Murano, Burano and Torcello by boat- how long does it take?
 

I am looking at the tours and it shows that they leave at 2:30 and get back at 5:30.
how long is the ride? I would like to have lunch at one of the island so I am thinking
of not taking a tour so we don't have to rush. But I also don't want to waste too much
since we only have 2 nights in Venice. You might say skip the island if you only have
2 nights but it seems like it has been a highlight of many peoples venice trip! Would
I be able to do it in 4-5 hours if I narrowed it to Murano and Burano?
I am actually leaving in 8 hours so if anyone can help me it will be great!!!
it is a last minute question if you can help me!

thanks in advance :)
Kalea

oops dunno what i did but it looks sloppy! sorry LOL

You could easily do Burano and Murano in 4-5 hours, and there's no need for a tour. There is frequent ferry service to and from Piazza San Marco. Check the schedules when you get there.

Torcello and Burano are kind of a package deal in that they are close; you can do it with public trans as the above post says but get the vaporetto schedule and the most efficient departure points. I seem to recall about 40 minutes for the trip to Burano...I think there's a website that has all this info so you can get a jump on it -- try to google vaporetto schedule Venice and I will see what I can find when I get a moment.

I didn't warm up to Murano myself but preferred Torcello/Burano.

I haven't been to Torcello, but Murano is about 20 minutes and Burano more like 45. Add to that time waiting for the boats. Of the two I would say Burano is the most interesting and different. There are some good restaurant in and around the piazza. The colors there make for outstanding photo opportunities and it has its own leaning tower (fairly common in Italy. Murano has mostly glass shops and glass blowing factories, but the prices are not better than in Venice. Some of the factories however have memorable showrooms if you are into glass art.

Burano is about 40 mins departing from Fondamenta Nuove. Like annw, I didn't take to Murano mainly because it didn't contrast Venice like Burano does. Unless you're a big fan of handcrafted, exquisite glass manufacturing, I'd opt for more time in Burano/Torcello. One tip I learned quickly: walk to the Fondamenta Nuove station rather than taking a boat from St. Mark's square or similar. Will lop off another 30 minutes putting around Venice on the vaporetto. It's a fairly quick walk.

Regards, Bruce
Venice Travel Images -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...2_z_venice.htm

The ferry to Torcello is over an hour, maybe 90 minutes. If u go, be sure to check the hours of the catherdral so u are there during its opening hours. Torcello is very different from Venice, very rural, a small population and not overly crowded with tourists. Didnt love Burano--it was jam packed and seemed overly touristy to us. But as mentioned great photo ops. It is a short ferry ride from Torcello. I liked the islands but wouldn't take the time from Venice given how little time u have in Venice. have a great trip!

I guess a lot depends on when you are visiting Burano. We were there in January and you could have shot a cannonball down the street without hitting anyone! Take a look at my Burano photo set. www.flickr.com/photos/basingstoke2/sets
No people.

You definitely do not need a tour. Get a 2 day vaporetto pass and you can see everything.I loved Burano,we had a great dinner there.Murano was great for shopping if that is what you want to do. The glass is much cheaper in Murano than in Venice.

IMHO Torcello is by far the most interesting of the islands. Murano is just a giant sales room for the glass factories.

You can easily 'do' the three in a day. Check the schedules to see what's most efficient, but when I was there last, a few years ago, it worked best to visit Torcello first, then Burano, end with Murano. Start out early to catch views of the islands in morning light as you pass by: http://jmstudio.fotopic.net/p55784141.html

The walk from the vaporetto stop to the center of Torcello is about 10 minutes and you won't need to spend a lot of time there, maybe 1.5 - 2 hours at most. Burano's great for walking, photography and lunch - you'll want a few hours there. Murano's great for late afternoon visits because the afternoon light is gorgeous on the buildings and bridges: http://jmstudio.fotopic.net/p58241106.html

If you time it right, you will cross the Lagoon as the setting sun sets the skies afire behind the domes and campanile of Venice. Magic! http://jmstudio.fotopic.net/p55784244.html

Here are some more of my photos, if you're interested. Burano's at the top. Just scroll down to the bottom for Murano and Torcello. http://jmstudio.fotopic.net/c1636029.html

Thank you everyone!
I am back and I ended up going to Murano and Burano. It was so hot and we were too tired to go to Torcello.... but I am glad we did go to the 2 islands! Burano was so different and really great for photography! I just wish it was a little cooler!
We were staying right by the Rialto so we actually walked to the Fte. Nove stop, it was a nice walk and the boat rides must be shorter since it goes straight to murano then to burano. If I could do it differently, I would go to Murano last since we purchased a vase and it was pretty heavy to carry around...
thanks again!

hi kalea,

sorry I missed your original thread but I'm glad you had such a good time. we went at Easter last year so it wasn't so hot. in fact, on the day we went to Torcello we were grateful for the huge fire in the restaurant we ate in there [ristorante attila] on the way to the cathedral. don't feel too bad about not getting there - it was my 4th visit to Venice but the first time I'd been to Torcello.

as for organising a trip to the islands, it is definitely quicker to walk to the fondamenta nuove and pick up the boat from there. if you are too early, walk round the corner to the jesuiti church and take a look at the marble cutains. [am only]. once on the boat, DO NOT GET OFF at Murano [Faro] but stay on to Burano. then you have a choice - get the little boat over to Torcello straight away [next boat stop along on the pier] or have lunch on Burano first. we did both [in a week you can go back if you want to !] and enjoyed them very much.

it's probably a 15 minute walk to the cathedral on Torcello which is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been into. not much from the outside, but the mosaics inside are stunning. once you are back on burano, you can take the boat back to Murano - get off at Faro and walk through the twon, getting a different boat [no 47?] from the piers in the centre near the museum. this can take you all the way round the lagoon to the piazza san marco if you like, but it's fun to get off at giardino and walk back via the arsenale, where you will see a rather different, less touristy part of venetian life.

another time, perhaps, kalea!

regards, ann

I hope you ate at Gatto Nero on Burano and bought a lace table cloth.

Thin

thin - i googled il gatto nero to try to work out whether you were being sarcastic, but that didn't really help.

assuming you were, why? do you not admire the workwomanship that goes into those tablecloths? is il gatto nero not authentic enough for you? is anything authentic in Venice?

if I have mistaken your meaning, i apologise, but am confused as to what you did mean. please explain.

regards, ann

What is wrong with Gatto Nero?

It is my favourite restaurant on Burano.

I don't get your post. Maybe you have a headache.

Thin

Kalea,

Even though I wasn't one of the people who gave you advice, I appreciate that you let everyone know what you did specific to your request for advice. I often wonder what travelers do, whose advice they take, and how things work out. It is really nice to read your feedback.

thin, perhaps i did and saw saracsm where none was intended.

mea culpa.

i don't know the name of the restaurant we ate in but it was very good - molchie and a nameless grilled fish that was excellent.

it was the ref to the lace tablecloth that sent me off track.

you have never struck me as a lace tablecloth kind of gal!

regards, ann

Kalea - that's good advice of your own to suggest making Murano the last stop of the day if you're going to be doing some glass shopping.

Just bookmarking.