Venice

[DisneyDaffodil]

Thanks Dissuziq, I am looking forward to wandering around and stopping for coffees, drinks and soaking up the atmosphere. I have heard of Spritz? I think it's called, which is wine/Aperol/tonic water, it sounds very refreshing.

We are staying in a bed and breakfast which is actually part of a 16th century palace, which looks really nice. Tripadvisor reviews says they are very helpful with recommending good, reasonable places to eat to, so looking forward to that. I have read about cinchetti bars, similar to Spanish tapas, which sounds very nice too. I can't wait 😊

[cheekytink]

My DH is Venetian and his family are from Lido di Venezia (not Lido di Jesolo) so we have been many many times and taken both our kids from being 2 upwards.

I think our general advice is just walk and get lost in the small streets. Every corner is photo-worthy!
The further you get from St Marks, the cheaper food and drink will be, and up by the station is definitely cheaper and very often MUCH better quality.
There are some really nice places to visit - The giardini area is beautiful and you can pick up some bread, amazing meat and cheese, and some Peroni and have a great picnic in the gardens. Don't miss the statue of Garibaldi (of biscuit fame!) at the end of Via Garibaldi (the most beautiful street in Venice city) - the whole fountain is full of terrapins!
The drink that someone mentioned is called a Spritz - white wine, bitters and soda, usually served with a green olive in the bottom. The traditional version in Venice is with Campari (my favourite), but Aperol has taken an upward trend in recent years. Try the version with Select - a kind of bitters you can only buy in Venice, or for the adventurous have a "Spritz con Cynar" which is bitters made from artichoke!

If you want a chilled day, take the vapoetto (boat taxi) over to Lido di Venezia and walk down the Gran Viale to the beach - the public beach is free and very nice with great beach bars and showers, toilets etc. It's the only beach I have been to where you come off cleaner than you go on! The food and drink on Lido is also MUCH cheaper than in the city - some great bars and gelato opportunities! Parque de la Rosa on Gran Viale is a family favourite.

You can jump on a vaporetto to Murano and Burano, but be aware that there isn't that much there and the bars/restaurant options are pricey as they have you cornered.

In the city, take a walk to the station end of town and then get on the vaporetto back to St Mark's - it gives you an amazing scenic tour of the city for SIGNIFICANTLY less than a gondola ride (around 10euro each).
If you are desperate to have a gondola ride then barter hard for price - one of our favourite things to do when we are there is stand and watch the gondolieri ripping off tourists - they see it as a game.

Happy to answer any other questions!

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by cheekytink

My DH is Venetian and his family are from Lido di Venezia (not Lido di Jesolo) so we have been many many times and taken both our kids from being 2 upwards.

I think our general advice is just walk and get lost in the small streets. Every corner is photo-worthy!
The further you get from St Marks, the cheaper food and drink will be, and up by the station is definitely cheaper and very often MUCH better quality.
There are some really nice places to visit - The giardini area is beautiful and you can pick up some bread, amazing meat and cheese, and some Peroni and have a great picnic in the gardens. Don't miss the statue of Garibaldi (of biscuit fame!) at the end of Via Garibaldi (the most beautiful street in Venice city) - the whole fountain is full of terrapins!
The drink that someone mentioned is called a Spritz - white wine, bitters and soda, usually served with a green olive in the bottom. The traditional version in Venice is with Campari (my favourite), but Aperol has taken an upward trend in recent years. Try the version with Select - a kind of bitters you can only buy in Venice, or for the adventurous have a "Spritz con Cynar" which is bitters made from artichoke!

If you want a chilled day, take the vapoetto (boat taxi) over to Lido di Venezia and walk down the Gran Viale to the beach - the public beach is free and very nice with great beach bars and showers, toilets etc. It's the only beach I have been to where you come off cleaner than you go on! The food and drink on Lido is also MUCH cheaper than in the city - some great bars and gelato opportunities! Parque de la Rosa on Gran Viale is a family favourite.

You can jump on a vaporetto to Murano and Burano, but be aware that there isn't that much there and the bars/restaurant options are pricey as they have you cornered.

In the city, take a walk to the station end of town and then get on the vaporetto back to St Mark's - it gives you an amazing scenic tour of the city for SIGNIFICANTLY less than a gondola ride (around 10euro each).
If you are desperate to have a gondola ride then barter hard for price - one of our favourite things to do when we are there is stand and watch the gondolieri ripping off tourists - they see it as a game.

Happy to answer any other questions!

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Thank you CheekyTink, that is so much really useful information. Lots of places you mention are now going on my list. We wanted to visit Lido di Jesolo, but Lido di Venezia sounds nicer. I had heard the public toilets on Lido di Jesolo had closed so public toilets are the deal breaker 😀. Am I right in thinking the no 1 vaporetto takes us there? Our b&b is close to Ca D'oro vaporetto stop so should be easy enough to catch and a lovely scenic ride.

I had heard about the Spritz, I will try your favourite with Campari I think. Is the Garibaldi statue and fountain with terrapins in the Giardini area too? Is the gardens easy to find in this area? I had heard there isn't many green spaces in Venice, but I do love a picnic in a park (we had a lovely picnic from a deli in Central Park in New York last summer 😀 ).

Thank you for taking the time to pass on all your tips, I am really looking forward to our visit 😀

[cheekytink]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

Thank you CheekyTink, that is so much really useful information. Lots of places you mention are now going on my list. We wanted to visit Lido di Jesolo, but Lido di Venezia sounds nicer. I had heard the public toilets on Lido di Jesolo had closed so public toilets are the deal breaker 😀. Am I right in t
hinking the no 1 vaporetto takes us there? Our b&b is close to Ca D'oro vaporetto stop so should be easy enough to catch and a lovely scenic ride.

I had heard about the Spritz, I will try your favourite with Campari I think. Is the Garibaldi statue and fountain with terrapins in the Giardini area too? Is the gardens easy to find in this area? I had heard there isn't many green spaces in Venice, but I do love a picnic in a park (we had a lovely picnic from a deli in Central Park in New York last summer 😀 ).


Thank you for taking the time to pass on all your tips, I am really looking forward to our visit 😀

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yes - the Garibaldi statue is nearest to San Zaccheria vaporetto stop - here is a map link-
google/maps/place/...79!4d12.354877

the Giardini are is to the east of this, but I'm not sure if it's a biennale year - if it is, the gardens are full of art, theatre and sculpture too.

Lido di Venezia is on No.1 and get off at S. Maria Elisabetta (Lido) and you are basically at the top of the Gran Viale when you get off the boat! The road will take you about 15-20 mins to wander down before you hit the beach and it's a beautiful road with some stunning property and lovely shops (food) on the way past.
The beach loos are fine, and you can walk a little further to the right and reach the private beach - you probably can't sit out on the sand as there are capanas (at great cost to the inhabitants!) but the toilets and bar/cafes there are fabulous! hot showers, loo roll etc etc!
The trip from S.Marco will take about 15 mins on the boat.

Oh, and watch out for pickpockets in St Mark's square, and at busy vaporetto stops - they are everywhere.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Thanks again CheekyTink, the Lido is definitely on our must do list. We are in Venice for 6 nights so a nice amount of time to get lost and wander.

I had read about the sculptures etc in the giardini but I checked and, sadly, it isn't a biennale year. Still sounds a lovely area to visit.

[SimonB]

Wow , I didn't realise there was a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi in Venice? I have to get a picture of me with my Forest hat on next to that as he is the reason Forest play in Garibaldi Red shirts

[SimonB]

Originally Posted by cheekytink

My DH is Venetian and his family are from Lido di Venezia (not Lido di Jesolo) so we have been many many times and taken both our kids from being 2 upwards.

I think our general advice is just walk and get lost in the small streets. Every corner is photo-worthy!
The further you get from St Marks, the cheaper food and drink will be, and up by the station is definitely cheaper and very often MUCH better quality.
There are some really nice places to visit - The giardini area is beautiful and you can pick up some bread, amazing meat and cheese, and some Peroni and have a great picnic in the gardens. Don't miss the statue of Garibaldi (of biscuit fame!) at the end of Via Garibaldi (the most beautiful street in Venice city) - the whole fountain is full of terrapins!
The drink that someone mentioned is called a Spritz - white wine, bitters and soda, usually served with a green olive in the bottom. The traditional version in Venice is with Campari (my favourite), but Aperol has taken an upward trend in recent years. Try the version with Select - a kind of bitters you can only buy in Venice, or for the adventurous have a "Spritz con Cynar" which is bitters made from artichoke!

If you want a chilled day, take the vapoetto (boat taxi) over to Lido di Venezia and walk down the Gran Viale to the beach - the public beach is free and very nice with great beach bars and showers, toilets etc. It's the only beach I have been to where you come off cleaner than you go on! The food and drink on Lido is also MUCH cheaper than in the city - some great bars and gelato opportunities! Parque de la Rosa on Gran Viale is a family favourite.

You can jump on a vaporetto to Murano and Burano, but be aware that there isn't that much there and the bars/restaurant options are pricey as they have you cornered.

In the city, take a walk to the station end of town and then get on the vaporetto back to St Mark's - it gives you an amazing scenic tour of the city for SIGNIFICANTLY less than a gondola ride (around 10euro each).
If you are desperate to have a gondola ride then barter hard for price - one of our favourite things to do when we are there is stand and watch the gondolieri ripping off tourists - they see it as a game.

Happy to answer any other questions!

See more...

What a great informative post. Thank you

[DisneyF1rstT1me]

Originally Posted by Libby

Maybe combine your visit with a beach holiday.

We stayed at Lido de Jesolo. Although my DD was grown up it was very much a beach resort with lots of families there. Along with many families we got a bus and boat to Venice (in fact we went 3 times) and the islands. It was very easy we just bought the tickets from the tabacci across the road from our hotel.

We tried to get there as early as we could because once the cruise ships unloaded the place was very, very busy.

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We also stayed at Lido de Jesolo (at the campsite Union Lido - they have a hotel, villas, tents and caravans so lots of options) last year for our summer holiday with our 2 DS's, then 8 and just turned 4. We had a great time. We took the ferry into Venice twice and went to see the Damien Hirst exhibition (Treasures of the Wreck Unbelievable) that was on in Venice at the time which was really good and even captured the eldest DS's interest. Youngest fell asleep in the pram - perfect.

Union Lido was an absolutely excellent campsite, think it has an official 5 star rating, and if you have a young family, I highly recommend it. It's incredibly popular though so sells out early.

Re the original thread and recommendations, I highly recommend you visit Burano, one of the lidos near Venice. We did the 3 lido boat tour (Murano, Burano and one other that I can't remember). Murano is famous for its glass blowing factories and shops, burano for its lace. However, it was Burano that was really memorable to DH and I as it was just so picturesque and colourful. Really, really beautiful place.

In terms of things to avoid, I'd watch out not just for the restaurants and bars around St Mark's Piazza but also in Venice generally - there are lots of horror stories of people getting stung because they order an ice cream at the counter and then sit down to eat it. Definitely make sure you get the menu with prices on (we nearly got stung at a restaurant on Las Ramblas in Barcelona last year, ordering soft drinks. I asked to see the drinks menu which the waiter was v reluctant to give me - 10euro per soft drink! We changed our orders to tap water and warned the US tourists who'd just walked in) so you can check before you buy.

Re your plan to walk from the station to your hotel, the maps are really good and easily navigable but just be warned that because of all of the canals there are constant little bridges over each of them, usually with 3-5 steps on each side but sometimes more. You'll be lugging your cases up and down them - as we were with the pram last year.

Have an amazing time - we're off to Orlando for the first time this year yet I'm still jealous that you're going to Venice!

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by DisneyF1rstT1me

We also stayed at Lido de Jesolo (at the campsite Union Lido - they have a hotel, villas, tents and caravans so lots of options) last year for our summer holiday with our 2 DS's, then 8 and just turned 4. We had a great time. We took the ferry into Venice twice and went to see the Damien Hirst exhibition (Treasures of the Wreck Unbelievable) that was on in Venice at the time which was really good and even captured the eldest DS's interest. Youngest fell asleep in the pram - perfect.

Union Lido was an absolutely excellent campsite, think it has an official 5 star rating, and if you have a young family, I highly recommend it. It's incredibly popular though so sells out early.

Re the original thread and recommendations, I highly recommend you visit Burano, one of the lidos near Venice. We did the 3 lido boat tour (Murano, Burano and one other that I can't remember). Murano is famous for its glass blowing factories and shops, burano for its lace. However, it was Burano that was really memorable to DH and I as it was just so picturesque and colourful. Really, really beautiful place.

In terms of things to avoid, I'd watch out not just for the restaurants and bars around St Mark's Piazza but also in Venice generally - there are lots of horror stories of people getting stung because they order an ice cream at the counter and then sit down to eat it. Definitely make sure you get the menu with prices on (we nearly got stung at a restaurant on Las Ramblas in Barcelona last year, ordering soft drinks. I asked to see the drinks menu which the waiter was v reluctant to give me - 10euro per soft drink! We changed our orders to tap water and warned the US tourists who'd just walked in) so you can check before you buy.

Re your plan to walk from the station to your hotel, the maps are really good and easily navigable but just be warned that because of all of the canals there are constant little bridges over each of them, usually with 3-5 steps on each side but sometimes more. You'll be lugging your cases up and down them - as we were with the pram last year.

Have an amazing time - we're off to Orlando for the first time this year yet I'm still jealous that you're going to Venice!

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Thank you, I am sure you will have a wonderful time in Orlando too. Thanks for all the advice, we are definitely going to visit the some of the Lidos. A tour of the 3 as you did would be good, did you book that in advance?

We are going to avoid eating in St Mark's Square completely I think, but we will be checking the menus carefully too.

I think we have decided to catch the vaporetto from the bus stop to our hotel. Our hotel is 2 minutes walk from the Ca D'Oro vaporetto stop and as we land at 6pm, we didn't want to get lost wandering around with our cases so felt the vaporetto would be the easiest plan.

We are so excited for the trip. We are going to Florida in October, but I think we are just as excited by the Venice trip. It is fun to discover new places 😀

[DisneyF1rstT1me]

No we didn't buy the 3 lido tour in advance, just purchased it on the day. It's definitely worth you looking into your ticket options though, there might be something available that will cover the lidos and your day to day vaporetto needs.

Florida this year too eh? Very nice!