Tips for a Good Time in Venice
If you need a quick and cheap lunch, order a sandwich at a stand-up bar. For less than the price of a cup of coffee at a restaurant, you can have a fresh sandwich, a drink, and the company of locals.
Go to the island of Burano. It is always my second stop in Venice. It’s an island where many of the local fishermen live. The homes and buildings, unlike Venice proper, are well maintained on the outside and brightly painted in pastels. The streets are clean and uncrowded. You get the sense that you are in an affluent suburb. It still has canals and a romantic feel. Burano is about a 45-minute boat ride near to Venice but far from the hordes devouring St. Mark’s and The Rialto. The tranquil island is notes for its lace, but most of the lace sold in the shops comes from China. Go to the lace school, Scuola dei Merletti, if you want the authentic and more expensive article. My favorite restaurant is Trattoria da Romano. According to the waiter, the fishermen on the island save the best fish for Burano. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Burano by taking the N. 12 vaporetto (water bus) from Fondamente Nuove.
Most tourists line up and climb the bell tower in St. Mark’s for a view of Venice. Take the vaparetto to the church of San Giorgio. For just over a buck, you can ride an elevator to the top of its bell tower and have a view of all of Venice and the lagoon. No climbing. No lines.
Speaking of lines, if you are interesting in seeing the inside of the Basilica of St. Marks, go very late in the day or book a walking tour of Venice to avoid the long and very slow line to get inside St. Marks. The tour books a specific time for its group and is allowed to walk right in without waiting in line.
A mistake some people make in an attempt to save a few euros is to stay on the mainland instead of Venice proper. 60,000 people live in Venice. One million tourists visit every month. Most of those tourists rush in during the day and retreat to the mainland late in the afternoon. If you stay in Venice, you have it virtually to yourself in the evening. At least, it will seem that way after a day of being surrounded by one giant tour group after another. One of my favorite ways to end the evening is to take the slow N. 1 vaparetto the entire distance of the Grand Canal just after sunset. The lights of the houses and restaurants lining the canal reflect off the water and it is truly magic. It also affords you an opportunity to peek inside the open windows of the homes and get fleeting glimpses of the murals and glass chandeliors.
You can go to Venice and enjoy the city without taking an expensive (80 to 100 euros) gondola ride, but don’t miss out. Pay less than a euro to take one of the public gondolas stationed along the Grand Canal at spots far from bridges. They are called traghettos and the gondoler won’t sing but you’re still crossing the Grand Canal just like Cassanova. Traditionally, the locals stand and do not sit.
Where to eat? Stay away from the Rialto and Piazza San Marco areas where coffee can cost as much as $12. Wander into any out of the way section of Venice and try to find a spot that has locals or at least Italians going through the door. I once stumbled into a likely little restaurant only to be surprised when I saw most of the people were carrying guidebooks by Rick Steves. I almost bolted for the door. I suggest small bars/restaurants. If you stand, the price is cheaper. Good for a quick cup of coffee or sandwich. There are a few cafeterias in Venice. These are helpful for two reasons: the food is good but cheap and you don’t have to know the language. Just point at what you want. You see it beforehand, so you know (more or less) what you’re getting.
Unless you are an absolute infidel and hate any music, I strongly suggest a traditional Vivaldi concert that is given in several churches throughout the city. Vivaldi wrote The Four Seasons in Venice. He was a Venitian. It’s the perfect place to hear his music live.
One final tip is to get a small map of the city just to give yourself an overall picture of where everything is. Don’t be one of those tourists who make the mistake of trying to find their way through the maze of streets and alleys and squares by staring down at a map. It won’t work. And you’ll miss the beauty of getting “lost” in Venice. You will see signs pointing towards the train station, the Rialto, and St. Marks. That’s all you need for your bearings. Expect to get lost. You can’t go too far wrong. You’re on an island – -okay, a lot of little islands. Actually, getting lost in Venice is the best way to learn the city and set yourself free and accept the flow and romance of Venice. I once set my son off to our hotel which was 5 minutes away. Fifteen minutes later, his head poked out from the alley next to me and he looked surprised to see me where he thought our hotel should be. I showed him how to get to our hotel and after that, he was never lost again. You’re only lost if you want to be somewhere else. And wherever you are in Venice, it’s the right place.
