Visiting Venice but not for honeymoon
Newlywed couples usually choose Venice as a destination spot for their honeymoon in Turkey (I think it is also valid for other countries!). If your husband is from Venice what do you do? My situation was slightly like this. After visiting 8 times Venice, meeting people, getting information and also learning Italian, I wanted to share those information with you who wants to visit this magnificent and one of the most ancient city of the world.
1. Never trust shops and people asking direction.
Venice city is known with its little alleys and labyrinthine streets, thus trying to find the main square which is San Marco can be frustrated sometimes, and you may need to ask direction to local shops or people. Never do that because they never show you the correct direction. I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter if you are tourist or local, they will not tell you the truth. I experienced it seeing asked 4 times direction to a local by an Italian, and all of them was wrong. I don’t know if something was wrong with us but it is what it is.
2. Get your map.
After walking kilometers we needed to buy a map to find our own way and it worked. Even looking at signs might help you to find your way but first of all you cannot see them everywhere and sometimes they can make your way longer forcing you to pass for touristic shops.
3. Definitely don’t go to Venice in high season.
If you are thinking to go to Venice, to make your visit adorable, you should avoid to go there in high season, which is terrible crowded. Actually there are very few periods to really enjoy Venice. I was very disappointed in my first 6 visits. It is super hot and super crowded in summer, so instead of enjoying Venice you just look for a calm place to stand or walk, and you would rue being in Venice for the rest of your life.
Other option could be to choose good time like very early in the morning to go around. Also consider huge queues in front of each touristic buildings, churches and museums. In my 7. visit I could go to top of the San Marco Tower, You imagine! Okay I have to admit I am not so patient person so I can’t stand waiting 1 hour queue to buy a ticket and being packed like sardines in the tower or church, I really don’t enjoy it.
4. Take a gondolone.
One of the adorable, unique activity in Venice is to take a tour with gondola among the little canals. It may be quite expensive, in the season 80 Euros, out of season 60 Euros, if you buy on the internet it is 100 Euros for a gondola. (Normally buying a product in internet should be cheaper, but it doesn’t work here in Italy. Each gondola is for 6 people. So it is more advantage to go with a group. Don’t confuse with “gondola” with “gondolone”. Gondola is for touristic tour more fancy, more expensive and it is half an hour tour, and gondolone is similar but it is bigger and not luxury, only for transportation to traverse people from one side to other side which cost a few Euros. So if you want to have a boat experience in Venice and you don’t want to pay a lot for it, you can pass across by a gondolone.
5. Please don’t go to eat in Mc Donalds or Burger King.
I know some people did, and surely some will be. You are coming to king of the cuisine, seriously, you can find EVERY kind of food, doesn’t matter if you are vegetarian, vegan, muslim or Jain, you can have the most tasty dish you ever had. I definitely recommend eating pizza in Venice, they are as good as Napolitans, very fabulous.
6. Get lost in Venice.
Anyways you will get lost so I don’t need to write this as a tip but my tip would be, be prepared to walk a lot. Really a lot. So you can maybe train before you visit Venice 😉
7. If you are going in winter, don’t miss the Venice Carnival.
If you are thinking to go to Venice in winter, go to Venice Carnival in February. Famous Venice Carnival in February is also crowded but considering with summer not that much and it is more fascinating to see carnival also. But don’t forget to bring your boots. Venice is famous as a floating city, so if you are not lucky and it rains during your visit you will need some water resistant equipment.
A good thing about Venice, or I can say European countries, you don’t need to bargain. Because all the prices are fix and very well controlled by government, so you don’t need to be worried to be cheated or no. Restaurants and cafes have more or less same prices so you don’t need to get crazy searching for cheaper gondolas or better price of pizza. There is no arguing over the price.
thanks for your all advise . details as valuable as gold =)
Thanks! Hope it will be useful!!
Excellent tips! Thank you 🙂
Thanks Katy 🙂
I love Venice! I would be deeply disappointed in anyone that went to Venice and ate in McDonalds or Burger King – so many fun and yummy options in Venice, choose something with local fare!!
I felt exactly that dissapointment when I heard that some friends of mine told me that they ate in McDonalds! Coming to Italy -to food land of the world- eating in McDonalds just is very shameful in my opinion. Good food deserves better treatment 🙂
Very good tips! Venice is great but can be a bit overcrowded 😉
Agreed! Last years especially has become too crowded doesn’t matter the season! And you don’t enjoy the city nor getting the atmosphere surrended by that crowd!