Venice
Sooner or later in life the time comes for everyone to make a trip to Venice. Venice must be seen, and on this everyone agrees.
So many cities have tried to appropriate its name by virtue of some similarity – the Venice of the north, the Venice of Asia, little Venice – but they are not even remotely comparable. Beware of imitations: there is only one Venice.
It is impossible to repeat the fortuitous and fortunate concatenation of historical events and territorial peculiarities that led to the Venice miracle: a city wrested from the waters of the sea and the lagoon, built through ingenuity and determination, born as a refuge against the barbarian invasions and become a power that dominated the Adriatic and the Aegean and reached as far as Asia.
Love it for what it is, with its contrasts, its struggle for survival, the challenges of overtourism and its high prices. These are hardships that Venetians have to deal with on a daily basis, but which they face without fear while living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Our guide to Venice wants you to discover it as you never thought you would. It contains tips and ideas for enjoying a stress-free holiday, a list of attractions suitable for a one-day visit and those for those with more time on their hands, the most beautiful islands where you can prolong the enchantment of the historic centre, the beaches closest to the centre, the best areas to sleep for those who want to stay in the heart of the city and the best areas for those looking for a quiet corner.
We will tell you about all the must-see attractions, such as the splendid St. Mark’s Square, the majestic Rialto Bridge, the fascinating Doge’s Palace and the most famous museums, but we will also take you to the cool of the gardens, let you photograph sunsets that steal the soul, make you fall in love with the lapping of the water that you will hear during a romantic gondola tour.
We will give you lots of useful information so that you can take home a wealth of wonderful memories, impossible to collect elsewhere. Because, remember, Venice only exists in Venice.
Being a city of art, rich in museums and events, Venice can be visited all year round. However, the best times to visit Venice are spring (excluding bridges) and the months between late summer and early autumn.
Summer coincides with the period of greatest tourist influx, even though the sultry heat and mosquitoes make a stay in the city less pleasant; the advantages of visiting Venice in this season are the longer days and the possibility of combining cultural visits with some relaxation by the sea.
Winter is the least recommended season because the risk of high water is greater and fog is quite frequent. The advantage is that outside the Christmas and New Year period one can find good offers for flights and hotels.
The most important events are Carnival (February/March), Festa del Redentore (July) and the Film Festival (September). These are wonderful occasions for unique experiences, but are best avoided if you don’t like confusion.
Venice is a city to visit at any time of the year, but on New Year’s Eve it becomes a destination not to be missed! Numerous events are organised in the city’s restaurants and clubs, the atmosphere is unique and then admiring the fireworks on New Year’s Eve that light up the city is a spectacle!
We have prepared for you the must-see activities and venues, events and traditions on the New Year’s Eve in Venice page.
On the peak tourist days, i.e. festivities, bridges and summer weekends in 2024 you will need to buy an entrance ticket, officially called an ‘access fee’, at a cost of EUR 5 per person. You can see all the information, exemptions and dates when the ticket is required, on the page dedicated to the Venice Access Fee.
Famous all over the world, the top attractions in Venice are concentrated along the walking route from the station to St Mark’s Square.
The first one that will appear before your eyes as you leave the train station is the Grand Canal, the waterway that bisects the centre of Venice and overlooked by the city’s most beautiful palazzi. Once stately homes, these historic buildings now house prestigious museums and luxury hotels.
The Grand Canal is crossed by four bridges. One of these is the iconic Rialto Bridge, one of the symbols of the city: this majestic covered stone bridge, richly ornamented, is beautiful to admire as a whole and is also a dream location for photos with a backdrop on the Grand Canal.
Once you have passed this marvel, you won’t have to wait long to see another one: the elaborate spires and Byzantine-style decorations of one of the most beautiful churches in the world, the splendid St Mark’s Basilica, await you. Two steps further on stands proudly the Doge’s Palace, or Palazzo dei Dogi, the historic seat of the Serenissima Republic.
The classic tour ends at the Bridge of Sighs, the beautiful covered bridge that joins the Doge’s Palace to the prisons of Venice: so beautiful that despite its gloomy function it has become an emblem of romance throughout the world. With a little extra time, a visit to Murano and Burano, the islands in the Venetian lagoon famous for their glass and lace-making traditions, is a must.
Although there are plenty of things to see in Venice, make time for a gondola ride. Cruising the canals in this elegant traditional boat, once used by nobles and intellectuals, is a magical experience: the best way to fully appreciate the uniqueness of a city built entirely on water.
The fastest, and often cheapest, way to get to Venice is to take a low-cost flight.
Venice Marco Polo airport is one of Italy’s three most important airports (along with Rome and Milan) and is connected with direct flights to over 70 Italian, European and even non-European destinations.
The passenger terminal is only 13 km from the city centre, which can be reached by bus, private water taxi or Alilaguna waterbuses.
Another very convenient way to reach Venice is by train. Located at the beginning of some of the most important national and international railway lines, the Venezia Santa Lucia station is served by a large number of regional, Intercity and high-speed trains that can easily travel in any direction.
Arriving by car is also very easy because Venice is located at the centre of a crucial motorway junction in the north-east, but due to the particular configuration of the city, land vehicles cannot circulate in the city centre.
This means you will have to leave your car in one of the car parks at the entrance to the historic centre, which are very expensive and almost always sold out, or in the nearby car parks in the Mestre area (in which case you will have to reach the centre by train or bus). In both cases it is strongly recommended to book parking in advance.
Sleeping in the historic centre of Venice is the recommended choice for those who want to fully experience the magic of this unique city: you can find hotels, b&b’s and flats of all categories in all the sestiere (districts of the centre).
Rooms with a view of the Grand Canal or in the immediate vicinity of San Marco or the Rialto Bridge are the most popular and consequently the most expensive; if you are looking for budget accommodation the best areas for you are Dorsoduro or Castello.
If you arrive by train and want a hotel close to the station look in Cannaregio (be careful though, it’s a very big neighbourhood!) or Santa Croce. If instead you are travelling by car you can look for your hotel near Piazzale Roma, the limit point beyond which cars cannot go.
Sleeping on the islands is a completely different experience, ideal for those who want to experience a more authentic Venice, far from mass tourism.
The hotels in Venice Mestre, on the mainland, cater mainly to a business clientele and are not recommended for couples on a romantic getaway. They make up for the lack of charm with good value for money and the convenience of being able to arrive by car.
Once in the centre of Venice you can only get around on foot or by boat. Even if you are a firm believer in walking, it is very likely that after a few hours up and down the bridges you will succumb to the temptation of the vaporetto, Venice’s water bus. The vaporetti also take you to the islands.
Vaporetto tickets are not cheap, so consider buying a city card that includes free use of public transport.
For more convenience or to get around more quickly, you can use water taxis, which are, however, even more expensive than the vaporetti.
The gondola ferries are special gondolas that only cross the Grand Canal: much used by Venetians and little by tourists, they are a quick and cheap way to get from one side of the canal to the other.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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