Advice on my Venice itinerary!
 

Hi,

I will be spending the first few days of my Italy trip in early October in Venice with my fiancé. We are both 25 in case anyone was wondering, so we don't mind a faster-paced itinerary.

Can anyone offer advice on the itinerary below? Based on the activities I mentioned, what would be the best grouping based on location? As my itinerary is now, it seems like I'm all over the place and I'm not sure how long it actually takes to get from neighborhood to neighborhood (or how to get from place to place.)

Any tips on the best time of day to do certain things (St. Marks basilica I heard is best in the morning for example)? I probably won't do all of the things mentioned, and will want time to relax, etc. but I just like to have a plan in case so I know what my options are.

Also, the train station into and out of Venice is Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia, not Venezia Mestre right?

Thanks in advance!

Day 1
Train Milan to Venice - arrive around 3 and check into hotel Palazzo Paruta (San Marco)
Buy cell phone/SIM card and get euros
Ride the No 1 (45min) or No 2 (25min) vaporetto the length of the Grand Canal (San Marco?)
Dinner: Osteria Antico Giardinetto (San Polo)

Day 2
Secret Itineraries tour 9:55 (or 11:35) (San Marco)
Lunch: Arte della Pizza (Cannaregio)
Free tour 3-6 (Cannaregio)
Dinner: La Zucca (San Polo)
Dueling bands at St Mark’s Square in evening (San Marco)

Day 3
Rialto Market 7:30am (San Polo)
St. Marks Basilica (San Marco)
Lunch: Pontini (Cannaregio)
Real Venetian Kayak 2 hrs (Cannaregio)
Campanile San Marco for the view - is evening less crowded? (San Marco)
Cichetti at Cantinone Gia' Schiavi &/or Osteria Al Squero (Dorsoduro)
Dinner: Osteria Alla Staffa (Castello)
Bar - El Rofolo (Castello)

Day 4 Leave for Rome
Morning: Ca Rezzonico palazzo at 10 (Dorsoduro)
Lunch: ?
Check out of hotel
Train to Rome at ?

You may consider taking the water taxi boat over to Lido Beach. Nice beach and away from the crowds. It is about a 15 minute trip

We enjoyed it

I suggest also taking a boat trip on the lagoon like to Burano or Torcello or at least Murano - three lovely islands but you get to see the spector of Venice from the water - like ancient mariners did appraoching what was then a Wonder of the World - wiht anticipation - plus the islands all have unique attrations - like glass blowers and shops of famous Murano glass - Burano and Torcello are much less commercial - but a dffierent aspect of Venice.

I think the Grand Canale may be even more awesome after dark - I'd do a voyage night and day by public vaporetto - buy a boat pass if taking more than a few rides.

i would move your visit to the Basilica to Day 2, before your Secret itineraries tour - you can book a time slot to visit, and to see the Basilica itself only takes about 10 minutes.

on Day 3, once you've seen the market [and IME 7.30 is a bit early - 8am will be early enough and you can have breakfast in one of the cafes around the market] you can go and visit the Frari and/or the Grande social di San Rocco - both well worth the price of admission.

Rather than going up the campanile in San Marco, get a vaporetto over to the isola di San Giorgio and go up the campanile there - it's cheaper and fewer people.

And definitely travel the Grand Canal on a vaporetto at night at least once - it is truly magical.

Thank you for the suggestions!

PalenQ, I had considered Burano/Murano as they sound great but I think I'll have to save them for the next trip as I only have a few days in Venice.

Annhig, those are great ideas, thanks!

no problems, kbm. I'm glad that you are already thinking about a second visit to Venice - that's the spirit!

BTW if you change your minds about going out to the islands, I should skip Murano and go to Burano and then get the little ferry over to Torcello - another magical place. it should only take you an afternoon or so.

Since your trip seems tightly scripted (and that's not a criticism), I wouldn't try an excursion to Burano, etc. Yes, you can zip over and back, but the real enjoyment of such a trip is leisurely strolling and taking it slow. Next time? Yes!

The only other possibility I can think of is to take a vaporetto to Giudecca and eat at a waterfront cafe looking back at the city.

For Day 3, your evening options are not exactly close to each other, unless you want to ride the vaporetto a LOT.

Also Gia Schiavi is more of a daytime place.

You are 25; I'd focus the cichetti on Campo Santa Margherita and that area (don't plan, just look for places full of students and go). Then have dinner at Estro, killer newish place very close to Campo Santa Margherita. End at the bars in the Rialto fish market area. Ruga Rialto, Muro, etc.

Refolo is awesome, but better combined with a visit to Arsenale and the public gardens, which you are not tackling here. If you do decide to head to the Far East :) definitely hit Refolo for panini and refreshments.

I find it odd that you are staying @ San Marco and plan on dining at La Zucca then going back to San Marco for Florian.

Will you go to Zucca after tour of Cannaregio? It seems daft to go all the way back to your hotel to dress only to do a back-and-forth.

La Zucca is tiny place and hard to find.

What are you touring in Cannaregio? Jewish ghetto? Madonna dell'Orto? Ca' D'Oro?



Thin

Yes, the train station for Venice is Santa Lucia.

The vaporetto stop is Ferrovia.

Thin

Estro looks nice though I couldn't find a menu. I have bookmarked it for my next trip.

http://www.estrovenezia.com/chi/

for cicchetti in Campo San Margherita, il caffe Rosso is fun and has great spritz:

http://www.cafferosso.it

Estro's menu changes; you can get a simple sandwich and glass of wine standing in the bar, or sit in the dining room and have one plate or their tasting menu which is (or was, in April) a very reasonable 45 euros. The two brothers who own it use to run Alla Staffa before opening Estro.

thanks rialto girl - looks like a good tip.

In San Marco you don;t have "dueling bands" just two large and extremely expensive cafes, each with music. Orchestras play music trending toward the classical and local favorites. Suggest you check on youtube to see what it's like.

Thanks Rialtogrl, I'll look up your suggestions now.

Pepper, my itinerary is definitely all over the place. I wanted to go to La Zucca based on all the good reviews, which night would that fit better in? We would probably stay in Cannaregio until dinner, not go back to the hotel. I did want to see the Jewish Ghetto. Ca d'Oro I decided to skip.

I'm finding it difficult to plan the order to see things having never been there, I'm going to have to look at this again and try to figure out what makes sense. Thank you for the advice!

Any thoughts on how to reorder my itinerary so that its makes more sense logistically (location-wise)?

I can remember sitting at Florian in June, 1998 and listening to the dueling orchestras of Florian and Quadri? Levena?

The reason I remember is that the waiter at Florian loved my shoes. They were Walter Steiger.

Florian played New York, New York twice that night, which irritated me.


Thin

La Zucca is indeed very good and that is a neat part of Venice to explore. (Its Santa Croce, not San Polo.)

Will you have vaporetto passes? If you will, you can hop the vaporetto one stop from Cannaregio (San Marcuola by the ghetto, or Ca d'Oro if you are down that way) to San Stae stop across the Grand Canal. Then have a drink in Campo San Giacomo dell' Orio before going to dinner. It's lovely there and very lively in the evenings. Then on to dinner. Unless something has changed La Zucca does two seatings, one at 7 and one at 9 and you have to reserve...

Then take a night vaporetto back to San Marco.

If you don't have vaporetto passes though, I would eat somewhere else so you can walk back to Piazza San Marco a bit easier. Lots of places can fill that bill.

don't forget to ride gondola from BACINO ORSEOLO and choose the 30 minutes ride (45 minutes are more expensive and is exactly the same),public transport(vaporetto) is the best way to moving in venice. Station is Venezia S.Lucia!enjoy your visit in Italy
Stefano

Yes we will definitely have vaporetto passes, I think we'll get the 3 day one. I will add your directions to my itinerary, thanks!