Sign in with Facebook"The Most Serene Republic of Venice" Venice by starship
Venice Travel Guide: 8,142 reviews and 21,399 photos
Through the many months spent planning for our visit to Venice, my excitement and anticipation of arriving in that magnificent city built steadily! But nothing prepared me for the amazement I felt upon seeing Venice for the first time---after all, it is one of the most magnificent cities in the world!
While Rome seems hectic and gritty, Florence is picturesque and artsy, and Milan is fashionably chic but industrial, Venice seems like a floating verse of poetry. Italy is richly blessed with many visual treasures, but of those that I've seen, only the Lago di Como region can compete with Venice for physical beauty, in my humble opinion!
Much has been written about the delights to be found in losing one's self in Venice, and I found that nothing could be more true. For down every narrow pathway, and around every corner, the eye will be surprised by small pockets of curiosity and beauty.
As wonderful as Venice was, our trip was to get even better. Our three days in Venice were wrapped around a 12-night cruise leaving from Venice and visiting ports in Croatia, Greece and Turkey. Upon our return from the cruise, we would have one more night and day in Venice thanks to the lack of availability of flights booked with frequent flyer miles. We originally planned to use that day to visit Verona, but for several reasons we were not able to do so.
As we were to learn, three days were enough only to thoroughly whet one's appetite to see and experience more of this unique city. Of the want-to-see and do's on our list, we were only able to check off a few but this is what we managed to do:
Piazza San Marco & Piazetti San Marco
Chiesa degli Scalzi
Campanile of San Marco
A gondola ride
A limited visit to Murano
Rialto Bridge
Try nearly every form of transportation in Venice
Interesting walks to Piazza San Marco
....and spent an inordinate amount of time sipping cappucinos at night in front our hotel!
A return visit to Venice is one of my fondest wishes!!
For many years we have been traveling as though each and every place we visit, we may never see again. Every minute is designed to get the most out of every place, which normally means seeing and doing as much as possible morning to night. It's certainly not an optimum way to travel, but given the small amount of vacation Americans normally get, it is no wonder.
Certainly Venice seems to be a city which inspires the harried traveler to slow down and "stop and smell the roses," especially in the late afternoons as the sun is setting and in the evenings when the flickering candles in small but charming sidewalk cafes beckon you to sit, and relax after a long day of sightseeing. The trade off is, not being able to see & do everything, in exchange for real relaxation and enjoying the essence of this magnificent city.
In Venice, we made the trade off and found it was well worth it to have this quiet time in the late afternoon and evening. So one of my favorite memories of Venice will be the balmy evenings we spent sitting at the small tables in front of our hotel sipping the most delicious cappucinos ever, as we watched the ebb and flow of Venetian life.
- Pros:Unique, beautiful, historical and romantic
- Cons:Frightfully expensive!
- In a nutshell:Everyone should experience the beauty of Venice!
Reviews (17)
San Giacometo ~ Oldest Church in Venice
Things to Do
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Without the slightest planning, we happened upon the Church of San Giacometo (Named in honor of St. James) while walking... more travel advice
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One of the most recommended attractions of Venice is the "Secret Itineraries Tour" of the Doge's Palace. still... more travel advice
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The friendly staff at our hotel had informed us that we could get a free water taxi ride to the island of Murano with a... more travel advice
Marco Polo Airport
Transportation
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Venice's Marco Polo Airport (VCE), named after the famous explorer, is actually located on the Italian mainland in... more travel advice
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Comments (15)
Very informative Venice page, Sylvia. We are going to be in Italy around late Juky- so I found the tips very useful. TY.
Thank you Sylvia for bringing back memory about this beautiful city! I was there 15 years ago, time to come back...
Oh, you make me want to go back to Venice so much! And you are so right about slowing down and taking in the atmosphere of a place - something we should all remember when we travel. Often my most enduring memories are of times like that, rather than the big sight I "ticked off my list"!
We had a similar problem to you at San Marco, although it was my husband who was denied entrance as he was wearing shorts. Luckily we were in Venice for a week so could come back the next day :-)
Oh, and I really like the look of your hotel - will remember that if ever we do return
Wow Sylvia, to be able to see the real thing. Priceless! Very useful tips and did such wonderful job with putting in so much good information. It is on my bucklist to see this, maybe someday. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful place.
Interesting and useful tips on Venice, where I haven’t been for many years. -- In Chicago we used to have a saying: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Fabulous Venice page here. I especially like your "Experinence or advice" tip as well as the report about the "not so" free water taxi ride.
Very good detailed tips on Venice. I have been there 3 times, but that was before VT and I have only got a handful of photos.
It is quite a different city, with all those wandering streets, and much to see when you find the sites. It sounds like Murano wants to be a seller of goods. Great detail of the places you visited.
Venice is high on our list of cities to visit in Italy. It is certainly a great tourist destination. We certainly hope to visit the city sooner rather than later. Thanks for your virtual tour with great photographs. ~ho & pang
So far, Sylvia, these are 5-star tips. What a great hotel. Excellent tips about transportation. Also enjoyed your restaurant tips. Powerful photos that capture the beauty of Venice. I did return with a few more outstanding tips to view. Sure made me "hom