10 days in Italy- Visiting Venice?

The crowds are really concentrated around Piazza San Marco and the Rialto area, and mostly from 10am-4pm. Take trips to the smaller islands during prime time, you will still have plenty of sunlight left for the main sights, either early or later. Early mornings and evenings/nights are magic.

Pisa I have to question. Siena can get packed as well, especially around the Palio. And reading too much about how crowded Venice is giving you the yips. I'd go for it. Yes, it will get crowded from late morning to late afternoon in San Marco and Rialto. So just steer clear of these areas during prime time. There is lots to see and do in Venice outside of these spots. Hit them in the early morning and evening. Get a hotel or apartment away from there, like in Dorsoduro, San Polo, or Castello.

On one of our trips to Venice in September, we walked from the train station towards the Rialto Bridge to our B&B. We were so surprised to see the vast amounts of people walking - we felt like we were at Disneyworld !

We have found that tourists walk from the Rialto Bridge to San Marco - they don't seem to have the desire to explore away from the crowded pathways. So when you encounter crowds, go left or right and discover alleys !

Follow the RS walks because they do keep you away from hordes of people.
Take a traghetto crossing to Dorsoduro to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. We found a delightful pizza shop down a narrow alley and chatted with the owner.
Go to Giudecca and climb the tower of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore for magnificent views.

Good advice to maybe avoid Cannaregio and San Marco during the busy part of the day 10am to 4pm. Plenty to see off the beaten path in
Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce, Castello. If you are really concerned but still wish to visit then stay just 2 nights - one full day to see the Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, plus visit Basilica San Marco and Doges Palace.

Venice is an amazing city and is at it's best in the early mornings and late afternoon / early evening when most of the day trippers are gone. In the middle of the day all one has to do to avoid the crowds is go three or four blocks off the main "tourist routes" through the city and simply avoid the big tourist sights while they are crowded. I'm afraid you'll regret dropping it from your trip.

Stick with your plan. You did the research and made a decision that is right for your family. Everyone you talk to will have a different idea and can make you second guess yourself. Stick with the 10-day/3 city plan and enjoy! On your way homw you can all start planning the next trip, like most of us do!

salamari_4010,

You give no indication of where you are from but I'll make the assumption that you are from the USA. That being said, there are some things you should take into consideration when planning a trip to Italy in the summer,

While Venice is located at about 45 degree north latitude (further north than Bangor Maine), the climate is more like Florida in the summer. Hot and humid... You're also dealing with buildings that often date back to the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries (sometime even older). On top of all that, electricity has become a lot more expensive than in the USA and air conditioning is not necessarily the "norm." Insect screens on windows are also not universal in European...

So, in addition to the incessant crowds (there were SIX cruise ships docked in Venice the last time I was there), is can be uncomfortably hot and humid in the summer. However, comfortable is a personal thing. If you are coming from an equally hot and humid climate, you may not even notice. If, however, you are coming from a cooler-dryer climate, it may be unbearable. Only you can make that call.

On the plus side, Venice, regardless of the time of year, has two personalities - daytime and nighttime. Many of the tourists are day-trippers (cruise ship passengers, coach tours, etc.) don't arrive until mid-morning and leave by late afternoon or early evening. So, the evening and nighttime personality is much different.

If you do decide to go to Venice, I would get an apartment away from the train station, bus station, and San Marco. Plan to put up with the crowds but savor the evening and early morning times. Venice is special and there's no place like it anywhere else. Flying into Marco Polo Airport and taking a water bus (alilaguna) to the Grand Canal or stepping out of the train station is like being transported back in time.

Good luck and have fun!

We did these suggestions and it worked out fine. We were up and saw St. Marks and the Dkge Palace tour when it was first offered in the morning. So quiet and still, it was lovely. When we got out of the tour, it was very crowded, so we left and didn't go back until the evening...lovely again. When we first arrived, I did what everyone said, I turned around from the crowds, and within 90 seconds it was almost empty! We explored that first day like that. As far as the heat, we weren't there in July. However, I do know trip advisor hotel reviews mention the hotels with great air, or you can ask. I've been told Pisa is not that exciting to go to. I would not have missed Venice fir the world. I wish we had taken a guided tour.

so honestly, I think the points you make about Venice are valid. It will be hot and it will be mobbed. 10 days, while it is certainly wonderful, is not long. And the truth is, you could split the 10 days between Rome and Florence, with perhaps one day trip to somewhere from either city, and have an absolutely splendid, reasonably relaxing time. 6 days in Rome is certainly not too much and neither is 4 days in Florence. You will get back sometime, even if it is 10 years from now and Venice will still be there, you will not be tied to school vacation time travels and perhaps that trip can be in April or late September, with cooler weather and fewer crowds

Venice in July, Hot
Florence in July, Hot
Rome in July, Hot

I just returned from Italy 2 days ago. I also did Rome, Florence and Venice. I only stayed 2 days in venice and that is all you need really. I walked everywhere and I think any city may be crowded with Tourists. But the more you wander away from the tourists spots, you can actually enjoy walking or some alone time. The city is quite large and just go get lost. I enjoyed it and its amazingly beautiful. It is just different to see this floating city, especially when all traffic is boats! I think you should keep it on your itinerary. Pisa is close enough to Florence to take a train. I am really disappointed I was unable to do this before I left.

I was in Venice the first week of April. As others have noted, the areas around Rialto Bridge, Santa Lucia station, and San Marcos, were very crowded. As far as I know, early April is not the peak tourist season. So, July must be ridiculously crowded. We stayed in the Cannaregio district, and I have to say that I was surprised by how quiet and uncrowded it was. We arrived at the Orto water taxi stop at around 1:00 pm from the Marco Polo airport. During our short walk to our hotel (5 minutes), we saw maybe three people. I thought maybe something was wrong. But no, this was our experience in Cannaregio.

DONT SKIP VENICE. Follow the other's tips.