This post is based on a visit (just myself and Steve) in June 2024 paid for by ourselves. Always check with venues direct for the most op to date info.
I absolutely love Italy and have previously enjoyed trips to Genoa, Tuscany and Florence (plus we are off to Rome in the Autumn). Venice has never really been a bucket list destination for me though.
However when we were planning our trip to Lake Garda, lots of people mentioned that we must visit Venice as it's only 90 minutes on the train direct. It felt like we had to. I debated for ages about actually staying over and in the end, I did book a hotel and I'm so pleased we did as Venice at night was just magical.
I am so pleased we did stop by Venice as it's one of the best places I've ever visited. We'll be back for sure.
However when we were planning our trip to Lake Garda, lots of people mentioned that we must visit Venice as it's only 90 minutes on the train direct. It felt like we had to. I debated for ages about actually staying over and in the end, I did book a hotel and I'm so pleased we did as Venice at night was just magical.
I am so pleased we did stop by Venice as it's one of the best places I've ever visited. We'll be back for sure.
Venice Transport
First of all, getting to Venice is really easy by train. Our direct train from Pescheria in Lake Garda did indeed take around 90 minutes and was around £30pp first class return per person booked in advance via Trainline.
Venice train station is fantastic! Check out our table set up below. You don't get that in Central Station. Practically everywhere in Italy gives you free crisps and olives with drinks, even the train station.
The best way to navigate Venice is to literally just get lost in the streets. It feels super safe and isn't scary at all. We weren't bothered by anyone at all / nobody tries to scam you (with the exception of a couple of people directly outside of the train station).
Sometimes you do need to find your way back to the train station / your accommodation though and google maps worked fine for us 99% of the time (let's just forget about the time it wanted us to swin across the canal).
Sometimes you do need to find your way back to the train station / your accommodation though and google maps worked fine for us 99% of the time (let's just forget about the time it wanted us to swin across the canal).
We bought a 2 day Vaparetto pass (they're like water buses) which for us were a bit of a waste and I won't want one next time.
I really didn't like travelling this way, the boats were SO cramped and you often had to rely on other people standing to hold you up, they just kind of crash into the bus stations rather than parking properly, the ticket validation points didn't work properly at one stop and we were stressed about being fined and my idea of floating around Venice looking out of the window was not what I expected, you are low down, it's busy and you don't see much.
I really loved just walking around and if you're able to walk 15k-20k steps in a day, I'd say choose the walking option instead.
I really didn't like travelling this way, the boats were SO cramped and you often had to rely on other people standing to hold you up, they just kind of crash into the bus stations rather than parking properly, the ticket validation points didn't work properly at one stop and we were stressed about being fined and my idea of floating around Venice looking out of the window was not what I expected, you are low down, it's busy and you don't see much.
I really loved just walking around and if you're able to walk 15k-20k steps in a day, I'd say choose the walking option instead.
Hiring a gondola is something I've just never fancied, it feels expensive to me and I'm sure I'd feel cringe. I did love watching them navigate the canals though. I am a little sad I didn't hear any burst into song. I'm convinced this is no longer a thing.
Getting Lost in Venice
We didn't have a set plan for Venice as I didn't fully know what to expect. We did have some of the museum's and palaces on our list and a few bars/restaurants on our radar but as it was our first visit, we just wanted to get a feel for the place and see where the day took us.
One of my favourite things to do was to just wander the streets and look at how the locals live. It's fascinating to just see them watering their plants, having a chat, hanging their washing out. I don't really think you get that with many other cities in the world.
The bar culture in Venice is just the best. There are little pop up wine bars where you can get takeaway wines / Aperol / cocktails for around 3/4 euros and groups of people just stand chatting with their drinks in the streets or standing outside of the bars.
It is just a completely different street drinking culture to what we have in the UK and feels really civilised.
As well as takeaway drinks hatches, many bars / restaurants offer Cicchetti and Aperol for 5/6euros. This is a small bar snack with a drink. We just did a little bar crawl during the day drinking Aperol and eating little Italian bar snacks. One of the best bar crawls we've ever done. I am dreaming of the day we can go back to Venice and do this again.
Piazzo San Marco & Cafe Florian
Our hotel was just around the corner from St Mark's Square and it's the first place we visited after checking in. Obviously it's must-visit!
The architecture here is just incredible and it wasn't as busy as I was expecting so you can really appreciate it and take it all in.
We chose not to visit St Mark's Basilica as it was 30C and we were travelling with one small overnight bag only - you need to cover knees and shoulders and we just didn't bring appropriate clothing. I do want to visit though and I'm sure we will next time.
The architecture here is just incredible and it wasn't as busy as I was expecting so you can really appreciate it and take it all in.
We chose not to visit St Mark's Basilica as it was 30C and we were travelling with one small overnight bag only - you need to cover knees and shoulders and we just didn't bring appropriate clothing. I do want to visit though and I'm sure we will next time.
I had heard about Caffe Florian before visiting Venice and read lots of mixed reviews. People seem to either think it's an absolute rip off with terrible service or love it and really appreciate the ambience.
Cafe Florian is one of the oldest coffee house's in the world and is steeped in history. Famous visitors include Charles Dickens, Giorgio Armani and Clint Eastwood.
It's also somewhere that frequently pops up as the place you'll find the most expensive coffee in the world. This is because everyone needs to pay a 6E cover charge which covers the music.
Like I say, I wasn't going to visit but it's one of those place where you're completely sucked in. I could not resist taking a seat and enjoying the music. A full orchestra plays and you're given their set list at your table. It just feels so special and is a unique and unforgettable experience.
I am pleased we visited, for us it was worth paying for the most expensive coffee in the world. We had already paid the cover charge with our first drink so decided to stay for another. We'll return one day. You don't need to book and it's THE place to people watch. I was so itrigued by the other customer's stories.
I loved the old-school service with all the staff in formal wear and serving us using silver trays too. To me, this experience felt more special than the Ritz.
I am pleased we visited, for us it was worth paying for the most expensive coffee in the world. We had already paid the cover charge with our first drink so decided to stay for another. We'll return one day. You don't need to book and it's THE place to people watch. I was so itrigued by the other customer's stories.
I loved the old-school service with all the staff in formal wear and serving us using silver trays too. To me, this experience felt more special than the Ritz.
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| We added another round of drinks after this |
Drunk Shopping in Venice
The shopping is SO good in Venice. The bars and restaurants are seamlessly interwoven with markets and independent shops. There are a few chains but for a lot of the time, when you shop you feel as if you're speaking with the business owner, especially when it comes to jewellery shops.
The market by Rialto Bridge was fascinating to wander around.
Walking past the most beautiful delis, artisan food stores and Murano jewellery stores is not a good idea when you've had one too many Aperols. We ended up buying so much stuff!
Prices actually weren't too expensive though and we had fun. I'd say our little shopping spree was worth it.
We bought Truffle Powder, Venice Chocolates, Limincello, Pasta, Truffle Sauce, Murano Glass Neclace, Murano Glass Bracelet, Murano Glass Cufflinks, a Tie (random!), Murano Glass Earrings and probably a few more things I've forgotten.
If you're shopping for Murano Glass, do make sure you get a certificate of authenticity as there are a few fakes around.
A lot of the food shops offer tasters which if you're like me, are a bad idea as we ended up buying everything we tasted.
No regrets!
Prices actually weren't too expensive though and we had fun. I'd say our little shopping spree was worth it.
We bought Truffle Powder, Venice Chocolates, Limincello, Pasta, Truffle Sauce, Murano Glass Neclace, Murano Glass Bracelet, Murano Glass Cufflinks, a Tie (random!), Murano Glass Earrings and probably a few more things I've forgotten.
If you're shopping for Murano Glass, do make sure you get a certificate of authenticity as there are a few fakes around.
A lot of the food shops offer tasters which if you're like me, are a bad idea as we ended up buying everything we tasted.
No regrets!
Venice at Night
Venice at night is so special. It feels super safe and just has a really chilled vibe. There is plenty of lighting - we never felt as if we were walking around in the dark.
We hadn't booked anywhere for dinner which I slightly regret. Our b&b host gave us a map with all of his personal recommendations for where the locals eat. We tried two and they were both fully booked (I've shared a photo of his recommendations further down this post).
As we were walking around I quickly googled restaurants we passed to check out their google reviews and we stumbled upon Ristorante Hostaria al Cavallo pizza e cicchetti which had 5* reviews and was a lovely setting with outdoor seating by the canal.
This restaurant is actually just across from a hospital (which is the really grand building behind us) and afterwards we walked along the canal and spotted an ambulance boat station which was pretty cool.
This restaurant had local vibes with local families dining here and their kids playing in the square behind us as the adults sipped wine.
This restaurant had local vibes with local families dining here and their kids playing in the square behind us as the adults sipped wine.
Our food was fantastic. Our b&b host recommended I try beef cheeks and polenta if I spotted it on a menu anywhere so I did just that. It doesn't look like a lot but wow it was packed with flavour and I just loved it. This is a dish I wouldn't usually try at home so it was great to try something new.
Although we had a lovely experience and the restaurant and our food were lovely, this place didn't stand out as exceptional and I feel like it's the kind of good restaurant you'd get anywhere in Venice. It was good, but not good enough to return. It was reasonably priced though and if you're passing looking for somewhere to dine, you won't go wrong here.
When we revisit Venice I think I'll do a little more research and book our evening meal in advance.
Where We Stayed
This place was an absolute find and I'd recommend to everyone. We will stay here again.
Detailed directions are sent before you arrive but this boutique B&B is accessed via this unassuming doorway overlooking the canal. You have bars, restaurants and shops literally on your doorstep but it feels tucked away and pretty quiet.
You're an easy 5 minute stroll from St Mark's Square.
We were celebrating and were greeted with Prosecco and balloons in our room. Lush!
I really liked the traditional Venetian decor and our room felt both stylish and comfortable with everything we needed.
Find out more and book: https://www.residenzaveneziana.com/
Breakfast is delivered to your room in the morning and is a real treat with coffee, fresh fruit, yoghurt, croissants, meats, cheeses, fruit juice. Fanatastic and it felt like such a treat.
We did waste a few hours catching the Vaparetto to Murano. I just didn't get on with the place. It felt so similar to Venice and you could buy all of the Murano Glass you needed in Venice. Burano does look lovely but it's a longer water bus ride and we didn't have the time on this trip.
Personally, I think we'd just stick with Venice next time.
Venice, I love you! I really fell in love with the place. The cute little bars, the beautiful cafe culture, the food, the Aperol, the romantic vibes, the shopping, the architecture..... I didn't even find it expensive either. I certainly spent more in places like Amsterdam or Athens.
On a Thursday / Friday in June, I didn't find it too busy either - it was very easy to find quiet spots AND I didn't find it smelly at all.
I can't wait to return!
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