Navigating your way through Venice

Venezia! The floating city, city of bridges, city of masks, capital of Veneto, the location where the only way of transportation is some form of boat, or your own two feet. What a different concept than Atlanta. From the airport I rode in on a vaporetto that delivered me to Venice at the back door, or rather a back pier to the hotel. I did not drop my luggage into the canal so you could say the trip started off on the correct foot. Hope you enjoy how I navigated my way through Venice.

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Wander up and down the canals

Let them guide you and get lost. You never know what you will uncover around the corner just as I found this secluded corner that took me a minute to realize this was not a painting. Embrace the thousands of bridges you will crossover. 

Take a boat ride

Take your pick from the famous gondolas, traghetti, or vaporetti. The city of water is sure to have you on the water before your departure from Venezia!

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to take public transportation. Normally in other areas of Europe this would mean taking the metro, but you will not find a metro station in Venice. I like to indulge in what it’s like to be a local. Interacting with locals presents opportunities to discover some memorable and authentic spots you would normally miss out on as a tourist.

I will link here in case you are interested in taking the same routes as locals.

Things to know: Like the metro, boats will come from both directions. Make sure you board the correct waterbus!

And of course you can always traverse the canals in the famous Gondolas. To get a fair price I recommend purchasing your Gondola Ride here. You can always find a gondolier on the spot but the price will reflect that. 

Walk around St. Marks Square (Piazza San Marco)

At some point you will spill out into St. Marks Square from wandering up and down the bridges and canals. Besides the thousands of pigeons that will greet you, you will be welcomed by a 360 degree view of many restaurants, the Doge’s Palace, St. Marks Basilica, Camponile di San Marco, and the Grand Canal.  Look straight up at the Camponile di San Marco, and take in its massive size. You will be able to spot this bell tower from almost anywhere in Venice. 

I recommend purchasing tickets in advance for St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. You can do that here.

Tip: I used Lonely Planet’s Venice City Guide travel book to help myself navigate and know exactly what I was looking at and its history.

Visit St. Marks Basilica

As it’s names alludes, the basilica can also be found in St. Marks Square. I was in awe of the crafted dome shaped roof and paintings. You’ll notice the golden lion with wings that sits at the top middle of the basilica. Now turn around yourself and look around the square. You will find this same Venetian lion on top of many of the monuments. This is the Lion of Saint Mark, and is the symbol of the city of Venice. 

Tour The Doge’s Palace

Now a museum, expect to find elaborate ceilings and columns. As this housed the Doge, the seat of the government, and a palace of justice you would expect non the less. I recommend purchasing tickets in advance, otherwise, you will find yourself basking in St. Marks Square with the large crowds. As you follow through the now museum, you will walk through the Bridge of Sighs. Yes, another bridge, but Venice is covered in them. This bridge is quite special though. You will find a very unique view of Venice you cannot find at any other bridge. This was the last view prisoners would see of Venice before their execution. 

Photograph the Bridge of Sighs

You must stop to take in this bridge from the outside as well. With the Grand Canal behind you face the Doge’s Palace to snap a picture of the elaborate limestone that makes up this enclosed bridge. I found this to truly be magnificent when the sun sets on the water, and the colors pop onto the bridge and surrounding palace buildings. 

 Be in awe of the Grand Canal

Find a spot during sunset to see the city come to life as the sun’s colors dance up and down the canal. Watch the lights trickle onto the water, painting more watercolor memories to capture. 

Spend time at the Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge provides spectacular views of the Grand Canal as gondolas, vaporetti, and ferries travel up and down. I just love that all transportation is on water here. Beware of pick pocketers here though! This is a high tourist area. 

After taking in the view, stop by one of the restaurants that border the Grand Canal for a yummy meal paired with a peach bellini that includes an even better view.  Venice is where this drink finds its origin. Closer to St. Mark’s Square you can find Harry’s Bar where the original was invented.

Lodge in a room that opens to a canal view 

Hotel Becher not only opened up to a canal, but had me feeling like a queen with its elegant Venetian chambers and styled community areas. Wake up to gondoliers passing by as you eat breakfast along the canal. The hotels staff is very helpful and will call you a porter to carry your luggage over the numerous bridges to your next destination. I HIGHLY recommend this as I cannot elaborate on the amount of bridges that make up the city and crowded alleyways. They make it look like a breeze anyway, and you may find yourself having a hard time keeping up with their speed. 

Traveling to Nearby Destinations and Things to Do

Venice offers so much beauty throughout the city your travelling heart will be filled, but if you are eager to take in all that Venice has to offer check the waterbus schedules and routes for the nearby islands of Burano and Murano. (Blog post to come soon!)

You can also use Viator to book tours that figure everything out for you. You just show up ready to have fun!

As you have collected, Venice is a water city which makes it a great port to hop onto a cruiseline and sail away to your next destination. Check out what I did when I sailed off with Royal Caribbean to Greece in my blog post 15 memories to make in Greece.

Rome:

• The Colosseum and Vatican are a must when visiting Rome. There can be long lines so I recommend purchasing skip the line tours in advance. My favorite Rome tours are this Colosseum tour and this Vatican tour.
• Food tours are also great way to try the best local spots in any country! I recommend this food tour , this Rome Street Food tour, or this after sunset Trastevere (my favorite food scene in Rome) food tour in Rome!
• If you are looking for making your own fettuccine pasta, I recommend this Pasta Making Class in Rome.

Florence:

• Skip the Line Florence Highlights is an excellent way to see all the highlights of Florence! Sometimes it is so nice to have someone else just plan and tell you everything you need to know while you are on vacation. Have someone else figure it out for you.
• Pasta is obviously a big draw when coming to Italy. Try your own hand at making pasta in this pastamania pasta making class in Florence!

Wine Country/ Tuscany:

• Tuscany in 1 day from Florence offers time in the Chianti hills for wine tastings and time to explore the cities of Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa.

Cinque Terre:

• Sunset Boat Tour THE best way to beat the crowds at sunset in Cinque Terre is to book a small group boat tour. Not only will it not be crowded, the best views of the villages are from the water.
• You can also take a day boat tour of the villages! Make sure to pack a swimsuit in case you want to take a dip in the ocean.

Capri:

• Capri is one of my favorite stops! Check out this Capri Island Boat Ride that will bring you to the White and Green Grottos, Faraglioni rocks, Punta Carena lighthouse all while on a Sorrento boat. You will definitely want to take a dip in the grottos so wear a swimsuit.
• If you are looking for a private boat ride check out this one!

Positano:

• Cruising along the Amalfi Coast is something you just have to do while visiting. Here are three boat cruises/ rides I recommend: Positano and Amalfi Cruise , Positano Sunset Cruise , or Amalfi Coast Day Trip from Positano.

France:

France is an excellent country to pair with Italy!

• One of my favorite day trips while in France is a trip to Versaille! Check it out here!
• Do you love wine?! I highly recommend visiting the city of Bordeaux and touring the region’s vineyards! Check out this tour through Viator that allows you to enjoy wine and not worry about how to get back to your accommodations. You will get to enjoy wine tastings AND visit Saint-Emilion which is a UNESCO town.

Portugal:

• Maybe you have a layover in Lisbon! This is an excellent day trip to beautiful palaces.
• When in Porto you must go to the Douro Valley! Check out this Douro Valley tour for wine tasting, lunch, and a boat ride along the river.

Spain:

Food tours are my favorite for your first night in a city! This food tour is great to sample tapas when visiting Madrid.

TIP FOR ALL OF YOUR TRAVELS:

1. Grab this Venice City Guide book to plan out your trip!
2. I ALWAYS use Viator to find and book tours before my travels. They have the lowest prices and organize everything for you! You just need to show up ready to have fun!! Check out this link to start planning your next trip: Find and save on Things to Do around the world

Ciao!

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