zinfindel

I'm going with a friend to Venice in May 2011. We've both always wanted to go, and finally have an opportunity. We'll be coming from Paris. Flying in and out of San Marco airport.

We arrive 6 PM on a Monday and leave at 2 PM on Friday - so 3.5 days. Not sure where we will be staying (I'm only in charge of activities *lol*) but I am looking for suggestions of places that other travelers would considere "must see". We don't mind walking, we like photography, and we had decided we want to see some of the glass artists but other then that, we are stumped.

I've been reviewing the Lonely Planet & Fodor's guides but the volume of sites is overwhelming.

If anyone has suggestions for restaurants they really enjoyed, I'll be happy to take those as well.

ellenem

Your questions are answered here almost every day. Do use the search function and you will get a lot of ideas.

Meanwhile, here are links to a few:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...sportation.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-a-budget.cfm

joannyc

Here's my itinerary for the 5 days I spent... and I didn't have time to do it all.

Piazza San Marco - Piazza,Campanielle Bell Tower,Clock Tower, Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale) and Secret Itinerary
Tour, St. Mark's Basilica (Basilico di San Marco,
Bridge of Sighs and Prisons

Grand Canal Cruise - Take #1 boat from Piazzale Roma

Rialto Bridge - Shops and Market (fish and produce)

Accademia

La Salute Church (Santa Maria della Salute)- Built by plague
survivors

San Giorgo Maggiore Church - Best view from it's tower
Elevator to top, no lines; The Last Supper and the
Gathering of Manna, two of Tintoretto's later works,
line the chancel. To the right of the entrance hangs
The Adoration of the Shepherds . The monks are happy
to show Carpaccio's St. George and the Dragon,
hanging in a private room, if they have time

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (Frari Church) - Works by
Donatello, Bellini and Titian. Also see Titian's
grave, Chiase dei Frari

Scuola Grande di San Rocco - Tintoretto's Sistene Chapel,
best art is upstairs

Church of San Zaccaria - Bellini altarpiece, eerie crypt of
John the Baptist's father

Jewish ghetto

Ca' d'Oro - House of gold, free peek thru hole in door of
courtyard, limit time to terrace and lower level

Le Fenice Opera House - 45-min audioguide, 7 euros, 10am-5pm
daily

Diocesan Museum Cloister and museum

Ca' Rezzonico (Museo de Venice) - Museum of 18c Venice, grand
palazzzo (Dorsoduro), last home of Robt. Browning

Wander thru Dorsoduro sestiere

Santa Maria dei Miracoli - one of the most attractive
religious buildings in Europe

Santi Giovanni & Paolo

Scuola de San Giorgio degli Schiavoni

Scula dei Carmini

Torcello Island - Can take quite a while to get there

Burano - Lace making island

zinfindel

Thank you both. I am new to the forums so I will check out the search feature.

Gwendolynn

Our favorite restaurant since our first visit in the '80s is Corte Sconta. Part of the fun is trying to find it. (It's in the Castello area.)

Saraho

Joannyc, what a great list. I think I have seen everything on it- after many visits to Venice.

Just be sure to allow plenty of time for just wandering and hanging out in Piazza San Marco at night when the crowds have gone home. It is lovely then.

sarge56

zinfandel- if you try to cram in all those things, you won't truly "see" anything.

You can look on joannyc's list and browse internet for those choices. But, ultimately, you will have to pick and choose.

I am about to depart for my third trip to Venice, but it is my cousin's first. There are absolutely three places I am taking her.(We also have 3 1/2 days).

1) Frari church
2) The Rialto markets (get their early in the morning- 7/8ish)
3) San Giorgio Maggiore

If you want to see the glassblowers at work, you can take a direct vaporetto from Piazzale Rome to Murano.

Personally, I did not enjoy the tour of the Doge's palace, and especially not the prisons. Ugh. (Felt like I was on a B movie set, going in circles for 1/2 hour, and with the walls and ceilings getting progressively closer.) Please do some research to see if you want to do this- or just take the Secret Passages tour. The Bridge of Sighs is best seen from outside, anyway, in my humble opinion.

All of this, of course, is my experience and my tastes. I strongly suggest you keep reading trip reports here and see what others have found to be the best of Venice.

One thing is sure.. you will love her and be miserable knowing you have to leave her so soon. And when you get home, you will start planning your return visit.

Buon viaggio!

nytraveler

Besides the obvious we like to visit Torcello. It;'s like an island out of time - the oldest part of Venice with the ancient church/Byzantine mosaics - that still look new.

For restaurants we like Harry's (I know a lot of peolle say it's a tourist trap but we have had only good experiences and the view are fantastic. Also excellent is the rooftop restaurant of the Danielli - which has risottos that are to die for.

Gwendolynn

Some nite after dinner go to San Marco square and listen to the dueling bands. If you've recently cashed in your IRA, the moon is high, and the evening warm... sit down and have a sambucca. Sigh......

Peter_S_Aus

I can't offer very much useful information about Venice, but I wrote a bit when we were there for a while, two years ago. It's here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...fm#dest-header