Venice, any tips please?

thatsfabulous

Hi i am going to Venice in 2 weeks and i was wondering where the best areas to go for nightlife and shops?
I havent booked the hotel yet however the one i am planning to book says it is a 15 minutes walk to St Marks and close to Santa Margherita square. Does anyone know if this is close enough to most tourist areas?

Thanks:D

minot

Venice is fab, I came back about 2 weeks ago! We were on a budget so stayed in Mestre which is on the mainland so the hotels are cheaper. But the hotel was great and the location was great too. 10 mins from airport and 25 mins into Venice, but only cost 1 euro.

We bought a travel pass so you can use all the land and water buses, think it cost about 25 euros for a 2 or 3 day pass. The water buses are busy but you get to see places you'd miss otherwise. You need to get a good map. We got ours from the toursit info at the train station at the same time as the travel pass, cost 2 euros. With the travel pass it doesn't matter where you hotel is, as everything is accessible.

St Marks square is very beautiful but very busy. Not sure we went to the other square as I don't remember the name. You really do need to go off the beaten path to see some lovely areas. The main toursit drags are so busy that I actually prefered the quiet areas.

We ate at a great pizza place called Ae Oche near the train station (walk out of the train station, turn left and it's on the left hand side, think their sign was red with yellow writing). You also need to try the cakes, as they taste much better than they look!

Have a great holiday!

Janeyjaz

Hi, just got back from Venice - planned the trip after reading the forums on https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk, - great advice, can reccommend the secret itineries tour of the doges palace and the tour of the clock tower - they are brill - you get to see casanovas cell in the palace and the torture chamber, great tour, we stayed in Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo and it was absolutely beautiful, floor in our room was 14 century and it was just an oasis of calm and only 10 minutes walk from the rialto bridge. Get a travel card as you can just jump on and off the water taxis. I had the most brilliant time.

Dumyat

when we went we just wandered around, away from the crowds. there are lots of cheaper more authentic places to eat away from the touristy bits.

If you have time take a trip on the water buses to the other islands like Burano, Murano and the Lido.

thatsfabulous

Thank you for all your posts i appreciate the advice as i dont really have much clue as yet. I am going to start planning things this week so that i dont miss anything out.
I will definatly be getting a travel card.

Peter2006

Wow, tips on Venice...hmm where to start (I lived there for a year!).

Firstly I really wouldn't stay in Mestre, even if someone did enjoy it! It does have some reasonable areas...but it is a bit 'industrial'. Still as minot pointed out, it does have good transport links. But let's face it, if you go to Venice you want the romance of staying in a hotel next a canal somewhere don't you!

Anyway as to close to Campo Santa Margherita, sounds fantastic. That's the area around the university (or at least one part of one of them) and there are loads of great bars, cafes and restaurants in that area.

In the campo itself there is a fantastic pizza takeaway called Al Volo (really it is sooo good, you must try it!) and several bars, the pick of which I'd say is Cafe Orange at the bottom of the campo. Just off the campo (heading north, up a narrowish alley, over a bridge and bear right past a church into another alley) is Cafe Noir which is an excellent (if slightly small) bar. There's a good restaurant (looks quite sleak and modernish) called Trattoria Da Silvio in this alley -Calle San Pantalon I think.

As for other restaurants, San Trovaso, between the Accademia and Zattare boat stops on the Rio di San Trovaso is superb and not too expensive. Probably best to book there though.

Osteria No1 is a bit harder to find, just off the Campo San Zulian (look for the alley down the side of the Cartier shop) near St Marks, but I always enjoyed the food (and wine) on offer there!

Plus as somebody else said, Ae Oche is great with a fantastic range of pizzas (curry pizza anyone?). Though be warned it is a chain, and can be very busy as it's popular and near the station. It's on the Calle delle Oche in the Santa Croce area.

Definitely get the travel pass! It's a bargain and makes life so much easier, plus if you get tired you can just sit on the vaporetti and ride round admiring the view.

Go up the Campanille in Piazza San Marco, as the views are brilliant. For a slightly different perspective try the campanille of the San Giorgio Maggiore church on the island opposite St Marks - take the 82 vaporetti to get there.

Doge's Palace is very good too, though I never did a tour so can't vouch for them. Likewise the clock tower was being refurbished at the time I was there, though th pictures look good.

Lido is well worth a visit (your travel pass will include all the islands) as it's a bit quieter and quite atmosphere, especially if you've seen Death in Venice!

Burano is far nicer than Murano, and if you do go to the former then take the short rider across to Torcello and visit the church and campanille (especially on a clear day) as it is very very old.

Are you flying into Marco Polo? If so take the vaporetto (boat bus) to Venice, as it's a great way to arrive in style. But beware of the taxis (small speedboat style boats) that will be looking for your business. They're alot more expensive, and I've seen them actively 'convince' tourists that the next bus/boat is a long time away and that they should take a taxi instead.

Erm that's probably enough from me. Any questions just ask! Oh and it's been a year since I was last in Venezia, so if anything I've mentioend has changed hideously, sorry!

Fizog

Head to the library in uk and borrow DK travel eyewitness guide to Venice or sneaky peak in a book shop. It lists cheapie restaurants etc and places to visit for free... the different areas..soaking up the atmosphere
Also mega important a map. Venice is a collection of squares with water roads the odd bridge across them and a big canal down the middle. Ok to wander round during the day but at night ahhh! I quote my OH 'oh god not another bl**dy church in another identical square'
I loved the place it is totally magical, just to peak in an open door is looking into a window 200 years ago..the whole place resembled a Franco Zeffrelli set from Romeo & Juliet and the quiet ...no cars at night just the odd put put of a motor boat..and bells all the time.....
Totally agree get the bus, go local though I'd give the trollies the old ladies drag around a miss(not a good look)I had best time off the beaten track watching the few families who do live in the squares emerge in the early evening to socialise eat ice cream and let the kids run wild. Do the tourist thing but the best food is away from St Marks and the Rialto. Sea food is wonderful pasta not so, good pizza sublime. Public loos are practically non existent you need a strong bladder or a strong nose as you have to ask to use the cafes facilitites!
I want to go with you have a wonderful time

annie123

I.m off to venice for my birthday in November, thanks to OP for asking and thanks to everyone else for the advice.

fama

Peter2006 wrote: »

Go up the Campanille in Piazza San Marco, as the views are brilliant. For a slightly different perspective try the campanille of the San Giorgio Maggiore church on the island opposite St Marks - take the 82 vaporetti to get there.

ah I was trying to remeber this church ,this is a fantastic view from top
and when Iwas there was not busy.
see article this,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2006/sep/10/venice.italy.insiderguides

thatsfabulous

Thank you Peter and fizog for your posts! much appreciated.

I'd flying from Liverpool with Ryanair so to Treviso airport.
Ive always said i would never fly with them and i did want to go to Marco polo however the flights were very cheap with ryanair and convienient times also.
Ive read that there is a coach that is around 9euros return and they are timed around ryanairs arrival/departure times so hoefully it wont be a big inconvience that its not Marco polo.

Does anybody know of any good areas for ( not too expencive) antiques?

Peter2006

Yes there is a coach from Treviso that ties in with the Ryanair flights. Only took it the once when my friend came to visit, but it all ran very smoothly. The bus will drop you in Piazzale Roma, where you can buy tickets easily and get onto whichever of the vaporetti you need.

As for antiques I'd try the Via Giuseppe Garibaldi in the east of Venice near the park, you won't be able to miss the street, it's one of the widest in the city.

The other place you could try is some of the shops in the little campo by the S.Santa Maria dei Miracoli church. There's a good bookshop there that sells old books, prints, maps and suchlike which is very cool.