Wandering Venice

This is our favorite thing to do in Venice! Getting lost and away from all the other tourists is a beautiful thing...you'll find good neighborhoods, restaurants (look for the ones packed with local people), churches, piazzas, etc. We don't make it a habit of doing this late at night but have never had a problem during the day with ending up in a "bad" neighborhood. We have found Venetians to be very friendly and welcoming, even in the back streets. Quite honestly, at night Venice becomes much less crowded, the lights are beautiful, and walking in the main parts spanning from Piazza San Marco are lovely. Get onto a water taxi at night and go down the Grand Canal...it's great to see into the beautiful palazzos (palazzi?) when the lights are on at night. Stunning!

Wander freeley, worry not.

Coincidentally, within the past few minutes I just ordered a book entitled "Secret Venice" from Amazon.com. It is a guide to little-known, off-the-beaten-track and less-touristed places and sites in Venice. Sounds interesting, you might check it out.

We were in Venice for 5 days this past August and never felt unsafe at all. Of course, you need to be prudent and aware of your surroundings, especially in crowded areas (i.e. St. Mark's Square) but we never felt unsafe in the least bit. Have a wonderful trip.

Oh...I love Venice at night! All the cruise shippers and day trippers have cleared out and it is magical! I at no point felt unsafe walking around (had hubby in tow, but even alone I would have felt safe...lost - since I can't read a map to save my life...but safe) - I think all the people left are just awestruck at the beauty...my other suggestion - get up with the sun and get thee to Rialto Bridge and St Mark's Square - we did this in 2012...up at 6:30 am, at Rialto not much later (we stayed in the San Toma area)...only a few diehard photographers and travelers out. We were at St Marks around 7:45-8am - there were maybe a dozen people all told in the square - the canals are practically empty, the alleys are empty... My husband is the opposite of early riser, and he had a hell of a time getting himself up (I would have gone without him if he hadn't gotten up) but he still appreciates that I forced him up and out...

I wandered the streets a great deal. Do not worry about crime, etc. It's a very low key town of merchants and tourists. Maybe too many tourists. Please make sure to make it to the Mercado around 11. It's amazing! Honestly, it was about the only part of Venice I really cared for, but it was due to my schedule. I went from being so fast paced seeing Rome, Pisa, and Naples that when I came to Venice its slow pace was hard to deal with. I wanted to take a big nap and was surprisingly kind of bored. If I go back, it'll be on a more relaxing vacation, not on an adventure.

If you like mosaics, go to Torcello and walk to the church, maybe have lunch or a drink nearby. This island is the original settlement in the lagoon. I use the vaporetto pass a lot, especially for evening/night "cruises".

"Wandering" venice means getting lost. It is almost inevitable, so try to carry an extensive map. You still will get lost but it will be easier to find yourself. If you have a destination in mind, ask your hotel staff to trace the route on your map. Remember, you can't just wave down a taxi to rescue you and take you home.
I wonder if GPS devices have solved this labyrinth?

Venice is an island. How can you get lost? I wandered the streets and felt very comfortable and I am a woman in my early 60's. Gives you a chance to absorb, and find the best gelato, yes?

Venice is a bunch of islands linked by bridges. In the day, you can navigate looking for signs that point the way to the famous tourist sights. At night, it's easy to feel like a rat in a maze.

I had a great night wandering that maze 42 years ago with a beautiful red head. One of the greatest times of my life.

Just relax and enjoy your trip. Your more likely to get held up by a waiter or restaurant charging you for just sitting down in their restaurant than an individual in some back alley.

A book you might find useful is called Brunetti's Venice: Walks with the City's Best-Loved Detective by Toni Sepeda. These are walks through Venice based on the mystery books by Donna Leon. Complete with maps, suggestions for stops for snacks, drinks and meals its a good guidebook and takes you to areas you may not normally visit. And if you haven't already done so, you may end up enjoying Leon's books.

It's probably one of the safest places in Italy even during the night.
Petty criminals have a hard time getting away in a city with no cars, no mopeds and where there are people walking around at any time of the day and night. The only risk might be getting pick pocketed on a 'vaporetto' (public boat), the Venetian version of a city bus. But I think that is even less likely than on a bus in other cities. It's really hard to get away quickly when you are stuck floating on the Grand Canal. Also the boats are not as jam packed as the buses in other cities. Due to weight restrictions imposed on vessels, the crew limits the number of people on board to a more manageable 'crowd'.

I've never felt unsafe alone in Venice, day or night. You may want to take a compass with as well as obtaining a good map. It is easy to get lost in the maze, but even late in the evening, there's usually someone around who can point you in the right direction to the nearest vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal. As long as you aren't in a hurry, it's great fun.

The only thing I may add - don't make eye contact with the fellas selling the knock off purses. Hubby and I we wandering one night when a half dozen emerged from a building with bags full of purses. I always avoid looking, but there was one lady who was getting bothered - they were following her and trying to get her to buy a purse. That probably would have unnerved me. And ignore the 'please sign our petition against...' people. I will say, I don't recall seeing any 'purse-sellers' in 2012 (tho I rem them in 2010)...maybe they've cracked down on them?