A All Inclusive Guide to Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy is on the bucket list of almost EVERY traveler. It’s no secret why, its romantic old world charm, whimsical architecture and jaw dropping landscapes make it the perfect getaway. Venice is one of those places where you can do as little or as much as you like. With so many activities, shops and restaurants it can be a bit overwhelming where to start. In this article I will cover all the basics from transportation from the airport to your hotel, to the top tourist attractions and the best places to get pictures. You ready?

So the first thing you will have to conquer is transportation from the airport to your hotel. Venice is a unique city in the majority of it is surrounded by water, so you will travel by boat and foot for most of your stay. Like all things there is a cheap way and a not so cheap way. You can charter a private boat, however those usually are about 100 euros. I used the water taxi Alilaguna. https://www.alilaguna.it/en/lines/linea-blu if you are going a cruise that leaves from Venice, this is also the taxi you will need. For my trip I paid 15 euros each way, which is much better that 100 euros, however, since prices may vary, please check the link above for the most updated prices and schedules.

So you catch the ferry to your hotel, now what… One word: Luggage Porter. I stayed in the San Marco area (most popular). When I got off at the dock it was FULL of people. Because this is a tourist drop off area, please be aware of your surroundings. Venice has an amazing tourism staff that will meet you at the dock, however THEY ALL Have on NAME BADGES AND LABELED SHIRTS. When we arrived this man approached myself and my friend and asked us where our hotel was, we were a little reluctant at first, but he was wearing a name badge and a uniform, so we told him. This man would turn out to be our knight in shining armor. WHY he was a luggage porter! He literally carried our luggage from the dock to our hotel, which was a 10 min walk!!!! It was 20 euros well spent. Not to mention, Venice has TONS of side streets and alleyways, so if nothing else use a porter so you won’t get lost lol. Keep in mind they don’t have real streets so you WILL HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WALKING.

Ok so you have settled in your hotel, now what? Where are the top places you should go? (All of the places that I’ve listed are all with in a 10-15 walk of each other, so they are all centrally located). *Please see the Italy photo gallery on my website for more pictures!

Mark’s Square

Rialto Bridge

Dogged Palace

St. Marks Square Venice, Italy

Rialto Bridge Venice, Italy

Of course I couldn’t complete this article without covering the famous gondola rides. These rides cost about 60-80 euros. Many websites like Trip Advisor will advertise gondola rides for like 20 euros. My advice DON’T BUY THOSE. I advise against this because there are SEVERAL gondola companies and they are spread out over a pretty large area, and trust me it will take you HOURS asking each person, and finding the area on the canal where the company you purchased from is located. Gondola rides are paid for in cash, there are NO computers to look up reservations ect. Although it cost more to pay in person, I think it’s worth it.

Gondola Ride

Another great activity is taking a day trip to the 3 private islands off the coast of Venice: Burano, Murano and Torcello. There are several companies that do this, I advise reserving through your hotel to avoid any scams. I paid 25 euros for the day round trip. There is not much to do on these islands. But I must say they all provide great back drop for photos. There are restaurants and gift shops for you leisure.

Private Islands of Venice

As far as shopping, Venice has something for everyone, everything from Chanel and Gucci to H&M and Victoria Secret can be found in the city center.

The other big question is food? The cuisine in Venice is subject to its recipient, however some places are better that others, I personally found the best restaurants near Rialto Bridge. It was definitely authentic.

All in All there is NOTHING bad to say about this Beautiful city. It’s a must see.