Should you go to Venice in winter, and if so, which month is better? After reading this article, you will have an idea of the climate and other features important for planning a trip to this Italian city. Below is a guide describing all the months of the year in Venice.
In general, if the question is: whether to go to Venice at... (any time of the year) or not to go, then, of course, go. Because it is with Venice that the principle of “seeing once” has never been more true. No matter what you hear from friends and acquaintances, no matter how many films and photos you watch about it, in reality this city will still amaze you and turn out to be completely different from what you expected. Or it will turn out even better. Because Venice is a real miracle that you definitely need to see at least once in your life, no matter how banal this statement may sound.
However, so that the meeting with the “miracle” is not overshadowed by many minor inconveniences, it is worth keeping in mind some points. I, being a supporter of visiting super popular cities and attractions only “out of season”, and in the case of Venice, I recommend doing the same.
For example, the long Russian holidays at the beginning of January are 100% “low season” for Venice. Streams of Europeans vacationing for Christmas will already disappear from it, for whom working days begin on January 2, and hotels offer significant discounts during this period. It is from the beginning of January that you can “catch” a special offer and, for example, stay in a luxurious room costing 300-400 euros per day for just a third of the price.
The beginning of January and the whole of January, in my opinion, are perfect for a trip in terms of weather. January, according to weather observation statistics in Venice, is far from the cloudiest month of the year (November usually holds this “palm of championship”), and is also far from the rainiest. The average daily temperature does not fall below 6.6 degrees (and in fact, during the day in sunny weather in Venice it is much warmer), the recorded minimum is only 0-1 degree. Naturally, as in all cities located on the water, in the evening Venice in winter can be called “icy” due to the humidity, but for Russians accustomed to frost, who dress in warm down jackets and have good winter shoes, this is not a problem at all. Having been well insulated, you can walk around Venice for hours even in winter. And the air!
Another important advantage of the “low season” is that there are much fewer tourists. To make no mistake, there are always a lot of them in Venice, and even in January in especially popular places of the city (the area of Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, all the vaporetto piers, etc.) there is a risk of getting into a pedestrian traffic jam. But if you step a little to the side, you find yourself on completely deserted streets, especially at sunset. In the alleys of Venice, you can meet mostly local residents rushing home from work, leading children from school or kindergarten, and the rare foreigner who accidentally wanders in, just as curious as you. No noisy and jostling groups of Asian tourists - they had long ago been loaded onto buses and taken away. Only the Venetian lagoon, the splash of water in the canals and the narrow mystical streets of one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. This feeling is worth it!
The same applies to museums, restaurants, and other public places in the city - the atmosphere is calmer, there are fewer people everywhere, and accordingly, the service is better. After all, when there is a constant flow of visitors in a restaurant or cafe, the quality of service by definition drops.
Gondoliers are frankly bored in winter, waiting for tourists
A trip to the islands around Venice - Murano, Burano, San Michele (where the famous cemetery is located), Torcello and others - will be much more enjoyable if you go there in winter with the first morning vaporetto. No, you won’t be there alone, but the few tourists who come out with you on the islands will be scattered along the streets, and you can take photos and enjoy the beauty of these places in almost complete silence.
Where to stay in Venice
Monthly calendar guide in Venice
January – “low season”, usually good discounts on accommodation in hotels and apartments, few tourists. On January 6, you can see the celebration of Epiphany (Epiphany), with participants in a costumed procession swimming on boats.
February – from mid-February, the “high season” begins sharply (inflated prices for accommodation and everything else) due to the beginning of the famous Venice Carnival, which in 2019 will be held from February 23 to March 5. According to some reports, the city is visited by about 3 million tourists during the carnival. Naturally, not all of them stay in Venice, preferring hotels on the mainland or even in neighboring cities, but still the islands of the Venice Lagoon have to withstand a huge influx of people.
March – still a good month for a trip (carnival visitors have left, hotel prices have dropped a little). In March, the weather is warmer (daytime average 12.1 degrees), but the likelihood of precipitation increases compared to January and February.
April May. The start of the high season. The weather is already warm, but not so hot yet. In May, the swimming season begins on the coast of the Venetian Lagoon. Prices are rising inexorably.
June July August. “Tourist hell”, aggravated by the hot climate of the Adriatic coast and high humidity. If you have health problems, especially with your heart, you shouldn’t come here in the summer and take risks. At this time, Venice is terribly criticized for the crowd of tourists (the tourists themselves!) and the heavy smell of water in the canals. Huge cruise ships constantly arrive in the lagoon, worsening the already catastrophic situation. Accommodation prices are so high that many tourists prefer to stay in the cheapest hotels in the mainland industrial area of Venice - Mestre, and come for a walk on the islands during the day. At the end of August and beginning of September, hoteliers increase already astronomical prices also in connection with the Venice International Film Festival on the island of Lido.
September . Although the calendar summer has ended, this is still the “high season” for Venice - many tourists traditionally want to visit this city during the “velvet season”. Although in Venice in September neither the prices nor the weather are “velvet” - it is still very hot and humid.
October. A bit quieter, prices are also down a bit, but there is more rainfall, especially at the end of the month.
November. A rainy and foggy month increases the risk of flooding in the city (the so-called l`acqua alta - “high water”). Frightened by this, tourists moderate their ardor a little, so in November you can enjoy the relatively deserted, cloudy and gloomy Venice, the “heroine” of the works of Thomas Mann and Joseph Brodsky. This period of calm continues until mid-December , when school and Christmas holidays begin in Europe and again hundreds of thousands of tourists storm little Venice.
Venice in winter photo
View of Venice from the Campanile of San Marco
Grand Canal
Deserted island of Burano in January. Only local pensioners rush about their business in the morning, before the tourists arrive.
Deserted evening Venice
Here you can find and buy air tickets to Venice at the lowest price (in the search form at the top of the article), as well as instantly compare hotel prices in different booking systems and choose the best offer
However, in two weeks, so many impressions have accumulated that one story obviously won’t get rid of it. In this article I will share my thoughts on whether it’s worth going to Venice in August.
Why I decided to write a separate post on this topic. Because I have repeatedly come across the opinion that August is not the best time to travel to Venice. To be honest, in the absence of personal experience, I was inclined to agree. After all, August in Italy, even in its northern part, is a hot month. In addition, this is the time of traditional summer holidays. This has at least two consequences: 1) it’s hard to walk in the heat, and 2) there’s no crowd of tourists in this sea. Both are clearly not conducive to a pleasant pastime.
However, in reality everything turned out to be not scary at all. Now, based on my own experience, I can confidently state that with a competent approach to organizing a trip, many negative aspects can be completely avoided.
Now let's talk about everything in order. I'll start with the weather.
Heat
How we dealt with the heat.
First of all, I can't say it was that hot. We arrived in Venice on August 10th. It was a cloudy day, and towards evening it started to rain. After this, for a week the weather was mostly sunny, and the air temperature fluctuated around +25–27 degrees during the day, dropping below +20 at night. We never even turned on the air conditioner (by the way, read a detailed review of where we lived). During all the time we spent in Venice, there were only 2-3 really hot days, when the daytime temperature rose above +30. So the above-mentioned air conditioner was still useful to us. But even these days we had a great time walking around Venice.
Now is the time to make a few clarifications. And this is the second thing. The fact is that visiting Venice was just one of our goals. The essence of the whole trip was to combine walks around Venice with a beach holiday as organically as possible. Therefore, we lived in Lido, and spent part of our time on the beach (more about the beaches of this place). In addition, we went on vacation with a four-year-old child, and therefore we had a daily break for the children's sleep (from about 13:30 to 15:30), when we, the parents, often took a siesta. Thus, during the hottest hours of the day, our sleepy family basically did not stick their nose out into the street. We went for walks around the city either in the morning (from 9:00 to 12:00), or in the afternoon (from 16:00 to 18:30), or in the evening (about 20:00). At these hours, wandering through the Venetian streets and back streets (and even more so along the embankments) was quite comfortable - we did not languish from the heat. And in general, +30 by the sea is not at all the same as +30 in any “land” city: the heat is much easier to bear.
Crowds
In August there are really very, very many people in Venice. There were probably more only during the carnival. And it seems like nothing can be done about it. But it only seems so. All the negativity must go to those who come to Venice for the day from some nearby resort and wander into the thick of it along the main tourist routes - from Santa Lucia Station and Piazzale Roma to Piazza San Marco and back (and then they write reviews about how Venice disappointed them). You really can’t envy them, the poor fellows. We preferred to walk along roundabout paths and, as mentioned above, in those hours when it was not particularly hot.
As for the roundabout paths, I have already managed to tell you something. We were talking about the Castello area and its attractions. Here it only remains to add that even despite the Biennale, we did not encounter any crowds near the Giardini, much less in the vicinity of the churches of Sant'Elena and San Pietro. The eastern part of Castello, in my opinion, is generally one of the calmest and most peaceful places in all of Venice. We really like this area, and each of our visits to Venice is accompanied by an indispensable walk along the long, very long embankment leading from San Marco to the Giardini and, further, to the Parco delle Rimembranze. I think that next time we will stay somewhere nearby, since there are options (the Best Western Premier Hotel Sant'Elena, for example, plus numerous apartments like the Queen House Garden). Moreover, since the eastern part of Castello is considered the outskirts of Venice and not is very popular among tourists, the prices here are relatively low, despite the fact that the same Piazza San Marco is only 20 minutes on foot, and you can get there by vaporetto in 5 minutes (the same amount, by the way, to the Lido - the beaches are always nearby) .
Of course, we did not limit ourselves to walking only around the outskirts of Venice. We visited San Marco, took a ride along the Grand Canal (three times), and didn’t forget to walk along the Zattere embankment, and even looked into the depths of Cannaregio. In short, we managed to see quite a lot, despite the fact that we went everywhere with a child (this is a topic for a separate discussion). There were no crowds in any of these places (with the exception of San Marco, of course). There were crowds in the area of Santa Lucia Station and Piazzale Roma, where we also visited. But, say, if we needed to walk from the train station to the ghetto (or in the opposite direction), then we walked around the outskirts through the park (Parco Savorgnan), where, again, there are no crowds. And so it is almost everywhere. In other words, there is always an opportunity to escape the crowds in Venice, even in August. The most difficult thing here is to learn to move freely around the city, at least with a map (or even better without it). This takes practice. So come, practice and don’t be afraid of anything - August is not as scary as it’s made out to be
Historically, Venice is one of the most expensive cities in the world, practically inaccessible to the average tourist.
Agree, few people dream of coming to Venice during the high season, at least for a week, and staying not an hour’s drive from the center, but in the very heart of Venice - in Piazza San Marco, and even in a historic hotel of the 18th century.
It seems that Venice is simply not made for the budget independent traveler. It is rather for those who are easily ready to shell out several hundred euros per day for comfort and the opportunity to live in Venice as a person.
I hope that someday I will also be able to stop counting my money, because it suddenly becomes too much. But while this is not the case, I am writing my post about what you can save on on your trip to Venice, without any significant loss in the quality of your vacation in this wonderful Italian city.
After all, despite all the established stereotypes about the high cost of Venice, I managed to live there exactly as I write - in a historic hotel in Piazza San Marco and in early June.
Of course, it worked out on a relatively budget-friendly basis. Let me say this, my trip to Venice was not too expensive than a trip to any other average European city.
But most importantly, this trip of mine convinced me that this city needs to be viewed this way, slowly, imbued with its special, unique atmosphere.
Because the main drawback for which even experienced travelers, such as Sergey Dolya, criticize Venice is the crowds of tourists creating turmoil and crush at the main attractions of this city. Sometimes it even seems that this is not a city at all, but one big train station, where everyone is running somewhere, shouting, pushing, and prices in restaurants and shops are simply off the charts, because they are designed for a hurrying “passenger” who has no time to choose and ask the price.
queue for gondolas
Rialto Bridge
And this is all true. But with a small caveat, this Venice can be seen during the day, when numerous one-day tourist groups bring it here. Because of which there is literally nowhere for an apple to fall in Piazza San Marco, in all the museums there are gigantic queues and all around those same crowds of motley people, speaking all the languages of the world, who in feverish excitement buy up all Chinese souvenirs at exorbitant prices, even if they themselves are tourists from this very China.
Truly, during the day, Venice is a real Babylonian pandemonium.
But everything changes when darkness falls...
Unlike other cities in the world, where tourists are evenly distributed among the attractions at any time of the day, because they live right next to each other. Not so with Venice. The hustle and bustle here lasts for several hours, when tourist groups begin to arrive on the island (approximately from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The rest of the time, Venice is quiet, leisurely, and peaceful like no other tourist city.
And then this disadvantage, with its great tourist attractiveness coupled with high cost, turns into an advantage. Because in the morning and evening here you can leisurely stroll along the Venetian streets and along the canals, and in the museums there is no such crowd and crush as during the day.
In general, on my first visit to Venice, I was exactly the same visiting tourist for several hours, you can read about it separately.
And to be honest, traveling around Italy as part of a group is the most budget-friendly way to see Italy and Venice possible. If you have very little money, but still want to go to Italy, you should contact search for tours in Italy. Fortunately, there are quite a few of them, I don’t want to choose.
I liked Venice even then, but such a galloping exploration of the city for several hours was not enough for me, so I ventured on a separate, specially planned trip here.
And I couldn’t even dream that it would turn out to be so wonderful in all its senses.
Venice is one of the most beautiful cities not only in Italy, but in the whole world and it is not at all surprising that there are so many tourists here.
Moreover, Venice has long turned into a tourist factory city for tourists, in which every corner, every shop and every person dreams of making money on visiting travel lovers. You need to know this and always remember so as not to get into trouble.
Finally, I’ll tell you where to start planning the budget for your trip to Venice, about the main cost items and how you can save on them. I will divide my story into three parts.
Now let’s look at these points in more detail, taking into account the Venetian specifics
How much does a hotel room cost in Venice?
Hotels in Venice are expensive, not even that, they are fabulously expensive. That is why most independent travelers, when they come to this city, settle on the mainland, at best, next to the station. I read exactly these tips before traveling to Italy in other blogs and even managed to book a “successful inexpensive hotel” near Venice Santa Lucia station.
Just for fun, I of course poked around at hotels in the San Marco area, but the closer you are to San Marco, the more astronomical the prices are. The unexpectedly low prices frightened and aroused suspicion.
I wrote about them in my separate article, so I won’t dwell on them in detail here.
In short, in my opinion, you need to live as close as possible to the center of tourist interest and it is advisable to choose a hotel that is not just a window-bed-door, but still strive to ensure that it organically fits into the atmosphere of the place where you will not be staying for long , but I will live. And it allowed me to fully experience the atmosphere of the place where I arrived.
Well, it would be desirable that at least breakfast be provided. Of course, you won’t find all-inclusive in Europe, but at least this way.
Maybe some people want to bother with cooking when traveling, but this is definitely not about me. Well, besides, hotel breakfasts are often much more profitable than visiting a cafe or, even more so, a restaurant.
The average living budget that I allow for myself is: 100 euros per day, plus or minus. If I manage to find something cheaper, but without loss of quality, I am happy and allow myself some tourist excesses. Usually, I succeed. So I get some new beads 8)
This time I chose hotel for 125 euros per night, despite its rather mediocre ratings on booking. But all the hotels located nearby were much more expensive at the time of booking.
I have noticed many times now that hotels with super ratings on booking sites disappoint me, while those with low ratings, on the contrary, I like. If there is interest, I can do a detailed post-room tour later. Now I don’t want to pollute the airwaves. I will say that this hotel satisfied all my requests, maybe not 100%, but 85% for sure. The downside is a small room and a barely warm shower, but the big downside of this hotel was the money frozen by the hotel on my bank card. Those. They took the money for the accommodation and additionally froze the same amount on my card.
This was the first time I encountered something like this, and my bank also added fuel to the fire by confirming that there was a double debit on the part of the hotel. Just in case, I prepared for these financial losses, but everything worked out, the “Frozen money” was returned to me. But only within a month after the trip. This means that I had less of this frozen amount on my card until the end of my trip.
On hotel booking sites it is not always clear what the price range is for a particular hotel, but in the room in our hotel there was a price list, from which it followed that our room, depending on occupancy and season, could cost from 62 to 330 euros!
Can you imagine what the run-up is?
Peak season in Venice- almost all summer, Venice Carnival, Venice Film Festival. These are the periods when hotel prices will be at their highest, which means you definitely won’t be able to save on accommodation using the method I recommend.
In general, my advice to you is to go to Venice for at least 3-4 days and look for hotels in Venice in the center. Damn all compromises! Don't settle in the middle of nowhere. After all, in fact, you can see Venice either early in the morning or in the evening, when there is no influx of one-time tourists.
Don’t deprive yourself of the pleasure of your trip for the sake of dubious savings. It is better to adjust the dates of your trip when hotel prices are not the highest.
I went to Venice in early June, when it wasn’t too hot and there were still slightly fewer tourists here than in July-August. And I think this is a very good time to visit her. I also want to come here in winter; they say Venice is no less beautiful at this time of year.
I hope this article of mine will never be translated into Chinese, otherwise there will be no meaning left from this information and advice of mine. 8)
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Venice is a place where it’s not so easy to visit on a budget.
Hotels here can easily cost 200 or 400 euros, one trip on a regular vaporetto boat (something like a minibus) - 7 euros per trip, half an hour on a gondola - 80 euros, etc. And also restaurants, attractions, souvenirs...
Is it possible to see Venice without being a millionaire? And in general, what could be the minimum travel budget? What can you save on here, and what should you not under any circumstances?
When is the best time to go to catch good weather and so that prices are not high?
Is it worth going here with a child? How is the food, walks, and entertainment here? Still, the city is special, without the usual transport, it stands on the water...
How much time should you set aside so that you have time to look, feel the spirit, but also not stay too long in this objectively expensive place?
We visited here in February 2015, just in time for the carnival.
Naturally, Sofia came with us; she is now one year and eight months old.
You can fly to Venice, come by train, bus or your own car.
The airports through which you can get here are not in Venice itself, but on the mainland. The closest two are Marco Polo, where regular airlines like Lufthansa fly, and Treviso, where low-cost airlines fly here, for example, Ryanair. Then you can get from the airport by bus for 6 euros.
But if you fly from Russia, then it will be much cheaper to fly to some major airport, for example, Milan. And you can get to Venice by train, it’s only 2.5 hours, and the trains come directly to the island.
It’s difficult to say exactly how much tickets cost and how much they should cost; the easiest way is to check the current cost of tickets on some decent airline ticket search engine, for example, Aviasales. And try experimenting with your arrival airport and dates.
We arrived in Venice by car. It must be left immediately at the entrance to the island, in one of the huge multi-story parking lots. In February 2015, a day of parking in such a parking lot cost 30 euros.
Another important point that surprises: the car is open in the parking lot, the keys are in the cabin, next to the windshield. Such rules.
Is it worth staying in Mestre?
Since Venice has a reputation for being a very budget-friendly place, there is often a recommendation to stay not in Venice itself, but in Mestre - this is a small town with a population of about 100 thousand inhabitants, literally separated from the island Venice by a long bridge across the lagoon.
The distance in a straight line between them is about 11 km, and along the highway about twice as much.
I literally took the high prices in hotels in Venice as an axiom, and therefore almost immediately I started looking for something in Mestre, although I was very confused by the road from Mestre.
Still, no matter how you look at it, you still need to get to the bus or train station, get on the schedule, buy a ticket, then you arrive in Venice at Piazza Venezia Santa Lucia, and from there you also need to get to the center of Venice. True, this is a pleasant walk, by boat, but a one-time trip costs 7 euros. If you drive there back and not alone, you will already have a decent amount of money.
With a baby still sleeping during the day, the hotel in Mestre was a bit of a concern. Then I compared the prices of hotels in Mestre and Venice and realized that, combined with this additional road, living in Mestre is no cheaper than in Venice, but it is more stressful in terms of nerves - all the time you need to think about how you will get back in the evening and get on the schedule.
It’s just that in Mestre for the same money as in Venice you will get more comfortable hotel conditions. But in my opinion, I would take this argument into account last. Yes, there are few hotels in Venice that have an elevator, many of them are located in buildings of the 15th century, and in some places there is a smell of dampness - this is Venice, there is water all around.
But given comparable money conditions, even for a slightly simpler hotel in Venice, I would definitely choose Venice.
You will most likely be staying at the hotel very little anyway. And it’s wrong to interrupt this atmosphere of a medieval city, with its boats, canals, buildings with lancet windows, by traveling by train and bus.
I would leave Mestre only in case the prices in Venice itself are, for some reason, really prohibitive or everything is packed. Well, that is, in case you can objectively settle only in Mestre.
Hotels in Venice, what they are and how much they cost
The price for the same room in the same hotel in Venice can vary by almost 10 times. It all depends on when you go: in winter or summer, that is, in high or low season, on what days of the week (weekends are more expensive), during the carnival or not. Current prices for hotels in Venice can be checked on Booking.com.
By the way, room prices differ even during the carnival. On weekends it can be more expensive, much more expensive, than on those carnival days that fall on weekdays.
It is also more expensive during the opening and closing of the carnival, when the maximum number of people arrive. So even during an event such as a carnival, when hotel prices are a priori higher, you can experiment with dates and find an offer that is not at all ruinous.
Carnival in Venice, 2015
As in other cities, you can also find apartments here. But as a rule, they are located quite far from St. Mark's Square, to which tourists gravitate.
For example, I found the nearest relatively inexpensive apartments (100 euros per night) in February 2015, during the carnival, a 20-minute walk from San Marco. It seemed to have 2 bedrooms, so for 4-6 people it's a great deal.
We could do without such large apartments; it was more important for us that it all be closer to the center, so that we would have to walk back and forth less. Therefore, it quickly became clear that in our case, some hotel near San Marco would be ideal.
I deliberately looked for a room for weekdays. And that was right. On weekdays, Booking showed a discount of as much as 75% on some rooms, while on weekends prices increased several times.
We ended up paying 60 euros per night for our room at the Casa Dolce (a luxurious restored building dating back to 1500), with a simply gigantic excellent breakfast. The hotel is located 150 meters from San Marco, right on the canal, thirty meters from the Coop supermarket... For the weekend you had to pay that much
for a bed in the common room of the dormitory, so.
In preparation for this trip, we finally decided where to book - on Booking.com or on AirBNB.com in favor of Booking.
The fact is that Booking sets prices very flexibly, depending on the day of the week, hotel occupancy, etc. As a result, you can find such a huge discount. AirBNB does not yet have such a flexible policy, and apartments cost the same on all days. By the way, for lovers of apartments: Booking also has them, although the choice is smaller.
Of course, the hotel is cramped, there is no kitchen, but you can always find an option in the center, with breakfast, at a huge discount, and for us now this is preferable to apartments somewhere closer to the outskirts, albeit more spacious, but which you need to get to.
Transport in Venice
Transport in Venice is on your own feet; Vaporetto boats are something like minibuses that run along the main canals; and gondolas.
In fact, gondolas are no longer transport for tourists, but a short and very expensive entertainment. A gondola ride costs 80 euros for half an hour.
This is what gondoliers look like
If you want the gondolier to sing as expected, you need to pay extra. As for us, we left this entertainment for the future. Maybe one day…
Godol rates: 80 euros for half an hour, maximum 6 people per boat, 100 euros for an evening excursion
In fact, here is a good tip: buy a vaporetto ticket, but not for one trip, but multiple times, according to the number of days you will spend here.
Vaporetto
See for yourself: a single ticket for the Vapareto costs 7 euros. And you will need at least two of these - when you arrive on the island and when you leave. You can, of course, walk there, but it’s far and not easy with a suitcase.
So you will spend at least 14 euros on a vaporetto. And for 50 euros you can buy a ticket on which you will travel for as long as you want for a week. So instead of half an hour on a gondola, I would choose a vaporetto ticket.
Of course, this is public transport here. And the boats are filled with people. And some of the places are inside the boat, which is not so interesting. Despite the wind, we always settled on the open part of the deck.
By the way, I wouldn’t say that there were very many people. And then you can always choose less busy routes, since 95% of tourists travel only from Piazzale Roma to San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, or during non-peak times.
Vaporetto turnstiles
Eat in Venice
Breakfast is included in the room rate in many hotels. Our breakfast was simply luxurious, very varied and tasty.
You can have lunch and dinner in the cafe. Also, if possible, you can buy something in the supermarket, heat it in the microwave, etc., if the hotel has one.
The menu in the cafe is not particularly varied - mainly pasta and pizza, with some seafood.
If you want to feed your baby in a cafe, try to move away from the main tourist trails. Now you will understand why.
Between St. Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge there are always crowds of tourists, cafes are packed, tourists are in the city for a day or two, so there is a flow of people working here. There's no need to try too hard here. And, probably, in overloaded tourist cafes you should be careful with seafood.
You can select a cafe on Tripadvisor in advance. The main thing is then to be able to find it in the labyrinth of streets.
A couple of minutes walk from San Marco towards the Rialto Bridge on Salizado San Lio there is just an excellent Coop supermarket (its coordinates are 45.4368795,12.339412), where you can find ready-made food (pizza, panini, couscous with vegetables, etc., which is sold by weight ). At prices, a portion of pizza (quite large) is about 2 euros, 100 grams of couscous with vegetables is 1.4 euros.
This supermarket has a lot of very tasty, inexpensive fast food of excellent quality - it’s just enough to heat up, so it’s great if you have a microwave in your room.
If you live in an apartment, you can prepare an excellent lunch/dinner yourself in just 5 minutes by buying a pack of ravioli (1.5 euros) and sauce (3 euros) - enough for two. Fresh cheese, excellent vegetables, wine, bread - in all this splendor there is no threat of hunger, everything is very beautiful and tasty.
Fruits and vegetables in a small shop
What and how to see in Venice
There is a mountain of information about the sights of Venice on the Internet. I won't dwell on this.
Let me just say that Venice is best viewed from the water, at different times of the day. And also go deeper into the alleys, where there are almost no tourists.
Narrow medieval streets, the narrowest ones are only 85 cm wide, canals, bridges, boats - Venice is both mysterious and romantic.
Just don't forget the map!!! This is a very serious warning. It is very easy to get lost in the labyrinths of these streets.
If you want everything to be bustling around, go to San Marco or the Rialto Bridge, there are a lot of people, restaurants and shops.
And it's beautiful there too:
When and for what period is it better to go to Venice?
From February to the beginning of summer is just a great time. Already in February the sun shines quite often, it is warm, but not hot. With the exception of carnival days, there are fewer people than in summer.
From early November to mid-January there is a period of high water. There may be flooding, windy and rainy conditions. There are a lot of people in June and July.
But spring and September are just a great time. Despite the fact that we were at the very beginning of February, the weather was already spring-like - warm and sunny.
Narrow streets
As for the number of days of the trip itself, we stayed here for 3 nights, that is, 2 full days and another 2 days for arrival/departure. During this time you cannot see everything here, but you can really feel the spirit of this place.
In my opinion, spending so much time here is optimal.
What to consider when traveling with a child
There are many bridges and narrow streets in Venice. And here it’s completely inconvenient with a stroller. Although we used it. It’s also inconvenient with a suitcase on wheels.
Usually travelers with children have a lot of things. Please note that hotels in Venice usually do not have elevators; only the most expensive ones have them. Try to take less with you.
In general, do not be afraid to travel to Venice with children. There may not be any playgrounds, slides, etc. here, but there are boats everywhere. And such an unusual holiday atmosphere, characteristic of this place in general.
The kids love it here.
Sofia was willing to go for walks twice a day - in the morning and in the afternoon. Boats, boats - she still raves about them.
Inexpensive to Venice - conclusions
1. We settle in Venice to shorten the journey to Mestre, including expenses.
2. In hotel/apartment pairings, hotels often win if you are not traveling with a large group. You can find a discounted hotel on Booking.com.
3. It’s better to go not on a weekend, so you have a better chance of taking advantage of some big discount on the hotel. It is better to choose a hotel with breakfast.
4. Instead of a short gondola ride, opt for a multi-use vaporetto ticket. This way you can drive around Venice a lot and see it from the water as much as you want, and not just a measly half hour.
5. As for food, check out the simply excellent Coop supermarket. At a minimum, you can easily arrange lunch or dinner here.
6. Masks... this is a traditional souvenir. But everything that sells for 3 euros is Chinese crafts. Real masks made in Venice are very expensive. But if you're going to bring it, then real ones are better. However, you can just take a couple of good photos.
7. If you need to come here economically, then it’s better not by car. By plane, train, etc. - cheaper, plus you won’t have to spend money on quite expensive parking here. For example, it cost us 90 euros.
And in more detail about our impressions of Venice and trips to the carnival.
Venice is a unique city in the Northern part of Italy. Every person needs to visit there at least once. After all, this city is slowly sinking under water. Of course, centuries must pass for it to completely disappear under water, but still, every year less of this city remains on the surface of the earth, and the sooner you manage to visit here, the more you will be able to see. What other reasons are there to choose Venice for your trip?
Reason 1. To visit the famous Piazza San Marco
This area is known throughout the world for the number of pigeons that gather here. To visit Venice and not take a photo surrounded by the Rainy Palace, the Bell Tower, the Grand Canal and, of course, numerous birds, means not to leave one of the most important memories of this city.
Tourists are lucky if they choose Venice hotels in the center to stay. Then St. Mark's Square will be a stone's throw away, and there will be time to get to know all its attractions.
Reason 2. To ride a gondola
This is a unique entertainment that can only be experienced when visiting Venice. Local entrepreneurs who provide rides take advantage of this. A trip of 40 minutes will cost 80 euros, that is, 2 euros per minute. But what won’t you give for the sake of a unique pleasure that you will never experience again in your life?
Reason 3. To stay in a luxury hotel
Venice has truly luxurious hotels, where your stay is surrounded by comfort, attentive service, and Italian hospitality. These are undoubtedly Venice 5 star and 4 star hotels. Staying in them while staying in this city means giving yourself a wonderful holiday in a rich environment.
Reason 4. To visit Lido Beach
Venice is not only about cultural and entertainment programs and excursions, but also about beach holidays. Lido is a resort with sandy beaches that attract both the local population and many visitors. Let us remind you that Lido is also an island where a film festival is held every year in September.
Reason 5. To get to know the churches of Venice
In the city center alone you will be able to visit more than ten ancient churches, built in distant centuries and decorated with gold, jewelry, and the greatest icons. We recommend that you definitely look into the Frari Church, the Dome without a Church, the Church of St. Moses and the Church with the relics of St. Lucia.
