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Venice - what would your perfect two days be?

Venice - what would your perfect two days be?

Old Aug 28th, 2014, 05:52 AM
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Venice - what would your perfect two days be?

Hi, we are at the end of our 18 day trip through Italy as a family and thanks to the many wonderful suggestions from Fodor's and a lot of detailed research we have had a fantastic time in Rome, Naples and Florence and are now in Venice! However I have run out of 'steam' to organise my family over the two days we have left and just thought that maybe some of you would like to help us decide how to spend this time! Our children are between 16 and 7 and are happy to walk long distances!

We arrived yesterday (Wednesday) and had a lovely afternoon/early evening exploring the San Polo and San Croc area - finding the most delicious gelato (Alaska), exploring an original print shop with its Heidelberg offset letterpress and stopping every few minutes to go wow! We really are overwhelmed with the beauty of the place...

This morning we had a private tour with a lovely guide whose passion for Venice was evident and a joy to listen to. She took us through the tiny streets, shared the history and the problems Venice faces and generally gave us a wonderful insight into the place - we were entranced. She led us to St Mark's Square which was was of course incredible but by 11am was starting to be shall we say crowded and apart from a quick look we retreated to the square outside the beautiful hospital for coffee. After fresh vegetables and fruit from the markets we retired to our apartment for lunch and unfortunately have had to work most of the afternoon. Although we are about to leave now and explore the area around the Ghetto and perhaps ride the water bus down the Grand Canal.

So what to do with the two days we have ahead...(such a lovely 'problem' to have!)

The children are a little bit shall we say saturated with churches and art and I would be struggling to engage them to muster much enthusiasm to see more of these things, although we are all quite keen on the Gugguenheim Museum. We also plan to head back to St Mark's Square and if anyone would like to suggest what we really shouldn't miss we are all ears! We see Venice as a place we will return to so don't feel we must tick off the must sees on this trip especially considering how busy it is.

We are also keen to visit one of the outlying islands - Burano perhaps tomorrow.

We will eat out again with the children but my husband and I would also like one night out on our own - so any recommendations especially a restaurant that specialises in fish would be great. We are staying in the Santa Croce area so it would be good to be close to there.

If anyone is kind enough to share their personal pleasures of Venice, I would be delighted. Thank you.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 06:35 AM
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Torcello would be a good place to get out of the crowds--it's the only island we have returned to.

There is a Naval Museum near the arsenal that might interest some of the older boys (Museo Storico Navale)--it interested this older boy and his girl.

Take the "secret itineraries" tour of the Doge's Palace.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 08:40 AM
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If you think you are going to return to Venice why not just declare tomorrow a total holiday from sightseeing except for maybe a trip to the islands. Or how about taking Gondola rowing lessons:

http://rowvenice.com/

I think if I was with kids in Venice I would want them leaving with an understanding that Venice became wealthy by attracting skilled immigrants and making things by hand and then died when things were made by machine . So I would want them to see the glassworks and other such remnants of handcraft like lace. Also I would want them to understand that for Venice to get raw materials it dominated the international waterways even though it was tiny -- so a day spent being on the water and learning about the mastery of the water and living with water and only now holding back the water. Venice survived and thrived on the water (although beating the mosquitoes was tough) and now may die again from watery issues (including cruise ships).

So I would go look at some craft demonstrations whether it be glassworks or gondola repair and something about Venice and the water.

I am not sure why you are keen to see the Peggy Guggenheim. I would put other actitivities ahead of it unless there is some particular artwork there you want to see. It can get crowded and your 7 year old might in particular feel squeezed. If you end up going and not having a fab time then make your escape.

So I would pick activities that emphasize it is a water city and it threatened by higher waters
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 09:30 AM
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Pick a restaurant along the Grand Canal or the Guidecca Canal (this is the one we chose) in the middle of the day, hopefully you can get a table along the water side and just watch Venice go by. We sat on a sunny day for probably an hour and a half at least and just sat. While we were sitting a cruise ship went by. That boat was huge! Who knows it may have been a small one but I have never been on a cruise. Everyone on the boat was taking pictures of Venice going by and everyone one the shore were taking pictures of the gigantic boat in the canal. That afternoon was one of my favorite ones in Venice.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 11:11 AM
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Jax, no advice to offer here but do you mind sharing your experience and thoughts about your trip? My husband and I would like to take a shorter trip to Italy; our kids are 20 and 16. They have been to Europe and are good travelers; they have never been to Italy. We're in the US and probably can't manage more than a week to 10 days -- MAYBE 12 -- and I'd like to plan the best trip for us in that time.

What are your thoughts about what cities/places your family enjoyed most? What itinerary do you think works? If you had had only 10 days, what would you have done?

I would REALLY appreciate your thoughts!

Congratulations on taking this amazing trip your children will remember forever!
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 11:13 AM
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Well, I do have one piece of advice -- book the "Secret Itineraries" tour at the Doge's Palace. My husband and I took that tour and I know my children would have enjoyed it. The English-language tours will sell out, so go ahead and book as soon as possible.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 12:38 PM
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Thank you all for your advice! I am now looking into the Secret Itineraries tour and experiences to help my kids understand the importance of the crafts that built Venice. I read out to them your replies and they were enthused by your suggestions! We had an amazing evening at a fantastic canal side restaurant on Fondamenta degli Ormesini near the Ghetto, with seafood that must have come from the fish markets we saw this evening. The kids keep saying "thank you for this experience". Venice has been a great hit and a perfect end to our Italian adventure.

bakerstreet - I will try and find time to write a trip report - I have learnt so much and would like to share so other families might enjoy Italy like we have. I will give your question some thought and reply!
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 12:44 PM
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The Secret Itineraries tour is likely full already. I'm taking it in early October and when I booked a few days ago there were only two spots open on my date.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 12:49 PM
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Janisj - you are correct nothing available for the next two days! Oh well another time...
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 05:00 PM
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Jax -- thank you in advance and I await your thoughts with an enormous amount of anticipation. With the trip you are on now, you are the best expert in giving advice about this and I appreciate your being willing to share your thoughts
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 05:18 PM
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At this point, the only other two pieces of advice I would give you are:

1. Yes, get on the water. One of my favorite things we did was at the very end of our stay, and almost by accident -- we took a boat taxi to the airport. Along the way we saw Venice as we hadn't it before, and it was great. The taxi was like a speedboat, not like a vaporetto. It was expensive, but worth it -- and we didn't have to lug our luggage through the streets and over bridges and we completely enjoyed the end of our stay that way.

2. Yes, take a gondola ride. Yes, expensive but SO iconic and where ELSE would you do that? Your children, for the rest of their lives, will see references to gondola rides in the context of Venice and they'll have experienced that instead of wondering why they didn't!

The other thing I want to advise but haven't experienced on either of my trips to Venice is something I kept reading I should do and have promised myself I will do if I ever get the chance again -- wander. Be leisurely, wander, get lost, enjoy an outdoor cafe, enjoy the ambience, go down streets that lead you don't know where, discover a plaza, sit and watch and enjoy. I have always planned and filled our time with "don't-miss" activities we had no time to do this -- and I can't imagine a better way to end the kind of trip that you've given you family than to just BE with your family in the magic that is Venice, and go together out exploring, going wherever looks interesting.

What a fine way that would be to end your wonderful vacation!
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Old Sep 5th, 2014, 10:12 AM
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JaxandCo - are you back home? When do we get a trip report???
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Old Sep 14th, 2014, 02:38 PM
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Hi bakerstreet, thanks for asking...but I am still working on it. The life I missed while we were away is now demanding my attention! Soon hopefully!
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Old Sep 14th, 2014, 04:15 PM
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Thanks for the post...some nice days...if you have a minute do you have the name and contact of the person that gave you the tour? Also the seafood place...sounds great. Thanks.
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