Looking for a unique 3 days in Venice

Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:11 AM
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Looking for a unique 3 days in Venice

Hi all - I will be traveling with my two 20-something sons in April to Venice from Florence. We'll have 2-1/2 days (allowing travel time) and 3 nights. I am looking for suggestions on some different things to do. They're guys so museums all day long isn't really their thing. I've heard suggestions for some of the surrounding islands. We love good food, wine, absorbing the local culture. i'm also into good photography. Was thinking an air bnb over hotel as well - thoughts/suggestions on all this??

Many thanks!!
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:23 AM
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For only a 3 night stay I think a hotel is a lot easier than trying to deal with an AirBnB apartment rental.

I liked Pensione La Calcina very much (they also have some associated apartments besides their hotel).

It's also such a short time I don't think you need any major planning. Venice is a wander around place. I've only been twice and I didn't go to any museums myself.

20-somethings are old enough, let them figure out what they want to do for themselves. Get a few guidebooks or put then on Trip Advisor or Lonely Planet and let them decide how to spend their days.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:23 AM
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to do with only TWO days in Venice

I could easily spend a month in Venice and still not get bored. Actually, I guess we have spent about that much time during our 5 visits together, including a week each in two apartment stays. But, if you have less time, here are the suggested experiences to best enjoy Venice.

• TAKING THE #1 VAPORETTO THE LENGTH OF THE GRAND CANAL

This is like taking a city bus tour to become acclimated in a new city. It is best done with a guide book that explains the marvelous historic buildings that you are passing [Rick Steves has a good one]. Try to do it both directions if you can since your views will be different depending on where you sit.

• SEE SAN MARCO SQUARE BOTH EARLY AND LATE IN THE DAY

It is magnificent when you have the time to enjoy it without the tourist hordes.
See it in the early morning light [take your camera] and again late in the evening after dinner to enjoy the wonderful dueling bands.

• GET LOST IN VENICE, PREFERABLY IN DORSODURO & SAN POLO

Take your map, just in case, but the point is to wander the small back streets and Campos away from the tourist path. I prefer starting at the early produce market near Rialto and wandering inland from there. Another landmark to watch for is the Frari church at Campo San Rocco. Campo San Polo is a good place for cappuccino.

• VISIT SAN MARCO BASILICA—SEE DOGE’S PALACE---ASCEND CAMPANILE

I know I said to avoid it during mid-day, but these are too important not to include.
Try to be there by 0900 to avoid the bigger crowds, and you may get lucky with smaller lines after 1600 at the Palace. The views from the Campanile are superb.

That is a full 2 days for you, so plan well. Many first time visitors are frustrated by the hordes of day trippers that clog the primary attractions. So, plan your time well between 1000 and 1600 to minimize the impact. Have fun!
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:24 AM
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<They're guys so museums all day long isn't really their thing.>

????

Does this mean zero museums, then? A lot of the local culture is IN the museums, you know. There are men in there, too.

But OK, different things to do...different from what?
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:25 AM
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< I've only been twice and I didn't go to any museums myself.>
Oh great, never mind, sigh. Why learn anything when you can just gawp at stuff, lol.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:32 AM
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I've been to Venice many times and rarely visited it's museums. Aimless wandering is the best as it's a visual feast. Visiting some of the other islands is a good idea as is relaxing in a cicchetti bar, climbing the campaniles for stunning views. Some basic understanding of Venice's place in history would make the visit more meaningful. I enjoyed Francesco do Mosto's multi-part TV series on Venice (available on DVD, quite possibly from your local library). The time will fly so I would just take it as it comes.

Venice suffers from the same problem as many other popular cities, in that many apartments are offered to tourists at the expense of locals needing a home. So I'd go for a hotel.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 09:35 AM
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Yes take boats to the islands - Murano is very touristy but you see the vaunted Murano glass being hand-crafted over hot flame - Burano is much more quiet and Torcello is rather deserted save for some locals and huge colony of feral cats (something you see everywhere in Venice but especially IME here).

<Try to do it both directions if you can since your views will be different depending on where you sit.>

Bob's sage advice about the Grand Canal but also go both in day and at night - I thought the night was sublime as the ancient rather crumbling facades of old palazzo slip silently by.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 10:16 AM
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NewbE, You aren't helping by making fun of what other people like to do. Even if you write "lol" after your mean comments every time.

Not everyone likes museums. You don't necessarily "learn" more walking thru a museum than walking down the street. Zero logic there.

The #1 vaporetto as suggested by Bob is excellent. You can't find a better Grand Canal "tour" than just getting on that particular boats.

We did self-guided walking tours using maps published specifically for this purpose, which gave the history of the various buildings we were seeing in the different neighborhoods.

You can certainly go to the islands or over to the Lido, something to get out on the water and out of the city proper if that is of interest. But with such a short stay I personally would stick to the central area.

Maybe it is too "museum" like but (stating the obvious) the churches are amazing. Not just the major well-known ones like San Marco Basilica but smaller ones which are open in the residential areas.

Rialto Bridge of course is worth a walk across.

Grocery stores are always fun to experience.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 11:12 AM
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if you can get the lads out of bed early one morning [or even if you can't] hie thee to the Rialto market for the sight of the freshest fish and a wonder fruit and veg market, though the lads will probably enjoy it more after dark when there are many nice bars and restaurants in that area.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 11:23 AM
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>

Yes, if you can get past the tourists clogging the steps taking selfies. really, In December I was about to renew my jujitsu skills to just get over that damn bridge. But it does take you to the rialto market and the fabulous International Art Museum (well, you'll get lost on the way, but it's there), and Canarregio, my favorite things in Venice
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 12:25 PM
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I concur with StCirq about the throngs - at Rialto and elsewhere.

Over time I’ve found that going the slightly longer way around is so much more rewarding:

From the train station we ignore the bridge right there, instead we take Rio Terà Lista di Spagna (where we like to stay at the hotel Rossi) and keep going across the Ponte delle Guglie and Rio Terà S. Leonardo, Rio Terà de la Maddalena, Strada Nova, past the Ca’ d’Oro etc., sneaking up on the Rialto area from the much less frequented north.

Along that route and a bunch of side-alleys over that way, we have found locals doing their shopping at the Saturday market (yes, locals, like the charming frail little old lady who was greeted with a gentle bearhug and a kiss on both cheeks by the butcher), little kids kicking a ball around a piazza that’s not really on the map, a tiny hole-in-the-wall corner shop that rarely seems to see a tourist.

At the risk of getting a little lost, those detours are magical. Like Rick Steves says, “You can’t really get lost, you’re on an island”.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 12:46 PM
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With respect, you're talking to the wrong people. Why turn to strangers for advice? Your adult sons should be full partners in these plans. Adult people may or may not be interested in great art and great museums, regardless of their gender. Find out from them. Anyhow, expecting unique experiences with only a couple of days in one of the heaviest touristed areas on the planet is unreasonable. Why not insist that each of them plan one day? That could be unique, for you at least. Maybe for them too. Oh, and who's paying? Another learning experience.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 01:06 PM
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I would say that a comments that your sons not liking museums because they are male, I found a bit odd. People can not like museums for all sorts of reasons, but I don't think it's gender related.

Many of the churches in Venice are gorgeous and interesting; Santa Maria dei Miracoli is one of my favorites.

Consider picking up the book "Venice for Pleasure," by J.G. Links; by taking his walking tours, which include pictures by Canaletto of the places on his walks, you will learn some interesting facts about the city and some of its buildings, and perhaps get yourselves to parts of the city that you wouldn't otherwise wander to. Generally speaking, the further from Piazza San Marco you get, the fewer tourists you'll see.
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 01:39 PM
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Your sons might get a kick out of learning to row on a traditional Venetian boat -

http://rowvenice.org/

The Clock Tower tour is pretty cool. There are only a few groups a week (12 or less) allowed to go inside the Renaissance clock tower in Piazza San Marco. I could not get the official website to load, but here is the ticket website with more info -

http://www.vivaticket.it/ita/event/c...-english/66786
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Old Feb 20th, 2017, 02:30 PM
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Rialtogirl beat me to it. I was going to suggest the rowing class.

As to museums, people can surprise you. I do find that the more I know before hand about what I am seeing, the more meaningful it is. A bit of reading beforehand, and your sons might enjoy them very much.

That being said, all of Venice is a museum of architecture, and feels as if you are inside of a painting filled with movement, texture, light and color, and I don't see how a person could experience Venice the first time without being awestruck (gawking, if you will). I have been to Venice at least a half dozen times (once for a week), and still not set foot in any of the museums. Not because I am not interested, or do not wish to learn; there are just so many things to do and see in and around Venice, the museums dropped to the bottom. The synagogues and Jewish Ghetto are extremely interesting for both the architecture and the history. The Doges palace is a concrete symbol of the importance of Venice in its prime. The week I spent was visiting many churches to see paintings hanging in the places for which they were painted and to hear music performed in the space for which it was written. The islands and lagoon is very interesting. Lexma90, Santa Maria dei Miracoli is one of my favorites also.

Lisasw, just do whatever you think will give you and your sons the most meaningful experiences in the little bit of time you have. Treasure that and forget the rest.
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Old Feb 21st, 2017, 12:04 AM
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Along that route and a bunch of side-alleys over that way, we have found locals doing their shopping at the Saturday market (yes, locals, like the charming frail little old lady who was greeted with a gentle bearhug and a kiss on both cheeks by the butcher), little kids kicking a ball around a piazza that’s not really on the map, a tiny hole-in-the-wall corner shop that rarely seems to see a tourist. >>

not sure when you were last in Venice, Michel, [and I know that the time or year and even time of day can make a difference] but when I was last there about 2 years ago, I found that route sadly changed - many of the little local shops that I remembered from my previous visit 5 years before had disappeared to be replaced by tourist tat and even a McDs - and it was wall to wall people in places.

I think that to escape the throng, one has to go even further afield nowadays.
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Old Feb 21st, 2017, 05:38 AM
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The McDonalds on the Strada Nova has been there for a long time (since 2001 or before) but it is true that the path from the train station to the Rialto bridge has changed a lot in the last couple of years. The small food shops are closing and being replaced by wine bars and shops for tourists. Also a lot of the little shops off the Strada Nova are gone, the owners retire and poof, the shop is history.

Thankfully you can still find kids kicking balls around a hidden campo here and there.
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Old Feb 21st, 2017, 07:24 AM
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The Via Garibaldi not long ago anyway used to be a typical Italian street (sans vehicles though so much better) - families about -kids kicking footballs, gelato shops, etc. Not sure anymore but the eastern tip of the main island not long ago was mainly locals:

https://www.google.com/search?q=via+...hrome&ie=UTF-8
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Old Feb 21st, 2017, 08:33 AM
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I was going to suggest learning to row a gondola as well but see I was beaten to it. Another unique experience, given your sons ages ,is kayaking is Venice. My son is the same age and although he is very much a museum guy, this is something I think he would love to do.
https://www.venicekayak.com
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Old Feb 21st, 2017, 10:08 AM
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Search the forums for Torcello and Murano...there is a thread going on right now about that includes information and advice. (I highly recommend them both...with only a short stop on Murano on the way or returning.)

With only 2.5 days, you really do need to see a few of the basics: San Marco, Vap ride along the Grand Canal, etc....but do take some time to just walk around.

Do at least one of the self-guided walks that you can find in most major guide books.

ssander
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