Crossing Canals in the Floating City // Venice, Italy
Venice is known as one of the most romantic cities in the world, and at the height of quarantine (aka tourist-less), it probably was! The canal-connected city is so unique, with docks that serve as entrances, and water busses as the most common form of public transportation. Given the volume of people and goods moving through the city, it’s easy to see how Venice became one of the wealthiest cities in Europe during the Renaissance.
We really loved our recent week there.
How to Get There
The most convenient way to travel around Italy is on their high-speed trains. The stations are typically located in the city center, and the train rides are very comfortable, with strong AC and spacious seats and tables to work on. The train to Venice takes you straight to the city, and you can easily walk to any hotel from there, or catch a Vaporetto (Ferry) on the Grand Canal to your destination.
Arriving by plane is a bit more complicated, as there are several options for getting from the airport to Venice proper, and the costs vary greatly. Here’s a resource on it.
How to Get Around
To get around this canal-driven city, you can walk, take the Vaporetto, or call a water taxi.
The most common method of public transportation is the Vaporetto, also known as the water bus or ferry. These large boats carry hundreds of people at a time, but can have long lines at the peak of tourist season. There are many routes that run up and down the Grand Canal, and also Vaporettos that take you to other, neighboring islands. The boats weave back and forth across the grand canal, so if you miss your stop, make sure to either get off at the next stop and take a ferry going the other direction, or get off 2 stops later to walk back. The water busses also have multi-day tourist tickets, so definitely look into those if you plan to take them often.
Either way, you’ll end up spending a fair amount of time walking in Venice if you really want to explore. Walking can be a bit confusing because there are lots of dead ends where paths will hit a canal, and you may walk right up to water only to see a bridge to your right or to your left and not know how to get there. But getting lost in Venice is part of the appeal (often rated one of the top things to do).
If getting lost isn’t your thing, you can always call a water taxi. These beautiful Italian boats are much smaller than the ferries, so can go down the side canals, but they are much more expensive, easily costing €40 to €70 for a 5-15 minute ride.
And of course, there are gondolas, Venice’s most famous method of transportation. Stated rates for these wooden boats start at €80, singing is extra (we didn’t hear anyone sing), and it’s unclear whether they really honor these rates. This article has more information on it.
Where to Stay
The most touristy (and convenient for sight-seeing) area is San Marco, located to the southeast of Venice. Some of the city’s most expensive hotel stays are located there, with views of the south end of the Grand Canal (eg. The Gritti Palace, Aman Venice, The St. Regis Venice).
When we were looking for a place to stay, it was important to us to 1. have a view of the Grand Canal (the large backward S that runs through the city), though the smaller canals are also beautiful, and 2. have rooms that felt “Venetian” and not like a generic hotel. These two factors led us to decide between Ca' Bonfadini and Hotel Canal Grande, which we ultimately chose and loved. It’s much closer to the train station, to the northwest of the city, and was a quick walk across the bridge to get there.
I could rave about Hotel Canal Grande — their staff are so friendly and everyone knew us by the second day. They also welcomed us with champagne and surprised us later in the week with cake because it was our 2-year wedding anniversary. Staying here won’t disappoint.
Where to Eat
I’m writing another article on what to eat in various locations around Italy, but when in Venice, you must have seafood and an afternoon Aperol Spritz, also known as a Spritz Veneziano. Honestly though, the food in Venice was probably the worst we had in Italy. Streams of tourists with ready wallets in a romantic city with great views seem to have excused the restaurants in this area from producing high-caliber meals.
That said, the new hot restaurant in Venice is Glam Enrico Bartolini, Enrico Bartolini’s most recent brain child, and if we could have gotten a reservation, that’s where we would have gone. Otherwise, there are 4 other Michelin starred restaurants in the city, though we didn’t get to try them.
If you can’t go there, we would recommend dining at the restaurants of either The Gritti Palace (Club del Doge Restaurant), or The St. Regis (Gio's Restaurant & Terrace), where the food is decent, but it’s really about the view and ambience. Our meal at Gritti Palace’s Club del Doge was one of our most memorable of the trip.
What to Do
Venice is not very large, so seeing everything in a week is not difficult at all.
Travel by Water
When in Venice, travel by water. Whether that means taking the vaporetto, calling a water taxi, or floating along in a gondola, traveling by water is a quintessential Venetian thing to do.
Stroll Rialto Market
Wherever we go, markets are one of our favorite things to explore: they say so much about an area and what kind of produce or meats are freshly supplied. Venice’s Rialto Market is no different. It’s actually composed of two markets side by side: the fresh produce market, and the pescheria, or fish market. The area is bustling until around 1pm, and seagulls are everywhere, looking to scoop up fish remains.
Cross Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto)
Just south of Rialto Market is the Rialto Bridge, one of the most iconic bridges in the world. It’s beautiful, shop-lined, and carries you south to San Marco.
Admire St. Mark’s Square / St. Mark’s Basilica
The main tourist destination of Venice is St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), where you will find St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco), Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Campanile di San Marco, and the Bridge of Sighs.
You can spend a full day here, exploring the Basilica, going up the Campanile, and admiring Doge’s Palace (now a museum). The grandeur of Venice is featured everywhere in this square, and the architecture is just incredible.
Shop at T Fondaco Mall & See the Rooftop Terrace
Across the Rialto Bridge (a major landmark and must see), is T Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a high-end mall with an open interior and beautiful architecture. The highlight, though, is the 360° rooftop terrace. No one talks about this! The entrance is free, but tickets must be booked in advance, as only a limited number of people are allowed on the terrace at any given time.
Explore Art museums
The two most famous art museums in Venice are the Gallerie dell'Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, located in her former home and featuring her personal art collection.
Roam the Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto Ebraico di Venezia)
This neighborhood, also known as the Venetian Ghetto, was where the Jews of 1500s Venice were forced to live by decree of the Doge. It was one of the earliest instances of forced segregation, and the word “ghetto” is from the Venetian word “ghèto”, or foundry, because there was a foundry in this area of the city. The NYTimes wrote an interesting article on it here.
Visit Murano, Burano and Torcello
If you feel you’ve spent enough time in Venice and want to explore more, the surrounding islands also have a lot to offer. The most popular ones are Murano, Burano, and Torcello, known for their blown glass, lace & colorful houses, and history, respectively.
Getting to Murano is pretty easy. There are many glass-blowing companies that will shuttle you for free on a water taxi—we got one through our hotel. Just be prepared that they may really pressure you to buy from them once you’ve seen the glass-blowing demonstration. Alternatively, you can take the Vaporetto there and explore on your own—there are plenty of signs that say “free glass-blowing demonstration” when you get there. Beware though: almost everyone on the island takes a lunch break from around noon to around 2pm (very Venetian).
The glass there was really beautiful, with intricate designs, and the famous “Venetian murrine,” glass cane that is pieced together to create intricate patterns or added to other glass to decorate. There’s also a glass museum that’s worth a visit while you’re there.
From Murano, getting to Burano is just a hop onto the Vaporetto. The islands are all connected by water bus—just make sure to take the correct line going in the correct direction. Also make sure to check the timetables before you leave the station, as some lines only run every 30 minutes or so.
30 minutes away, fishing town Burano is very worth the visit, with its unique, brightly colored houses that line the streets and canals. Legend has it that the fishermen who lived here painted the houses different colors so they could make their way home (and distinguish their homes) when fog blanketed the lagoon. The town is so cute, and you can also buy lace and embroidery everywhere here. Like Murano, Burano has a lace museum for all your learning needs.
We didn’t make it to Torcello, which is only 5 minutes from Burano, but if you have time, that’s a stop that many recommend. There are also, of course, tours that will take you to all three of these islands, but it’s pretty easy to DIY.
And that’s it! If you’ve visited Venice before, or plan to go in the near future, would love to hear your thoughts!
