Two years ago my fiancé and I traveled to Rome and Florence. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we weren’t able to make it to Northern Italy. Despite going to Paris last March, Venice remained at the top of our “future travels” list. This year when it came time to pick our international travel destination, we toyed with the idea of returning to London, but ultimately Venice seemed like the right choice considering we’d never been.
I have to say, I never thought I would be able to love a city as much as Paris but I didn’t want to leave Venice! The minute you begin exploring, you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time to the Renaissance. Venice is so well preserved it’s amazing . Colorful masks, leather goods and glass decorations fill store front windows. Occasionally you’ll even hear church bells ringing in the bell towers. Can you see the picture I’m painting? All of the residents on the island were extremely friendly and they didn’t appear to think less of us for only knowing 5 words in Italian. Truth be told, all Venetians we encountered spoke English.
We stayed at the Hotel Santa Chiara, a four star hotel conveniently located by transit to and from Marco Polo Airport. When choosing a hotel, easy access to transportation is incredibly important to us. Even though the hotel was further away from tourist attractions such as Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, the landmarks were still within walking distance. If you ever realize you’ve wandered too far when it comes time to return to the hotel, you can take the appropriate water bus to the Ple. Roma stop as it’s just a stone throw away from the Hotel Santa Chiara. Since there are no cars or bikes on the island, traveling by boat or on foot are really your only options.
If you’re looking for things to do in Venice, here are a few ideas:
Visit Piazza San Marco, there are several things to do there. You can take the lift to the top of the San Marco Campanile for an amazing 360 degree view of the city or visit Basilica di San Marco to see the gold plated dome ceilings and intricate mosaics. Before leaving the basilica, be sure to visit the museum upstairs, it’s easy to miss. The museum houses four copper horses gifted to the city of Venice from Constantinople. No one really knows how old the majestic horses are, but recent studies indicate they may be 2000 years old, maybe even older. Additionally, you can tour the Doges Palace and prison. The palace housed the government officials of the day and is still home to one of the largest rooms in Europe.
Try to schedule a day trip to a nearby city. When we we were staying in London we took the train to Paris, when staying in Rome we took the train to Florence. This time we took the train from Venice to Milan, to see the Duomo and Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. Europe’s high speed bullet trains make day trips elsewhere extremely doable. A train ride from Venice to Rome is only about 3.5 hours one way.
Get lost. Honestly you should be prepared to get lost anyway. Venice is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets and bridges. Following a canal frequently leads to a dead end and your forced to retrace your steps only to forget the way you came. The fact that the streets have no real names, creates another challenge. Looking for signs on buildings pointing to well know bridges or piazzas is definitely helpful.
Visit the islands of Burano and Murano. Just a ferry ride away from Venice, is the island of Burano. Burano is known for its colorful houses and handmade lace. The island of Murano is primarily know for its skilled glass blowers and various products made of glass. Our trip to the islands took up the majority of the day, so if they’re something you want to see, set aside an entire day for exploration.
Ride a gondola! Sure it’s a stereotypical tourist thing to do, but how often are you really going to do it? 80 euros will get you a 30 minute canal tour, 120 euros will get you 45 minutes. Realistically, if your ride begins at a different spot each time, you’re guaranteed to see different sites. Incentive for me to return to Venice and do it again? Most definitely!
Relax and most of all, enjoy your meals in Venice. Your waiters expect you to order drinks, appetizers, main courses and desserts. As you’re walking around the island, you’ll notice tourists and locals alike sitting at cafes enjoying a cappuccino or (my personal favorite) an Aperol Spritz. In Venice (and Rome) it’s completely acceptable to take up a table for hours. The waiters won’t even bring you your check, you have to ask for it when you’re ready to leave.
Ok, so I’m no Rick Steves, but I hope you enjoyed my travel guide to Venice! If you have any questions or if I forgot to mention one of your favorite attractions, let me know in the comments! Also, I’m so sorry it took me so long to get this post up!