Thanks to many recommendations from friends,and the help of Expedia and TripAdvisor, Bo and I enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Venice, Italy.

Venice is unlike any city I’ve visited before, which makes it wonderful and complicated at the same time. It is grittier than most cities we’ve visited in Western Europe, spray paint around every corner. Many of the locals seem to be annoyed by tourists, even though Venice’s economy is based primarily on tourism.

Even during the “off-season” in late February, after carnival and before the summer crowds, there were tourists everywhere.  There are no cars within Venice, therefore your two modes of transportation are on foot or via water. Similar to other cities, there are public and private water transport options which range in price from a few euros to over 90 euros for a private water taxi.  Though we didn’t use it, many people recommend using their public transportation website ACTV to understand your route options, especially if you plan to explore other nearby islands.

You will get lost in Venice, regardless how strong your GPS signal or your Google Maps skills. Getting lost is part of the fun, as long as you plan accordingly. In order to make sure you never get too lost we highly recommend traveling to Venice with a data package, a paper map or tour book and an extra phone battery or charging pack.

 

Once you choose Venice as a destination, make sure you include the following stops on your itinerary.

Enjoy sunset cocktails at Bar Gritti or one of the other hotel verandahs or bars over looking the Grand Canal.

 

Treat yourself to an afternoon snack of tiramisu, made in front of you, at I Tre Mercanti.

Try local wines and cicchetti, Italian bar snacks, at Do Mori, while chatting with the very friendly staff. Tucked into an alley way, this wine bar has been serving to locals and tourists alike for more than two hundred years!

Get your daily caffeine jolt with the locals at Torrefazione Cannaregio and buy some beans to take back home. Their espresso will only set you back less than a euro!

Hop in a gondola right before sunset for a relaxing 30 minute tour of Venice’s canals. It is the best way to view the city! Ignore the 60-80 euro price tag – at the end of the day you’re in Venice and what is more characteristic of Venice than a gondola ride? Before getting in the gondola, confirm that you gondolier will take you through the smaller canals, or you’ll feel like you’re on a Disney World ride.

Explore the city at dusk and dawn, the two best times to enjoy it without the tourists and have the streets and squares to yourself. The city is one of the safest in Europe, so the only thing you have to be scared of is getting lost or being awake before the coffee shops open.

I’ll share the rest of our adventures including our hotel and favorite sights, in the next Venice post!

If you want full reviews of everywhere we stay, eat and drink be sure to follow me on TripAdvisor.