Burano
 

We will be visiting Venice for the first time, spending 3 days in the city. Is it advisable to take half a day for a side trip to Burano? How long does the trip take?

Hi
I've been to Venice a few times, only saw Burano when the boat stopped on the way to and from Torcello.
Burano looks pretty, brightly-painted houses, grounds for nice pictures on a bright day, and there's a lot of lace being sold, not all of which is actually made there.

But, on a 3-day visit, I wouldn't feel compelled to go to any of the lagoon islands, even as much as I love Torcello (haven't missed it yet).There's plenty to see in Venice.
Why not save the possible trip for the third day, or check the weather reports while you are there? YOu can see how you feel about what you've already seen, and what you still might want to do.
The boat ride is a good 60-70 minutes one way. I say that because Torcello is about 80 minutes, and that same boat stops at Burano. Unless there's an express boat to Burano I don't know about.

Hi
I've been to Burano. I agree with Elaine.

to the top, any others care to comment?

I'm going to go the other way on this one. Burano was my favorite part of our trip to Venice. It's a little out of the way, and therefore ignored by most of the crowds. The houses are beautiful and people actually live in them (unlike much of Venice.) Although I'm told that much of the lace is not made there, you can see many older women making lace right in their doorways as you walk around. You can certainly see the whole island in half a day and have a wonderful lunch to boot. I would, however, skip Murano which is a tourist trap in the truest sense of the word because they bring you there for free and then you're stuck listening to their sales pitch.

But don't skip Murano if you are interested in glass blowing--doesn't cost anything except listening to a sales pitch. I go every time because I am a glass blowing groupie.

By all means visit the island of Burano. You will fall in love with its simplicity and brightly coloured houses. I like to chit-chat with the local ladies, and was once invited into a woman's kitchen so she could show me how she made a salad vinaigrette. Do buy some gorgeous lace tableclothes/napkins/sheets while you are there. I also highly recommend the restaurant, Gato Nero, which the cognoscenti know as a pukka place to have a meal. Notice how the campanile leans, and visit the local market. Yes, a half-day holiday on Burano is perfect for you, sweetie.

Difficult call with 3 days only in Venice. Burano is a photo delight. The brightly colored houses are charming. There are a few good places to buy lace(check the first line of shops on the right as you exit the vaporetto) but otherwise, I think most of the lace is made elsewhere including China. It's a half day's trip at least. If you do go I recommend lunch at Da Romano. As you walk into the main part of the village you will see it on your right. We ate outside but the inside is definitely worth checking out..rather old world. We did not make it to Torcello(and I regret it). Depending on your wants once you've stepped into Venice you might decide to simply wander. The neighborhoods away from Piazza San Marco are the ones to wander(IMO) although I always recommend a coffee at The Florian(in the Piazza). You will have relatively good coffee in a completely over the top establishment and can gaze out onto the square. Venice is divine..no question!

Whoops..Da Romana is on your left as you come into town from the boats.

Hi
I'm going to put in a word for glass-buying on Murano. If you are a savvy consumer, there's no need to feel trapped. I am also a serious glass groupie. on my first visit to Venice, my hotel offered me a free trip to
Murano by private boat--3 or 4 of us from the hotel went. Upon arrival we were shepherded toward one particular glass factory, doubtless the one which pays for the boat and which has an arrangement with the hotel. I watched politely for a short time, even saw some pretty things, but I was determined to comparision shop. The main street of Murano is glass central, but most of it is inexpensive little souvenir pieces, not even necessarily made on Murano, the sort you can buy anywhere in Venice. I wanted a factory showroom, found one where I fell in love with too many things,and I've been a customer ever since, even by email.
Murano has a couple of churches with notable art works and a Museum of Glass, but I don't think of the island as intrinsically beautiful, and would say don't go unless you are a serious glass shopper.

We loved Burano, but we also had six days in Venice.

It's advisable if you love color and feel like a half-day break from Venice, although, with only three days there, you may feel like you barely have enough time to see sights in Venice itself.

We just came back from a week in Venice. I had planned to buy 7-day vaporetto passes, but they have apparently been discontinued and now that offer a 3-day pass at 22 Euros. Frugal type that I am, I rearranged our plans to squeeze all our vaporetto riding into the three days. On one of those days, we started early with a complete circuit, which was well worth the time. Then we grabbed the vaporetto that goes to both Murano and Burano. Both were fascinating. We had no problems with high-pressure salesmen in Murano, I suspect because we had not arrived on the taxi from the hotel. Anyone who is interested in beautiful glasswork and glassblowing should spend some time on Murano. We also enjoyed Burano tremendously. It is very scenic and has some fine places for lunch. While there was no lack of tourists there, it seemed somehow to be less hectic than Venice. In all, we spent a full and very enjoyable day on our grand tour and island visit. Would I do it on a 3-day visit? I think that depends on what is enjoyable to you. There is so much to see and do in Venice, and getting around is such an adventure (we were lost more than once), that in our week we didn't get to see and hear everything that we had planned.

I would like to buy some lace on Burano, but I'm not sure I'll be able to judge the quality of lace. I don't have to get the absolute best, but I do want good quality, and I absolutely want it to have been made on Burano. Are there any particular stores that you recommend, and what should I look for to know I'm getting something worthwhile?

I would agree with ClevelandBrown in that both islands are decidedly less crowded than Venice, which to us was more appealing. If the weather is good, I'd suggest visiting all three islands (Murano, Burano and Torcello). But only if you feel you've gotten to see what you'd like in Venice - 3 days isn't very long. Each island has their own distinct flavour -- Torcello is almost abandoned, but so quaint and historical; Burano has the beautiful painted houses (a quick stop, then catch the next vaporetto is perfect), and we found Murano charming even with some of the "tacky" shops, which are everywhere in Venice anyway. There are loads of churches and canals all around. A word to the wise -- Burano's Gato Nero is a fantastic restaurant, but tricky to find. We'd almost given up but it was worth the long search off the beaten path.

In Venice, unless you're a big fan of Italian art, I'd skip the museums (except for the Doge's Palace & the Bascilica). That could save you a day right there!

Hey, hlphillips,

Thanks for your response today (August 21) to my May 19 inquiry. We enjoyed visiting Burano and Murano during our Venice trip in July. Found it very worthwhile. Nice quiet break from overcrowded Venice, and the complimentary boat ride to Murano was fun too.

DickP,

Don't know much about lace either, but that didn't stop us from spending $200 on a large beautiful tablecloth, which we enjoy. Wise thing would be to visit lace shops at home, and ask to shown various levels of quality. Then visit several shops in Burano, and likewise compare and contrast. And/or do a Google search on Lace. Good luck!

For others that are interested, I would also recommend spending 1/2 day visiting Murano (especially catching a free ride from San Marco for a glass factory tour) and Burano. We loved the painted houses in Burano and the slower pace. Didn't buy much but enjoyed the atmosphere. More details are in my trip report, but both my son and I thought this "side trip" from Venice was a highlight.