Wander to Venice, Italy

There’s no place quite like the floating city of light, Venice, Italy. The first time I visited Venice was in 2011 on a college study abroad trip and I was utterly amazing by the wonder that is Venice. Everywhere you look there is a unique nook, a winding path to  tucked away sanctuary and countless picturesque views!

First let’s conquer how to get there as that can be challenging enough! If your traveling through Europe or Italy via train, which lets be honest is the EASIEST way to travel in Europe, then you’re in luck because there is a train station right inside Venice! Traveling by car or bus? No worries either; there are several convenient places you can park your car in Mestre (a little industrial town right outside Venice in mainland Italy) that are in walking distance of several buses that are just a short ten minute ride to Venice. These are basically the only ways to get to Venice as no car are allowed in the floating city! The other super unique characteristic of Venice that sets it apart from all the other cities I’ll be sharing with you in our Italian travel guides is the middle eastern influence and touches. You can spot them in everything from the arches on the windows, doors and entry ways to the stunning mosaics in Basilica di San Marco.

Where to Stay

When planning this Italian trip, my dad gave me full reign to make whatever lodging decisions I might find best and Venice proved to be my first challenge in the lodging arena so to speak. Although there’s several “neighborhoods” per say in Venice that are absolutely charming and lovely to stay in, prices at hotels can be sky high considering Venice is an island and selections are limited. So because of this I would highly recommend using a service like airbnb or Homeaway, which is what we used. It was the first time I had ever booked an apartment for a vacation and understandably I was a little concerned that my dad and I would show up bags in hand with no place to stay and out the cash it took to reserve the apartment. Alas, the worries were ridiculous! Our apartment with Homeaway was right between the Santa Croce and the San Polo sestiere. This is a great location if you want to be close to San Marco which is where the main tourist attractions are but still out of the fray and crowds of the actual tourists.

What to See

Venice being the beautiful and one-of-a-kind city that it is attracts A LOT of tourists everyday especially during the peak months in summer, July and August. Not only that but during the summer months you also risk going at a time of heat waves, like we unfortunately experienced when we went (breaking 100 year records is both exciting and REALLY hot lol!). With both of those points made, I will strongly encourage you to wake up super early like between 6-7am, yes I just SERIOUSLY said that! You know that saying the early bird gets the worm? Well in this case, the early bird gets the best photos, better temperatures and fewer tourist crowds! Not only that but the main waterways are absolutely magical in the morning time; if you can make the sunrise you will be the happiest traveller.

San Marco is where you will find all the major tourist spots like the Basilica di San Marco, Doge’s Palace and Torre dell’Orologio, the clock tower. Since these are the major attractions, get there early and leave early before the super long lines and million plus tourists (a bit of an exaggeration but it might feel that way!). When you are looking for some off-the-beaten-path adventures, head to Isola Di Burano, which is a colorful island neighborhood with picture ops around every corner. Not to mention since it’s separated from the mainland Venice island, you won’t have as many tourists there either! My dad and I also wandered through the Gallerie dell’Accademia in the Dorsoduro neighborhood which was a lovely change of pace from the standard tourist attractions in San Marco.

Where to Eat

This section should really be named WHAT to Eat  instead of Where to Eat; the reason being, all the places we ate in Venice were little mom and pop shops off the beaten path with hardly any official menu much address printed anywhere that would actually show up on a google map! BUT this is part of the charm of Venice! So instead of telling you where to eat I’ll share with you what you should eat while in Venice. Seafood! And lots of it. Venice is known for its super fresh seafood so don’t skrimp on the shrimp (see what I did there? lol). Also, Venice has some of the freshest bruschetta that I had the entire trip long, so make sure to order some of that as well. My dad swears by the classic spaghetti from Venice so give that a whirl too! In all honesty, avoid shops by directly located in and around San Marco; they’re usually very touristy, over priced and quite honestly not that great of quality. Part of the allure of Venice is wandering all over the map, not knowing where you are and finding the most beautiful and special places that feel like a place all your own!

Not every twisty turvy path will take you to picturesque scenes like these but exploring is half the fun!

Venice is definitely alive with color everywhere

The open air markets in the early morning are super fun to explore, not only can you pick up fresh breakfast like watermelon below but you can also mingle with the locals and catch some color inspiration

The middel eastern influence can be seen almost everywhere in Venice and adds that charm to the city that can only be described as uniquely Venice.

If you go to Venice during the peak season, June-August, you must bring with you super light fabrics if you plan on surviving all the heat and walking. You WILL walk everywhere you go, so pretty much all day everyday while you’re in Venice so comfortable flat shoes are also non-negotiable. Linens and light chiffons will be your best friends in the city of light!

I woke up early to get pictures of Venice without that many tourists, but my camera died almost as soon as I got to San Marco! So most of the photos you see here in this post were taken during the day with a bunch of tourists below the frames! Don’t be like me and forget to charge your camera lol!

The architecture in Venice is so incredibly unique and unlike any of the other cities that I visited on this trip to Italy! Loving the beautiful light pink mosaic tiles that make up the facade of Doges Palace! Having been to Venice and gone on a gondola ride once already, we skipped it this time as it can cost anywhere form 70 Euros to 120 Euros depending on the time of the day! BUT if this is your first time in Venice, you MUST take a gondola ride. It’s an absolutely breathtaking way to view the city of lights and although the later you take it in the day the more expensive it is, it is also all the more beautiful!

Check back with us next week to find out where we wander to next! Until then, Ciao!