Travel Tips: Venice, Italy
Venice: A City of Dreams, Navigated with Expert Ease. Lose yourself in the labyrinthine canals, serenaded by gondoliers and surrounded by timeless beauty. Venice is a place where romance and wonder intertwine. Let my travel tips guide you through this enchanting city, ensuring you experience its magic to the fullest.
Want a truly seamless and unforgettable Venetian adventure? Let me craft a personalised itinerary, tailored to your desires, and unlock the hidden gems of this floating city.
Visiting Venice is a unique experience, and with a little planning, you can avoid common pitfalls and truly enjoy the city's magic. Here are some top travel tips:
Embrace the Vaporetto (Water Bus)
- Buy a Travel Pass: If you plan on moving around a lot, a multi-day vaporetto pass is much more cost-effective than single tickets.
- Learn the Routes: Familiarise yourself with the vaporetto lines and stops. They're your main mode of transport.
- Avoid Rush Hour: Like any public transport, vaporetti can get crowded, especially during peak hours.
- Due to the narrow streets and lack of roads, cars and other vehicles do not operate within Venice's central areas. Keep this in mind when considering your public transport options.
Get Lost (But Not Too Lost)
- Wander the Calli: Venice's narrow streets (calli) are part of its charm. Allow yourself to get lost and discover hidden squares and shops.
- Use a Map (or Offline Map App): While getting lost is fun, it's good to have a sense of direction. An offline map app is invaluable.
- Look for Yellow Signs: Yellow signs point you towards major landmarks like Rialto and San Marco.
Plan & prepare for crowds
- Visit Off-Season: Consider visiting during the shoulder seasons (spring or autumn) to avoid the peak summer crowds.
- Explore Early or Late: Visit popular attractions like St. Mark's Square and Doge's Palace early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
- Book in Advance: Book tickets for major attractions and tours online to skip the lines.
Indulge in Venetian Cuisine
- Cicchetti Time: Enjoy cicchetti (Venetian tapas) at a bacaro (traditional wine bar).
- Try Seafood: Venice is famous for its fresh seafood. Don't miss dishes like sarde in saor (sardines marinated in onions and vinegar).
- Avoid Tourist Traps: Look for restaurants frequented by locals, away from the main tourist areas.
- Birth Place of the Bellini: If you want to visit the bar that created the Bellini, take a visit to Harry's Bar. Located a short walk from Piazza San Marco.
Respect the city
- No Picnics on Bridges: Eating and drinking on bridges is prohibited.
- Keep Noise Levels Down: Venice is a residential city. Be respectful of the residents.
- Don't Feed the Pigeons: Feeding the pigeons in St. Mark's Square is prohibited.
- Be aware of high tides: Aqua alta can happen, so pack appropriate footware. We experienced a small flood (acqua alta) in Piazza San Marco during our stay. Please be prepared and take necessary precautions if you encounter this.
Venetian neighbourhoods
- San Marco: The undeniable heart of Venice and its most famous sestiere, dominated by the iconic St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. It's bustling, tourist-heavy, and where most of the grandest sights are concentrated.
- Cannaregio: The largest and most populated sestiere, extending from the train station towards the Rialto Bridge. It's home to the historic Jewish Ghetto, bustling main thoroughfares like Strada Nova, and quieter residential canals, offering a blend of local life and significant landmarks.
- Castello: The largest sestiere by landmass, stretching from St. Mark's all the way to the Arsenale and beyond. It offers a mix of grand historic sites near San Marco and increasingly residential, authentic Venetian life further east, with charming squares and the beautiful Arsenale.
- Dorsoduro: A vibrant and intellectual district, home to the Ca' Foscari University and numerous art galleries, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Accademia Gallery. It has a lively student atmosphere, charming canals, and is known for its beautiful churches and more relaxed pace, especially around Campo Santa Margherita.
- San Polo: One of the oldest parts of Venice, centered around the famous Rialto Bridge and the bustling Rialto Market. It's a lively commercial hub by day, transitioning into a charming area with traditional restaurants and bacari (wine bars) in the evening.
- Santa Croce: Connected to the mainland by road and rail, Santa Croce is the main entry point to Venice, home to Piazzale Roma (car park) and the bus station. While less picturesque than other sestieri, it offers practical amenities and quieter residential areas, with charming glimpses of local life away from the crowds.
Enjoy the Unique Atmosphere
- Take a Gondola Ride: While it's touristy and expensive, a gondola ride is a quintessential Venetian experience. Yes, it's touristy, and yes, it's pricey, but we loved our gondola ride. Seeing Venice from the canals is truly a unique experience, and I'd recommend it if you can swing it.(Photo one above (left) is our view of the Rialto Bridge from our gondola).
- Visit the Islands: Take a day trip to the colourful islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello. We absolutely loved our trip to Burano and Murano! If you have the time and budget, I can't recommend them enough. They're so easy to reach from Venice, and you can easily visit both in one day. (Photo three above (right) is a view of the colourful houses lining a canal in Burano, Italy, with the Il Campanile Storto bell tower).
- Attend a Concert: Enjoy a classical music concert in one of Venice's historic churches.
Airport transportation
- Water Taxi
- Alilaguna Water Bus
- Bus (ATVO or ACTV) - We opted for this cost-effective method due to our late evening arrival. While it served us well, be aware that it drops you off at the city's edge, requiring a walk to the central areas. Consider this, especially if you have heavy luggage.
- Private Land and Water Transfers
CONSIDERATIONS FOR AIRPORT TRANPORTATION OPTIONS
- Budget: Prices vary significantly between options.
- Luggage: Consider the amount of luggage you have, as navigating with heavy bags can be challenging.
- Location of your accommodation: Some hotels are more easily accessible by water taxi, while others are closer to vaporetto stops.
- Time of day: Water taxi and vaporetto services may be less frequent at night.
Last Updated: 21 May '25