Venice

[Herr Tubthumper]

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm thinking of going to Venice for a short break with die Frau. As I don't have much time to do any research I thought I'd ask the NSC throng of travellers for the dos and donts.

I like to "see" places via their food and drink and people watching so tips in these areas, and areas to stay, will be appreciated. We're going to the Damien Hirst exhibition if it helps.

Expect a "where can I see the blah-blah game in Venice" thread and some "obviously abroad" posts to the craft beer thread nearer the time to remind you that I'm away.

Thank you in advance.

 

[smudge]

Do: Have a good wander, but ensure to have time to spare as you WILL get lost. This is the best way to discover a great local restaurant, which is a far cheaper option than anything near St Marks Square.

Don't: Eat or drink anywhere near St Marks Square.

I'm there this Wednesday & Thursday. Been there many times, but still expect to get lost again!

 

[aftershavedave]

guggenhem is worth a visit, small, nice cafe too

 

[spence]

Take lots and lots of money. you will need it

 

[Hampster Gull]

Stay at a place where you can get a water taxi straight from the airport to the canal entrance of your hotel, great way to start the break

 

[banjo]

Get away from the touristy bits to find places to eat and drink. You'll save a fortune. Oh you will get lost.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Stay at a place where you can get a water taxi straight from the airport to the canal entrance of your hotel, great way to start the break

This sounds excellent.

 

[Titanic]

Buy a coffee, hot chocolate or beer in St Mark's Square - and just sit and soak up the atmosphere!

 

[Titanic]

Water taxi is a good shout... if not from the airport, then out to the Lido, Burano and/or Murano.

 

[clapham_gull]

Went last year for the second tine and can give you a few tips. Back a bit later....

Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

As you are not there long its important to get a feel and the history of Venice.
So i would spend 1 day on a visit to The Doges Palace with a guide and a tour of the most important places in Venice with their history, it is seriously facinating.
Then I would spend 1 day just walking around the back canals and enjoy getting lost, just stopping off for lunch, a drink and dinner wherever you think fit on your wander but away from the main tourist areas.
But do not eat or drink or sit down and listen to the music in St Marks Square, walk through it and admire the architecture but keep moving along.
If one evening you want to do something a bit special, I stayed at The Europa y Regina hotel on the Grand Canal, fabulous bar and you can eat and drink on the floating pontoon and watch the boats and Gondolas go by, nice.
So much more to see and do but for a short stay you will leave at least having a feel for the place and its history.

 

[Yes Chef]

Stayed in Lido a few years back, which is a marginally cheaper and less visited area, but to be honest it's Venice and there are plenty of tourist traps. For a city made up of canals and islands it's actually one of the best places in Italy for just wandering around, and I suspect this is where you'll find your people watching spots and decent restaurants.
Prosecco is produced locally and if you go into a (neighbourhood) bar and order a couple of glasses you'll get a few small complimentary plates to accompany it, enough for a light lunch we've found.
The Italian craft beer scene is thriving, as I think we discussed on the middle aged thread ages ago, not sure about specific breweries to Venice but I enjoyed https://www.elavbrewery.com/en/ , I'm sure there will be something local, or a craft beer bar at the very least.
Italy is one of my favourite destinations, I'm going to nearby Padua in January, and desperately hoping the Chelsea match gets moved. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Venice is fantastic, as others have said, you will get lost but it helps you discover somewhere you'd have other wise missed. Everywhere is stunning to look at, we went in March and found it to be quite sunny, needed sun glasses for the squares but some of the alleyways are very shaded and can be a bit colder so you'll be taking your jacket on and off a lot. If you go between October and February then you might experience the floods they suffer from at that time of year.

I loved Cafe Florian on St Marks Sq but it's very expensive but worth it, the place is stunning and full of history and character. The food was fantastic, we went on local recommendations for our evening meals but just stopped where we fancied for lunch. We did a private water taxi tour down the Grand Canal, it was a great way to see the place from the water. Water taxis to and from the hotel make it a lot easier than getting off a water bus and trying to find your way to the hotel.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Go to La Fenice, get some culture. It's stunning.

 

[Napier's Knee]

This sounds excellent.

We stayed in a lovely hotel on Murano - sorry, can't remember the name but it was the only four star on the island - that had its own taxi to pick you up from the airport and took you straight to hotel. They also did a free service to and from Venice itself. A lot of the fun is the getting lost

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

As others have said, best way to enjoy Venice is to get lost. Wander around the little back streets and you'll find loads of interesting places. There are supermarkets buried in these back streets which, just to pick up a soft drink or bottle of water, will save you a fortune. Also little cafes at half the price of the main tourist areas. St Marks Square is beautiful but unless you really want to be ripped off, don't stop there for a drink or bite to eat.

Go to Murano for the glass but don't pay for a tour at the first factory you come to off the boat - there are plenty of free options.

Find somewhere good for gelato - the ice creams there are very good.

The water taxis can get very busy so check the prices and what your plans are to decide if a day ticket or single trips are best value for you. If you are only really going to use them to get to and from the other islands then single trips are better value.

For an experience you can get the traghetto over the main canal at San Toma where there are no bridges. It as a shared gondola that costs about €2 each and is the closest you get to a thrill ride there as this wobbly boat, usually run by an old man with his sleepy dog on the boat, traverses his way across all of the other canal traffic to the other side.

Even though it is fairly compact, unless you are there for quite a while you won't do it all so just stroll around, take it all in and enjoy yourself - you can always go back again.

 

[nicko31]

You can spend a fortune going to the toilet

 

[1901Phil]

Peggy Guggenheim Museum

Great museum. Lots of 20th century paintings and sculptures.

 

[bluenitsuj]

I recommend Cannaregio which is the Jewish area. We stayed there in an Airbnb property. Its away from the crowds and has some great local food shops. The evenings are good as local restaurants open up and this is where the locals tend to eat which is always a good sign
Also agree with others that you must get lost.

 

[Eric Potts]

Great museum. Lots of 20th century paintings and sculptures.

Max Ernst : The Robing of The Bride ,is my favourite painting in Venice.