Venice, Italy is an over romanticized location that lives up to its reputation. Venice is like no other city in the world, and pictures cannot capture its essence. The only downside there is are massive crowds of tourists swimming through the tiny alleyways with their phones in the air capturing photographs of things that have been photographed a million times.
Grand Canal
It is my personal opinion that you should plan out your trips, but you should not over plan your trips. Have a general idea of what you want to do. Then once you arrive at your location asking the locals what to do is always the better choice. Venice is a very tricky place to go, due to the massive overcrowding of tourists. If you’re lucky you’ll get a rainy day, or at least one day of not particularly spectacular weather.
I know that may sound a bit odd, but it makes sense. When the weather is not fantastic you will not experience the immense amount of tourists. I experienced two days of not particularly great weather, and one day of beautiful weather. While my pictures may have been more breath taking on the third day, I actually think I enjoyed myself more on the days of bad weather where there were fewer crowds.
Rain isn't so bad
How to handle Venice
1. Research where you are staying and spend a few extra euros to stay in Venice.
I know young people traveling usually want the cheapest option so they will settle for a bit outside the city, but having the experience of being in the city and opening up your window in the morning to the lagoon was so satisfying and really added to the experience. Plus, you will most likely want to run back to the hotel or hostel during the day to drop off souvenirs (because they are so cheap).
Look into where you are staying. The women who worked at the front desk of our hotel gave my friend and I this advice. This leads me to assume that she has experienced bad people taking advantage of tourists in the area. We stayed at the Hotel Arlecchino, and we absolutely got our money’s worth. They have great staff as well as an amazing complementary breakfast.
2. Be smart
Pickpockets are out there. Especially around the Rialto Bridge and other major tourist attractions. Be sure to keep an eye out for children who will “bump” into you. I did not have any problems at all and nothing of mine was stolen, but I was very alert and always had one hand on my bag.
3. Be aware of fake sales
There are many stands that sell souvenirs wherever you go. Most of these are selling masquerade/carnival masks. Be sure to pick some up for your family and friends, but be aware of fake haggling. I was looking at a mask and the man told me it was 20 euros. I was not interested regardless, but he kept bringing the price down and adding in other masks until that 20 euro mask went down to 10. I still said no and then later realized that most places sell the same mask for 8 euro, and I actually ended up finding a deal on mine for 5 euro. Smaller masks should not cost you more then about 2.50 euro. Make sure you shop around before committing to a “deal.”
4. Know where you are.
There are no street names in Venice only an area name and then house numbers. So, on the day you’re leaving do not go too far off from the area you’re familiar with. My friend and I ended up venturing a bit too far away the day of our flight and we got lost in a string of alleyways and crowds of tourists. We didn’t miss our flights but we got pretty close. You can’t exactly just call a cab and have them drive you to the bus station. Unless you pay for a water taxi on the Grand Canal which can get pretty expensive. Be sure to buy a ticket for the "water bus". You will save money buying a day pass rather then paying every time you ride.
What to do in Venice
1. Eat, eat, eat
You are in Italy so eat up! There is no going wrong when you’re trying to find something to eat. Be sure to eat the pastas and pizzas. I really enjoyed the seafood, and don’t forget the gelato! They charge extra if you sit and eat. There are some really great take away places, and I highly recommend Alfredo’s Fresh Pasta To Go. It is delicious fresh made pasta with different choices of toppings and the most expensive choice will cost you about 7 euro.
2. Tours
I would recommend paying for a tour especially if you don’t know anything about the area. On our tour I learned a lot about the area and history of Venice. There are many tours around the city for you to choose from. Ask the person at the front desk of your hotel what tour they would recommend because sometimes the hotels have deals with the tour company and you can get a discount.
Facts I learned on the tour
Venice is a world heritage sight so they maintain the beauty of their buildings in the fashion they were originally built in.
Venice is sinking so they really have to maintain the buildings that they have because they cannot really build new ones that are too heavy.
Venice was originally a republic.
Marco Polo lived in Venice, and we visited his old home.
Di Vinci visited Venice and used the snail-shell staircase as inspiration for some of his paintings.
Carnival use to last up to six months.
The population of Venice is decreasing.
The water in the canals is a mix of salt water and fresh water.
An attractive tour guide doesn't hurt:
Bovolo Staircase (snail-shell staircase)
Gondola Ride
Gondolas are traditionally black boats that are built to the height and weight of the Gondolier. This is an experience you don’t want to pass up on while you’re there. You get a completely different view of Venice from the water. Just don’t ask you Gondolier to sing it can come off as pretty rude. It’s also pretty hard to get good pictures of yourself on a gondola; so, be sure to get your head out of your phone and actually experience the ride.
Lots of Churches
Santa Maria della Salute is FREE to visit. The artwork and architecture is beautiful. There is also a museum connected to the church. It only costs one euro for students to enter, and there is a beautiful Di Vinci painting located in the back of the museum.
Go to mass at St. Mark’s Basilica. It usually costs money to enter St. Mark’s Basilica unless you are there for mass. It is absolutely breath taking. The entire ceiling is made with mosaic tiles. The mass we went to on Sunday was at 12 o’clock and there were plenty of seats open. It is also interesting to experience a mass in Italian.
Great Views
Within the Piazza San Marco there is a lot to do. I would not buy any food or souvenirs around here because everything is very over priced. You can visit Doge’s Palace and climb San Marco Campanile. Climbing San Marco Campanile costs about 8 euro, but you will get amazing views of Venice. From up here the city looks incredible and there are so many colors that bounce off the buildings and the water. It’s truly gorgeous, and unlike anything else.
See a Vivaldi Concert
Vivaldi was born in Venice. While I was there I saw Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and it was truly spectacular. Concerts play most nights and the ticket is around 22 euro. The concert I went to was called Interpreti Veneziani and it was in Chiesa San Vidal. The cello player was particularly amazing. You could tell by his facial expressions how passionate he was. This was one of my more unique experiences in Venice.
Explore Venice at night
My favorite part about Venice was the city at night. It is so beautiful and much more peaceful. The canals are quiet and as the sun sets over Venice the entire city has a particularly distinctive glow to it. There are no gigantic crowds around and you can finally breathe and take in the city, or hit up the local bars.
Mingle with Venetians
My biggest piece of advice would be to mingle with the Venetians. They obviously know the most about the area and will show you the secrets Venice has to hold that the other tourists won’t get to experience. If you want to feel the least like a tourist make some friends in Venice and go on an adventure.
