Venice: What You Need to Know

Venice is one of the most surreal places I’ve ever been in my life.  We’ve all seen it on tv, in movies, read about it books, but to actually be there is something else. It’s one of the most breathtaking and interesting places I’ve ever been in my life.  I had seen Venice so many times in pictures and then I was actually there.

Not only are the canals and buildings so authentic and original but the people and atmosphere are so charming and real.  After spending almost a week in Venice I can easily say I fell in love with “the floating city.”  Follow these ten steps to get ready and be prepared for the trip of a lifetime!

1: PLAN TO GO TO VENICE DURING THE “RIGHT” SEASONS

Italy is a summer destination. During this time of the year people say it’s so crowded that if you died in the streets of Venice no one would notice. We went toward the end of September and it seemed like the perfect time to go. Of course there were crowds here and there, but NOTHING like the summer months.  Also those warmer months are not only swarming with people, but they’re also swarming with mosquitos, my worst enemies.

2: BRING AN ASSORTMENT OF DIFFERENT CLOTHING

Prepare for rain, flooding, sunshine, just be ready for anything.  Venice in September had exceptional weather.  It was perfect travel weather during the day but it cooled down significantly at night.  I wish I had brought a down coat, that’s how cold it got.  For this reason, pack warmer and colder clothes.

3: BRING CLOSE-TOED SHOES

I looked up the weather before Italy and thought “Aaaah, 70 degrees…can’t beat that.”  What I didn’t know was that many parts of Venice flood because the city is gradually sinking and the streets are very low.  The water from the ocean overflows on the streets.  Venice is prepared for this as they have large lifted slabs of wood in some parts of the city making a walkway that is higher than the normal ground.  I on the other hand was not prepared for this.  I brought sneakers but they were so flat that I had water seeping through during and after rainfall when I walked through the streets.  Bring some kind of boots, summer or winter boots depending on the season.

4: STUDY A MAP OF VENICE FRONT TO BACK

Venice is confusing, people!  I have a sense of direction like no other and it took me a day or two to orient myself around this city.  The city itself isn’t very large.  It takes about an hour or two to walk from one end to the other, but the streets are narrow and wind in and out.  Study that map and study it well because the streets and canals can start to feel like a maze.  A tip I’ve learned traveling is that by remembering points of interests, rather than street names, that can make a world’s difference.  I was adamant about remembering certain floating markets, specific restaurants, shops, etc., and in the end it really helped.  If you get lost it could take hours finding your way through the tangled web that Venice is.

5: LOOK OUT FOR DIRECTIONAL “LANDMARK” SIGNS, THESE WILL SAVE YOU!

There are arrows up on the corner of crossroads that say, “Ferry” with an arrow.  If your hotel is near the ferry, walk that way.  🙂

6: BOOK AN AIR B & B FOR THE MOST COST-EFFICIENT TRIP

Sometimes staying in a hotel is nice and everything is taken care for you.  However, I must say I am getting pretty prone to renting Air B & B’s.  In Italy, Venice especially, the prices of hotel rooms are outrageous. We rented a three-bedroom place between six of us for $150/night.  That is exceptional considering we paid at least a third a night of what we would have if we had six people staying in a hotel room.  They do book quickly in major tourist cities therefore, book ahead of time for the best results.  Also make sure they have wifi, Italy is a funny country with wifi, and it’s not as accessible as you may think.

7: PREPARE FOR LONG TRAVEL TIMES, GETTING AROUND VENICE TAKES TIME

Stay away from the public water ferry, the water taxis and the gondola rides.  They’re all kind of a complete rip-off.  Taking the public ferry once may be a nice thing to do while in Venice, but it’s obscenely crowded during the day to the point where you can’t even move.  Not to mention they charge almost 9 euros per person, per ride.  It gets a bit much if you do it more than once.  For the family of six of us that were in Venice, it cost 56 Euros for a one-way trip that took about 25 minutes.  Wherever you go in Venice it will take a long time. With all the winding streets and canals, by foot and by ferry take almost the same time, just walk it and burn off that spaghetti carbonara you had the night before!

Water taxis are a little bit faster, but again, a lot more expensive than the public ferry, which can still be considered pretty pricey for public transportation.  The gondola rides are a whole different beast…unless you’re on your honeymoon or your wedding anniversary this is a complete tourist trap.  It can cost anywhere from 200-1200 Euros for one ride! If you’re feeling like you’re only going to be in Venice once and this is a must, so be it, just make sure you know the price before you go.

8: EAT WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT

You’re in Italy, the only place on earth where carbs are NOT the enemy.  Even the places that have “Menus of the Day”- easy translation: a menu for tourists, consisting of meat, pasta and a salad, are usually pretty decent and a good deal all in all.  The tomatoes they have all over Italy are SO sweet that the sauces for most dishes is so good it’s even hard to talk about them without getting hungry.  Also, pig out on the pastries. You can eat healthy when you go home, this is the place to forget about it and enjoy.  Carb it up!

9: BUY THE “All CIVIC VENICE MUSEUMS” PASS IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE IN VENICE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS

For 25.50 Euros, 19.50 if you’re a student (or present a student card ) you have access to almost all the museums.  This “All Civic Venice Museum pass” buys you a one-time visit to each museum for anytime in a three-month period.  This includes some of the major museums like the Palazzo Ducale and the Museo Correr, as well as the Natural History Museum (fun for kids, and adults like me.)  My personal favorite was the costume museum.  They had Channel perfume bottles dating back god knows how many years, as well as several test fragrances to smell, costumes to gawk at, and many decorated rooms to walk through.  It was very entertaining and only took about an hour to walk through the whole thing.  I love museums but any longer than an hour and I’m falling asleep, for real.

10: SPEND ENOUGH TIME IN VENICE TO ENJOY IT

I know many times people have time constraints but if you have the time, enjoy it. Venice is slowly becoming an all-tourist city.  The locals are moving out and thus local family businesses are moving out for various reasons as well, therefore, enjoy it while it’s actually an authentic city where Venetians still live.

Someone told us before we went that we only needed a day or two in Venice…they were so wrong. We spent six full days in Venice and couldn’t have been happier with that decision. It’s such a lovely, scenic and cool city you need some time to just enjoy and not be rushed to do everything on the tourist checklist. I mean it’s a city that’s built on stilts above the ocean, doesn’t get more badass than that.

Hannah

Hannah has been traveling the world since she was a little girl. She started her travel blog Heels to Hiking Boots in 2012. Heels to Hiking Boots is all about the modern female traveler. The woman who can throw on a pair of heels for a night out, and then wake up and lace up her muddy hiking boots for a day of exploration.