3 Days in Venice

The Italians love their food, and so do we! So obviously our Venice blog has to start with food! Italian food is our favourite, so we were really excited about exploring the restaurants and delis in Venice.

Food

The pizza slices for 1 euro are bigger than my face and taste delicious. If you want to dine on the cheap you can with spaghetti’s and pizzas everywhere…and gelato for desert!

We went for a couple of ‘posh’ meals and although delicious, I felt that they weren’t really necessary. We found a gorgeous courtyard with potted plants and candles. It was really quiet and the menu looked great. In reality, the Veuve (splashed out on as a birthday treat) was stale and had probably been there for decades, and the fish was great but not plentiful…not what I considered Italian.

I felt the same the next evening when we went for a set menu in an expensive restaurant…just not quite the right vibe.

So my advice would be to keep it to pastas and pizzas and shop around, as the prices vary dramatically.

Accommodation

We managed to find a place right in the centre, just off of Campo St. Angelo (8 minutes walk from Piazza San Marco) which I would recommend. You don’t want to stay in Venice Mestre or elsewhere on the mainland and get the train to and from Venice everyday. It wasn’t too busy or noisy where we were and we were centrally located or could pop back easily whenever we wanted to. Perfetto!

Ambiance

We went in April, the weather was lovely, slightly chilly in the evening but nothing more than a light jumper needed. There were also not too many tourists that it was impossible to relax and navigate around. My advice would be to check the weather for likely times of flooding and avoid peak seasons…as you won’t be able to move.

We also found that week days were much quieter, so you might want to avoid the weekend rush!

Architecture

Simply breathtaking.  Every single canal and alleyway has something to see.  If the crowds around the main square and Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) get too much for you I would strongly recommend taking a stroll around Arsanale.

Sights / Activites

I always want to go everywhere. We would much rather see all parts of the city and not do every tourist attraction than not see everything. 3 days was just enough see everything we wanted to, but if you want longer to relax then you will probably need 4.

We like to walk everywhere, you see so much more than getting the bus/tram/tube…but be warned, after a few days all the bridges take their toll! It also becomes frustrating when you get to dead ends and you either have to go all the way back, or take a swim in the canal!

If there is one thing I wish we had done/could have afforded, I would have loved to go to the Opera…or a masked ball.

A gondola ride is a must, make sure you barter until your heart’s content. The gondoliers will tell you that there is a minimum price set but the local government, I don’t know whether this is true or not but we certainly haggled well below that point!. Shop around until you are happy. I would also recommend a trip up the bell tower and a visit to the Palace / Bridge of Sighs.

Transport

Definitely get the boat from the airport. It can get very warm and is pricier than the train, but it’s totally worth it. To see Venice at a first glance from the boat is a great experience and really makes you feel like you have arrived in true Venetian style.