I know that the cruise ships unload on Venice daily, what is the best time to venture out and avoid the bulk of the cruise ship folks. Also, I will arrive by train at noon on a Monday, will the crowds for the Vaporetta be pretty heavy at that time?
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I've been to Venice more times than I can count and have NEVER been on an uncrowded vaporetto. At noon - they should be as typically crowded as usual. But crowds are just a way of life, there's no reason to avoid a crowded vaporetto. The workers on board the boat will continue to make room for new riders by squishing the current riders farther and farther into the back. Yes, it's crowded - it's Venice with tourists!
Hard to see regarding cruise ships. They may already be in port and the crowds will be out after they get their breakfast. Remember, it is not just cruise ships that bring crowds, there are a thousand hotels in Venice and if each of them is full, and the railway is pumping them in with a train every 15 minutes, plus tour buses, it can get crowded in a hurry in San Marco.
Noon on a Monday? Shouldn't be too bad. The No 1 starts at Piazzale Roma where buses arrive and many cruise passengers will board, next stop is Ferrovia where you will be. I've never seen it so crowded that I couldn't get on with my bags. Hard part is to shout out when you are at your stop and want off. First they let the people on the boat off, then the people on the dock can board. If you don't get off with the first crowd, you will be like the salmon swimming up stream. So be in the middle of the boat when your stop is coming up. I have missed stops this way, in which case you get off at the next stop and catch the next boat going the other way.
I am always impressed by the boat crews working these crowded boats and making everything go like clockwork.
After you've gotten settled in I think the best times to venture out for a stroll, not a shuffle are early morning and evening hours. I love to take walks early in the morning and have the sidewalks and piazzas almost to myself while the canals are teaming with boats moving supplies into and out of the city. I love to stroll around in the evening in search of a hidden restaurant for dinner. In between these early and late times of day, I like to wander beyond the main "shuffle paths" of tourists to find some other neighborhoods of Venice or take a boat ride across the scenic lagoon to an island or two. Have a wonderful time in Venice!
I agree with Mona. I loved early morning walkabouts so much. Foggy, mysterious, enchanting!! It was magical. We got lost several times. Truly priceless.
If you want to see places like Rialto and San Marco in daylight hours but almost empty, head out 7am...I think you'd not even be too bad til about 8-8:30. By 10, the crowds are def hitting. That's when you wander away from the crowds and explore the little more off the beaten path spots (which is almost anywhere about a 5-10min walk away from Rialto or San Marco :)
And of course, the evening is awesome as well. We've always been there mid-sept to early oct and by 8pm, things are less crowded.
I agree with all the above but want to add my 2 euro's worth: morning and evenings are surreal in Venice. If there is another place like it on the planet I haven't found it. Grab a quick cup of coffee and a roll then hit the streets/canals. About 10am the crowds begin to appear. That's when I head back to my hotel and have a good breakfast (Hotel Ala has an amazing breakfast buffet!). Depending on the temperature (July and August) I may take a break in the afternoon otherwise I go back on the alley ways and turn left or right down any lane that isn't crowded. Each year I seem to discover another part of Venice that gives me sensory overload! Remember, you are on an island and can't get that lost. So, wander. Turn whichever way looks interesting even if it leads to a dead end.
the vaporetti are almost always crowded. . . big deal. If it's too crowded for you, wait for the next one and maybe you'll get lucky. I don't mind the crowds - notice the difference among the people: residents, workers, tourists. The calm ones always seem to be the residents - guess it's part of being in La Serenissima.
To discover the "uncrowded" Venice, away from the tourists and cruise ship passengers, explore Cannaregio and Castello. These districts or sestieri are just a few minutes walk away from the hubbub of the main tourist attractions, and are full of interesting shops, restaurants, and osterie that are owned and frequented by locals.
Rick's words on this subject agree with what everyone above has said, and summarize the issue very well.
"While 80 percent of Venice, is, in fact, not touristy, 80 percent of the tourists never notice."
"A 10-minute walk from the madness puts you in an idyllic Venice that few tourists see."
The crowds are at the train station, the Rialto, Piazza San Marco, and the most direct foot paths connecting them. If you stray off this path, you can lose the crowds quickly. During the day, the vaporetti are indeed crowded, but again, if you take them off peak hours, or you take the ones that go around the island instead of through the Grand Canal, you'll have fewer people riding with you.
When you arrive with your luggage, the worker on board will tell you (in Italian) where to put your suitcase - basically out of the way of passengers getting on and off. If you have a backpack, you have to take it off - wearing a backpack is not allowed on the vaporetto. When it's not crowded - like early morning, no one will care though.
One of our favorite times in Venice is in the evening when the bulk of the tourists have left the city after their "daytrip" or are now back on their cruise ship. Walk to St. Mark's Square and enjoy the free orchestras scattered throughout the square. No dodging tourists on your way back to your hotel. Venice is very safe, even late at night.
