Venice in January
 

What is Venice like in January?

Much the same as the rest of the year, but with fewer visitors.

I think how you'll respond depends on where you live. We were there over New Year's one year and were fine with the weather. We had one day of snow flakes; the other days were brilliant sunshine and nice walking weather. But, we live in a really cold, and snowy place so for us Venice was fine. Others who are used to more moderate climates might not agree.

I spent a week in Venice in January a few years ago and it was damp with a chill, but not cold. I wore a lined raincoat and layers. It was such a magical experience to be there without many tourists and the mist creeping along the alleys, shadows in the campos, vaporetto rides at night looking into the lit windows of palazzos... I'm planning to go back next January for 5 days and then to Milan.

It is certainly NOT like the rest of the year except for fewer tourists. Most of the time in January it is quite cold and usually overcast and grey. The water of the lagoon typically is warmer than the air temp, which creates a good deal of mist and fog that can stay socked in for days. It is not necessarily pea-soup fog, but it does make almost everything gray. If you take a day trip of out Venice, you will often find it is quite sunny just a half hour away.

Of course you can luck out and get beautiful sunny clear days, with mild and not bone-chilling dampness -- but you have to be lucky with that. If you get extremely unlucky, January can be a time of severe storms in Venice that bring a lot of water into the city with tidal flooding. So I most certainly would NOT book a hotel in the areas that typically flood during the alta acqua. And of course it can also snow.

Whatever the weather year to year, nothing changes the fact that January days are noticealby much shorter, and Venice is mostly quite dimly lit at night.

My first visit to Vence was right at the end of December, and I made a point of going back to see if I would like the city better in the sunshine. Turns out I am not much of a Venice fan no matter the weather, but I was really glad my first experience of Venice was in low season, despite the constant grey and damp chill, because the overload of tourists, many of them really behaving in obnoxious fashion, was worse than being cold or not getting to enjoy sparkling light on the water or memorable sunsets.

here is a picture from January 2008 of tidal flooding in Venice. That can happen at various times between Oct and Apri, although it tends to be more intense Nov through Feb. Most of the city doesn't flood, but it is better to know where it does and where it doesn't so you can book a hotel where it doesn't. As you can see, it's just a drag to manuever luggage around in knee deep water (and those little walkways can get plenty crowded even in "low season" if that's the only place dry to walk for everybody)

https://www.mosevenezia.eu/wp-conten...05-430x324.jpg

While I meant what I said, "much like", obviously not exactly like, the rest of the year, I really said it to get the predictable rise out of sandralist. I know, mushroom, I should get a life. But you're SO much easier.