Happy Tuesday y’all! I’m finally sharing a FULL recap of our stay in Venice, Italy! Today’s Venice Italy Travel Guide covers activities we recommend, what to wear, where to eat, tips we leaned & more! There is even a Q&A on questions y’all asked on Instagram stories!
Logistics
Wellll our arrival to Venice didn’t go according to plan. So much so we lost an entire day. Venice was our first stop on our Italian adventure, and we were set to arrive Monday (6/3) around noon. Tyler & I hopped on our flight from Lexington to D.C., and caught our connection with no problem, until there was.
A major storm rolled into D.C. just as we were expecting to take off, delaying us 3 hours. We were already boarded on the plane mind you, so this made our 7 hour flight turn into a 10 hour flight. This wouldn’t have been that big of an issue, except we were flying into Brussels for a connection to Venice. 1st lesson of the trip:: the fewer connections the better. We had our layover padded with about 3.5 hours, but unfortunately right as we were getting off the plane (around 10am) in Brussels our connection was taking off. We’re bummed, and want to get to Venice ASAP. We had two options: wait around in the Brussels Airport for a 9pm flight to Venice or reroute through Frankfurt, Germany for a connecting flight getting us to Venice around 5pm. We opted for the connection so we could at least enjoy the evening in Venice. I thought our traveling bad luck was over, but I was sadly mistaken. When we landed in Germany we had sunny skies, but I think the storms from D.C. followed us because as soon as we were supposed to board the plane the heavens opened and a storm rolled in canceling all of the flights from Frankfurt for the next few hours.
We were exhausted, hungry, desperate & feeling like were never going to make it to Venice. Mind you my 30th birthday was the next day & I was hellbent on being in Venice on my birthday. There was no way we were going to make it to Venice that night, but we were determined to get as close as possible. Soooo we booked a bargain flight to Milan (that was supposed to depart around 7pm) in hopes to grab the next train to Venice. After hours of MORE delays, we finally take off around 10:30 & land in Milan around 11:30. We grabbed a hotel within walking distance to the train station to shower & catch a little bit of shut eye before the next morning.
We caught first train to Venice (around 6:30am) and FINALLY got to Venice around 9 am. HALLELUJAH! After nearly 48 hours of travel we were just so so happy to be there and celebrate my BIG 3-0.
Where to STAY
This hotel is located in the Santa Croce region of Venice, which is more laid back & off the beaten path. It was within a short walking distance from the train station, which was so convenient when we were lugging our bags over the multiple bridges. I will say while this was a pro for us, I think it had to do with the fact that our stay in Venice was just a few days. If you’re staying for more than that I would maybe consider somewhere more centrally located. We walked pretty much everywhere during our stay & being so far off the beaten path made for a long haul back to the hotel.
Our room was lovely, rather spacious, and the bathroom was so nice. Did I mention it had a comfy bed?! A comfortable bed was hard to come by at times during this trip. I loved that we had a view looking onto the Grand Canal, we were able to take in the city right from our room. I was comfortable, but the AC didn’t crank as hard as Tyler would have liked 😉
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at this hotel! The staff was super nice, and helped us in any way we asked.
Our 48 Hour Venice Itinerary
Day 1:: June 4
Once we FINALLY made it to Venice we were so excited to just get out & explore! When Tyler & I travel, if it’s feasible, we walk nearly everywhere. It is one of the best ways & our favorite way to see a city, and lucky for us, it’s one of the only ways to get around in Venice.
Tip:: Just wander around!
We hit the ground running & just wandered the entire first day, and it made for an incredible first day in Venice. Taking in the city, the canals, the views, etc, was so much fun. I am so glad we left this day open for whatever our hearts desired. For our first stop of the day we grabbed a glass of wine at Café Del Frari {Calle del Scaleter, 2564, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy}, we ordered the house white & it was so delicious!
We wandered over to the Rialto Bridge {Sestiere San Polo, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy}, and by that time we had worked up an appetite & wanted to grab some lunch with outdoor seating & a good view. Most restaurants like this can be a little bit of a tourist trap, but we found a gem looking over the Grand Canal. Ancora {Calle del Scaleter, 120, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy} was the perfect place for our first meal in Venice. The pasta was delicious & the caprese salad was to die for.
After lunch we walked over to T Fondaco {Rialto Bridge, Ramo del Fontego dei Tedeschi, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy} to browse their shops & check out the rooftop. You have to reserve a time to go on the rooftop, but it is free & gives you a great view of the city. While we waited for our time slot we met the coolest local who worked at the bar on the first level. We grabbed some champagne & an espresso (it was one of the best espressos we had of the trip) and refueled for more sight seeing & walking.
Wine: check, pasta: check, espresso: check, champagne: check! Now it was time for some gelato! I couldn’t resist getting a photo opp with some Suso {Calle della Bissa, 5453, 30124 San Marco, Venezia VE, Italy} gelato. The pistachio & caramel were to die for!
After our bellies for FULL we walked down to St. Mark’s Square {30100 Venezia VE} to take in the square. It was stunning, but like you would expect there were tourists everywhere. I am sure there are tours you can book to see more of this area, but we didn’t really want to take up our whole afternoon doing something touristy.
By this time it was late afternoon, so we started our walk back to our hotel, but we couldn’t resist stopping for some wine on the way. I forgot to save where we stopped on my Google Maps (tip:: I tried to remember to favorite all the places we went to on my Google Maps for future reference, it makes it easy having all of that info in one app too), but it was the cutest spot on the water. This is something we did daily throughout our trip & was one of my favorite things we would do. Tip: Order the house wine, it’s always good & cheap!
We napped & rallied for my 30th birthday dinner out. I had heard amazing things about Cip’s Club {Giudecca, 10, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy}, and wanted to experience it for myself for my 30th birthday dinner! This restaurant is part of the Belmond Hotel. The only way to get there from our hotel was by boat, and we hadn’t yet learned the public transit system. We kept seeing water taxis, so we asked the concierge to call us one to take us. Tip:: ask the price before booking or getting in a taxi of any sort. The boat ride over to the restaurant was stunning. The sun was setting & it was so romantic. It took about 15 minutes, and the price tag was STEEP. Looking back it was worth it, but was an unexpected splurge. I ordered a bellini & we were seated with the most amazing view of St. Mark’s Square. I honestly didn’t love what I ordered, but Tyler’s was yummy & the views & dessert were to die for.
That wrapped up day 1! We were beat & called it a night after dinner.
Day 2:: June 5
We took it easy early the next morning because we booked a food tour that day at 11am. The meeting point for the food tour was in an area we hadn’t explored yet, so we left the hotel about an hour & a half before hand to wander around, grab an espresso & take our time getting there. Tyler & I really didn’t want to do anything super touristy, so we thought a food tour would be a fun alternative!
Our food tour kicked off at 11am & wrapped around 2pm. We stopped at 6 places for cicchetti & wine. Cicchetti is a small snack served in Venetian bars. It was such a cool experience. Our guide, Claire, was a local & so lovely. She took us to places off the beaten (tourist) path, she was super knowledgable & shared some cool stories & history of the city. I was a little nervous about the tour because Tyler is a pretty picky eater, but she made sure at the beginning of the tour that there would be things he could eat at each stop. The group size was on the smaller size, there was 7 of us + our guide, which made it even more enjoyable. This tour was on the more expensive side, but gets incredible reviews for a reason. We would do this again in a heartbeat. I can’t recommend this enough!
After our tour we hightailed it to grab the ferry over to Burano & Murano. I really wanted to visit these islands, so we decided to squeeze it in this afternoon. Tip:: We took the 12 Line from one of the F.te Nove stops over there, and it was super easy & affordable. It stopped at Murano first, so we hopped off to take in the little island. They’re known for their glass blowing, and there are SO many shops there that sell gorgeous glass blown pieces. That’s all there really is to the island though. We got us a little glass blown souvenir and made our way to Burano.
Burano is known for their lace making, as well as the colorful homes & store fronts that line the streets. It is too gorgeous for words. We wandered around, stopped for a glass of wine at Osteria Al Fureghin {Sestiere S. Martino Sinistra, 888, 30142 Burano, Venezia VE, Italy} & played tourists taking all of the pictures! All in all I am glad we ventured over there. I would have been disappointed had we not visited. It wasn’t Tyler’s favorite thing we did, but he was a good sport & didn’t mind visiting. I don’t think it would be worth doing a tour of those two islands unless you really want to see more about the glass blowing & lace making. It’s easy & cheaper to just do yourself.
By the time we made it back to the main island it was around 5:30 & it was going to be a long haul back to our hotel, so we decided to just stay out & about for the evening. We just took our time making it back to our favorite little café, Café Del Frari {Calle del Scaleter, 2564, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy} for more wine. We’re simple when we travel, we just want to wander around, eat good food & drink some great wine!
But we couldn’t let our time in Venice pass without a gondola ride! With time to kill before dinner we hopped in the first gondola we saw & had the sweetest ride throughout the canals. It is such a cool experience. Touristy? For sure. Worth it? 100%! You get to take the city in such a different way in a gondola. If you visit it is a must do!
To wrap up our last night in Venice we grabbed a late dinner at Trattoria Al Ponte Del Megio {Calle Larga Rosa, 1666, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy}. We really wanted to eat at Osteria La Zucca {San Croce, 1762, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy}, it was a recommendation for our waitress at a café, but it was completely booked & they weren’t taking walk ins. It looked so good! The place we ended up eating at was right around the corner from La Zucca, and we got to eat outside overlooking a little canal.
Post dinner we grabbed some gelato at Gelato di Natura {Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio, San Croce, 1628, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy} for our walk back to our hotel. When in Italy eat all of the gelato, right?! It was the perfect way to wrap up our last night in Venice.
Day 3:: June 6
We grabbed an mid morning train to Florence, so we spent the morning sleeping in & packing up for our next adventure!
My Thoughts on Venice
We truly loved this city. It captured our hearts in ways I didn’t expect. It is like no where else in the world, and you can almost feel the uniqueness of this place. There is beauty around ever corner, and so much character throughout the island. 1000% would recommend a trip & we would go back in a heartbeat.
Random Tidbits
- Private water taxis are EXPENSIVE.
- Seafood is prevalent in the cuisine here.
- Download the Venice on your Google Maps so you can access without using your data, we wouldn’t have been able to find our way around without our phone. Street signs are hard to come by.
- Go with the flow. Sometimes it was hard because we wanted to eat at X, but it was clear on the other side of the city, so we had to spare our legs & just find a spot nearby.
- Early June didn’t feel overly crowded with tourists (like Florence & Rome).
- Gondola rides run around 60-80 euros, and prices increase in the evening.
- Wear comfortable shoes! You are going to walk so much, so make sure you’re prepared.
Q&A
Q: Did you reserve the gondola ride ahead of time? What time did we ride?
A: We did not! It was something we felt like we had to do while we were there & I am super glad we did, but I didn’t want to plan my day around it. I’m honestly not even sure how to reserve one. We rode early evening. I am sure there are better times to take a ride, but one nice thing was that it didn’t feel too crowded when we took the ride.
Q: Did it feel safe enough to go with small kids?
A: We felt perfectly safe. There was one time when we were walking through a narrow alley when it was dark & I just had an eerie feeling, but other than that I never felt unsafe. I can’t speak for how it would be to take little kiddos, but I will say there was a 10ish year old on our food tour and her parents seemed perfectly comfortable her being there.
Q: What was your favorite part?
A: Oh gosh this is so hard! I loved so many things about our time in Venice. I think just walking around & taking everything in. Stopping for gelato or wine or espresso at cafés along the way!
Q: Was going to Murano/Burano worth it? Would you splurge on the boat ride?
A: I think so! Tyler might have a different opinion though. HA! We just took the local ferry over there, we didn’t rent a boat, and it was super affordable to do. I forget how much it was (sorry!). We took the 12 line from one of the F.te Nove stops over there. I loved exploring the 2 islands, & I would have been bummed had we not gone, but I don’t know if it is worth doing again if we go back if that makes sense?
Q: Is it worth visiting?
A: 1000%! It might have been my favorite place we visited during our trip. I would go back in a heart beat!
Q: Is it dirty?
A: I actually got this question a lot, and was so surprised the first time I read it. I didn’t think it was dirty (especially not compared to Rome!), at least not enough to catch my attention. We went right before their super busy season, and I am not sure how much rain they had had before we got there. Both of which I would assume make a difference in how dirty the city becomes.
Q: How did you travel to & from?
A: I touched base a little bit on this in the beginning of this post, but we were supposed to arrive via plane & leave via train, but due to our travel issues getting to Italy we trained there & left via train.
Q: What did you wear?
A: See all of my Italy outfits here!
Q: Did you use a travel agent?
A: Yes! She was great and planned such an incredible trip for us. If you’re interested in her info shoot me an email!
Q: What was your favorite place to shop?
A: Honestly we didn’t do much shopping here. When we made our way down towards St. Mark’s Square we popped into a few shops, but that was about it.
Q: Did it live up to the hype?
A: Oh yeah! But honestly, Venice was the place I had the least expectations about. It is such an incredible city, with the most character & charm I’ve ever seen. I 100% recommend visiting Venice.
Other Recommendations*
- Liberia Acqua Alta
- Osteria La Zucca : This was a recommendation from our local waitress at Café del Frari, and we were hoping to have dinner there our last night but it was completely booked! It looked amazing, so if you’re interested make a reservation.
- Trattoria Alla Maddonna
- Vino Vero
- Birraria La Corte
- Harry’s Bar
- Muro Frari
- La Bussola Cocktail Lab
- Enoteca Al Volto
- Osteria Enoteca San Marco
- De Pisis Restaurant
- Ristorante Al Chianti
- Ristorante Principessa
- Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti
*We received these recommendations from others, but could only fit in so much.
That’s a wrap! If you made to the end of this Venice Italy Travel Guide– thank you! haha! I know it was a long one, but I wanted to share as much info as possible about Venice! Stay tuned for more Italy Travel Guides from Florence, Cortona, Rome & Positano!
GIRL this is SO GOOD! Really appreciate you putting so much time and detail into this. Bookmarking for the future for sure!
xo Laura Leigh
http://www.louellareese.com
This was SO helpful! Definitely took notes and using a bunch of your recommendations for my Venice trip in September! PS your photos are so lovely, I’m so excited to take photos in Venice, all the colors are so beautiful!