Italy Travel: A Trip Report, Part 4: Venice
- Jubin Edachery
- Sep 20, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 21, 2023
Our experience of the canals and romance of Venice during our Italy trip. We were here for 3.5 memorable days.
Getting There
We took the fast train (Frecciarossa) from Rome to Venice.
Venice has an airport too, but for us, the train was an enchanting way to travel. This train travels at speeds of 300 kmph, covering the distance in just over 3.5 hours.
(We shed some load and left one piece of luggage at our Rome hotel as we were coming back).
We booked the tickets in advance at the Trenitalia website.
Venice
Venice has a certain romance oozing in the air, and you feel it as soon as you reach there. No wonder it’s called the most romantic city in the world.
We got here by train, and most folks from the station would go straight to the main city center, St Mark’s Square - to get there, you either take a Vaporetto (public water bus), water taxi, or walk (it’s a nice but long walk, especially if you have luggage).
Stay
JW Marriott Resort, Isola della Rosa
We were staying at this luxurious, flagship resort located on its own private island 20 mins from Venice. We took a private water taxi from the station to get to the resort, and the grand entrance via water taxi felt like a scene from a Bond movie!
You can spend a day (as we did) just exploring the large, well manicured island housing this, ‘seasonally open’ resort. It was a serene experience walking its 40 acres of calm grounds, gardens, olive groves, and paths along the water, when you want a break from the hustle and bustle of Venice.
The rooftop restaurant and all the restaurants were amazing.
Resort provides a free (and very comfortable) shuttle to Venice (St. Mark’s Square), and pickup, every 30 mins up until past midnight (trip takes about 15-20 mins). You can also arrange private boat tours like if you want to visit Murano or Burano).
Marriott Elites get free breakfast at their (outstanding) breakfast restaurant. And you could also get upgraded to a suite or villa (if available).
The resort also provides a boat service to the train station upon request. This makes it easy with the luggage as the waterway goes all the way to the station.
The resort is seasonal (closes for winter) and family friendly - it's a great a place to stay and relax on a private island while visiting Venice.
Piazza San Marco
In Venice, St. Mark’s Square is pretty much the heart of the city. The area itself is beautiful and romantic, flanked by the St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and the Bell tower. You can spend quite a lot of time here just soaking in the sights.
Some Venetian Travel Tips:
A tour is recommended to see the Doge’s palace and the Basilica (see below), there is a lot of history here attached to the romantic and beautiful spots.
Climb the bell tower (the lines may be long), but you can also get nice views from the tower at San Giorgio island too.
Venice has a lot of small alleyways, canals, and bridges. It’s like a maze but it’s like a maze that is great to get ‘lost’ in - just wander around with no clue where you’re going. You can use maps to get back.
We got passes for the public waterbus, the Vaporetto which was the fastest, most convenient way to get around to the big spots and also to the canal. Find out the best spot to get down, and then walk the cute alleyways to get to where you want. Places may not be well marked, Google maps came in handy.
Don’t buy souvenirs in St. Mark’s Square - they are mostly Chinese knock offs. Go a little inside on unknown streets and you will find good souvenirs, local artisans, and nice markets.
Note that some places only accept cash.
Come in the morning to beat the crowds. Post noon is when the crowds start swelling.
Venice has great sea food and limited pizza options. This is because food burning furnaces are banned. We found decent pizza snacks at Farini though.
We were cautioned about the smell, but the large areas of the canal had no bad smell. The stinky areas I found were mostly in the very narrow waterways (when we did the gondola ride).
Tour: St. Mark’s Peter’s Basilica with Terraces & Doge’s Palace Tour
We did this tour from Walks of Italy. It was great and informative, just like their other tours. There is so much history here I didn’t know about.
Inside the Basilica the same modesty rules as the Vatican applies. And photography and backpacks are not allowed.
It was amazing going through the spectacular Basilica, it's history, and then on to the Doge's Palace and it's wonderfully ornate interiors. The terrace outside the Basilica also had nice views of the canal and St. Marks Square.
There were several war related and other historical artifacts on display.
We also explored the interior chambers, the famous prison cells, and the Bridge of Sighs.
Time stands still as we chill and savor in the Piazza San Marco
Grand Canal & Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge itself gives great views of the canal, and is also a quick walk from St. Mark’s (and it can get crowded - and can attract pick pockes). There is also a nice market near it.
There are Gondola rides are here too. it's not the best way to get around, and is kind of a tourist trap. But since it's Venice, and it's the thing to do, you can do the short Gondola ride near the Rialto bridge. Costs are high though.
If you want to do the Grand Canal, the best way is to get a Vaporetto pass, these public water buses are quick, convenient and you can hop from place to place or between islands. It’s also significantly cheaper than the Gondola.
Vaporetto is the best way to travel via the Grand Canal.
Venice is a great place to just get 'lost' in.
Food & Drink
Venice is known for its seafood, and the same caution about touristy restaurants applies here like in Rome.
Here are some good spots we checked out:
Trattoria Ai Cacciatori is a great dinner spot with magnificent views. It’s on Giudecca island (15 min vaporetto ride).
Ristorante Wildner is right on the bay (reserve ahead for a seat with a view of the canal) and very close to St. Mark's Square. The food was great, and the dessert excellent, esp the Tiramisu.
Farini was an excellent little Forno we visited for a quick pizza snack and breakfast.
Suso is suppossedly the best Gelato spot. It was absolutely lip smacking. The best one was the ‘Manet’ (a mix of hazelnut, chocolate, and pistachio) - it was divine.
Other spots: Osteria Ruga di Jaffa (good seafood, not much english spoken), Trattoria Da Jonny (nice spot for good food)
Shopping
For leather goods, my friends had highly recommended a little shop by a master leather artisan (more than 35 years at this location), called Il Grifone. Shop for some high quality leather goods made right there. Toni also does custom orders.
For Venetian glass, authentic galleries or trusted sources are a good source for real Murano glassware. Some local Venetian artisans also make some great glassware. Beware of the knockoffs that are available in many trinket stores.
You can go to Murano island for a glass-blowing demonstration and buy Murano glassware. Our schedule couldn’t fit this, so we opted instead for something in Venice: The Galleria St. Marco is in an (almost) hidden alley near St. Mark’s Square. It’s a gallery by Murano artists with a private entrance.
They provide a great glass blowing demonstration and is followed by a sales pitch. They do have some awesome authentic glassware, though it can be pricey.
Other Tips:
If you have the time, do go to the beautiful Murano and Burano islands.
For a great view of Venice from a much less crowded location, take the vaporetto to San Giorgo Maggiore island. It’s a nice quiet place and climb the Bell tower to get some stunning views of Venice and surrounding areas (as pictured below).
Train Service in Italy
There are several train services available, we picked the Trenitalia, which also has the fasted trains (Frecciarossa is the fastest at 300 kmph) connecting all the major cities.
Children have discounted and free options.
We were on business class, and these cabins are super comfy, and quiet. The leather seats are spacious with a foldable table in the middle for which was convenient.
The trains have free wifi. And (Italian) power points. The large windows also made for lovely sight seeing.
There is a dining cart with good coffee and snacks.
Large luggage is stored in an area by the doors (i kept them locked with cable locks).
Commentaires