VENICE travel GUIDE: Itinerary, Budget, things to Do

planning a trip to VENICE, ITALY? Here’s our newest diy VENICE travel guide blog with suggestions on essential traveler spots, trip recommendations, and hotel recommendations. It also comes with a sample diy VENICE schedule with breakdown of expenses to help you do your budget.

It was just like how I imagined it in my dreams. I was riding the gondola as we navigated the elaborate canals, gliding in between historic buildings, and passing under postcard-worthy bridges. practically exactly in my dreams. The difference is: I wasn’t just riding the boat, I was rowing it.

I wasn’t too thrilled to visit Venice in the beginning. numerous of my friends who had been here shared stories of disappointment. They cited that the gondola ride was not short and sweet, it was just short. They said they walked on makeshift boardwalks because the actual ground was below sea level. They said meals were expensive. They said it was too crowded.

The Venice we found was nothing like it. We could walk on dry ground. It wasn’t too crowded. We didn’t have to deal with sketchy gondola rides because we registered for a 2-hour rowing class instead. We were able to find cheap and good food places, thanks to the recommendations of our local rowing instructor. Either our timing was great or we just had luck on our side! thank you, Universe!

WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?

Understanding Venice
Best Time to visit Venice
How to get to VeniceFlorence to Venice
Milan to Venice
Rome to Venice
Other European Cities to Venice
Manila to Venice
Venice airport to City Center

How to get around Venice
Things to do in VeniceVenice Gondola Ride
Rowing in Venice
Venice walking Tour
Doge’s palace Tour
St. Mark’s Basilica Tour
Murano, Burano, and Torcello Islands Tour
Venice Food and red wine Tour
Other places to visit in Venice

Where to stay in VeniceTop budget hotels in Venice
Top Venice Hostel Dorms

Sample Venice Itinerary
More Venice suggestions for the poor Traveler
Frequently Asked QuestionsDo we need a visa to visit Venice?
What is tipping policy in Venice?
Is tap water safe to drink in Venice?
What is the best bag to use when traveling to Venice?

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Understanding Venice

There was a time when Venice was the most powerful city in the world. Venice is located in Northeastern Italy, facing the Adriatic Sea, which is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean. It was an independent republic from the 8th to 18th century and was nicknamed La Serenissima, short for many peaceful Republic of Venice.

At the time, Venice was home to incredibly rich merchants, whose influence reaches the far ends of Europe. They make up the city-state’s ruling class, including the members of the great Council, who elected their ruler — the Doge. At its peak, Venice’s wealth and power rivaled the Byzantine Empire, whose capital Constantinople (now Istanbul) was sacked by the Crusaders and Venetian forces in 1204. some of the loots were sent back to Venice. The horses that adorn St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice were originally from the Hippodrome of Constantinople. This golden era as well as its many tragic periods — like the afflict — are highlighted in any trip of the city.

Today, the Metropolitan City of Venice is the capital of Italy’s Veneto region. It spans a part of the Italian mainland and the 118 islands in the shallow Venetian lagoons that make up an area called “Sestieri.” The Sestieri is composed of San Marco (the epicenter of touristic activities in the city), Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, and Santa Croce. These 118 islands are separated by canals and connected by 400 bridges.

Venice continues to sink at the rate of 1-2mm per annum. and yes, some days, the ground is covered by seawater, which makes it required for makeshift boardwalks. here are other things you might need to know:

Language: Italian. many signs have English translations.

Currency: Euro (EUR, €). €1 is roughly $1.17, SGD 1.6, PHP 62.5 (as of July 2018).

Modes of payment: numerous establishments accept credit report cards, but many still choose cash.

Electricity Info: 230 volts, 50 Hz. common sockets are type F, which also accept plugs that have two round pins (C and E).

Best Time to visit Venice

Any day but summer and holidays! Venice looks great year-round, but the summer months of June to August can be too much in terms of heat and crowdedness. Venice is one of those destinations where trip experience can be greatly affected by the size of the crowd. So avoid the summer and holidays like Easter.

All things considered, the take on seasons of April-May and late September-November seem to be the most ideal time. April-May is still a bit cool but sunshine comes aplenty, making sightseeing much more pleasant. Late September-November is great too. Not numerous tourists, but don’t expect clear skies. We went to in late October-early November and yes, it was cloudy all the way, but the city didn’t seem like it would sink because of the size of the crowds. We had a fantastic time.

Winter is said to be a good time to visit too. Venice in winter season is cold, with a light dusting of snow. but it is when the locals reclaim their city from tourists. If you want to see the most “authentic” Venice, this is the best time. numerous establishments are closed, but many attractions remain open, albeit with shorter operating hours.

Another thing to consider is the so-called “acqua alta,” literally “high water.” It’s when the sea level goes above the ground, flooding the low parts of the city. It happens on some days from September to April due to numerous factors. It DOESN’T happen every day, but late November-December seems to be many prone to it. It gets worse over time. built on water, Venice is particularly susceptible to climate change. It’s inconvenient but it’s still very possible to delight in the city.

The carnival of Venice happens every year, from Shrove Tuesday (aka Martedì Grasso or Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday. It typically falls in February or March.

How to get to Venice

Venice is served by Venice Marco Polo Airport, an international airport that is linked to Dubai, Doha, Seoul, Tel Aviv, and several European cities including Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, and London.

Aside from the airport, another gateway to the city is the Venezia Santa Lucia train station, which is the terminal on the islands. Do not confuse it with Venezia Mestre Station, which is on the mainland.

If you’re taking the train, you have two high-speed options: the state-owned Trenitalia and the privately owned Italo. Both use dynamic pricing (much like airlines). This implies that fares are not fixed. They change over time. Hence, it is best to book in advance. If you don’t have fixed plans yet, you can book on the same day, but expect to pay much more for your seat.

Usually, the most affordable fares are at €14.90 for Italo and €19.90 for Trenitalia. but according to Danny, one of our readers who recently traveled in Italy, Italo’s fare for some routes (like Milan-Venice) can go as low as €9.90 if you book way in advance.

Florence to Venice

The fastest way to get to Venice from Florence is by taking high velocity trains. Trenitalia’s high-speed train plying this route is called Frecciarossa. several of these high-speed trains leave Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station (S.M. Novella) for Venice Santa Lucia station per day, from 8:30am to 9:30pm. Italo trains are available from 7:54am to 7:54pm.

Travel time: 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Fares start at €14.90.

Cheaper trains are also available but they can take as long as 4 hours and 45 minutes. Some involve one or two transfers, typically in Prato, Bologna, or both.

Milan to Venice

Trenitalia high-speed trains (Frecciarossa) are available as early as 6:45am until 8:45pm, while Italo trains 6:34am until 6:37pm.. These are direct trains, no transfers involved.

Travel time: 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Fares start at €9.90.

Rome to Venice

From Rome, high speed trains take 3 hours and 45 minutes. It’s typically either Frecciargento or Frecciarossa (Trenitalia). first high-speed train departs Roma Termini station at 5:35am, last train at 7:50pm. There are numerous other trains available, but they take double the time, longer than 6 hours. Those that involve transfers, typically in Bologna and Falconara Marritima, take as long as 11 hours. So yep, take the high-speed trains.

Italo operates up to 8 trains from Roma Termini to Venezia Sta. Lucia from 6:15am to 6:15pm.

Travel time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Fares start at €19.90.

Other European Cities to Venice

If you’re coming from other cities in Europe, the fast and cheap option is typically flying. Intercity flights within Europe are surprisingly cheap and they will save you a lot of time.

However, there are also trains available coming from outside Italy. There are day trains and overnight trains, depending on where you’re coming from. often they make stops in another Italian City, typically Turin.

Paris to Venice. The most affordable option is to travel by high-speed train to Turin (Travel time: 5h40; Fares from €29). Then, board an Italian train from Turin to Venice (Travel time: 3h35; Fares from €19.90). book the Italian train with Trenitalia.

Zurich to Venice. There used to be a direct EuroCity train from Zurich to Venice, departing Zurich at 09:09 every day and reaching Venice Santa Lucia at 03:40pm. but I’m not sure if it’s still operational. many of the journeys I find make a stop either in Milan or Munich.

Munich to Venice. There is a direct overnight train (NightJet) from Munich to Venice. The train departs Munich at 11:35pm and arrives in Venice at 8:24am the next day. travel time: 8h49. Fare: around €69. An alternative is to make transfers in Verona or Bologna, and then take an Italian train to Venice (Fare from €19.90).

Manila to Venice

There are no direct flights fromManila to Venice. The most affordable flights are provided by Qatar Airways and Asiana Airlines, which involve a stopover in Doha and Incheon (Seoul) respectively. Fare is typically around P37,000, complete with baggage allowance and meals.

If you plan on going on a bigger trip of Italy or Europe, you’ll find much lower fares if you fly to other cities instead: Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and even Rome are cheaper. From here, just visit other cities in your schedule until you make it to Venice. That’s what we did. We flew in through Paris, went to over a dozen cities including Venice before flying back to Manila from Rome, over 2 months later.

Venice airport to City Center

The many convenient and many problem-free way to get to the city center from Venice Marco Polo airport is by taking the ATVO Venezia Express. This is a privately-run direct, nonstop bus, ideal for tourists. It employs a reserved seating system and has a designated luggage compartment. Not to be confused with the regular bus, the ATVO Venezia express is typically blue or white and with ATVO in front. (Regular public buses are typically white-and-green or orange.)

The bus will take you straight to Piazzale Roma in the city center of Venice, in the islands. No stops.

Travel time: 25 minutes.
Fare: €8 one-way, €15 round-trip. For groups of 2-9 pax, fare per person is down to €7 one-way, €13 round-trip.

How to get around Venice

On foot! Venice’s unusual set up — divided by canals, connected by 400 small bridges — leaves it impossible for cars to guideline the streets, making it one of the greatest pedestrian cities in the world, if not the greatest. Venetian alleys are narrow, in some cases crooked, and on uneven grounds. walking is the way to go here. beyond Piazzale Roma, no cars or bicycles are allowed.

That’s not to say that walking does not have its challenges. first things first, Venice is huge. It’s made of 118 islands that make up 6 sestieri: San Marco, Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, and Santa Croce. think about that for a minute — 118 islands. Yes, these are small islands, but it’s a pretty big place.

You won’t notice it at first but getting from one point to another within the city can be exhausting. We realized it early on. When we arrived in Venice, we had an early morning rowing class, which was stationed on the other end of the city. We chose to travel on foot because we thought it would be a walk in the park. We were so wrong. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, yes? Well, in Venice, it’s not always possible to walk on a straight line because of the canals! What ought to be a short stroll can easily become a maze puzzle. You need to find the nearest bridge and there’s not always one nearby. No wonder the locals we met told us the city needs much more bridges!

Other than walking, here are your only options:

By water bus. Water buses are called vaporetti (singular, vaporetto), and they ferry passengers around Canal Grande, large canals, and nearby islands including Lido, Murano, and La Guidecca. The vaporetti cannot enter smaller canals. One-way journey costs €7. If you feel like you will have to take it multiple times, it’s best to get a travel card. A 24-hour card costs €20, 48-hour card €30, 72-hour card €40, 7-day card €60.

By water taxi. like land cabs, water taxis have no fixed route, so you can charter one to take you to your destination. The problem is, it’s very expensive. Fare for short distance starts at around €50. It’s pretty hefty. but it’s a good choice if you’re carrying luggage or part of a big group. A water taxi can carry up to 10 passengers. (7th+ person has additional fee.) Not all canals can be accessed by water taxis so coordinate with someone from your destination.

Things to do in Venice

Venice Gondola Ride

First things first: It’s very costly. but for many, a trip to Venice isn’t complete without going on a gondola cruise! The official day rates are €80 for 40 minutes, plus €40 every succeeding 20 minutes. I