Two Days In Venice

Congrats, Venice is amazing. Your honeymoon will be off to a great start. I spent 3 nights in Venice, loved every second. Mostly I just wandered and got lost, popped in and out of interesting places. Drank loads of espresso, sat in squares and people watched.

The common tourist things are can't miss IMO, San Marco, Doge Palace is incredible. The churches are all like museums.

I would also say, some would disagree, but my lady and I (37-33 ages) took a night Gondola ride under the Rialto and through the canals of quiet neighborhoods, worth every cent and more.

As for meals, get away from the touristy areas.

This was a personal fave, it's tiny. Make reservations. http://www.osteriadaalberto.it/

Have fun!

Thank you so much for your recommendation!

First trip to Venice? It's a spectacularly amazing place and there's no place else like it. Looking at your schedule you really have only one full day and 1 evening (which will be taken with finding your hotel, checking in, and you'll probably have dinner somewhere. Meandering through the alleys all over the island (away from San Marco) is really what makes Venice magical. I would highly suggest you extend your stay there to 2 full days (3 nights).

Hopefully you're staying on Venice Island and not in Mestre on the industrial mainland?

Loved the Spaghetteria 6342 A Le Tole Pizzaria. They are very close to the hospital. Homemade fresh pasta. Very Yummy!

Remember to visit San Marco in the evening and listen to the orchestras. Sit down and have a glass of wine/cup of coffee if you can afford it - check the prices on the menu before you sit down - and check for the "Coperto" which is/was considerably higher here than elsewhere. It may have been removed now (and added to the prices) because it gave rise to a lot of discussions.

If the tourists are getting you down, walk about 5 minutes away from the crowds (which congregate around Rialto and St Marks) and you'll almost have the place to yourself.

If you want to do a bell tower but the line up at the St Marks tower is too long, pop across the lagoon to San Giorgio. We've done both (have been to Venice 4 times). At San Giorgio - no line up/crowd, a few euro cheaper and amazing views over to SMS and all over. And of course if you did St Marks bell tower, it's hard to figure out when you'll get up...but...if you are close to the top of the hour...don't leave - when we were up there, the bells started ringing - it was loud, but so amazing to have these giant bells clanging just a few feet above your head!

Santa Maria dei Frari church - I'm not a huge church fan (I'm getting to the 'you've seen one you've seen em all' attitude now)...something I really enjoyed about this one. If you are nearby, give it a look.

...and for the love of all that is holy - if you can get out early - I mean, like 7am, you won't regret it. It was my 3rd time before I did this, and wow - to see Rialto and St M Sq almost empty - it's so great. To view the Bridge of Sighs without fighting elbows and selfie sticks - priceless. By 10am, they are packed. We'd nip out for an hour, then go back and have breakfast. Also, stay out into the evening - it's a pretty safe city, and the lights at night reflecting off the water...lovely!

Thank you all! We are hoping to get an early start for our first full day! We are staying near Campo Santa Margherita in an airbnb. It looks like everything is in walking distance (we are 28\31yrs and don't mind a walk!).

We definitely want to enjoy St Marks at night and the bridge of sighs in the morning.

I love these tips!

We are planning on taking a vaporetto to Dorsoduro where we are staying. Are they easily accessible from the airport??

With regard to getting from the airport to your apt. / hotel:

There are 3 ways to get from the airport to your hotel. The 1st is a water taxi and it is the most expensive. Probably 125 Euros for the boat. But if you can join up with another couple or two it might be worth the cost. Only you can decide.

The 2nd and next least expensive is the Alilaguna boat. It will cost about 20 Euros per person. It takes longer, you do have to "check" you baggage so you don't have control of it the entire time, and you probably will not be able to get a "non stop" line to the area of your hotel.

The 3rd and least expensive is a combination bus and vaporetto (vap.). It takes a bit longer, but that is what we do because we travel very light with just one carry on apiece. There are two bus lines that serve the airport. One is ATVO and is NOT affiliated with the vap. system. The other is ACTV and IS affiliated with the vap. system. At the airport you can get a vap. pass for various periods from 24 to 72 (or more?) hours. You can have a one way or two way bus fare added to the vap. pass. There is a good site maintained by the ACTV system that has current prices and etc.. Don't remember the url so just Google it.

If you decide on option # 3, take the # 5 ACTC bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma. Be sure and validate the vap. pass on the bus. Do not wait until you get on the vap. Also, validate the pass each time you use the vap. Then take to the vap. to the stop closest to your hotel. Let us know the name of your hotel or apt. address and we can probably give you pretty detailed directions. We've done option # 3 many times. Easy Peasy and cheap to boot.

There is a site called veniceforvisitors.com that has a lot of good info. that you might want to check out .

Thank you so much TC!

We are at Dorsoduro 3037. My research said that we should take the vap to Zattare which would mean #6 but the site you provided me with (a lifesaver by the way!) says that that boat begins operation in late May.

Recommendations?

How do we go about validating our vap tickets on the bus? Apologies for all of the questions- I just know that we may be jet lagged at this stage and want to write things down to make it a bit simpler for us.

Thank you!

There is a site called veniceforvisitors.com that has a great deal of good info. Last time I checked it showed a picture of the box that you use to swipe your pass. Dorsoduro is not just a street but an area. If you can give us a complete address or hotel name we can probably recommend the best vap. line to use

I think your BnB is in Corte Santa Margherita, so close to Campo Margherita.

Easiest way is the shared water taxi to the Ca'Rezzonico vaporetto stop. Walk up the street, across Campo San Barnaba, heading to your right, cross the bridge -the Pont de Pugni - beside the vegetable barge, straight ahead and you will be in Campo Margherta.

http://www.venicelink.com/en/products/shuttle Is the link to the shraed water taxi. It cost s25 euro per person, and is a great way to arrive.

There is no vaporetto service from Marco Polo to Venice. The ferry is the Alilaguna, and is pretty slow, also provides not much of a view.

You can take the No 5 bus to P. Roma, and then a No 1 vaporetto down the grand canal to the Ca' Rezzonico vaporetto stop.

Corte S. Margerita is off the south side of Campo S. Margerita.

There are heaps of bars in the campo. Our favourite in that part of the world is the Ai Artisti in Campo San Barnaba. You will walk past it as you go from the Ca' Rezzonico vap stop to Campo S. Margerita.

It is worth getting a 24 or 48 hour vaporetto pass when you arrive in Venice.

A couple of ideas. I like DeMamo's which is a small restaurant [need rez] with great pizza and other, branzino in particular.

Go over to San Giorgio Maggiore and take the lift up the campanile for great views all around the laguana. Much less busy than San Marco.

I concur with the arise early and watch Venice come to life, it is amazing. Enjoy it.