Best quiet areas in Venice in late July?

Well, almost all of Venice is interesting to me, since it's unlike any other city in the world. You'll find peace and quiet almost everywhere in Venice in the evenings, after the hordes of daytrippers and cruiseshippers go away. As for during the day, you'll quickly discover that there are major arteries of pedestrian traffic that run throughout Venice (esp. train station to Rialto to St. Mark's). Avoid those areas between 10 and 4 and you'll be fine, although St. Mark's will always be the busiest. Check out Campo Santa Margherita in the Dorsoduro neighborhood for a lively but not particularly touristy area. If you really want peaceful and quiet, then go to the Sant'Elena area in the "tail of the fish" and wander around the public gardens. (The "fish" refers to the shape of Venice - it looks like a fish caught on a line, with the line being the causeway that connects it to the mainland.) Happy travels.

Believe it or not, in most places in the city. Most tourists, and especially those in tour groups, travel on routes that are highly predictable. You can expect massive crowds in and around St Marks square, and the route from the Rialto to there. Just a few streets away from those, however, and in many other parts of the city, you can easily get away from the crowds and find peace and quiet. I see you are from Northern California. We use an expression, "Getting off the valley floor". That's from Yosemite, not a million miles away from you. In Yosemite to get away from the crowds we just walked up out of the valley and the crowds melted away and we had great times. Same procedure in many places applies, and Venice is a great example. Venice, as a collection of islands, means you really can't get lost. It may feel like it, and that's part of the charm, but getting away from the crowds can make a trip there golden. All you have to do when surrounded by a crowd is turn left or right and go down the nearest calle and see where you wind up. See if you can find a different campo and check out the new neighborhood. Happy planning...

Thanks for the tips everyone, i can't wait to wander!

The other helpful tip is timing. Many of the heavily crowded areas don't start getting crowded until around 10:00 and really start to thin out around 16:00 to 17:00 Even in Piazza San Marco during the height of the crowds, the entire Piazza won't be wall to wall. the area in front of the Basilica will be packed, but the opposite end not so much. You can be crammed in and walk for 3-5 minutes and be in a spot where you fell like you are the only visitors. So try to get out early and definately enjoy the evenings.

I have to agree, the weather in Venice last month was nice. We were there too.

Just get away from San Marco and Rialto area from 10 AM until 8PM. I liked the Dosorduro area and will stay there on my next trip to Venice. But even getting a few turns away from these areas can be totally different even during the middle of the day. I stayed near San Marco but everyday I would take a vaporetto to a different area in Venice and just wander back. If you are there for more than 3 days a trip to Burano is nice but it's a long trip so unless you have the time it might be too much. Have a great trip!

Venice is by far the best city to get lost in. I would mirror what Michael suggested completely. His two choices would also be mine. I would suggest you get vaporetto passes that cover the number of days you will be there - to save money and to easily get from one side of the canal to the other.

Take a look at some of the photos I took last month in Venice. The weather was beautiful and I easily found beautiful and interesting places that not only weren't crowded, they were practically deserted. Most of these were taken in the Cannaregio district. Venice pics May 2011

Michael, your photos are beautiful! I love travel photography and you have a great eye. I am fully inspired for my trip! btw, you did avoid the crowds in Venice, we hope to do the same!

Thanks! It really is amazing in Venice how you can take a couple of turns away from the human arteries of traffic and all of a sudden you're all alone. For anyone who's interested the Eyewitness Travel Guide book for Venice has lots of good walking tours of Venice that take you to these special places. That's how we discovered the public gardens when we were there in 2008.

Michael Your photos take me straight back (I'd never seen the toilet sign, however) and have really given me a great feeling. Thanks... Thanks, too, for confirming how easy it is to get away from the madding crowds. I hope that nobody accuses you of posting guards to keep the crowds out of you photos ;-)

Thanks, Nigel. It really is a magical city, isn't it? The thing that I hope is seen by my photos is that even on a beautiful day at the end of May (and it was a stunning day), there are huge parts of Venice that remain undiscovered by most tourists. There's another thread where some says that Venice is really dirty. Hopefully these pictures help bring a different perspective to that as well.

Go to the island of Murano. Very few people there in comparison and a cute little canal to walk up and down. We liked Murano better than Venice itself. When you get off the vaporetto there, go right, not left!

I have found a quiet spot with lots of big old trees, benches and shade for a nice lunch time picnic and cool down. It is about 10-15 mins from St. Marks. There is also a grocery store, bakery and a few other locals shops nearby. I will tell you how to get there, but maybe someone else knows the place and can give better directions or what this place is called. Head out east from St. Marks walking along the water. The water (vaporetto stops) should be to your right. You cross 5 or 6 bridges (moving quickly past the Africans selling their knock-offs) until you reach something rare in Venice. What looks like a normal sized street to the left. Start down this street. There are about a dozen God-awful looking restaurants for tourists. Keep walking another 1/4 mile or so. The terrain will change to much more local and on your right you'll see a fountain centered with a statue (I think it a soldier) that leads to a nice small greenbelt. Lots of benches and great people watching as locals are walking their dogs or pushing baby strollers. Before you head in for a bench, explore the area adjacent to the entry. A few of the shops are completely nondescript, but watch where the locals are going in and out of. Also, there is a nice little grocery store for drinks and whatever else you need. Get there before 13:00 or all the shops will be closed. I have seen a few fellow tourists in this area, but very few and certainly not the St. Marks horde. They will never venture that far. I've never seen any blue books down there either, so I don't think this place is on Rick's radar. Let's keep it that way.

Michael 1 is talking about the Castello and Sant'Elena districts, where you'll find the public gardens I mentioned. It's a really great break to be surrounded by all that green right on the edge of the lagoon.

Best place close to Venice for peace and quiet----Padua, a short train ride to and fro.