Please sign in to post.

Venice questions and tips

We will be going to Venice soon. We'll be spending 2 days there. Doge's Palace as well as St Mark's are on our "must see list". We are not huge "museum people", but will visit an occasional museum. What else should we see/do? Also, I've seen that there are a number of different cards that can be purchased, we especially like those for their skip-the-line benefit. I've looked for something to skip the line at the 2 places that we must see, but haven't found one. We probably don't have time to see Murano and Burano. Which one do you recommend? Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Posted by
5687 posts

I'm not a big "museum person" either, and I've been to Venice four times. I've visited only a few museums there. (Never Doge's Palace.) On my last visit in May (rainy), I finally visited the Guggenheim (modern art) which I liked.

To me, Venice itself is the attraction. But it gets very crowded. I would plan on morning and evening walks away from the crowds who are there largely in the daytime. Try to get up at least one morning fairly early and go walk around before it gets so busy. It's a very different place in the morning: shop keepers opening up and sweeping in front of their stores, chatting with their neighbors, people carrying supplies in from the boats, etc. Rialo and San Marco get very busy, and so does the Strada Nova, the fairly direct street from the train station to Rialto. Go walk in say the Ghetto area or through San Polo. The walk from the train station to Rialto on the south side of the Grand Canal, through San Polo, is lovely, through lots of little piazzas and through little twists and turns. Follow the signs "Per Rialto" to get there.

Posted by
11247 posts

Great advice for Andrew! We did not bother with the Doges Palace until our third or fourth trip. We enjoyed the Frari Church enormously, though, the The Guggenheim is a favorite but I suspect it’s mobbed in summer.

You do have time to go to Murano, Burano, and Torcello if you like. We’ve taken the day trip (see RS self-guided Lagunes tour in his book) several times. Usually takes us 9am to 3pm to do the tour with lunch on Burano or Mazzorbo. If you get to Murano early, as shops are opening, it is pleasant. By 11:00 or so it starts to get busy there.

Posted by
301 posts

ABSOLUTELY invest in the skip-the-line at St Marks...

Google "St. Mark's Basillica Skip the Line"...

We did it while we were on the square waiting for all five of us to get there...

Also, for women, they're very critical of the bare shoulders and knees, so be prepared.

Also, also, be prepared for throngs of people waddling through.

Posted by
5955 posts

You can book a timed entry for St Marks for 3 euros here:
https://basilicasanmarco.insidecom.it/en/attractions-in-veneto/tickets/skip-the-line-saint-marks-basilica/#choose

Be sure your shoulders and knees are covered- both men and women- and if you have anything larger than a purse it must be checked- that is across the street, down a lane- it is free.

To "skip the line" at Doges I highly recommend the Secret itinerary tour- it was very interesting and really fun-after the tour you are free to remain in Doges Palace and tour on your own.

https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/pianifica-la-tua-visita/special-itineraries/secret-itineraries-tour/

We booked the St Marks entry for just after opening time then booked the Secret itinerary 10:45 tour- timing worked perfectly- we had a bit of time between sights to wander the piazza and take pics, hit the bathrooms etc.

We skipped Murano both times we've been to Venice but visited Burano instead- just weren't interested in crowds and glass blowing. Burano is very charming, very pretty- wander away from what we call the "tourist gauntlet".

Get a length of stay vaporetto pass and it will cover your ride to the islands.
There are a few recent threads about vaporeto pass benefits.

Posted by
6431 posts

Another way to skip the ticket line at the Doge's Palace is to buy a combo ticket at the Correr Museum on the opposite end of Piazza de San Marco. Admittedly, this inflicts another museum on you, but it's a good one and the line is usually much shorter. I think the combo ticket is good for several days so you don't have to visit both the same day.

I enjoyed spending time in Torcello and Burano, didn't get to Murano because glass blowing doesn't interest me much. Other non-museum sights to recommend: the Frari Church, the Ghetto, Ca' Rezzonico, Santa Maria della Salute, and San Giorgio Maggiore, including the elevator to the tower with a view across the whole city and lagoon. I'd also recommend a vaporetto pass to save time, give you a break from walking, and show you the city from the Grand Canal and other water viewpoints. The two-day pass pays for itself in just four rides.

Posted by
856 posts

We took the vaporetto to Giudecca to visit the church right after the crush of the Doge’s Palace. It’s a great break with some relaxed canal side dining available. Otherwise, I’d just wander around! Walk the areas away from the Grand Canal during the day, then enjoy the main tourist zone and Grand Canal vaporetto ride in the late afternoon/early evening. It’s amazing how much the crowds die down. There’s an unbelievable amount of daytime visitors. When they clear out, Venice wields her magic.

Posted by
37 posts

Wander away from St. Marks and Rialto. We just returned from our trip --also had just 2 nights there but stayed in Cannaregio (20 minutes walk) and it was blissfully remote-feeling in comparison to those touristy areas, which felt like Diagon Alley at Universal Studios' Harry Potter World. We walked everywhere from morning until midnight. We also did the Doges Palace (Secret Itinerary Tour) and since our St. Mark's day fell on a Sunday, which narrowed the available timed entries to 4pm and after, we went to mass in the a.m. instead and enjoyed experiencing the splendid mosaics in a very unique, spiritual-feeling way (even though we are not Catholic). Try a cicchetti crawl; dinner in Cannaregio on a canal (Al TImon is excellent!); take an evening gondola ride; visit St. Marks at night when the orchestras are playing and the crowds have gone. We loved Venice (but not the crowds around Rialto & St. Marks) despite our short time there! I toyed with going to Murano or Burano, but didn't want to take more time away from Venice.

Posted by
15560 posts

My first question is whether you really have 2 days in Venice. Unless you are staying 3 nights, you probably only have one full day and a (possibly small) part of your arrival and departure days. If you aren't staying near the train station, allow plenty of time to get to/from the hotel (where you will leave your bags while sightseeing and have to pick them up when leaving).

I love the Doge's Palace for the architecture. The art collection doesn't do much for me. I really enjoyed the Corer Museum collections and the art at the Frari Church. The museum in St. Mark's Basilica is well worth visiting, not only for the access to the balcony (the views are good). Before choosing a museum, do a little online research to see what's inside. Then choose based on your interests. I enjoyed the vaporetto ride across the lagoon to Murano (more than the place itself).

Posted by
19 posts

Thanks for all of the tips! It sounds like wandering is the best part of seeing Venice, and I'm so excited to do that. Thanks also for the skip-the-line tips. We always look for those.

Posted by
15560 posts

After several visits to Venice, I finally took a walking tour (this site) and it was excellent, and I learned a lot about the city. You have to register in advance but there's no penalty for no-shows.

Posted by
19 posts

Thanks for the tip, Chani. Did you take the morning or afternoon tour?
D.

Posted by
15560 posts

I took the morning tour. I would have taken the afternoon tour as well, but I already had a train ticket out of Venice that day. . . . next time.