3 days in Venice

[Fonty]

Last year I went to Paris for a couple of days, and asked people on here for some ideas as to what would be some interesting walks and places to visit away from the usual museums and art galleries.  I received some excellent suggestions, so I thought I would post again.

 

This year, we are all off to Venice for 4 nights.  I haven't been for years, and am getting a bit overwhelmed by the guide books.  They seem to suggest that you have to book up for everything in advance, and as we don't know what we want to see yet, that is proving a bit difficult.

 

Someone recommended the Secret Passages tour of the Doge's Palace, which shows you the prisons and the place where Casanova was kept prisoner.  Trouble is, it says not suitable for people with vertigo.  While I don't suffer from that, I am not dead keen on heights.  Many years ago I had to be carried down over someone's shoulder after some idiot took me up into the roof to admire the ceiling of the cathedral in Florence, and we had to cross a flimsy walkway with an uninterrupted view going straight down into the cathedral below!  If anyone else has done this tour, I would be grateful to know just what sort of heights are involved.

 

Any suggestions or tips gratefully received. 

[Anna C]

Ah. I was going to suggest the lift to the top of the Campanile in St Mark's, as the 360 degree views are wonderful. But if heights aren't your thing, perhaps not!

 

I must admit, my three favourite things to do in Venice are the Campanile, meandering around the quiet back streets around the Rialto market area - especially during the evening - and spending a happy hour having a hideously expensive but delicious coffee-based drink at Florian (when it's in the shade). People watching heaven, the orchestra, and the view of the Basilica. Has to be done at least once. I know it's horrendously touristy and expensive but it's the sort of thing my Grandmother - a great traveller in her day - would have declared to be "really LIVING". :-)

 

The first time I visited Venice, some years ago, we celebrated a wedding anniversary by having dinner at the Gritti Palace, outside on their floating platform on the Grand Canal. Expensive, but so memorable.

[Jan McNulty]

The last couple of times I have been my friends and I invested in a 3 day pass for the vaporetti.

 

One of life's great pleasures has got to be going up and down the Grand Canal on the vaporetto.  We also poodled over to the island with San Giorgio Maggiore and also Murano and Burano.  St Mark's Basilica, of course.  Then walk, walk and more walk.

[Fonty]

I am having second thoughts about booking anything, and I might take up your ideas about simply walking.  72 hour pass on the vaporetto is something I had considered, and would really enjoy, although I suppose it does depend on the weather a little bit. 

 

I found a little clip of the Secret Passages walk, and I remembered that I had done it before on my last trip to Venice.  When I was 9 years old! 

[Anna C]

Yes, daily passes or returns from San Marco to Ferrovia are pretty pricey. I am sure the 72 hour passes are better value.

[Anon2]

Will quiz family tomorrow about location as off the tourist route but we went to a traditional mask shop where they were making and painting the masks. Because dc were so interested the owner talked them through history of masks and how they were made. DS bought a mask that year and rather worryingly when we returned over two years later for dd to buy a mask the shop staff remembered us.

[RMM1]

Yes do make full use of a Vaporetto pass. As well as the Grand Canal Janet mentioned do take one that goes up the Giudecca and around to the Station and then around Cannaregio to get a fuller picture of life in Venice. You can give the lines that go to Tronchetto a miss unless you have an interest in cruise ships and car parks.

 

Venice is certainly small enough that you can get everywhere on foot as long as the water doesn't block you. Like Anna C we spent every evening walking around the area between St Marks and the Rialto, admittedly because our hotel was in that area.

 

If you do go to Burano, you may as well go to Torcello as well. Not a lot at Torcello and a fairly mundane walk from the Ferry stop but it is where the original Venetians came from.

 

You didn't want any museums, but can I put a word in for the Ca' Rezzonico. A pretty quiet museum in a very nice building, although I'm sure your guidebook will give you enough info to decide if it is your kind of thing.

[Jan McNulty]

I've been very fortunate to have visited Venice several times.  One year I visited in November (as recommended by a Vogue travel article many years ago).  It was wonderfully atmospheric and quite empty but we did have to buy wellies while we were there!

[Fonty]

HI everyone, thanks for the suggestions. 

 

The reason I probably won't go in museums is we are not really there for long enough, and I think so much of the beauty of Venice is best seen from the outside, looking at those wonderful views. 

 

My friend has booked the Secret Passages tour of the Doges' Palace.  Seems we get to see the dungeons and the torture chamber!