Obvious Qs: First trip to Venice

Historically temps for Oct start about 70 Deg F and cool to 60 deg F by the end of the month, actuals? who knows, been a crazy year all over. I would expect to need a jacket, but not so cold that you will be miserable. I think at that time of year it is still mostly dry. Crowds should be less than the peaks of Summer and Carnival, but it is Venice, so there will still be a good crowd. The room I can give no advice on, but the risk of the night train would be lack of sleep, causing you to drag the next day, nothing a few stops at a cafe for a glass of wine won't cure. As long as you do not try to cram in a number of things the day of arrival, you should be fine. Honeymoon in Venice? Even though it is so cliche, an expensive Gondola ride may be great, otherwise I would also try to find a way out of the way restaurant for an intimate meal, maybe something near a canal or on a square (just not San Marco). Also just wandering the back streets can be nice. If you are a "foodie", then the one place I wanted to go when I get there next is a restaurant called Da Romano on the small island of Burano. They have been featured on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain and on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. They specialize in a risotto made with a local small fish.

Obvious answer. Buy the RS Venice guidebook. Fabulous resource and will help you decide what would be of interest for you and your new bride to see while visiting. As far as how to make it exciting and relaxing, get lost. Seriously, that's the fun of Venice and where you'll often find something that is memorable for you both. Far from the madding crowds. Congratulations.

Last year in early Oct I needed a jacket at night and sun protection during the day. Highs were probably in the low-mid 80s. I'd suggest bringing layers so you can cope with surprises.

Hi Adam, Walk the streets of Venice at night, as the locals stay out late and many of the tourists are gone. During the day, there is a covered archway that many tourists do not take, it is peaceful as well as beautiful. Visit the Campanile de Sans Marco to hear the bells or one bell (sometimes only one rings). Try to get the tickets ahead of time to avoid long lines. Make sure when the bells ring, as they do not ring on every hour. The view! Sit on a dock and watch the boats or watch a local artist paint an original oil painting by the canal. Try to go to a local small bar that sells chicati (slices of French bread with a multitude of toppings to choose from) with a glass of wine. Sit outside. A very nice intimate restaurant near Sans Marco is "Rosa Rosa." In picturesque Burano, get lost among the homes away from the touristy area. It's really interesting and cultural. Practice your Italian. We loved staying at the Pensione Guerrato, near the Rialto bridge, which is a charming 800 year old hotel that Rick uses a lot for his tours. Mention Rick's book for a discount. Great choice. The owners are very nice, the breakfast room is very wonderful (chandeliers). Buy a lock and lock it on the Rialto bridge or another bridge, as this is very romantic. If you do the gondola ride, make sure it is only for the two of you. Group gondola rides can be a bit cheesy! Go for a concert at a Piazza in one of the churches. Or, sit and listen to local musicians play outside. When we were there in May, we had very nice weather, but one day it rained and the the wind blew hard. In that situation, my umbrella wasn't much use. If I go to Italy again, I plan to bring a water-proof poncho. Locals told us that they appreciate when tourists take the time to ask them about their culture and interact with them. Have a wonderful time! Ruth

One of the romantic things to do after a romantic dinner (besides San Marco) is to go to San Marco to hear the bands play and dance in the square. We will be there only 1 day and night this year due to a cruise but after dinner we will be doing the same thing. As previous posters have suggested just get lost in the back streets.
My most memorable thing to do was at 7am leaving to catch the train I sat up front in an empty vaporetto and took pictures on the Grand Canal as the city was coming alive. Awesome.

Paul, thanks for your reply. We'll only be in Venice for two days, as it is only part of our honeymoon, but our wedding registry is a "Honeyfund" and includes the cliche gondola ride. But hey, it's our honeymoon and I think it'll be okay to be cheesy. A romantic dinner would be especially nice and Da Romano sounds great. I'll take a look. The other restaurant I've heard good things about is Osteria Antico Giardinetto. Claudia, thanks for the obvious tip :) I have the Venice guidebook, checked out Rick's recent blogs about Venice, watched his special on Venice, and have his podcasts downloaded. I'm kind of a fiend for information, that's why I posted here! Thanks Sherry! I'll make sure to pack a jacket. Ruth, really appreciate your post. Rosa Rosa sounds good. I'll add it to the list. I sent a request to Pensione Guerrato to check rates and availability. It looks quite fantastic. We'll definitely interact as much as possible with the locals. We had a great time in Italy last time we were in Europe and hope we can have some unique experiences getting lost (as many have said is a good idea). Thanks for the tip Shelley. We got up really early to go to St. Peter's Basilica and believe it or not were the only two people in St. Peter's square. It was pretty incredible. We'll try to do the same thing if we're rested enough.

In no way should you "skip Venice," as someone over on the France board suggested. Not too long ago, a poster here said: "We go to Paris or/and Venice for three months at a time once or twice a year in the last few years." I would guess they've traveled a great deal and these are the two cities where they now choose to spend their time. That tells us something! We really enjoyed seeing Venice from up high (Campanile and/or San Giorgio Maggiore). Other than that, my advice is the same as for Paris: wander! We've been to Venice twice and would go back in a heartbeat. Getting hooked on Italy (ten trips) is why it took me so long to get to Paris!

We'll be arriving in the morning via the night train from Paris. Is there anything we should keep in mind as far as how this will affect our time in Venice? You may be very lucky and be of the type who sleep like logs on night trains. Many people aren't. I've done my last night train. So I'm unable to say how it will affect your time in Venice but it may make you tired during you stay - that would be a great shame.

Please attend Vivaldi's Four Season's concert by Interpreti Veneziani (and no one else--only these guys). http://www.interpretiveneziani.com/en/ It was the absolute highlight of our month trip and the best concert I've ever seen, even for rock and roll. You won't be disappointed. Pete
Europe 2012

Congratulations on the wedding! We'll be in Venice in October, having been there a number of times, to celebrate our 25th. The most romantic thing about Venice, IMHO, is to wander the streets, especially the streets further away from the more touristy area. Campo San Marco in the evening is delightful. Lots of people stand an listen to the bands playing, but even my practical self is willing to buy an overpriced coffee or glass of wine for the privilege of sitting at a table to enjoy the evening. Two of our favorite restaurants in Venice are Alle Testiere, a very small place with a creative take on fresh seafood, and Anice Stellato, which is located way out in the Cannaregio, a lovely walk on a nice evening, that has a modern twist on traditional Venetian cuisine. They have outdoor seating on the canal, if it's warm enough (and it was warm enough the last time we visited Venice, which was also in October).

We won't be skipping Venice! There's no way. If we skipped anything, it would be Rome, purely because we have been there before. And thanks, Janet, I have put Venice from above to my lists of MUSTs, and I have to admit I hadn't considered it before. Same with Interpreti Veneziani, Pete. I am "expected" to put together a honeymoon worthy of my wonderful soon-to-be wife (not really, as she is so wonderful she's just thrilled to be going back to Europe). This truly sounds like an awesome romantic thing to do. And awesome for EU25 a piece! Which reminds me that I really don't have to work too hard as we can have the perfect experience wandering around, getting lost as Lexma pointed out. That's reassuring. I'm very excited to explore away from the touristy spots. We'll have two dinners and two lunches in Venice, so all the restaurant recommendations I can get are very helpful. Especially if we go to make a reservation and we can't get in somewhere. I should have asked this before, but how much time does it take to head to Burano? I would really like to explore the area.

Burano is about 45 minutes by ferry each way. However, with only two nights in one of the most beautiful cities on the planet, I would not suggest leaving it to go to the islands. Keep that in your back pocket in case you and Venice just don't click. Here are some pictures I've taken on our trips to that amazing place, if you're curious: Magical Venice Save the islands for your next visit to Venice. :-)

I loved hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo. We did not stay in the annex, though. We stayed in room 5. It has a balcony overlooking a small canal. I believe it is their only room with a balcony on a canal. What a killer room. I loved their breakfast; the best croissants with an apricot filling. And the staff were unbelievably nice and helpful.

Michael, thank you for your pictures and videos! I don't think we will be able to budget time to head to the islands. Next time, maybe! Kelly, the hotel looks amazing, but all the rooms in the main hotel were booked, and we read the annex is just as nice and just around the corner. Hopefully it will be a similar experience!

I will be in Venice in just over a week and I heartily thank you all for your advice also!!! Traveling with my 16 yo son and Venice was his only "must" when we were planning our family's first trip to Europe.

I would recommend going across the lagoon to San Giorgio Maggiore and going up to the top of the bell tower there to get one of the most beautiful views of Venice. You will be able to see across towards St .Mark's Square. It's a more scenic view than what you'll get going up the Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square itself. Also suggest checking out a restaurant called La Zucca in San Giacomo Dall'Orio (I think it's in the Santa Croce area?). You need a reservation. It's known for doing a great job on vegetables. The area of San Giacomo Dall'Orio is also very nice- you get a sense that actual people live there, not tourists staying in hotels. And I second the Vivaldi concert; I went and it was magnificent.

Second Osteria La Zucca! We recommended it to some friends and they reported, "We loved this osteria so much we ate there twice - the second time dragging all our friends with us."