Venice Tips Please

[MinniMouse]

We took the "secret tour" of Doges palace. It takes you behind the walls and into the depths and up into where Casanova was imprisoned. Great tour.

Agree about wandering the back streets. Stop at a local restaurant and ask for a selection of cicchetti (Venice tapas). The one we stopped at also served homemade beer or maybe lager. It was delicious and so cheap, and so quiet compared to the hustle bustle of the tourist spots.

I think we went on a loop on the Vaparetto? Took a gondola ride, yes it was not cheap but I loved it. There's no way I was going all the way to Venice and not doing a gondola ride.

Also had a drink in Harrys Bar. My friend wanted to do it. 90 euros for 4 drinks So I wouldn't recommend that!

[HiddenMickey35]

Originally Posted by MinniMouse

We took the "secret tour" of Doges palace. It takes you behind the walls and into the depths and up into where Casanova was imprisoned. Great tour.

Agree about wandering the back streets. Stop at a local restaurant and ask for a selection of cicchetti (Venice tapas). The one we stopped at also served homemade beer or maybe lager. It was delicious and so cheap, and so quiet compared to the hustle bustle of the tourist spots.

I think we went on a loop on the Vaparetto? Took a gondola ride, yes it was not cheap but I loved it. There's no way I was going all the way to Venice and not doing a gondola ride.

Also had a drink in Harrys Bar. My friend wanted to do it. 90 euros for 4 drinks So I wouldn't recommend that!

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I never went in Harrys Bar and heard that it is good but pricey..

Oh yes we took a gondola ride and it was worthing to remember it.

[THE WIZARD]

Oh reading all this is making me want to be there again. Yes forgot about Harry's Bar we did drink there but got it a bit cheaper as my girlfriend was with us & she is Venetian so handy when visiting Venice with her

[Beaker's Fluff]

Thank you so much to everybody that has taken the time to post your top tips, I have lots of research to do over the next few weeks. I have a book but you can’t beat Dibb tips.

[tonymc]

Coincidentally, we are flying out to Venice later this morning and have 1-1/2 days before our cruise, so very opportune this thread.

[DisneyDaffodil]

I asked a similar question last year before our holiday there and had loads of great advice so here’s a link to my thread

https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...ghlight=Venice

[BONZO]

My tip would be go get a boat over to Venice Lido - far from the madding crowd and less "touristy" - nice sandy beach too if the weather is good.

food and drink at more sensible prices too.

[tonymc]

As mentioned before, many thanks for the advice in this thread.

We arrived late afternoon yesterday at out hotel in Mestre (excellent taxi service from Treviso airport by Treviso Car Services), then caught the tram to the Piazzale Roma. We ate at the Ristorante Ribot, slightly off the tourist trail, and although it looked empty, we had seen on Trip Advisor that they had a garden area which was almost full as we arrived.

The food was really good, and the bill came to 83 euros for two courses and a couple of drinks each. It could have been much cheaper had we gone for the daily special at 16 euros each, or pizzas from 6 euros. We also had a free Prosecco when we sat down and a Limoncello with the bill.

Today we hit Venice with a 20 euro day ticket covering tram, buses and boats. Tram again from Mestre, then we took the number 2 boat to San Giorgio where we took the elevator to the top of the bell tower - no waiting and 6 euros with some cracking views across Venice. Thanks for that tip. We also enjoyed a couple of drinks at the cafe, overlooking the water and across to St marks.

Then the boat over to St marks, where we took a number 1 boat along the Grand Canal back to the Piazzale Roma - we got a seat at the rear of the boat which gave us some great views along the canal.

We had lunch from one of the small kiosks at the Piazzale Roma - two sandwiches, water and an Aperol Spritz for 11 euros.

Then back on the boats, this time a 4.2 which operates along the northern edge of Venice. We alighted at Fondamenta Nove, then spent a pleasant half hour or so wandering across to St Marks Square. As mentioned earlier, the sat nav maps weren’t brilliant as the GPS kept dropping out due to the narrow alleyways, but we eventually made it.

As mentioned in another reply, the back streets were certainly a lot cheaper for food, with quite a few places having a pizza and drink for 10 euros, or lots of small cafes with sandwiches around 4 euros or pizza slices for 2.50 euros.

We visited the Basilica (note that you cannot take backpacks in but have to deposit them (for free) at a place down a side street.We than had a walk around the square, a few photos at the Bridge of Sighs, then walked back to the Rialto bridge for yet more photos.

By this time, the temperature being 27 degC, we were feeling it, so we wimped out and caught another water bus back to Pizalle Roma. We had noticed a Coop on the waterside here, so called in for some water and some tonics for our gin imported from East Midlands Airport!

Back to the tram, and a 15 minute ride saw us back at our hotel. Our host very kindly provided us with ice for our drinks, which as we speak are being enjoyed in the relative cool of our room.

Only decision now is where to eat tonight... that bus/tram/water bus card is getting well used!

[ynwa2009]

Thanks for the report, it sounds lovely, we're heading there soon so all the tips are really helpful, hope you enjoy the rest of your trip

[Dissuziq]

Originally Posted by Omega1

My top tips:
1. Best free rooftop viewpoint is Fondaco Dei Tedeschi near Rialto Bridge. Need to book online.
2. Most tourists want to go up the Campanile in St. Mark’s. Don’t bother. Take vaparetto no 2 across to San Giorgio Maggiore and go up the campanile there (small charge). It’s a better view, particularly back to St Mark’s.
3. Buy tickets for the vaparetto as a daily pass (1,2,3 days etc) much, much cheaper than single tickets.
4. Get lost! As others have said every turn is a new discovery.
5. Find a quiet, off the beaten track, square and join the locals for pre dinner Aperol Veneziana (Aperol Spritz).
6. Download Rick Steve’s podcast of the journey along the Grand Canal. It synchronises with the vaparetto no 1 journey from Piazzale Roma. It’s the best free narrated guide going.
7. Cross the Grand Canal on a traghetti - poor man’s gondola for approx 2 euros. Do it like the locals, standing up.
8. As others have said Burano and Murano are certainly worth visiting.

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No 5 and No 7 in your list made me smile so much, I went with my best mate who was half italian and and we followed a older lady along the road and she went into the small shops that do coffee and Aperol Veneziana took a drink and a chat, we laughed as we saw her go into the next one further down the road and she joined up in the third not sure how she got home with her shopping. No7 was the only time i have felt like I was going to sink in a boat and drown but we made it across the canal - thanks for bringing memories back