Two or three days in Venice

Bob,
You just opened Pandora's box. You need to figure out what you want to see there vs what you want to see on the rest of your trip. Some folks go back year after year. I can show it all to somebody before dinner; and don't care if I ever see the place again.

Bob.... My wife and I go back to Venice year after year and have been for about 8 years now. We stay in the Arsenale section, by the Naval Meuseum. We buy our food at the local market, stay in Venice for atleast 10 days each visit and havent seen everything yet. We visit the the other islands and just walk around trying to get lost and talk with the locals. You can see Venice in 1 day, but you will miss so very much. Once the tourist leave at night its a whole different place. Take your time and just look at everything and enjoy yourselfs.

If it weren't your first stop I'd say the 2 nights is enough for Venice but since you'll be recovering from jet lag, 3 nights would be o.k. It just depends on what you have to delete from another destination to stay in Venice a 3rd day.

We stayed three nights our first trip, and again our second trip. Our third trip is still ahead of us!

We are in the "we love Venice" group.

Bob, As always you get the gamut of responses. Venice was great. I would advise you to throw away the map(there are plenty of signs to get you to the high points)and try to get lost. the people are the real attraction, and they are wonderful. I have developed a real love for Italians, and from my experience, it is mutual. Venice gets really good after most of (us)the tourists go away. try san Marco at night, a gondola ride somewhere away from the grand canal(look for a gondolier named Egor) duck into a local eatery(look for locals) for a great meal, or eat what they make for the tourists on the main drags, but most of all, engage the locals, and really get to know them. they are a resilient bunch, putting up with the numbers of tourists that they do, and they are for the most part, really friendly. the rudest person my wife and I met while we were there, was an American( I am really embarassed about that). Have a great time, Venice is just one piece of a beautiful puzzle, and it will take many visits to figure it out. Enjoy! Jeff

Bob, I'm in the 'love Venice' group and I recommend you try the walks Rick outlines in his Venice book. Also, try to stay away from Piazza San Marco between around 10 to 3. You will not believe how crowded it becomes. Venice is magical in the evening when all the daytrippers and cruise folks have gone. I am returning in June for 6 nights with my adult daughter and can't wait to wander the alleys with her, stopping for an expresso or a glass of red wine at little places along the way. The best part of Venice is not necessarily 'must see' tourist stops...it is getting lost on this wonderful island, riding the vaperettos and the traghetto, shopping for fruits and veggies at the Rialto mercado and walking, walking, walking.

Hi Bob. I vote for 3 days. I would suggest using one of those days to visit Burano &/or Murano (if you're interested in blown glass). Burano is a must though. It's very quaint with its brightly colored homes. As others have said, wander the back lanes of Venice & get lost. Venice does change after the day-trippers leave in the evening. I loved St. Mark's Square in the evening when it's not so crowded. I also enjoyed the tour of the Doges Palace. You might research and see if it appeals to you. Have a great trip.

Bob, we saw and did a ton of stuff in a day and a half (2 nights at hotel). It can be done. My recommendation would be no more than 3 nights. It is an expensive place to stay and there is so MUCH to see and do in Italy.

In that amount of time, we wandered the back streets of Venice and saw several churches on our "must see" list, had leisurely lunches and dinners, saw the campanile in San Marco along with the Doge's Palace and St Mark's.

Venice is lovely and you should see it but do it in a day...I went for 3 days a few summers ago and wish we had left after one. There is not much to do, its pricey, and the food isn't great.

Hello Bob, We just returned from 15 nights in Rome - 3 in Venice and that was not enough! We just got our bearings and had to leave. I agree with the others - get lost - wander in the evenings when the tour buses leave. We did not even touch the surface and will be back again and again I'm sure. The people are lovely and friendly. Pricey yes - but what the heck! You're on holidays and in Italy! Enjoy -

We happen to be on the "love" Venice side. Have been there 4x in the last 7 years on trips to Italy and Europe--usually 3 wk. trips. Always been there in the summer months when our 2 boys were out of school. First visit was 2 nights and not long enough and next 2 visits were 4 nights in an apt. which gave us more time to visit Burano and Murano. Loved Burano! Last summer I went with my 2 sisters and we started in Venice spending 6 nights here in an apt. before moving on to Florence. It was my sisters first trip to Italy and we had a grand time! They loved Venice and esp. at night. Loved just walking around getting "lost" and shopping at the Rialto mkt. and grocery stores. On around the 3rd visit we discovered the Nave De Oro Vinaria (not far from Campo Santa Maria Formosa near the SUVE grocery store) where they have demijohns full of diffferent wines and will fill your containers. Not bad wine for the money. Buon Viaggio!