Venice or Florence in March?

[Pootles34]

DH and I are planning a much-anticipated mini break in Europe, late March, but we're struggling for where to go. We've decided we'd like somewhere a little bit warmer, probably Venice or Florence, and would really appreciate some advice!
I've always wanted to go to Venice, the only points putting me off are lots of tourists, and I would imagine it must be very expensive to eat out etc.? We aren't on a shoestring but equally certainly don't have limitless buget - maybe £100 a day or so?

I had hoped that if we stay in the centre perhaps it will be quieter on an evening once the day trippers have gone, am I kidding myself?!

I’d go for Venice, but just avoid the end of March as Easter is early next year. And you’re right, the city definitely feels emptier first thing in the morning and in the evenings. It’s magical at dusk.

Venice! And it'll be quieter then - as long as you avoid Easter. We stayed in Dorsoduro it was magical.

Venice, you can do it for less if you are happy to eat on the go from counter top bars/cafes. Definitely more peaceful in the morning and evening

Venice is special. Very. Indescribably so, no photos can do it justice.
just got back from 4 days there and am already looking to go again in March. Keep away from San Marco and you can eat quite economically.
how long are you looking to stay for ? One thing I would recommend is getting the vaporetto card for all of your stay. I bought it for 48 hrs and ended up buying another 24 hour one which cost me a lot more than a 72 hr one would have.

Depends on rain! Venice floods. Florence doesn’t. Venice is special and easy to navigate by walking if you position your hotel fairly centrally. Florence is also a fantastic city but no canal!

Both are brilliant out of peak season but I wouldn't assume the weather will be good - for that you might want to think about further south. You might need wellies in Venice but it is actually very atmospheric in the fog. I don't think there is much difference in terms of costs - just avoid the ultra touristy areas and think about making one meal a sandwich/pizza/other street food type thing.

I much preferred Venice but when we went in March we got snow so I wouldn't assume you will get warm weather. It was beautiful but cold. Quite magical to see in snow. If you want warmer weather would head further south - maybe Taormina in Sicily or Amalfi Coast.

Thank you so much for all your responses - really helpful. We're now looking at April, so hopefully a bit warmer - and I've realised there are no direct flights from the north of England, so this may sway us.... off to look at sky scanner some more! Possibly fly to Verona then get the train?

We're looking at 4 nights, so I didn't want to spend too much time travelling really.

Trains are very good there. You can also go into Pisa - Florence - Venice by train but might be pushing it for 4 nights - Pisa is 1 day and pre book leaning tower. You can also book flights into one place and out from another.

Venice but I am biased. I love March as it is quieter than April to be honest mind you I used to like late October and Early November and oh boy has it been wet -and windy but the barrier has been up so no wet feet for me - But tomorrow its not so there will be some big puddles in San Marco ! Venice is magical at any time ..and you can easily eat in that budget just stay off the beaten track and go for a hotel in say Cannaregio or DOrsoduro

Arrive by train - it’s magical. I will never ever forget that moment of walking out of the train station and seeing Venice in all its glory right in front of me.

April would be nicer. Arriving by train into Venice is actually a great way to arrive - you leave the modern station and it’s like another world. Don’t feel you have to stay in the Rialto/San Marco area, everywhere is walkable and if you keep away from the train station-Rialto Bridge-San Marco route during the day, and explore the other areas, you won’t be in the crowds. Second the PP, get the vaporetto pass. Don’t activate it until you need to use it as the clock starts from first use, so get the most out of your 72 hour pass. It’s lovely to walk/get lost and then be able to hop in the vaporetto. Also it covers the boat to the islands - Burano is about an hour I think so if you do one day going to there for a few hours, and you can stop in Murano on way back, it’s very good value. For a free panoramic view of the city with little hassle, book a slot on the rooftop terrace of a department store near Rialto Bridge - Galleria Tedeschi I think is the name. Book ahead of time. The Ghetto tour is interesting. Also we did Air Bnb - depending on budget, hotels can have very small rooms etc given the old buildings. Eating out is not that bad unless you go for high end restaurants- much the same prices as home for normal places. Bars have very cheap snacks - cicchetti; and there are lovely supermarkets.
It will be busy but a few steps off the main drag, it can be really quiet. You will wander around and find your own favourite spots. It’s a strange mix of mega-touristy, authentic Venice and crazy wealth. But all very beautiful and unique. I’ll stop now, before I start googling flights…

It's been some time since I went to Venice, but I thought Florence was a lovely, lovely city. We had 3 nights there and it was perfect - we walked for miles and miles, had a trip out to the monastery and ruins at Fiesole, and just generally soaked it all in. We didn't go to the Uffizi, but if art is your thing, I think you need to allow a good chunk of a day to go there. We did see David, and went to the DaVinci museum, which was really good.

No canals, granted, but there is a river, and amazing gardens etc on the 'other' side of the river. Including a fab hill to go up and watch the sunset - it was absolutely beautiful.

If you like wine, you could probably combine Florence with a trip to a vineyard locally for wine tasting - that's always worth doing in Italy.

We flew to Pisa and got the train straight to Florence- was really easy. I wouldn't bother with Pisa, personally. But you could maybe do it on your first/last day on the way to Florence.

We were in Venice in September and in the evening it was easy to find quiet, even deserted streets and very quiet restaurants once you left the very busy area around San Marco.

I was in Venice last week. It is very beautiful. I stayed at an amazing apartment about 6 mi Ute's walk from the Rialto bridge, that had a stunning marble shower room and the bedroom and living rooms were beautifully decorated in silk wallpaper. We ate out each evening for about £85 euros between me and DH. We bought croissants from a Coop 3 mins from the apartment and ate for breakfast. Send me a PM if you want link to accommodation.

Went to Venice in May for 4 nights - solid rain for 2 days, thick cloud for 1 , sunshine for 1. Knew it would be busy but was overwhelmed by the crowds. Really wanted to fall in love with Venice but it didn’t live up to expectations for me 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Went to Florence last October for 3 nights - warm weather everyday, was also very busy, especially the ponte vecchio area but didn’t seem quite as crowded as Venice. More compact than Venice and easier to navigate. It also felt more “Italian’ in terms of the people, Venice is really just tourists and foreign workers whereas lots of Italians visit Florence at the weekend.

Venice is lovely but you only need a day trip there to walk around it.

Florence is stunning and could keep you occupied for months!

I found both Venice and Florence were absolutely HEAVING with people (me included I suppose!). It put me off a bit trying to navigate the crowds and the queues for everything. Venice was particularly packed, and I felt I was was being carried along the narrow streets as it was impossible to stop, I had to keep going or be mowed over! Just a personal feeling, and I might be right out of step on that one. That was in February 22.

Anyway, for what it's worth I didn't stay in Venice itself - and maybe that would have made the experience better, i.e. to wander around when the day trippers had gone. Same in Florence. So I was one of those "day trippers" myself.

For Florence I stayed in Lucca - an absolutely charming town, I preferred it to Florence! And for Venice I stayed in Padova (Padua) another delightful spot. I took the train from Lucca to Florence, 1hr30, and from Padua to Venice - half an hour. Accommodation in both these places was hugely cheaper than either Venice or Florence itself BTW.