To ask where to go in Venice...today!

[DontLickTheCat]

Posting for traffic

Off to Venice later today for a much needed long weekend. Where should we visit or avoid?

So depends on your personal likes etc but I love the Isola San Michele - the cemetery island. Beautiful and very interesting. Or get the vaporetto over to the Lido - way cheaper than Venice central and a beautiful beach to stroll along. We had the best lunch there for easily half the price of Venice.

Libreria Acqua Alta
Dal Moro's
Gondola ride (expensive but it's Venice!)- don't get on at the main canal- more atmosphere on the 'little' canals

Definitely go to Murano and Burano

Can’t remember the exact name but just on the other side of the Jewish quarters is a gorgeous park with a lovely cafe, it’s on the water

Visit some of the beautiful side streets that are much less crowded. Burano Is lovely but a bit out from the centre. Well worth a visit though.
If you are doing a gondola ride avoid grand canal as it is so busy. Choose a quieter spot to explore instead.
Get a waterbus to the places at random. It's all lovely.
Spend as little time as possible around st Mark's. It's too busy to enjoy.

Venice is brilliant.

Try and get on a free walking tour, we have done them in loads of cities and they have been great. You usually have to book onto them, and there's no charge but you just tip them what you think it's worth. You'll get a really good overview of the city and learn a lot more about the history than you would wandering on your own.
www.venicefreetours.com/venice-free-tour-english/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=free%20walking%20tour%20venice&utm_content=250711472079&utm_campaign=Eng-Venice-Hot&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=free%20walking%20tour%20venice&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItoPmnbGU3gIVx53tCh2zrg4AEAAYAiAAEgLHk_D_BwE

As above get the water bus round the islands Burano and Murano are amazing beautiful coloured houses

Peggy Guggenheim museum - small but perfectly formed - and has some nice places for lunch nearby. It has a little garden.

I really liked Ca'Pesaro too.

We just loved walking around. Sat on the steps by the water outside St Marks watching the boats coming and going for ages. Same by Rialto bridge. Also the view from the top of the tower is amazing.

We got a bargain gondola ride when walking round the backstreets when business was slow

Venezia Autentica

Haven't you done any research yourself? If not, yes, you are unreasonable to expect Mumsnetters to do it for you. There are plenty of resources online to tell you what to see.

Walk, walk, walk. Explore the edges as they'll be less busy. Do St Mark's Square early in the morning or evening to avoid the hordes of daytrippers. Take a vaparetto up/down the Grand Canal.

The pretty little opera house where Verdi wrote La Traviata. Also just wander and avoid the tourist traps. I love Venice! Goldola ride is a must.

If you only have one day it depends how crowded it is.

V crowded - take the vaporetto out to Burano and Torcello. Skip Murano which is a horrible hellhole of Chinese made yukky glassware and also often heaving with tourists.

Burano is beautiful for a wander. Have lunch at a restaurant, ideally risotto di go. Then on to Torcello for the beautiful mosaic church.

Less crowded - wander around San Marco, go into San Zaccaria for the stunning Bellini altarpiece, futher along to the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni which is prob the least visited Scuola but the most accessible - beautiful paintings by Carpaccio of St George and the Dragon.

Another vote for getting the waterbus to Murano and Burano. Peggy Guggenheim museum too!

www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/venice-itinerary

www.timeout.com/venice/things-to-do/best-attractions-in-venice

www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/veneto/venice/articles/36-hours-in-venice/

Get a vaporetto pass. Much cheaper and you can just pop on off when you are tired. Islands are great. Peggy Guggenheim is great. I like the Ca d'Oro. I also like the very bottom of the island as a breather. There is a great cafe in the park in a garden centre if I remember correctly...

If you can take a vaporetto at dusk and watch the sun go down.

Go to Al Merca for a wee sandwich and a wine during the day, it's heaven. Next to the Rialto market, it's great for people watching. Cafe del Doge nearby is amazing as well, the coffee is brilliant. Agree with anyone who says get off the beaten track and wander. Up in Cannareggio there's a wee place called Bar Puppa that does drinks and a couple of pasta options for tea, really reasonable just can be timings on if you get a table as its teeny.

For sightseeing I love the Arsenale, it's massive and there's sometimes art shows on in the old warehouses. I loved the Doge's Palace too. Scuola San Rocco is incredible if you're into art, lots of bumping into each other while wandering around with mirrors. If you don't have a lot of time though it's worth picking one of the walks in the guidebooks and following as it'll cover more.

You'll have a lovely time, just wander and let it wash over you. And don't sit down for coffee in St Marks Square!

The Campanile about half a hour before sunset. The Doges palace. Burano island.

Al Portego is a lovely little seafood restaurant. Tiziano is a nice cafe on the main route between the train strain and st marks. Both are reasonably priced, especially the wine. No hidden extra charges.

Row Venice do lessons, though in a Batela rather than a gondola but they're similar.

Have fun!

If you go for a walk around just after breakfast it is so quiet, even the square, Rialto bridge etc. I also recommend Burano and a Bellini from Harry's, where they were first invented.

Thank you for your suggestions everyone. Really helpful! We are here for four days, so will try to do them all!

Plexi one of the reasons this break is so very needed is that I haven't had time to do anything as relaxing as googling things to do in Venice. Don't be such an arse!

There is a department store near Rialto bridge which has a viewing platform at the top, it’s free, but you do have to book when busy. Stunning, and in my opinion better than tower. As others have said, walk, stop for coffee, walk, stop for gelato then jump on a vaporetto! Even if you tick nothing off this to do lost you will come back refreshed