Weekend in Venice, the City of Gondolas and Canals
Because Mary Frances is hopelessly in love with Italy, she ensures that I see every major city. That is how we spent a weekend in Venice, the city of gondolas and canals! Thankfully, a weekend is all one needs in Venice!
Logistics
Once MF obtained a job after she returned to London, we had a impromptu meeting to discuss where we wanted to go in the fall and winter. As I have never been to Venice, MF insisted we visit Venice while the weather was nice! Because Venice is very popular, flight deals are not often found so I set flight price tracking on Google on various flights in late October. Then, one day, one flight came into our price range and I immediately hopped on the deal!
For our flight, we would have a semi-early Friday night departure from London Stansted to Venice Marco Polo Airport on the prestigious Ryanair. Despite the status of the “budget” airline, it was not budget! For the small price of 260, we had our flight to Venice!
As for lodging, I knew I wanted to stay near the main sights, but enough to escape away from the crowds. I constantly searched AirBnBs and finally found one that was less than 100 steps from St Mark’s Square. In hindsight, while it provided a nice escape, it meant we had to go through the crowds if we wanted to return in the afternoon or evening! While hotels were more expensive, this AirBnB was also a little expensive but it was worth it!
Finally, as for activities, I went with one family recommendation and one Rick Steves guide book recommendation. On Saturday morning, we would go on the Roman Guy’s Venice Highlights tour that also included a gondola ride! In the evening, we would go on a local bar hopping tour!
Fixed Costs:
- Flight: £280
- AirBnB: £370
- Venice Walking Tour: $80
- Alessandro's Bar Hop: €80
- Gondola Ride: priceless! (Actually, €80 for a half hour)
To/From the Airport
As I quickly learned, the Venice airport is not close to the historical city center. While I was looking forward to the water methods of transportation, I was not looking forward to the commute times!
There are essentially three ways to get to the main historical island:
- Water Taxi - By far, this would be the quickest and most expensive method. Once you exit the baggage claim, follow the water taxi signs and just pick a speedy boat. Had I not purchased ferry tickets, I definitely would have chosen this way at 10pm...
- Water Ferry - Similar to the water taxi, this is just on a larger ferry and makes several stops. Now, there are two companies in Venice, but we went for the ACTV company as it had a stop near San Marco. Our roundtrip ticket cost 54, or 27 each.
- Bus then walk or water taxi - Now I definitely did not look into this option as it seemed like a bigger hassle for little savings. I believe it costs about 20 each for the roundtrip and involved changing at the train station for either a water ferry or a long walk - at least for us!
Onto Venice
Our flight to Venice departed from the (in)famous Stansted airport and we finally had an easy travel day - or so we thought!
Stansted Life
For once, we had a smooth airport experience. I was able to work from home whilst MF escaped from work early! We even took the same train from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. While I still do not enjoy the Stansted “Express,” the train journey was smooth and on time. Because we were early, we even managed to sneak into the lounge before it filled up and I had free food and drink rather than a boring Pret sandwich.
Unfortunately, Ryanair tricked us again and as soon as we started “boarding,” there was a “minor” flight delay of an hour. Moreover, MF and I would be sitting in very different seats for this trip and I wouldn’t be able to see her. Even worse, we had middle seats! Granted, I did not have to pay for them!
Venice Airport
Unlike the smaller Italian airports we have been through recently (i.e. Bologna, Florence, and Milan), Venice Airport was extremely easy for Americans as customs is now through electronic e-passport gates! This is big news as our usual 30+ minute customs wait was cut down to 5 minutes or less!
Decisions
As I mentioned above, we had a big decision to make once we exited baggage claim - water taxi or bus… On one hand, taxi would be 120+ but the water bus would be 54 roundtrip… The biggest difference would be time as the taxi would be less than 30-45 minutes while the bus would be at least 1.5 hours… Yikes!
My frugal self purchased water bus tickets before I regretted the financial decisions. Immediately after baggage claim, there was a big water bus desk and I purchased our tickets there. However, if I had to do it again, I would wait until the water marina because the water taxi was looking better and better once we missed the first water bus! Then, because I had not really looked at the routes, we waited in the general blue line because it said San Marco but we could have taken the earlier orange line to Rialto and just walked.
Pro Travel Tip: Wait until the water marina to buy your ticket to check times and actual locations!
Our AirBnB
Despite our late arrival, our AirBnB host was kind and friendly! True to the description, we were less than 100 steps from San Marco Square. However, we were exhausted after our long travel day! The water bus added over 1.5 hours to our day for a grand total of 8 hours!
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Venice at Night -
Our AirBnB -
Our AirBnB
Thankfully, the bed was very comfortable and our flat was warm and cozy.
One Day in Venice
Because of our crazy flight schedule, we only had one proper day in Venice historical centre. Thankfully, we were well prepared!
A Three Hour Tour
For our first stop, we opted to take a highlights tour with the Roman Guy. I had taken their tour in Florence, so I was really excited! Plus, we rode a gondola!
See, I can find the cute restaurant by the canal!
Normally, MF is not well known for her navigational skills. Unfortunately/Fortunately, we have taken many a wrong turn and sometimes it works well or we just end up in a long detour… So when she spotted a cute restaurant by the canal while we were on the gondola, I had low expectations if we would ever see it again.
Low and behold, MF found it! Her first words were - See, I can find the cute restaurant by the canal! Sadly for my wallet, I did not see the dollar signs by the door of Ristorante Da Ivo, but treat yourself! When we sat down in the decorative room, we were overwhelmed by the choices, prices, and smells! Whilst we were originally going to pick from the menu, the waiter came around and brought the specials!! All the choices sounded extremely tasty!!
For our starter, we ordered a great burrata that was one of the best ones we have had! It was extremely tasty - as was the fresh bread! Because it takes two to tango, we each ordered a pasta main and decided to swap midway through the meal. First, I had the gnocchi with fresh seafood and then I had MF’s spinach and ricotta tortellini. Both were very fresh and nice! We were very happy with Ristorante Da Ivo.
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Tort
A Very Venice Stroll
Normally, in Italy, one of our favorite activities is strolling through the city, usually in search of wine, gelato, baked goods, or all three of those options! After our lovely lunch, we went on a very Venice stroll on the other side of the Rialto (opposite of San Marco). Because of the insane cruise crowds, our stroll took us down any alley that didn’t have any people.
Before we realized it, we were likely in a very residential area. We were struggling to find any of our Italian favorites!! Thus, we decided to regroup at our apartment in San Marco as it wasn’t as cold as expected. Little did we know, we would have a very Venice stroll…
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Venice Stroll
Our “stroll” turned into a battle for elbow space. We were fighting our way through the huge tour groups, turning through the alleys with no room, and getting lost because Google had no idea. This part of our afternoon stroll was a nightmare… By the time we reached our flat less than 100 steps from San Marco, we were extremely grateful for the silence and solitude…
The Great Gelato Search
Whilst in our flat, I began researching nearby gelatarias as I was desperate for good ol’ gelato. Having found a few places, I went on my merry quest. Unfortunately, my quest took longer than I expected….
Not only did the crowds suck me into their evil slow pace, the gelaterias were closed or just very touristy. By the way, a fake gelato shop has the famous cream piled high and out of the cold - almost like a cloud or giant mound!
Eventually, I found a decent looking hole in the wall. For my first flavor, I went with strawberry (as they did not have chocolate!). Because I needed the famous cocoa, I searched for a second gelato spot on my way back to the flat. Thankfully, the Lord answered my prayer and I found a tasty spot!
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Strawberry! -
Chocolate!
The Venice Stroll Continues
As I did not learn my lesson from earlier in the afternoon, I continued on a very Venice stroll - crowded with a side of cruise ship. Similar to how my morning began, a cruise ship was departing the harbor. I can’t say I was sad to see it go…
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Beautiful church -
Bye Bye cruise... -
Bridge of Sighs -
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Fun little service
Since I only had 30 or so minutes before our next tour, I made a quick stroll down the Grand canal. While it was a very pretty walk, especially nearing sunset, it was very busy!
Find a Local - Pre-Dinner Party
When my parents visited us a month ago, we found a Rick Steves Italy book. Within the Venice chapter, we found a tour that suited us - a Venitan tapas meal with wine! Initially, we were leaning towards another tour but this tour was cheaper and advertised as a “hanging out with a local.”
While it was a tapas and wine bar hopping tour, we were not sure on the other couples’ age ranges… As soon as we met under the clock tower, we realized we would definitely be the youngest couple in the group by at least 20 years. Oh well!
Hole in the Wall
For our first venture into Ventian night life as being the youngest couple in our group, we went to a hole in the wall! We had the entire back room to ourselves! Then, Alessandro started the free flowing house red wine! By the end of our first stop, I believe we had at least 4-5 liters!
Throughout this hole in the wall, Alessandro would bring loads of crostini’s. Unfortunately, due to the table situation, I did not take any pictures so words will have to describe the small bites!
- Calamari - similar to the calamari in the US, it was very fresh calamari, including the breading! Very salty and prefect first “course."
- Breadsticks - Well, not much to describe here other than lovely carbs!
- Hard boiled egg topped with anchovies - By far, the hardest crostini to eat… We still aren’t sure if the egg or the anchovies was the worst part...
- Fried olive with beef inside - This was a delicious surprise! Although we are not the biggest olive fans, the tiny bit of beef inside was a great addition.
Local’s Stories
If anything, the hour or so that we spent with Alessandro was well worth the price as his stories were legendary. Not necessarily in terms of the content, but how he “raged” against “our country.” Each story began with how the Italians had produced the most magical, amazing ____ and then “your country” took it and ruined it. Quite amusing!
- Coffee - Unfortunately, a Canadian mentioned that she loves cappaccinos. Then ensued a long story how Canada ruined coffee by diluting it and making it tasteless. According to Alessandro, the coffee taste is best in an expresso so why eat anything else! This totally made sense when I thought about the old Italian men drinking their expresso at the counter. They do it to taste the coffee, rather than taste the milk!
- Grappa / Lemoncello - In the second instance, he ranted about how capitalism or our countries ruined the traditional post-dinner digestive. Interestingly, the traditional lemoncello tastes terrible! It was only when the Americans came to Italy that they added sugar and is now very tasty!
- Tourists - We were curious on the tourist topic as Alessandro was born, raised, and lives in “metro” Venice. As a local, he sees the traditions dying - thanks to our countries - but sees it as a must industry. While it supports most of the Venice residents, it also means a lot of the traditional Italian ways are ruined. As he said, Venice is like Disney World, you can eat the same overpriced, okay food at every spot. Unfortunately, our local trattoria hardly exists in Venice - at least on the historical island.
- Wine and chemicals - The grand finale of the Alessandro’s rants was over wine and chemicals. For our first stop, we had at least 4-5 liters of tasty red wine. He knew it came locally because he saw the barrel. Unlike our countries wine, this local wine has 0 chemicals. He said that a lot of Italian wines now have chemicals to preserve the wine, but based on our many, many wine tours in the area, I am not sure I believe it!
Hole in the Wall, Part 2
For our second bar, we walked less than 3 minutes in the Rialto area to a little bar behind the main alley. I am very surprised our group of 8 managed to fit into this tiny bar! We just had a nice cab franc and fresh bruschetta. While enjoying our food, we definitely re-confirmed that we were the youngest in our group.. We were getting compared to their children and their children were much older!
For our last bar, it was not as hidden as the second one. Rather, it was in the square where we began and there was a buzzing young crowd! We had a fantastic red wine and toasted our successful evening!
Wine Bar Hopping
Because the night was still young, we decided to continue our wine bar hopping and just move our location closer to our flat. We found a lovely little wine bar with outdoor seating and it was next to a canal. Perfect for people watching! For our actual meal, I searched high and low for a pizzeria. It. was. impossible. Is Venice even in Italy??
Sunny Sunday in Murano
Instead of spending the day dodging cruise ship tourists in the historical centre, we spent a sunny Sunday in Murano!
Outstanding Overview
Although we were a little lazy on a Sunday, we had “early” reservations for an outstanding overview at the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS. Thanks to my mom, we reserved two weeks ago as usually the overlook books out. For those who are curious, it is completely free!
Pro Tip: If you want a great FREE Ventien experience, I highly recommend booking this overlook. Time slots open two weeks in advance and will sell out a few days in advance.
Overlooking the grand canal and the Rialto bridge, we had fantastic views of the city as the morning fog slowly disappeared across the canal. It was quite a cool experience! The red roofs, combined with many church steeples, had an amazing morning glow!
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Overlook -
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Overlook
Cafe Planning
Originally, we wanted to cafe and food hop our way through Venice in hopes of reviving our love for this historic city. Unfortunately, it was a battle just to get to a cafe… Eventually, we landed on a fantastic little shop in a tiny alleyway! We sat inside and greatly enjoyed our grilled ham and cheese sandwich and Italian expresso.
For our plan, we decided to change it and just leave the historic island. The crowds were about to peak and we wanted our personal space back! Luckily, we could walk to the Ft. Nove water taxi spot, see the “local side” of Venice, then gleefully leave the crowded island!
One Last Crosinti
On our last stroll through the historic centre, we passed a very popular local tapas bar! Instantly, we were attracted despite the lack of spoken English. Instead of the tourist vibe, we were one of the few English! While the food was average (pretty sure it was microwaved), the wine and lack of English / Chinese was great! Plus, it represented our last tapas in Venice.
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Our Lunch -
Great sign
Water Taxi Tip: We paid 7.50 each for the 20 minute water taxi. Instead of destination pricing, it is a flat 75 minute journey!
Glass Blowing Tour
On the small island of Murano, it is very well known for glass blowing tours so obviously we went in search of the famous Venetian glass!
Gino Mazzuccato
Our first stop was one of the largest glass factories on the island - Gran M. Sitting on the entrance of the canal, it is hard to miss! At first, we viewed the many, many (expensive) items in the shop until we stumbled upon the demonstration. They run demos throughout the day and it “costs” 5 euros, if you don’t buy anything later!
The Demo
The staff employee mentioned that each glass blowing was a two man effort. One to watch the fire and the other to do some random things such as decoration, move out of the way, and prep the next set! Ventian glass is made with fine sand and grew in status due to its very central location and sea power. People would flock to Venice to obtain the famous glass! More importantly, the glassmakers could not leave the small island of Murano under penalty of death as it was a state secret. Eventually, greater world powers would break this secret and glassmaking would spread throughout Europe.
For the first demo, he made a really beautiful vase topped with decoration. It really did not take long and it was fascinating to see the process. Suddenly, the glass blower just threw it on the ground! What a waste! We asked another person why he destroyed it and he said it is because he is an a**!
Glassmaking
For the next demo, he took a little bit of sand and instantly made beautiful horse! Unlike a normal standing horse, this horse stood on its hind legs and only took 5 minutes. We were amazed - I also think MF wanted the horse now!
Beautiful glass
Glassmaking
For his grand finale, the glassmaker prepared a special surprise. He got a little sand and started making what looked like an ornament. The glassmaker made some fancy moves by swinging the glass bubble and then blowing into the bubble. Then, for the surprise, the balloon popped!!
The Hard Sell
Inside the store, as tourists who were clearly carrying around their luggage, we felt out of place. Other visitors were getting a hard sell on buying VERY expensive glassware. While we were “tempted” by vases and other pieces, we went with a much simpler souvenir.
In the end, we purchased a very cool penguin and Christmas tree! While MF liked the alligators for possibly family Christmas presents, I didn’t like them as much so we passed on them.
Pro Tip - If you see a demonstration, you will get a discount if you buy glassware. While we didn’t get huge savings, it still is good to use!
Historic Murano
For our remaining time in Murano, we explored the sleepy streets and canals. Unlike the historic island, Murano is a dream and very quiet! We had plenty of personal space and enjoyed wandering in and out of the many, many glass shops! Honestly, it was incredibly relaxing to stand near the canals and just enjoy the quiet solitude.
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Murano
Using this handy self guiding tour, we walked throughout Murano in search of other glass ware shops. We ideally wanted to see a more boutique glassmaker but unfortunately they were closed on Sundays… Thus, we consoled ourselves with gelato! That I could easily find!
Pro Tip: Typically, in the mornings, Murano is very crowded with tourists. Visit in the afternoon or perhaps on the way to the airport!
Water Taxi, part 3
One of the best decisions we made was coming to Murano as a stop ON THE WAY to the airport, versus as a normal day trip where we would have to return to the historic island. Whilst the backpack was draining at times, I immensely enjoyed a 30 minute water taxi ride rather than the 1.5 hours from San Marco. I would highly recommend this strategy!
The Issue
Because of actual technical issues, neither Mary Frances or I could print our returning Venice Ryanair boarding passes. Throughout our wanders in Venice, I searched for a computer or printing shop, but could not find them despite my best efforts. Thus, we had an issue as Ryanair is notorious for charging extreme prices for the little things - especially “re-printing” a boarding pass.
The Risk
Once we arrived at the Venice airport, we also looked for a printing service. However, we were just unlucky this trip! Thus, we had a judgement call to make… should we pay 20 euros per ticket to get a paper ticket or just risk it and hope that the lounge could print them. Being accountants, we obviously took the safe route - and didn’t pay Ryanair!
Once we checked into the very nice lounge, we immediately asked if they had a printer. The staff somewhat rudely said no and then we had to figure out the next plan… We had taken our chances and now had to play the risk!
Lounge Life
Meanwhile, until our flight, we stayed in the very nice lounge. While I was seeing if they had a printer online, I read several reviews and each one was glowing. More importantly, they had a coffee service compared to just a boring machine so it was very unique! Compared to the other lounges, this lounge was really nice! They had yummy sandwiches, coffee, and drinks!
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Views for days -
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Plane coming in
The Verdict
Back to the action packed story of how we forgot to print our Ryanair ticket… We then took another risk - we decided to pretend to be EU citizens!
Secret Tip: EU citizens do not have to get a visa check and can get a mobile boarding pass. Worst case scenario, you could pretend to be an EU citizen and hand the gate agent your mobile ticket!
Because I had two bags and the priority ticket (yet was in the back of the plane!), I went first through the line. I nervously handed the gate agent my phone and passport… While the gate agent did slightly hesitate, she did not say anything and let me pass! Wow! What a relief! Ten minutes later, MF went through and passed with flying colors!
Twice Lucky
My flight home was relatively unremarkable. Similar to our flight to Venice, it was delayed by 30 minutes and the back of the plane was awfully bumpy! However, it was a $100 ticket and I didn’t have to pay for a seat or extra boarding pass for this 2 hour flight!
Because we were flying into Stansted, we had a short window to either make the train or bus. Otherwise, we would be commuting close to 2 hours back to our flat. Even in central London, we still don’t like the Stansted commute!
Because MF was row 2 and I was row 31, we had an extraordinary couple moment, where we managed to quickly exit the train and be within 30 feet of each other. I’ve told MF if she is ever in front of me to continue walking because my longer legs will eventually catch up! Then, what I want to believe is a telepathic moment where I saw her look at the air train to baggage claim, look at me, and then look back. I knew she was signaling I had to start running. Thankfully, I was one of the last folks on the air train! Thanks to our swift timing, we managed to barely catch the 8pm train! What an ending to a great trip!
The UnChartered Summary
- Venice is worth a weekend or two day trip. While the historic city is beautiful in the morning and evenings when the cruise ship tourists have disappeared, it was hard to find the Italians! I mean, it took me over 30 minutes to find gelato and pizza!
- While the gondola ride is overpriced and may seem like a tourist trap, well, first, it is a tourist trap but it is well worth the money. It is incredibly relaxing to sit back and enjoy the Venice canals! Make sure you go to the well known sights for the pictures!
- As Alessandro says, the food is okay. There are a few Italian restaurants, but typically overpriced and you may recall a better (much cheaper) meal.
- In hindsight, I would have stayed as far away from San Marco Square on the historic island or even on Murano. While you may have to walk a little bit further, the cruise ship tours and crowds are just not worth staying nearby.
- Because of the high cost, I instantly said no to the private water taxi in the retro old wooden boats. However, if you’re arriving during daylight or want an unique experience, it looked amazing!
- Murano is well worth an escape to the more traditional Venice or to see the ancient glassmaking tradition! For a roundtrip, it will cost 15 euros on a water ferry and then maybe 5 euros for a demonstration! There is no need to go with a tour and very easy to go “self-guided."
Verdict: If one asked me to go to Venice again, I will probably say no. It is definitely a once in a lifetime experience!