Venice

[KeepCalm]

Where to stay?
What not to miss?

We have 4 childfree nights just DH & I so somewhere reasonably nice too please

Nobody been to Venice?

Venice is beautiful. A few things though. Do you like art? Because lots if the activities are about classical art and cathedrals and what not. The shops mostly sell touristy things like pasta, gondola shirts, olive oil and glass. You have to walk everywhere or get on a boat. There is no jumping in an Uber when you are tired! The food is nice, especially away from the main square. People are friendly. There are some lovely islands to visit and a lovely beach at the Lido.

I did like Venice but I was only there for a couple of days.

Go to the other islands. Also - get a guided tour around the Jewish ghetto which is amazing.

@ThisIsNotARealAvo we do a childfree trip each year and walk everywhere so that's not a problem. Looking forward to it.

@allegretto sounds ace. I haven't even decided where we are staying yet.

I've been about half a dozen times. Mainly out of season though.
I prefer to stay Canneregio and via Airbnb. There are some great walking books which help you explore. I recommend trying the Chichetti bars (venetian tapas). We mainly visit now for the atmosphere, there's nowhere quite like it.

I love Venice, it's one of my favourite places to visit. I tend to go April/May time, and have stayed near St Mark's square and near the station. I prefer near St mark's square.
Just wandering around Venice is magical, exploring the area and getting lost! There is a lot of music going on, both in St Mark's Square itself (best im the evenings with fewer crowds) and as concerts. There is a wonderful string group that plays in one of the churches.
There is nowhere quite like it and always somewhere to explore or sit and have a beer and watch the world go by.

We stayed at Hotel Panorama on the Lido. A nice hotel with a great buffet breakfast included. The standout for me was taking the boat to Torcello. I personally wouldn't go in season because of the crowds. February was perfect. Although we know people who have eaten well there we thought the food was expensive and poor quality. Next time we go I'm going to do some research on places to eat.

These are great thanks guys.

We go at the beginning of Dec so am hoping that's 'out of season' enough.

We've no choice when we go to be honest as we're constrained by both childcare and work. However at the same time the past few years have visited Amsterdam & Copenhagen and loved it each trip.

Having never been to Venice before, but love Italy, am very much looking forward to it.

Yes - tours round the islands - book online for cheaper prices. Burano is AMAZING!

I have used these people for tickets for tours and transport before - www.venicelink.com/en

Doges palace is supposed to be amazing. If you have a bit of a budget a stop in Florian's cafe on San Marco square and a cheeky bellini in Harry's Bar are clicked but huge amounts of fun.

Restaurants can be hit and miss, not great value. Google the cicchetti trail and do some of that, pizza is good and inexpensive pretty much everywhere in Italy so always a winner.

That looks ace @Underparmummy thank you

My not misses are dodges palace I loved it...

Lots of really old 14c wine bars and they served a sort of tapas
( chicceti?) so we ate in them too - I found these places amazing and made our trip, candle light, amazing atmos and food. Really really enjoyed the peggy gugenhiem ( sp) musuem and just wallking around, the only place I didnt enjoy was harrys bar because its tiny and everyone watches you when you walk in for your belleniQ!

We did a great 'secret tour' of the Doge's Palace. Loved it.

clicked = cliqued!

We did a great 'secret tour' of the Doge's Palace. Loved it.

I did that as well and found it to be really boring. It was as if it had been made up just for the sake of selling something, something without much in it.

OP, there's quite a few threads on Venice that will also give you ideas to consider but one thing I always recommend is this

www.musicapalazzo.com/language/en/

Panda, sorry my post sounded snippy. It wasnt meant to be. I just found the tour boring for the most part though some of my favourites pictures and memories are of the cells at the end of the tour.

Loved Venice!

Can't remember the name of the area we stayed but it was out of the main tourist triangle in what was described as the 'student area'. Would recommend it - nowhere is far to walk and it's out of the craziness. You get more for your money so we had a lovely apartment overlooking one of the canals. Still stunning. Spent many happy hours just wandering around.

Are you flying? When you arrive there are different options to get to the city - I'd recommend the boat not the bus but don't bother getting a private one - the waterbus is way cheaper and takes you the same route anyway.

Very jealous! Have a lovely time.

Oh can I thread crash please? Any recs for places or areas to stay? We booked flights yesterday for September, is it still going to be mobbed/tourist central then?

Half the delight of Venice is wandering and getting lost.
If you like novels that are set where you ate staying, there is a Salley Vickery one, can't remember the name, something to do with an angel.... And Janette Wintetson s
The Passion is about several interweaving stories, one of which is set in Venice. Both very evocative.

I stayed at the Hotel Abbazia in Cannaregio earlier this year and liked it a lot.

It's close to the train station and Piazzale Roma (for the airport bus) so only a short distance to drag your suitcase. And also close to the vaparetto stops outside the train station from where (if I remember correctly) the number 1 goes all the way down the Grand Canal, stopping at all stops so takes quite a while, whereas the number 2 goes as far as the Rialto Bridge but doesn't call at all stops so is quicker. From the stops outside the station you can also take the 4.1 or 5.1 up the Cannaregio canal and round to Fondamente Nove to get a boat to the islands of Murano/Burano/Torcello. I loved Torcello (the furthest and most 'countryside' island) but I went in sunny weather - don't know what it's like in December!

Cannaregio is a nice area to explore, but frankly that applies to the whole of Venice. Just walk, walk, walk and walk some more! And try to visit different areas because you will notice differences between them.

Do you like museums and galleries? The Peggy Guggenheim has a good modern art collection and also a lovely terrace right on the Grand Canal. Definitely the Doges' Palace (and don't skip the prison cells). St Mark's Basilica (from the outside at least) to admire the mosaics. At the other end of St Mark's Square, directly opposite the Basilica, is the Museo Correr which has a swish-looking cafe on the first floor that looks out directly over St Mark's Square. The museum itself has an entrance fee but not the cafe.

You might want to check out high water (acqua alta) to see if flooding is likely when you'll be there.

And if you are in the Cannaregio area, look out for the Spar supermarket in the old theatre. It's on the Calle del Pistor which is the main thoroughfare from the train station to St Mark's square.

We stayed on the Lido and got off the water taxi somewhere different every morning. Meant we explored lots of different bits.

Definitely book the Secret Itinerary tour, its great. Stay on the main island, anywhere else will be a faff.

"Getting lost" is not optional, it'll happen many times per day!

The area immediately around St Marks square is very tourist tat, a short walk away and it's much nicer and quieter.

We did the secret itinerary tour the first time we went and the guide took us for a walk afterwards pointing out things that weren't in the guidebooks. Everytime we go back we try and find some of the squares but they all look so similar!

We go for new year and last year bought the museum pass which was great value at 24 euros link to buy tickets

Just remembered the Fondaco dei Tedeschi designer store near the rialto bridge has a viewing deck. You need a ticket but its a great place to get photos of the grand canal. We'd call in in the morning and get an afternoon or evening ticket and then do what we'd planned for the day.

To escape the crowds the Island of San Giorgio is lovely and you'll get a great view of St Marks Square from the top of the church.

Those are great tips thanks Notsoskinnyminny!

I still haven't booked a hotel yet - the bloody Euro is shocking and I've no clue anymore if it's going to improve