Venice. The most unique and romantic city I think I’ll ever visit. We stayed in Venice for one week, which I think was the perfect amount of time for our family. Maybe if we were here without the kids, we could stay longer to venture out and see more. But, when you have a two year old that hates his stroller and hates being held…and takes his sweet time walking where he wants…which is usually too close to the water…a week is more than enough! haha We love our little Grayson!
Before I get into the tips and business of Venice, let me tell you…this place is magical!! The calm canals and charming bridges are unlike anything else I’ve seen. The colorful buildings, each with their own details, look so beautiful next to the green tone of the water. Venice did not disappoint!
Get Lost in Venice!
The best thing you can do in Venice is walk around. Take a couple wrong turns and get away from the crowds. Those are the most beautiful and quiet parts of town! We stayed in a quiet part of Venice where the locals lived. You cross a couple bridges and all of a sudden it’s quiet and the sidewalks are nearly empty. It was the best! That’s also where the best restaurants are.
Eat where the Locals Eat!
The first night, we ate at a restaurant in the touristy part of town. It was a tourist trap!!! We got completely ripped off and the food was mediocre. I was impressed at how Brandon kept his cool. We took it as a learning experience and avoided the area for the rest of the trip. One of my favorite restaurants was Ristorante Diana. The food was great and the service was outstanding. Venice also has a pretty good Mexican restaurant: Iguana. The chips and guacamole were so good!
Transportation in Venice
If you’re early risers, maybe the boat tours would be a good choice for you. They make stops at some major parts around Venice. I recommend this for early risers because there are a limited number of stops and it’s impossible to get all the stops in one day unless you start early. We started around noon and only went to one stop.
Besides that, they have taxi boats and public transportation boats (like buses). We never used those, but it seems like the “bus” boats were the way to go. You can get day or week passes for a very decent price. They have boat stops all over the place and I imagine it’s just like riding a public bus.
Quiet Time in Venice
The whole town of Venice has “quiet time” between 2-4pm. During this time, you can find most shops and restaurants closed. Of course there will be some things open around the busy touristy area, but other than that, the rest of the town is a ghost town. And it’s fabulous!!
Would we go back?
Yes!! I’d love to go back for a weekend when the kids are older. It would be fun to walk around the same streets and visit the same restaurants and compare pictures. I love experiencing all these places with my kids! They don’t realize the incredible size of this adventure, but I hope they can appreciate it someday.
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