Vivacious in Venezia, Italy

The Inspired Nomad
Jul 31, 2018
4 min read

Venice is lovely, and hectic, and wonderful, and expensive.

This multi-faceted city can be a challenge, but with a little planning (and Google maps!), you can avoid bankruptcy and enjoy Venice for one day or five. Here's some ideas:

Get lost.

Basically all of Venice is beautiful canals, old alleyways, and bustling crowds of tourists and locals. So just walk around. You'll find plenty hidden gems as well as quiet local neighborhoods that you wouldn't otherwise find by sticking to the Venetian highlights. Make sure your phone is charged though... There's lots of signs that point to major highlights (Rialto Bridge, San Marco Piazza), so you may be able to get your bearing that way, but if you are like me and surrender to the sights and sounds of the city, you may wander just a bit further off the tourist path. Since not every street crosses the hundreds of canals around you, Google maps can be a quick cheat to get you back on track.

Relax with classic tunes in Piazza San Marco.

Every evening after dinner three bands play outside a few restaurants right within San Marco Square. You can stand in the square and listen for free, or take a seat and enjoy a drink (although pricey) and snack (they all provide "free" chips, nuts, olives, etc.). The restaurants themselves are notable for various reasons too; most provide their story on the menu, or it's worth a Google. The music is fantastic and you can't beat the fun, yet refined, vibe.

Definitely Shop.

Saldi! 50% off! - - you see this everywhere! There are truly inexpensive but well made Italian leather goods, local clothing, Murano glass, Burano lace, stationary, pasta, oil, masks, etc., etc., etc. The food and drink can be expensive so take advantage of the cheap shopping! Tip: if you see something you like, get it. A lot of stores carry things for about the same price, but that design or color might not be in the next shop and backtracking to a specific place again can be challenging!

Eat smart.

Food is just plain expensive here unless you want a sandwich to take on the go. Splurge a bit, you won't be disappointed, but research and save a bit too. Some busy places actually have terrible food (think canned spaghetti, soggy pizza...), so a little planning can go a long way. Look for some places that have a high rating on your favourite travel site, and peek at the menu first to get a sense of the prices. If you decide to just mosey around while hungry, you might be very hangry before you find a good option (though you'll be in very good company with the many other families panicking over the same!)

Da Cherubino is delicious and reasonably priced with quite generous portions. The service is friendliest, but don't serve for only drinks. The Caprese salad is the best I've had north of Naples. They also have unbeatable €5 house white and red wines! Server Nicola is a gem.

Gondola ride

Since you've read this far, you won't be surprised gondola rides are... pricey! Runs about €80 for a half hour (during the day; for an evening ride, it will cost more), but you get a totally different view of the city and a newfound respect for the piloting skills of the gondoliers avoiding each other and boisterous water busses. You'll also be supporting a local and protected trade. Research the training and rules for gondoliering, and you'll forgive the price tag.

Some other tips:

If arriving by air to Marco Polo, take the water bus but be prepared to be hot, and packed in, and travel a long time... From the airport to San Marco is about an hour and a half. And it's not a pleasant sightseeing boat. There are some windows, but bring a book or chat with your fellow travellers to help the time fast forward. The water taxi is about €27 round trip, which you can purchase in the airport either at a kiosk by baggage claim or down at the docks. If you can, splurge for the private taxi, which will take you on a more direct route. Those run about €150. Taxis and busses can only go as far in as Piazzale Roma for about the same price but only take about 20 minutes. Depending on where you're staying, this might be a terrible option considering you'll have to navigate tricky canals, confusing directions, and tight alleyways... with luggage. The public water taxi stops at numerous spots around the islands and tickets come with a handy, easy route map.

Other restaurants I loved not mentioned above...

Ristorante La Caravella was a very fun atmosphere with reasonably priced drinks and lively crowd. Even gondoliers seemed to go here for a drink after work! Food was good with small portions, though.

Grab a drink at the waterfront dining at Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal... Wonderful for people watching as you can catch a glimpse of people arriving from the ferry and getting on gondolas (also enjoy the breeze from the water on hot days!). The drinks are pricey, but less so than other such A++ locations.

Another reasonable option was Rossopomodoro (diavolo pizza, simple but delicious) and the best splurge was the famous Harry's Bar (you MUST get their Bellini... just ignore the €21 price tag and revel in the fact the founder allegedly invented it!)

We drove into Venice and got distracted by the beautiful Dolomites on the way (a ABSOLUTE MUST if you have the time to venture about an hour inland) and arrived a bit late. Venice isn't as much of a late night city as Rome or Naples, but Osteria Enoteca San Marco was a fantastic late night option! Very unique flavors and not too overpriced. Generous portions as well.

Any other suggestions? Tried anything out? Let other travellers know by commenting below!