Venice day trip?

[cheesenpickle]

Im off to Lake Garda this week, i have organised a day trip to Milan and Verona ( we are actually staying overnight as going to the opera and getting last train back would have been too tight). Husband thinks we should continue to Venice and spend day there. Im torn as think its too short a time and will be really busy , he thinks its so close we should. Going with 15 yr old son. Thoughts? If we did go what are hi lights given only there for the day?

I stayed close to Venice so did a day trip, for me more than a day would have been boring, a day is plenty

One day as a trip from Lake Garda was perfect. Avoid the main square for food and drinks and do go on a gondola.

We did an organised day trip to Venice when we were staying at Lake Garda. It was horrendously hot but it’s one of those places that when you see it in pictures or tv we are excited to think that we have been there!

We did a boat trip round the islands. We had young DS with us so did some walking round some of the quieter streets and didn’t go into any of the buildings, just saw them from the outside

Don’t sit on the steps in St Mark’s Square if you go

We’re going to Garda in two weeks. We’re doing a day trip to Verona but not Venice. It’ll be too hot, too crowded. There’s more day trips we want to do around the lake. My reasoning is if you want to go to Venice, do it properly out of season on a city break. I went with my parents when I was about 13. I remember watching a woman faint in St Mark’s square from the top of the cathedral. Was today looking at Verona opera. Are you seeing Aida?

Thanks for suggestions. @LittleMonks11 , thats why im torn but husband thinks teen in a few years wont want to do hols with us so we should go. . Have you got any suggestions for other trips aside the day trips i havent organised anything else. We are actually seeing vivaldi 4 seasons there rather than opera we thought son would prefer.

I did a day trip from lake Garda. Perfectly doable.

The lovely thing about Venice for a day trip is that you don’t have to search around for its charms, and they aren’t dependent on having pre-booked tickets to an art gallery or museum or whatever. Once you come out of the railway station, there you are — a beautiful, eccentric, sinking city where the streets are canals and the light is gorgeous, even when it’s hot and crowded. Even if all you did while you were there was take a vaporetto down the Grand Canal and across the lagoon to the Lido and back, that would be worth it.

were looking to visit Malcesine, Bardolino, Sirmione, Gardaland, maybe one of the other lakes (we have a car), Verona, Riva if time, Limone. Do some watersports, maybe hire bikes. Also have chill time at the pool.

But - if my hubbie and child really wanted to go then we would go. It’s everyone’s holiday.

Here for tips - currently at Union Lido Mare, thinking of taking a day trip to Venice with DD 15. It’s 🥵 though

@WithoutABlush thanks lovely suggestion.
@LittleMonks11 will have a look, we havent got a car planning to do trains/ ferries. Teen doesnt mind.

I think you can get ferries to all those spots except Gardaland of course. Where are you based?

We stayed two days in Verona, five in Lake Garda, two in Venice and flew home from there. Loved all three. Especially loved Venice when the day crowds were gone, would have hated to try and see it in one day. It was hot and we could take our time. Definitely worth a visit though.

@LittleMonks11 Desenzano.
@DemonsandMosquitoes sounds good we havent done it like that as teen has complained when we have done trips like that too rushed ie too many mornings having to get up before lunchtime!

You can get a train to Gardaland from Desenzano. Did it with dc on a school trip. Easy enough.

We also took them to Venice on the train. This was early June and hot! We did the no1 Vaporetto from the station all the way to St Marks square. It stops everywhere but it’s good value. A gondola is very expensive. A traghetto crossing of the Grand Canal is more fun and cheap! Just wandering back to the station fills quite a lot of time. Stop off for lunch and go into a church or two for great paintings and atmosphere. Or just get on the no 1 for the return. I’d avoid the hot spots like Rialto but it’s a shame not to see it.

We went to Florence for May Half Term & did a day trip to Venice on the train.
I’d recommend avoiding the main bits as it’ll be too crowded & hot but there’s lot to see in the quieter parts of Venice.
we got the vaporetto from outside the train station down the Grand Canal (you go under the Rialto Bridge), & got off at Accademia. We wandered through Dorsoduro to a sandwich shop called 60/40 & we ate them in front of the Basilica del Santissimo Redentore with a view across the canal to St Mark’s. We got the traghetto (a large gondola that cost €3 each) across the canal & walked to St Mark’s so everyone could see it & the Bridge of Sighs. We then walked up through Castello, visited the supermarket in a theatre (Despar Teatro Italia) & had an early dinner at Osteria Pan e Ogio.
I really wanted to visit Scala Contarini del Bovolo.
I’ve been the Basilica & Doge’s Palace before.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner @APurpleSquirrel thanks for the suggestions i will have a look tommorrow. I like to have a bit of a plan when i get to places .

Check which days you need to pay the day visitor tax if you visit Venice. When I was at Lake Garda at the beginning of July it was due on Friday, Sat and Sun, but not on other days (I think, I may not be 100% correct on the days).

other good places to visit are Padua (Padova) and Vicenza, both possible on the train from Lake Garda.

The Scala (Palazzo) Contarini del Bovolo was a wreck when I first went to Venice. It’s so iconic and a bit of fun to find. Now, having been renovated, it’s wonderful. The Guggenheim is a quiet view of the Grand Canal too and a bit of an antidote to Renaissance art.

I wouldn’t drive around Garda. All the little towns around the lake have good ferry service.

Venice will be hot and crowded but… it’s Venice! You have to visit.

We did that from Lake Garda (Pescheria rail station) with our kids when our youngest was a toddler and it was absolutely fine. Maybe not the best place for a toddler with a buggy but it was fine and good to see Venice. Without that toddler admin it would be perfectly doable and very enjoyable. We really enjoyed walking around the narrow streets looking in all the mask and glass shops and the best bit was the water taxi ride back to Santa Lucia station from St Mark’s Square, you see so much from the water.

We were considering a day trip to Venice but decided that actually we would book a short break in winter instead and I am glad that we did as it was wonderful.

If you don't plan to go there for a longer trip at any point then go but if you can do a sort break instead it is so much better.