Venice Suggestions

[cruiselovin'girl]

Hello All-

Just booked a Greek Isle cruise out of Venice. Hoping to fly in a few days early to see the sights there. Any suggestions on where to stay or must sees?
Thanks in advance,

Pam

[travelingman]

I think everyone would agree Saint Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace are a must.

You should buy a timed ticket ahead of time for the Basilica and The Secret Itinerary toor of the Doge's Palace.  Not sure If you can get a combined ticket for both of thes or not.  You should also see the Rialto Bridge and the Rialto Market.  There are a number of interesting churches with great art work.  Lastly, just wonder around the town and see how the locals live.  There are many things to do such as museums.  You just need to decide what your interest are and key in on them.

 

Take a look at these websites:

 

https://www.tomsportguides.com/uploads/5/8/5/4/58547429/venice-05-06-2011.pdf

 

http://www.tomsportguides.com/uploads/5/8/5/4/58547429/veniceguide.pdf

 

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/venice-itinerary

 

https://www.theveniceinsider.com/

 

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

 

Some of the above websites will also give you some info on places to stay.

Besides the price you need to decide on what area you would like to stay in; determine how easy it is to get to walking or by boat; and the fact you might have to pull your suitcases over the cobblestone walks a good ways.  If you want to limit your walking and be closer to the port you might want to look in the Piazzale Roma area,

 

[Grandma Cruising]

I agree you should take a look at these famous sites, but would also suggest you spend some time walking around the quieter areas of Venice. Venice is a bit like 2 different places. The area between the Rialto bridge and St Marks is always heaving with people, but if you go up into the Cannaregio area it will be much quieter, but still charming. It’s also where the Jewish Ghetto is which is well worth seeing. There’s a wonderful holocaust memorial there too.

[JohninDC]

Stay downtown - it is much nicer and quieter in the evening when the day trippers have left Venice.

[cruisemom42]

If you can, give yourself three days ahead of your cruise to see Venice. You will be a little jet-lagged on your first day there. 

 

Because of Venice's unique situation on the water, transportation options can be a bit confusing. I suggest looking at a good guidebook or website to help you make decisions on how to get from the airport into Venice and from your hotel to the ship.  You'll probably want to buy a vaporetto pass for at least part of your stay, as it's usually the quickest way to get around -- but it's also worthwhile to do some exploring on foot.

 

Good transportation info:  https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/vi-transport.htm

 

Where to stay is a personal preference. It is easier to stay in the main transportation hub around Piazzale Roma, as it is the main terminus point from the airport and also the starting point for transport to the port itself. However, it's not my favorite area of Venice.  I like to stay in the area between the Rialto Bridge and San Marco, and there are a number of good choices here.  Last year when I was in Venice for four days, we stayed at the Sina Palazzo Sant'Angelo, which is very handy -- it is right on the Grand Canal, it has an Alilaguna stop just steps from the hotel entrance (making it very easy from the airport with luggage), and it also has a vaporetto stop.  It was a perfect choice for us -- loved being in an old palazzo, the staff were very friendly and breakfast was extensive (for Italian hotels!).  It's also very easy to walk to San Marco or Rialto. 

 

But there are dozens and dozens of good choices in Venice; have fun sorting through them all!

[cruiselovin'girl]

Thank you all for the advice!

Going to start researching now!! :)
Pam

[mapleleaves]

 

since you have 3 days you might want to look into an apt instead of hotel.  I like having a small kitchen for snacks, drinks, first cup of coffee.  And there are usually 3 or 4 of us travelling together so it's cheaper than 2 hotel rooms. 

 

Since you're also going on a cruise, I recommend Rick Steves book "Mediterranean cruise ports" ..... lots of suggestions for activities in each port, including DIY options.

[dogs4fun]

Rick Steves also offers some free audio tours of Venice that you can download to your smartphone (Rick Steves Audio Europe App) - maps included: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours