Venice, Italy - Research
I recently revisited Venice for research. Yes - research :) I’ve been to Venice before, but as a travel designer it’s important that I periodically revisit the cities where we often send clients. From scouting evolving neighborhoods, meeting new guides, trying new restaurants, touring new hotels, observing new processes for public transportation and museum entry and more. Staying on top of these details is KEY to our work!
Here are a few of our go-to, and a few new tips, for your future Venice travels. And if you’d like our help bringing a trip to Venice (+ Italy!) to life, please be in touch!
Just getting into the city, and to your accommodations, can be intimidating. With two train stations, an airport, an airport water shuttle service, private water taxis, public vaporettos (which are like city buses but on water) all with their own unique ticketing systems and 400 foot bridges to carry your luggage up and over - transportation and navigation can be overwhelming. So do your research to make sure you understand what to do when you arrive so that your first glimpse of the city is a positive one :)
As you move from location to location, understand your relation to St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. Street signs aren’t helpful, and Google Maps (and cell service in general) can be weak on small canal roads. But what you will find are signs painted on the side of buildings pointing you in the direction of these two iconic locations.
Avoid having a tight schedule! Doing so will make you feel like you’re constantly navigating the small canal streets, getting frustrated with Google Maps re-routing, trying to figure out the vaporetto network, etc. IMO, this is not the way to best experience the charm of Venice, and instead brings to life the most frustrating parts of Venice!
A visit to St. Mark’s Square is a must, but with heavy crowds (especially when a cruise ship arrives with thousands of passengers!) it’s important to know how to navigate this area. For an optimal experience visit the square before 9AM (pre-crowds) after 8PM (post-crowds) and if you want to go inside St. Mark's Basilica, buy a ticket online in advance for a timed entry that allows you to skip the long lines of people waiting to get inside.
While many tourists come to Venice to see St. Mark’s Square, take a photo from the top of the Rialto Bridge, and enjoy a gondola ride - there is so much more to see and do.
Enjoy the quieter pockets of the Cannaregio neighborhood, including the Jewish Ghetto, and along the waterway facing the San Michele Cemetery.
Take some time to visit a few museums that celebrate local artists from various periods of history and different art styles.
Spend an afternoon exploring the many ‘cicchetti’ bars in the city (think of them as Italian tapas) on your own food crawl.
If it’s a warm day make your way out to the Lido for a bike ride or time at the beach.
With a vaporetto pass in hand enjoy hopping on/off vaporettos, get a little lost, talk to locals to get their recommendation on what to see/do/eat. A little spontaneity is sometimes the secret ingredient to great travel memories :)
Enjoy Venice, I sure did! You can see a few of my favorite photos from the research trip below. And if you’d like our help bringing a trip to Venice (+ Italy!) to life, please be in touch!
Mary
Founder, Living Big Travel
