other station Venezia Mestre is actually the station on the mainland before Santa Lucia. Venice do not have roads for cars. If you want to drive to Venice, the furthest you will get to is Piazzale Roma, by the cruise ship terminal, where there is a large parking lot albeit with a high daily rate. Alternatively, the other cheaper option is to park over on the mainland at Santa Lucia where you will need to take a bus over the lagoon to Venice city. I do not recommend driving to Venice as there are usually traffic jams in and out of Venice over the lagoon where a direct train service from anywhere in Italy is much less stressful.
WHERE TO STAY IN VENICE
Although some visitors would choose to stay on the mainland where the hotels are cheaper, I would not recommend it. It is an experience to stay in Venice where it is usually very crowded in the day time but deserted in the evening when all the day trippers leave the city. Venice is a magical and romantic place at night. Staying in Venice will give you the time and leisure to wander around the streets of Venice at night.
Hotel L’Orologio is perfectly situated by the Grand Canal near the famous Fish Market and Rialto Bridge. It is difficult to find a new hotel in Venice but Hotel L’Orologio is recently opened (2014) with new modern rooms. I highly recommend getting a room facing the Grand Canal as the beautiful and famous palace Ca d’Oro is right across from the hotel. Getting to the hotel from the train station is very easy on the vaporetto (Line 1), the public ferry (water bus) in Venice. The closest Vaporetto station to the hotel is Rialto Mercato which is only 5 stops away from the main train station stop; Ferrovia. It takes around 15 minutes. It take less than 5 minutes walk from the ferry stop to the front of the hotel. You only need to cross one bridge along the way which is not too difficult with luggage. Read my Tripadvisor review here.
COMMUTING IN VENICE
Buy a Vaporetto travel card for 24 hours to 7 days. It will give you unlimited ride on the Vaporetto including the outer islands which is a great deal. Remember to validate your ticket on the machine in each station before boarding the ferry. There is a possibility of getting a hefty fine if you do not validate your ticket even if you hold a travel card. The Vaporetto is a fantastic service. It is basically a water bus. It is operated by the city’s public transport company Actv.
Depending on where you want to go, taking the Vaporetto may not be the fastest. It maybe faster on foot as usually there is a wait for the Vaporetto to arrive at the station. There are only 4 bridges that crosses the Grand Canal. Other than walking to these bridges or taking the Vaporetto, another option is to take the Traghetto. The Traghetto is basically a gondola that crosses the Grand Canal from one side to another. There are multiple stations along the canal but each station only service one point across the canal. They are shown on most Venice maps. Although, sometimes it can be difficult to find these stations as some are wedged between buildings along the Grand Canal. If you pay attention while walking around Venice, there are Traghetto signs guiding you to their stops.
WHAT TO SEE & DO IN VENICE
GONDOLAS
Riding on the Gondola seems to be a must do in Venice. Some may say it is a tourist trap but I do believe it is worth doing because Venice must be seen from its canals. It gives you a perspective on how Venice should be seen. However, it is by chance that you may find a good Gondolier or if not, it may ruin the whole experience. As you walk in Venice and along the Grand Canal and some of its larger tributaries, you will see many Gondola stations and booths where you can ask for a Gondola service. It is usually the standard fare up and down the Grand Canal and the standard route around some of the main tributaries (circling around the block). It is also only in Venice that you will see a Gondola traffic jam.
I came across Alexandra Hai from a TV program about Venice years ago that had a feature of her as the first female Gondolier in Venice. I was quite fascinated that Gondoliers historically are all Italian males. Alexandra Hai from Germany wanted to become a Gondolier but failed to gain an official licence from the city. She started to operate privately and won the court battle to do so in 2007. I was fortunate to remember Alex for my Venice trip and booked her online (email her) for a tour. It was fantastic because she showed us parts of the city that regular Gondoliers will not take you to. It was also in support for her courage and persistence in taking this initiative in doing something she loves while others say she cannot.
There are different types of tours you can choose from and if you want to I am sure she can take you to the normal side of of city where all gondolas just ride around the block and the canal is completely jammed up with gondola traffic. You will know what I mean when you are in Venice. But she took us to the more quiet part of Venice called Dorsoduro. It is great because the canals and the neighborhood there is very quaint.
We did tour down part of the Grand Canal as most do and she pointed out all the important buildings/palaces and its history along the way. It was great.
It was absolutely worth the money and it was a full 60 mins tour on her gondola. It takes four years in training to become a Gondolier. It takes a lot of skills to maneuver in the tight corners and on the Grand Canal. I think some people might not recognize this and thought it was something was easy to do.
There are many day trippers to Venice and that is unfortunate because you can visit all the sights and take all the photos your heart desires during the day but Venice really becomes magical at night when St. Mark’s square is almost empty and the buildings/palaces along the Grand Canal lit up. It is really romantic and that is the side of Venice that we all want to see. Of course, some of us might not have a choice but if you do, please do yourself a favor and stay in the city of Venice overnight. A great thing to do is just take the N1 line on the Vaporetto and give yourself a tour of the Grand Canal. Start from the train station stop at dusk and get a seat in the front of the Vaporetto (many have the front outdoor seats) and ride it down the Grand Canal all the way to St. Mark’s Square.
There are so many things to see in the city of Venice given its small geographical size. Around St. Mark’s square alone, you have the Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica), Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), Bridge of Sighs,Campanile, Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower), Museo Correr, Museo del Risorgimento and Libreria Sansoviniana (Library). These probably are the most famous sights in Venice other than the famous palaces and their museums and art galleries. The most famous palaces turned museums and art galleries include Palazzo Grassi, Ca’ Rezzonico, Ca’ Pesaro and Ca’ d’Oro. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice is also very popular.
Fish Mark (Mercato del Pesce)
Not far from Rialto Bridge is the Fish Market. Venice is famous for its seafood and you will understand why when you visit the Fish Market.
Basilica and Churches
The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute stands out at the Grand Canal opposite St. Mark’s Square. There are number of churches in Venice as well including the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore and the Church of San Moisè.
Getting lost
With its narrow and sometimes winding alleys, it is quite easy to get lost in Venice. However, many would say this is something that every visitor to Venice must do.
Burano and Murano Outer Islands
If you have more than three days in Venice, some will decide to spend a day touring the outer islands and the most popular of them is Burano and Murano. Burano is famous for its colorful buildings and it historical lace making shops. Murano is famous for its glass manufacturing shops and still continue to manufacture dedicated glass pieces today. I’ve only have time to visit Burano; although a very lovely village, I do not believe it is a must visit as it is full of tourist during the day. But it is a good change from Venice. Burano got a great lace museum where you can learn about the history of lace making. They also have live demonstration in the museum. Murano on the other hand have a glass museum.
WHERE TO EAT IN VENICE
Venice is known for its expensive and not so good food choices. I tend to agree but below are a few places which I’ve actually enjoyed the atmosphere and food in Venice.
Caffè Florian is one of the oldest coffee house in the world. It was established in 1720 situated at the famous St. Mark’s square. There are a number of coffee houses around St. Mark’s square and they are all famous for their musicians playing throughout the afternoon and late into the evening. Caffè Florian is no different and many will decide to sit at the outdoor tables facing the musicians. They charge 6 Euros cover charge per person for the musicians. For me, I’ve sat inside the beautiful historic dining room. I think it is a much better option if sitting in front of the musicians is not a must for you. If you want to sit outside, I would suggest you come back in the evening after dinner as the musicians usually play until midnight and St. Mark’s square is much quieter and romantic at night without the crowds during the day.
Club del Doge Restaurant is located inside the historical Gritti Palace hotel. It is maybe one of the most famous hotel in Venice. It is right by the opening of the Grand Canal across from the Basilica Di Santa Maria delle Salute, Punta della Dogana di Mare and Centurion Palace Hotel. The view is absolutely gorgeous. This is the Venice view. The patio is quite big where most people will choose to dine with the view and the Grand Canal traffic makes this the Venice experience alone. Personally, I do not think they serve the best food in Venice but the view and atmosphere more than make up for it. If you don’t want to dine in the restaurant, you can always have a drink at the Bar Longhi. They share the same patio with the restaurant, well beside it, and with practically the same view.
I had my best meal in Venice at the Riviera Restaurant. The passion of the owner was shown throughout from the food to the service. Please try the daily catch seafood because you are in Venice. The staff at the restaurant is very professional. The owner came around a number of times and made time to chat with us. You’ll understand the passion he’s got after talking to him. The restaurant is not facing the Grand Canal but on the other side facing Giudecca island. Sit at the tables beside the sea and if you’re there for dinner, watch the sunset; it is amazing.
As mentioned, Venice is known for its expensive food and it can be difficult to find something filling to have when you are walking around town. Dal Moro offers only 4 seats at a bar counter as it sells take away pasta in a Chinese takeaway box. Most of the pastas sell for only 7 Euros and you need to eat by the side of the road. Apparently is is illegal is eat on any of the 400 bridges in Venice. It is near St. Mark’s square and I do see a lot of people eat by the fountain there. Nothing amazing but it is homemade pasta for less than 10 Euros. This is considered cheap in Venice. A high rating in Tripadvisor helps their business as well as there is always a small line up outside.
Maybe one cannot write about food and restaurants in Venice without mentioning the famous Harry’s Bar. Apparently this is the birth place of the champagne cocktail; Bellini. The bar is opened by the famous Cipriani family back in 1931. In 1958, the family also opened Hotel Cipriani in Giudecca island in the Venice lagoon across from St. Mark’s square. Hotel Cipriani, now the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, is one of the most prestigious hotel in Venice today. The hotel closes completely during the winter months and is opened only during late March to early November.
Harry’s Bar does not come cheap being 15 Euros + service charge for a small glass of Bellini. Is it worth it? That is up to you to decide. To be fair, I do like this Bellini compared to others you can get in every bar and restaurant as they do use blended fresh white peaches. They also serve traditional Italian dishes for lunch and dinner. The lunch set menu with a glass of Bellini is 53 Euros.
Go to the Osteria Bancogiro for the Grand Canal view. This part of the Grand Canal is quite narrow and right at the bend so the action is plenty. There is also a Gondola Service station in front of the restaurant. There is a lovely terrace you can sit outside to enjoy the view. Service here can be a hit or miss and obviously quite touristy at this location but you can’t beat the view. There are also a number of different restaurant here. Very near Rialto Mercato Vaporetto stop and Hotel L’Orologio.
Ai Cesendeli – Burano
Burano, the picturesque lace island served by the Vaporetto. This is a small island full of tourist and there are a number of small restaurants lining the only major shopping street. I went to Ai Cesendili which I’ve enjoyed very much with great service.
And a few more photos of beautiful Venice.
