My Top Tips To Make The Most Of A Day In Venice

Venice is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Although many locals are up in arms about the large ships docking in central Venice if you have sailed down the Grand Canal you’ll know it’s an unforgettable experience.

A couple of weeks ago I had 24 hours in Venice which included a visit to the gorgeous Crystal Esprit Yacht which you can read about here. As the yacht was so small compared to some of the mega ships I have been on the tour didn’t take long, so after an exquisite lunch we had the rest of the day & evening at leisure. With many ports of call on a cruise your time can be limited and wherever possible I would advise having at least a night’s stay before or after the cruise, so here are my top tips to get the most out of your time in Venice.

1/ If you just have the day in Venice you can of course take an guided excursion, however it’s easy enough to head off in to Venice your self. There are vaparetto (water bus) stops at the main port which can get you to Saint Mark’s square within 10 minutes. A ticket costs around 7.5 Euros. From there you can walk to many of the main attractions such as the Rialto Bridge, Doges Palace and the Bridge of sighs. We managed to do all this within the 3 hours or so we had in Venice at the start of our cruise.

2/ If you have previously been to Venice and seen the main sights then you can easily go further afield. Murano is a beautiful island famed for it’s glass-blowing factories and it’s less than 20 minutes from central Venice by vaparetto. Burano and Torcello are other pretty islands in the lagoon which have ornate palaces, brightly coloured fisherman’s houses and lace making and also within easy reach.

3/ If you’re having a hotel stay in the city don’t stay in the very heart of the touristy areas. There are a few reasons for this, but mainly it’s easier & much cheaper to get form the airport to areas such as Mestre or Piazzale Roma. If you head towards the busy Rialto Bridge area you’ll often find that you have to walk to your hotel with luggage as a lot of hotels don’t have a docking area for a water taxi. A road transfer would also be around a third of the price than a water taxi. Piazzale Roma is within easy walking distance Saint Mark’s Square as well as to the train & bus station. One of the main vaparetto stops is also here.

4/ Get yourself lost in the maze of narrow streets. Ok – not so lost that you can’t find your way back to the ship or hotel. It’s a lovely way to spend a few hours wandering around the maze of atmospheric alleys looking at the local shops, snacking on amazing slices of pizza and if you’re there in the hot summer season it’s nice to escape the heat of the midday sun.

5/ Book a restaurant. If you are looking at having a special lunch or dinner whilst in the city then take a look at Trip Advisor recommendations and make sure you book. Even in the winter season Venice is one of the most visited cities in the world and being built amongst the waterways, space in many of the restaurants is limited, so make sure you book. There are some amazing restaurants in Venice, but some not so great and many of the lower quality ones are in the busy tourist areas and can be the most expensive. If you’re not too worried about a sit-down meal the Bacaro bars serving cicchetti (italy’s version of tapas) are a great place to get snacks and enjoy an aperitivo and there seems to be one on every corner.

6/ A couple of streets can make all the difference to your pocket! I love immersing myself in the local food & drink culture and on my first visit to Venice I had an amazing Aperol Spritz on the waterfront. It was a great view, however it was teeny and cost close to 20 euros. On my last visit literally a couple of streets away I saw chalk boards advertising them for 3 and 4 euros!

5/ If you have to get back to the ship for a deadline allow plenty of time. A lot of the vaparettos work on a circular route and therefore you need to make sure you join it going in the right direction. It could be the difference in the journey taking 10 minutes or an hour and 10 minutes. Don’t miss the boat!

Your time is precious when on holiday, so make sure you get the most out of it. If you need any information about Venice or cruises sailing from there please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 0330 303 8205.

TTFN!