Venice in 3 weeks: need advice on narrowing down choices.
 

3 weeks to go...

We are celebrating our 10yr anniversary and with 4 nights and full days in Venice (our first trip to Italy). We're staying at Locanda Orseolo.

What would you do the first day arriving at 10am (after a 13 hr flight through the night)? We'll be jetlagged, but ecstatic.

I'd like your input (good, bad and ugly) on:

1) Restaurants:

Riveria
Cantina Canaletto
Acqua Pazza
Osteria alla Botte
La Zucca
Vini da Gigio
Osteria Antico Dolo
Masaniello
(we like to mix it up....ambiance, lively, hip, romantic, mom & pop, local flair. oh, and great food)
(drinks & cicchetti) Osteria Bancogiro & Cantina Do Mori

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Burano-Trattoria al gatto Nero da Ruggero
Torcello
San Giorgio Maggiore
Rialto Market
Fish Market
Zattere Promenade
Squero (Gondola factory)
Ca Rezzonico Palazzo Gallery
Mondonova (authentic mask maker) Peggy Guggenheim Museum
Secret Itineries Tour/Doge's Palace
St. Mark’s Basilica
La Fenice (tour)
Museo Storico Navale (for the DH)
Gondola ride (small canals at night)
Cafe' Florian (inside for tea, outside at night for music/drinks)
Above all.....getting lost in Venice!

It's a long list, but we like to be on the go. We also enjoy lingering at a cafe' to re-energize and people watch.

Any Musical performance recommendations?
We're looking at I Musici Veneziani: Vivaldi-4 Seasons at Scuola Grande di San Teodoro. This looks divine. A renowned orchestra in XVIII Venetian costume at an elegant venue.

A special shout out to: Girlspytravel, Franco and all the rest who have made this special trip something to look forward to!

Hi A,

>What would you do the first day...

Just wander around and stay up until dinner time.

Don't do anything that requires thought.

The Rialto fish market is best seen very early in the morning, when they are setting up.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Congratulations to the two of you. We are celebrating our 30th anniversary and will also be staying at the Locanda Orseolo. We'll be taking a cruise from Venice and haven't done as much planning as you as to what to do in Venice. We were there several years ago - but not for as long as you. I enjoyed reading your list and will look forward to the replies.

Debbie

AdventureSeeker...

Ira has good advice (as always) and I second the recommendation to just wander that first day. It is one of the most delightful places to wander, if only because you'll get lost, never see the same place twice and never know what you'll see next (if you get off the main tourist areas).

But I highly recommend the Secret Itineraries Tour. You will get mixed reviews on this, but I am into history and I loved it. Be sure to go to the top of the campanile for a gorgeous view out over the Grand Canal -- one of the few travel experiences that took my breath away.

I spent three days there and in retrospect kind of wish I'd scrapped Burano/Torcello for more time to wander. There was so much more to see in Venice itself, but I had convinced myself to see Burano.

I think it's tough to recommend restaurants in Venice because they are sometimes hard to find and can change between visits. But I had one mediocre meal and two really good meals there. I would highly recommend Trattoria Vino da Arturo (Calle degli Assassini). It was near impossible for me to find (walked by it about 50 times, I swear!) but it was well worth it once I did. Details on this and others are in my trip report, which I won't repeat here: http://tinyurl.com/2m6mnj

I hope you have a wonderful time, it should be a nice time of year to be there. Enjoy and happy anniversary!

Ok, I'm trying to answer as much as I can:
Riveria - actually Riviera; don't know it personally; favourite Venice restaurant with Fodorite foodie plafield
Cantina Canaletto - never heard of
Acqua Pazza - really good food, but not only the water is mad (acqua pazza = mad water), also the prices are. I would never go there if I had to pay the bill myself.
Osteria alla Botte - my favourite, as you'll probably know
La Zucca - good, but not great, and no Venetian food (cook's fantasies, with many vegetarian dishes among them)
Vini da Gigio - excellent
Osteria Antico Dolo - very good and commendable, notwithstanding its touristy fame
Masaniello - Acqua Pazza's little brother, not exactly the same standard, but similar prices. IF I'd be willing to pay them, I'd certainly choose Acqua Pazza.

Osteria Bancogiro & Cantina Do Mori - both are fun, Do Mori a more traditional venue, Bancogiro more fancy

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Burano-Trattoria al gatto Nero da Ruggero - the island is nice but unnecessary, the trattoria has a reputation for good food at rip-off prices
Torcello - among Venice's greatest sights
San Giorgio Maggiore - the best view on the architecture is from Piazzetta S. Marco, the interior is relatively weak, but DO go if you're interested in painting (the very best of Tintoretto's many Last Suppers is there)
Rialto Market - GREAT fun
Fish Market - part of the Rialto market, there's no difference (the BEST part of it)
Zattere Promenade - nice, not too important
Squero (Gondola factory) - very picturesque, visible only from outside (i.e. from across the canal), no possibility to enter
Ca Rezzonico Palazzo Gallery - wonderful for who is interested in late baroque/rococo
Mondonova (authentic mask maker) - don't know
Peggy Guggenheim Museum - world-class
Secret Itineries Tour/Doge's Palace - a highlight; assign enough time, the Palace is huge, and the regular visit is NOT part of the Itinerari Segreti tour, you have to do it on your own afterwards - you'll need minimum half a day for the tour plus the palace
St. Mark’s Basilica - another highlight, if you're not claustrophobic
La Fenice (tour) - worth it
Museo Storico Navale (for the DH) - ok, for the DH
Gondola ride (small canals at night) - not my sort of stuff, can't comment
Cafe' Florian (inside for tea, outside at night for music/drinks) - a highlight, the stratospheric prices notwithstanding
Above all.....getting lost in Venice! - very good point indeed

It's a long list, but we like to be on the go. - it's not THAT long, quite doable

We're looking at I Musici Veneziani: Vivaldi-4 Seasons at Scuola Grande di San Teodoro. A renowned orchestra in XVIII Venetian costume at an elegant venue. - That's mistaken, sorry. No hint of a renowned orchestra, rather, costumed dilettanti. The venue is indeed interesting also for me (visible only during the concerts), but I think buying a ticket for a concert that you don't really want to hear just in order to see the Scuola Grande di S. Teodoro is only for the craziest Venice buffs (I'll do it, one day, but couldn't screw up my courage so far).

Franco:

-I Didn't know that Masaniello was the bro of Acqua.

-thank you for the heads up on timeline of Doge's Palace/SI tour. I'll carve out enough time to enjoy.

-any insight on the La Fenice Tour? Their site mentions that they only do private tours of 10+ otherwise it's audio guide. I emailed them for info on how to reserve (I've heard that it books up fast), but no response.

BTW: If I wasn't so dead set on Locanda Orseolo, we'd rent the apartment you recommend. That is a gem and at a great price. Next time!

Thx again for all your help and guidance.

**************************
amyb: I'll check out your trip report...thx.

Bookmarking, great tips and advice.

Would add - tour the Grand Canal in a front seat on the #1 Vaparetto. Need to do early, to guarantee a good seat.

Agree that the Zattere Promenade is nice but not too important.

One more thing, try to book the Fenice tour ahead of time if you can. When I arrived, they were already booked for the entire week.

adventureseeker - never try to make any appointments, in Italy, by email! That's simply no Italian way of communication. Always call by phone!
Have fun!

Wander your first day but after dinner head to Cafe Florian for your oh-so-expensive drink and listen to the orchestras. Did that a few years ago and it was a wonderful start to the trip.

You don't have a lot of time but I'd still take a vaporetto ride to Burano and Torcello (I'd skip Murano this trip). It'll take up most of your day but I find both islands a "must" for different reasons.

Yes and yes to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum if you're an art lover

hi, Seeker,

first of all congrats and thanks - congrats on your anniversary, and thanks so much for posting this - i love the look of this hotel and have bookmarked it for future reference!

were i you, I wouldn't book anything for the first day. you don't want to risk losing a booking due to jet-lag. assuming it'll take about an hour to get to your hotel, I would reckon on a wash and brush up, gentle stroll for lunch, back to hotel for a nap, then evening wander around followed by dinner. Flexibility is the key!

as for the rest of your list, try to group the sights in the same place together, or that run smoothly one to another, connecting by vaporetti - even though Venice is not big, it's still quite tiring to walk round.

For example, we spent a very nice day starting at the accademia, round San salute, lunch, back down the street to the guggenheim, then back over the accademia bridge for tea.

have a great time,

regards, ann

were i

Make sure you ask Bruno, Mateo, or Barbara at the Locanda Orseolo for restauraunt recommendations. I ate at everyone of their suggestions in February and was not disappointed. Unfortunately I don't remember the names but they were all reasonably priced (for Venice) and delicious.

If you mean Ristorante Riviera on the Zattare, we loved this place! So much we went back a second time. Not cheap, but the food and the waterside dining is to die for. The prix fixe dinner was. Do yourselves a favor and pay cash. I've read that they do a currency exchange thing with credit cards that costs you extra money.

Osteria Alla Botte is Franco's favorite and I was sorry we didn't make it there. I've also heard nothing but wonderful comments about la Zucca.

We loved casa Rrezzonico. A gem. Also Florians at night, after the day trippers have left. So worth the money to soak up that ambiance and listen to the music.

San Giorgio Maggiore: gorgeous view from the bell tower. Definitely worth the time to go.

We decied against any of the islands (Torcello) becuase we wanted time to just wander Venice. We also had 4 days and I'm glad we stayed on Venice proper and didn't take all the time you need to do the islands in the lagoon.

Have wondeful time!

Plafield,

A "shout out" to you too. Franco reminded me that the Riviera was your fave. I perused your trip reports for ideas.

I agree that the islands should be a backburner. We'll play that one by ear.

jedijill,

You are so right about getting rec. from the Locanda Orseolo gang. I emailed them the same time I posted this thread to get feedback. I'm also relying on them to assist in booking the reservations for the sights.

Any others have comments about the restaurants? I guess we're forced to hole up in Venice for 2 weeks to try them all!

annhig,

My pleasure! I found out about Locanda Orseolo from this excellent board. It's the only place I wanted to stay in Venice....so I booked a year ago since it fills up fast. This darling Locanda gets glowing reviews consistently at the Tripadvisor.com site. You can also view candid shots from former guests. The same owners recently opened another inn in Venice. They have a good thing going!

If you desire an apartment rental Franco recommends this place which looks heavenly and is priced right:
http://www.rosadivenezia.com/en/index.htm

Thx for the suggestion of grouping the sites. I made a very loose itinerary of daily jaunts that are focused by area. I like to get the most out of our journey....yet allow spontaneity.

Thank you for your warm congratulations!

And yes,

Day #1 will be all about wandering, getting our bearings and soaking in Venice.

With a date at the Florian at night. We're there Oct. 11-15....I'm hoping the music will still be playing!

This is wonderful. I'm not only bookmarking, I'm furiously printing everything out.

We just booked the Locanda Orseolo for 6 nights (5 1/2 days) in April, thanks to everyone on Fodor and TripAdvisor. Also just booked 4 nights in Bellagio on Lake Como. We are celebrating joint special birthdays and I hope we'll be jetlagged but ecstatic, too.

Now that we have our flights, hotel reservations and car rental, I can concentrate on restaurants and sightseeing/wandering. Haven't been to Venice since Christmas Eve 1997 and have wonderful memories of wandering, getting lost and finding treasures. I'm printing out everyone's suggestions.

One thing that was totally new for me: what is the La Fenice tour and why is it so terrific?

hi, again, a/seeker,

I've just been looking at my michelin italy. Another area we liked exploring was around the "frari"in San polo. AS well as the Frari with its works by titian and some pretty odious mausoleums, there is the scuola di san rocco nearby, with the magnificant tintorettos on the ceiling, which you look at with mirrors.

there was a lovely tea-shop near-by which made the best english tea I've ever had outside the UK, and some delightful squares and shops. a vaporetto from san marco stops nearby [sorry, I don't know which one].

if you get lost, the way to prominent landmarks is written in large letters on the corners of the buildings. this is a great help!

finally, we stayed in a hotel up near the station -marked "Ferrovia" on the buildings. Starting at the Rialto, there are many interesting "local" ie non-tourist shops along the main drag towards the station, [strada nova] and in the same area is the ghetto, which itself is well worth a look.

A very interesting half day can be spent there, and you can get a vaporetto back to san marco from the station.

regards, ann

Annhig....great tips. I'm adding them to my "list". Thank you.

ready2travel:

I am thrilled you've booked Locanda Orseolo. I knew it was a very special place and I absolutely had to stay there.

La Fenice is the historic opera house. Here's a link w/ a brief synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Fenice

It has been restored as much as possible to it's original splendor utilizing the artistic craftsmen and masterworkers (many of which use the old world methods).

I read John Brendt's lovely book "City of Falling Angels" which I HIGHLY recommend that accounts for the La Fenice fire with much history, fun details and great stories of the colorful Venetian community (Ezra Pound, Peggy Guggenheim, Francesco da Mosta, etc.). Definitely a must!

I'd love to see a performance there, but during our visit there are none....so a tour will have to suffice.

Just a tip...I started my trip planning by bookmarking and then printing pages and pages of text. I then created a New Document in MS Word and simply cut and paste all the info that I was interested in and just plugged it into the MS Word document where I arranged the info by category (ie: Venice-Sights or Restaurants, etc.) It has made my planning so simple and organized. It's the size of a novel!

Enjoy!

I'm going to be cutting and pasting soon, thanks to you.

Buon viaggio !!

adventureseeker - I was not familiar with La Fenice and followed the link to wikipedia. From there, I went to their website. It looks to me like there are some performances during your stay. I don't read Italian - but the dates look like a ballet.

http://tinyurl.com/yswwdk

Debbie

What I wouldn't give for your Venice notes (G). I do something similar. I make a Word document for each city. I also tear out appropriate sections from guidebooks and put everything together into a booklet. It's a lot easier than carting around whole guidebooks.

Debbie

2005: I believe the ballets are held at another venue, but I'll check it out again. I was ready to book an opera there and just before I hit the "submit" key I noticed that it was at Teatro Malibran which is a venue under the direction (or something like that) of La Fenice. I stopped fast. Not that the Malibran wouldn't be fabulous, but my heart was set on La Fenice.

email me at [email protected] and I'll email you my notes. If you're doing Cinque Terre, Florence or Tuscany...I've got a novel's worth on those too. Thx for your interest.

Don't you just love this board. I'm just addicted.

It sounds like you are better at looking at their site than I was. I looked for a spot to click to switch it to English, but I didn't see one. (The Florian, OTOH, did have an English option.) I read a review by someone who had a problem with tickets that they thought were for the Fenice but were really for a different location. Maybe they made the same mistake that I did.

Debbie

adventureseeker; click on my name and scroll down and find my trip report on Venice this past May. We stayed up all day and made it actually to 10 pm.
dave

hi, a/s [and debbie]

if you are serious about going to la fenice, go to their web-site home page -on the right towards the bottom of teh top shaded section you will see a union jack!

then go to the left hand column for "what's on" and if I have got my dates right, you wil find that there's some vivaldi playing whilst you are there. After that there's an opera by massenet that I've nver heard of called "thais".

we went to a concert there which was perhaps better than an opera or ballet perfomance cos it didn't really matter that you couldn't see too well.

I too liked City of Falling Angels. You may also like donna leon's books about a Venitian detective.

regards, ann

DinPa & Annhig...

I'll check them out..thx!

bookmarking many thanks

We were at La Fenice for a concert in May and it was absolutely wonderful. Sat in a box on second level up front near the stage. My wife said she felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty woman at the opera. Big bonus points for me. Bought our tickets on line and picked them up an hour early before show time and then went out and had a wine next door.
dave

The Peggy Guggenheim was one of my favorite things - go early and enjoy the sculpture garden and the views out back to the grand canal - plus a gorgeous collection of modern art set in a beautiful palazzo.

Also loved attending mass at San Giorgio Maggiore and going up into the bell tower to see some amazing views (there was no line on Sunday morning - went right up) plus Tintorettos with no crowds...

The Frari is also pretty amazing even if you aren't into churches...

We were there for 4 days and 3 nights and saw a lot and walked and got lost through many neighborhoods. We didn't venture off to Burano or Torcello though.

Also found St. Marks Basilica (the mosaics) amazing and did not expect to be so overwhelmed by it. (Per another posters comments, I am a little claustrophobic and not great with heights either and had no problems there or in SGM tower)

Sorry can't help with your restaurants - went with a picky teenager and can't even remember where we ate!

Have a great time! and congrats on 10 years.

Oh! You will love Locanda Orseolo! We stayed there in 2005. And on a recommendation from the gang there, we had a wonderful dinner at Enoteca San Marco.

Have a wonderful time in Venice. It's so special, it cannot be put into words!

We just got back from Italy the day before yesterday. Venice was more crowded than it was 2 years ago in September. The cruise boats are increasingly using this as s stop, especially for Adriatic cruises. Get away from St. Mark's and Rialto Bridge area to appreciate Venice. Stroll over towards Fondementa Nove and see St. Giovanni or the Zattere and have a gelato at Niko's.

We had a nice dinner at Vini da Gigio - service is very relaxed. We stayed at a new hotel right next to Ca'D'Oro, Ca'Sagredo; and their restaurant is superb. It's expensive; but would be a special anniversary dinner!!! It's right on the Grand Canal.

Save a great trip!

Before heading to the Guggenhiem, make sure the renovations are finished. When we went in May, the Palazzo was closed. The permanant collection was housed in the building across from the palazzo, where the restaurant is, a sterile and boring environment. We felt that without the opportunity to see the palazzo and the wonderful views out back, unless you really adore modern art, it's not worth the visit.

Sounds like a great time! Arriving that early will put you at odds with check-in time, so leave your bags with the hotel and go to the sunniest al fresco cafe and nurse antipasti, wine & coffee - we stopped at one of the cafe's near the Zattere vaporetto stop, great people-watching and the sunlight may help you adjust to the time change. The only tip I can offer, since you seem to know the attractions well, is to keep your wish-list firmly in mind - and then adjust on the fly for the little hitches... rain, restaurant not open that day (or next day LOL), overwhelming crowds at Guggenheim, etc. There are a zillion time-filling activities to pick up the slack.

again all excellent suggestions.

Does anyone know how I can find out if the original Guggenheim Palazzo is open? Nothing is on it's website. I guess I'll phone them.

Ronin, you are absolutely right about being flexible and allowing spontaneity. I don't like to be rigid, but do like to have a plan. The best memories I've had while traveling are those that have come up on the spur of the moment.

DinPa,

Now that sounds like the most romantic of dates...your wife is very lucky!

From my trip report:
"Our first night, we ate at Trattoria Alla Rivetta, recommended by the hotel for its fish menu. It’s at Ponte S. Provolo 4625. It was nice, with a lot of locals and others lining up to eat there. Our meal was 58.24EUR, for two fish entrees, and a half-liter of house wine.

The second night, we ate at Osteria Alla Botte, San Marco 5482. It was a very friendly and busy little place, with reasonable prices. Our meal was 46 EUR, also for two fish dishes and a half-liter of house wine."

Good gelato at Michelangelo's, too.

We saw the sites, and shopped for beautiful glass jewelry. I wish I'd bought more of it!
:)>-

Vini da Gigio was *excellent* when we were in Venice (if you click on my name, you can find my trip report with more info). I highly recommend it; in fact, it was easily our best meal in Venice.

La Zucca was very good too, but not outstanding. Very cute place though, especially if you eat at one of the 4-5 outdoor tables.

bookmarking