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Afternoon all,
I'm off to Venice for four days next Monday.
We've been before and we've visited the obvious stuff: Doges Palace, St Marks Square, Gondola rides etc...
Anyone got any left-of-field suggestions for things we should try to do?
Anything we should avoid?
Thanks for your time and suggestions :o)
I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Just a couple of nights at the end of a bike tour, so not much experience for well researched recommendations. But saying that....
I would say staying in Venice is a must, it's much nicer outside of peak hours with few people, which are easier to see when you stay in the place.
It's possible to cycle around the whole lagoon. Looked interesting.
Gondola rides are €90 for (I think) 45min. I didn't do, but will on my next visit.
Walking around was awesome. It was way bigger than expected. Lots of quiet bits ticker away.
I listened to the BBC R4 in our time episode, which was good. Read about the wells, the arsenal, and the Jewish ghetto. All interesting to me, and might give you some ideas on what to see.
When I was there I enjoyed tracking down the various examples of Carlo Scarpa's architecture. Really nice examples of modernist architecture celebrating the layers of history in the city.
The old Olivetti Typerwriter show room is just off St Marks Square. Unfortuanlty it was housing a pretty crappy art gallery when I was there so you had to peer around bad art to see his work
The Fondazione Querini Stampalia isn't far from there - he made numerous adaptations to the build over decades so its a sort of lifetime catalogue of his work.
Further afield from Venice near Treviso a tomb he build for the Brion family that was used recently as a set for Dune. Scarpa arranged to be buried there himself, upright, with a little funnel carved into the gravestone so you can share a bottle of wine with him
It was quite an interesting quest - becuase you were tracking down buildings that aren't necessarily on the tourist trail it motivated routes through city to destinations you might not otherwise reach. But also because his work on the outside of these historic buildings is very subtle you end up looking at everything harder becuase you're looking for clues
Obviously, gelato for second breakfast every day
Go out to the cemetery. Nice vaporetto ride and a fascinating, calm couple of hours.
Do a food tour. I was skeptical. The ones we’ve been on have been enjoyable.
go to the Lido? Too early for the film festival, but a different vibe from regular Venice as there are cars and buses! Watch out!
you’ve been to the lace museum on Burano? And trawled all the glass makers on Murano? Had lunch on Torcello at Locanda Cipriani?
Don't recommend hiring a car!
Eat and drink in the student areas. Don't fly Ryanair because you will land in Istanbul and get a slow bus into Venice.
bring warm clothes
random bars + chicchetti (lots of suggestions to google)
Eat Cornetto.
I would say staying in Venice is a must, it’s much nicer outside of peak hours with few people, which are easier to see when you stay in the place.
We stayed in Mestre at one of the big chain hotels. Speaking to other people staying in Venice itself I think we made the right decision. They all seemed to complain that their accommodations were old / grubby / tired / massively overpriced / difficult to get to etc. Whereas we'd rocked up on a train at 240kmh, walked 10minutes to the hotel which was spotless as you'd expect, and were paying £60/nigh.
The bus then took 13minutes into Venice and ran later than we had the energy to use it so you can still hang around the bars until closing time long after the cruise ships are gone.
Do:
Get a vaporetto / public transport pass, makes getting round a breeze. Neither of us were convinced to pay £90 for a gondola ride.
The museums, although I don't think the museum pass was worthwhile unless you're there long enough to get bored and want to do lots of them at a leisurely pace. Italy doesn't really seem to do museums like the UK does. There's zero interpretation of the exhibits, just room after room of 2000 year old sculptures, renaissance paintings, etc with a brief subject, artist, date tag.. But unless you go in with some knowledge you won't have a clue what's going on. So if you want to go to the archeology museum, read up on a bit of roman history, the gods, legends, etc Some museums had apps which made it it a bit better, but you need to be organized and download them in advance as some were silly (like 3GB and a convoluted sign-in process silly).
The Doges Palace and the dungeons
St Marcs Basilica (if only to gawk at the sheer amount of gold religion can accumulate),
Most churches in general
The glass museum,
Teatro de Fenice,
Have lunch in the Correr Museum (same building as the archeology) cafe, no more expensive than the average UK garden center, but if you go at a quiet time you'll get a window overlooking St Marks Square.
Restaurants just off the main tourist areas seemed best / best value. We only had 2 that were crap, lunch at a Pizzeria way away from the center on the last day that was worse than the average UK takeaway. And a cafe stop at quite a touristy spot where we got scammed with the prices doubling between the menu we were shown and the bill, £30 for 2 coffees and canoli Vs the ~£15 that would have been.
Don't:
Unless we missed it there doesn't seem to be anything on Lido, it's just a locals town.
Eat Cornetto.
Only one though
Not sure what has been put above, but I would suggest you going somewhere else in the daytime and go to Venice in the evening when it’s not so full of tourists
We spent more time on the surrounding islands in the daytime
Take wellies ?
There's a couple of good pubs with craft beer. Don't do what Mrs Vlad and I did and get side tracked in said bars and miss the last bus off the island...
Nothing. Make sure to take some time to sit, soak it all in with an aperol/espresso, do nothing and watch the world go by.
The two highlights from our 3 days there, which no-ones mentioned were -
The Peggy Guggenheim Museum - "the most important museum of European and American art of the twentieth century in Italy."
https://www.guggenheim-venice.it/en/
This Restaurant/Cafe in Murano - https://maps.app.goo.gl/NoxBvursy3UyMQ4S9
Get there early (like maybe midday?). It feeds locals first - full of labourers as well as old couples - excellent unpretentious food, absurdly good value. They significantly undercharged me when we went by c12Euro or so. I went back and told them and got them to add it up again and they still didn't charge me enough.
Don’t recommend hiring a car!
I've driven on to Venice and parked, just because you can! The hugh cost of parking I'd only do it if time is at a premium... Venice is one of those places that is what it is cracked up to be, just wandering round is great. When visiting somewhere new I like to get high, so I enjoyed the St Mark's Campanile (bell tower) visiting other islands like Murano and Burano is worthwhile too just get the public ferry.
Gondola rides are €90 for (I think) 45min. I didn’t do, but will on my next visit.
I think that's what we paid - expensive, but it was our wedding anniversary so...
Another vote for the Guggenheim museum. There was a nice restaurant just down the "road" from there, too.
But yeah, the main thing I enjoyed was just wandering around, stopping at a bar for a beer or an Aperol, and enjoying the sights. We went in February, and while it was cold it didn't smell (which apparently it does in summer) and while busy it wasn't overwhelming. It's an amazing place, enjoy!
Went a couple of years ago and loved it. We just seemed to walk and walk and get lost then find where we were and walk some more. We went in October and had blue sky days everyday and it wasn’t daft busy. Did all the tourist stuff too. Our hotel reception tipped us off and we found a lovely cafe right on the waters edge on the “sea side” of the spit of land the Guggenheim is on. Sunset was perfect for a sharp beer and complimentary (and they indeed were) crisps.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hXLcrsmEvRQn15PHA
This is where we stayed. Not special but totally ok. Staying in the middle makes an afternoon nap much easier ?
Oh, for the water bus pass, I suggest buying the physical ticket at a real desk. I bought one online and the QR code didn't ever work.
If the cafe is still there you can sit under Accademia bridge watching the comings and goings along Grand Canal at Bar Foscarini
One of my favourite memories was the walk out of Venice to the transport hub place. Not because I was excited to leave but because following the numerous signs, getting lost up the small streets and seeing parts of the more normal/quieter side of Venice was really nice. It was a bloody great walk. Really glad I didn't take the water bus thing like my parents did as wouldn't have seen all that.
Day ticket on ferry boat for sunrise to sunset trip around Burano, Murano & Torcello ?
Guggenheim is good.
Lunchtime Cicchetti & a spritz or two at one of the relatively cheap Venice cafes, though be aware that these generally close mid-afternoon.
Get up really early and watch all the deliveries being made to the hotels and restaurants by boat. Just wander and find all the places where people actually live.
We blew our gondola money on a private boat transfer from the airport with a detour up the grand canal which was spendy but worth it. However, we then did a €3 gondola ride across the very eastern end of the Grand Canal where you pile on with a few others.
Get up really early and watch all the deliveries being made to the hotels and restaurants by boat.
Yeah, that was fascinating - seeing how the usual land vehicles have aquatic equivalents. Even the bin lorry 🙂
Get a bus pass and pootle about the different islands around the lagoon.
BillMC - any chance of a copy of that map and commentary? I travel to the region for work and occasionally get a few hours to wander. A more targeted wander would be good!
Murano and Burrano were well worth a visit, I liked lido, and trattoria andri on lido was possibly the best Italian food I've ever had...
But one of my favourite bits was just sitting in the square outside the apartment we'd hired, and having a lazy machiato and pastry for breakfast while watching the world go by
Eat Cornetto.
Only one though
Never heard of a Cornetto. How's its taste?
We’ve been and found out when we got back that the Biennial Gardens are meant to be well worth a visit.
Thread bookmarked
we went on a guided canoe trip with these people from one of the rowing clubs and really enjoyed it. You visit some of the smaller and quieter canals away from the crowds. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionProductReview-g187870-d27183635-Venice_Beginner_s_Kayak_Tour_train_visit_the_Medieval_Arsenal-Venice_Veneto.html
Take the water bus to Murano but stop off at St Michele and wander around the graveyard - another interesting place to escape from the crowds.
It's one of those places that rewards the wanderer. The only thing I'd avoid is the walking route between the train/bus interchanges and San Marco via the Rialto bridge. I don't know how bad it would be off-season, but it just seems to be a corridor of nose-to-tail traffic and tat shops. Getting a few streets away from it or hopping on the vaporetto for a few stops normally gives you quieter streets, bars and restaurants.
Murano, Guggenheim and wandering.
Had one of the worst meals I've ever eaten in Venice. Actually it was my wife's but I had to eat it...
If you go again. Venice is very much associated with orienteering
The race is usually in November
Had one of the worst meals I’ve ever eaten in Venice.
Went to a backstreet bar. Got a microwaved lasagne in a paper tray. ? My Turinese coworker said "yeah, all Italians know the food in Venice is crap..."
On the strength of this thread you've inspired Mrs Zips 60th birthday present.
We are going here..
Monaco Hotel
P.za San Marco, 1332/1238, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy
Can we get a boat directly there from the airport?
Will I need to book tickets for the Guggenheim Museum?
We are going start of May.
Can confirm that the restaurant food offerings were both pretty poor and expensive, other than the cafes.