"Day trip to Venice from England" a Venice Travel Page by Chris_Bore

We visited Venice as a day trip from England.

This is actually quite easy to do. We stayed at the Radisson Hotel by London's Stansted Airport, and took the 6:25 am Ryanair flight. This meant getting up early but the hotel is just a five minute walk from the airport: and we were able to travel without baggage which made everything quick and stress-free. We could have checked in by Internet which would have been even easier, but did not know that at the time.

The flight got us into Treviso airport before 10 am and by about half past ten we were at the Piazzale Roma, right by the Grand Canal.

We took the Vaporetto water bus, for about an hour's travel slowly along the whole length of the Grand Canal. Wonderful views all along - gondolas everywhere, brightly painted poles and beautiful Venetian palaces everywhere we looked. We stayed on the boat past the Piazza San Marco, and went all the way to the Lido (which is across the lagoon), then came back with beautiful classic views of the Doges Palace and the lagoon islands. There seems nothing in Venice that is not beautiful. It was very hot and sunny, so we had lunch in a street a little way along the waterfront, where a cooling breeze blew along sometimes. Then on to San Marco.

From there we decided to just wander, through back streets and beside narrow canals to shady courtyards. Then a short walk to another icon - the Rialto Bridge, and a stroll along the goldsmiths' street. From there we just followed signs towards the Piazzale Roma, which led us we know not where but all of it wonderful. We emerged near the Ferrovia Vaporetto stop and decided to spend our last hour again on the waterbus along the Grand Canal. A last few moments to treasure, trying to drink in the beauty of it all, and back to Piazzale Roma and the bus back to the airport.

Back in the hotel at at Stansted by midnight. They have a very nice gym and a swimming pool, and a good breakfast buffet.

It may seem strange not to stay in Venice, but this way you avoid having to take baggage and benefit from easier check-in. It also limits the time to just one full day, which in a busy schedule makes the whole thing possible. We will of course go back for longer...