Best way to see Murano

What is the best way to see Murano and maybe a couple of the other islands?

Tour or ferry?

We took the ferry to Burano, walked around there, and then went to Murano on the way back. Both were interesting. You go from Fonta Nova. We also took the vaporetto to Lido which is a beach town without canals. Very easy to do on your own

This is Burano and Murano. Burano has colored houses. Murano has glass factories.

All the islands in the Lagoon are reachable via frequent vaporettos (water buses). If you buy a times vaporetto pass (they sell them for 12 hours, 24, 36, 48 etc) then you get unlimited use of the varporettos to go wherever you please. One option we often enjoy is to combine a trip out to Burano (our favorite island) with a visit to Murano (there are vaporettos that run between those two islands).

As to how to see Murano (or Burano) the only way is to do a lot of walking. All the islands are about walking...so comfy shoes are a must. We think guided tours to Murano or Burano are a sad waste as the charm of these places is best found by simply strolling, browsing the shops (and glass factories on Murano), and occasionally stopping for a drink or some food.

Hank

This is great information. I was looking at a tour but now I am taking all this advise and doing it on my own. I think it will definitely give me more time at each location. Any must dos you can suggest while in Murano or Burano?

we had a 3-day vaporetto pass so we just hopped on a water boat and explored Murano. We disembarked at the Colonna stop then walked around for awhile After the crowds of Venice it was so relaxing to see the quiet canals, residential area, and a lovely old church.

This link also has info on Burano.

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-islands-tour-murano.htm

Be very careful, if you plan to go by vaporetto out to the outer Islands (Burano, Murano, etc). The Lagoon can get very rough and rocky. As a matter of fact, the day we went to Murano, it was raining and so rough the driver said all boats to Burano were cancelled, the Lagoon was just too rough. We did make it back to St. Marks, but that little engine was certainly chugging against the waves.

We were in Venice the end of October so the Acqua Alta had begun. Flooding occurs with the Tides and heavy rainfall. We spent 3 days in Venice in the pouring rain. We didn't let it stop us, we still did tours, and sightseeing, but it could have been so much more pleasant if we weren't sopping wet all the time.

We both actually came home and spent a week in bed with terrible colds.

Hope you have better weather, and enjoy your travels!

We liked the trip out to Burano (our favorite) and Murano a lot. Burano: get a map and stroll the main drag. There is a square with a church which is nice. There is a lace factory which we missed. Different atmosphere than Venice and less crowds. We got a 2 day vaporetto pass. In Murano, there are 2 churches, forget the names, but they are easy to find. You can watch the glassblowers at work there.

No need for any tours. You get the vaporetto there from a stop called Fondamento Nova which you can walk to in about 15 minutes. Get a map from your hotel and they will map it out for you. I was told there was not much on Torcello. We went to both islands in about 4-5 hours total.

We didn't make it to burn I...next time...but absolutely fell in love with the charming murano...from the back streets to the main strip..please don't miss it. Our hotel sent us in a water taxi which took us to a glass blowing factory...we sat thru a show and then went thru there store. The stroll from there to the mail area was amazing. It was very easy to catch a water taxi back to Venice.

We have a full day post-cruise in Venice and are planning to take the Vaporetto to visit Burano and Murano. I read in a review that it takes (approximately) 15 minutes to get to Burano from Venice, 45 minutes to get to Murano from Burano, and an hour to get back to Venice from Murano. Is that accurate?

We'd like to stroll and shop a bit, visit the lace and glass factories on each island, and try some local cuisine and gelato - basically the highlights we've read about here. How much time do you estimate it would take on each island to get a general feel for everything?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Susan

I was told there was not much on Torcello.

Whoever told you that is...let's be polite, and say WRONG. 1,500 years ago, Torcello was the largest and most important settlement in the Venetian lagoon. But as silt from rivers on the mainland filled up the shallow waters around Torcello, trade became more difficult and malarial mosquitoes bred. The 20,000 or so inhabitants gradually made their way to Venice, and today only a few dozen innkeepers, farmers, and other hardy souls live on the largely abandoned island. BUT---what's left is this: a magnificent Byzantine-Italian cathedral dating back to 639 A.D., the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, with the Bell Tower and Church of Santa Fosca alongside. There is also an inn, a very good restaurant, a museum, an excellent cooking school, and blessed peace and quiet, away from the Disneyland that Venice has become in the summer. When we were there in May (by vaporetto), there were several water taxis that had brought Venetians over for lunch, dinner, and to spend the night. I've been to Venice (& Murano & Burano) several times over the past 30 years, but this was my first trip to Torcello, and I absolutely loved it.

Torcello was magical to me. I never expected it. You could almost swim there from Burano. Beautiful and rural and peaceful. I would like to stay overnight there some day. The thousands that once lived there vanished, but left behind a beautiful church and there are a few things on the island. It is peaceful and not much there, but I loved it, as another poster said. I find it interesting someone else had the same reaction as I did. It was very special.

My wife and I are so glad you enjoyed it, too. We just thought it was---as you said---magical. This is where my wife and I are thinking of staying when we go back next year: The Locanda Cipriani.

The mind-blowing gold mosaic wall and intricately patterned marble floors inside the church make a trip to the tiny island of Torcello more than worthwhile.

Yes! Isn't is astonishing? And unlike a lot of other lovely places in Venice, you pretty much have it all to yourself. (Maybe we should keep this to ourselves. "Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.")

I read in a review that it takes (approximately) 15 minutes to get to Burano from Venice, 45 minutes to get to Murano from Burano, and an hour to get back to Venice from Murano. Is that accurate?

From Fondamente Nove, yes. From San Marco---or Piazalle Roma---no, much longer. You need to look at a map and a timetable for the vaporetti.

We'd like to stroll and shop a bit, visit the lace and glass factories on each island, and try some local cuisine and gelato - basically the highlights we've read about here. How much time do you estimate it would take on each island to get a general feel for everything?

All day. Or 40 minutes. First, the glass factories are only on Murano. Interesting, but the really good stuff is astonishingly expensive, and what you usually see is a guy who's paid to sit there all day and do nothing but make little horses that he knocks out in five minutes and then throws into a bucket. (And there is a tip jar.) As to Burano...well, the lace may---or may not---be actually from there (if it's cheap---like cheap Murano glass---it probably comes from China). The best lace I've found is in the expensive shops in the Piazza San Marco in Venice. The best Murano glass, I simply can't afford.

Cuisine? I would say try Venice itself, not Murano or Burano. There is good food in Venice, but it's sometimes hard to find, unlike many other places in Italy. There is some terrible food in Venice, but also some wonderful, wonderful places. I recommend looking at Rick Steves' Venice guidebook for further explanations. Gelato? One of the best places I've found to get it in Venice is at Gelateria Grom in the Santa Lucia train station.

Venice is a very tricky place for visitors. I've been going there for 30 years, and only recently found an enoteca (wine bar) in a courtyard near the Hotel Bartolomeo (look it up, I recommend it, though there is no elevator) where my wife and I were the only non-Italians---trust me, this is hard to do in tourist season.

I read in a review that it takes (approximately) 15 minutes to get to Burano from Venice, 45 minutes to get to Murano from Burano, and an hour to get back to Venice from Murano.

Susan

You have the geographic orientations completely reversed. Murano, NOT BURANO, is much closer to Venice.

Venice (Ferrovia) to Murano

Venice (Ferrovia) to Burano

<<Originally Posted by BoxerGal

I read in a review that it takes (approximately) 15 minutes to get to Burano from Venice, 45 minutes to get to Murano from Burano, and an hour to get back to Venice from Murano. Is that accurate?>>

From Fondamente Nove, yes. From San Marco---or Piazalle Roma---no, much longer. You need to look at a map and a timetable for the vaporetti.

You, too, have the geographic orientations of Venice-Murano-Burano completely transposed. See my previous post.

Thank you for setting me straight on the orientation and for all the additional information! Hmmm, now I'm wondering if we should make the trip out to the islands or just stick to exploring Venice more. Just trying to make the most of our (too) short time there!

We did purchase the Rick Steve's guide books - both the med cruise book and the pocket guides for Barcelona (cruise departs here) and Venice (cruise ends here). Guess I need to delve more into them and make some decisions. :rolleyes:

Thanks again - much appreciated!

Susan

Was in Venice last summer. Our previous visits had been in the winter. During summertime, we found the vaporettos crowded, although we would use them again for Murano and Burano. Highly recommend you have a schedule and routes in case you need a Plan B (the ticket area should be able to give you a leaflet, and there are also schedules in the free local weekly/monthly magazines of events---can’t remember the name---available in hotels). See http://www.actv.it/en/movinginvenice/waterbusservicetimetable for downloadable versions.

We decided to board a morning vaporetto for Murano from Piazzale Roma. The line was long. We should have had no trouble making the next vaporetto, but when it came time to board, numerous people cut in line, pushed shoved and we didn’t make it on before boarding ended. I plead my case to the conductor and she had compassion and let us board (had she not, we would have had to stand 30 more minutes in the heat for the next one). So watch out for people who come out of nowhere and breeze past everyone when it comes time to board!

If you’re in the area, the route from Fondamente Nova in Venice is a quick ride to Murano, as mentioned by a previous poster.

Murano & Burano are the perfect places to stroll, relax and enjoy the uniqueness of where you are. Personally, I wouldn’t skip them if I was in the area.

Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your time in Italy!