Venice- Rialto Market help please.
 

We are due to arrive Venice at 8:30 am on a Saturday morning. With getting our luggage and taking the bus to Piazzale Roma, dropping our luggage at our apt (Ca D'Oro vaporetto stop)... if we went straight from there to Rialto, what time do you think we'd arrive there?

Here is my dilemma. I cannot remember what day, nor what time of day, my DD and I visited Rialto last year. But it was FABULOUS! The array of seafood just blew us away. It was the most memorable visit.

I want to share this same experience with my new travel partner, my cousin. But we arrive Saturday morning and depart Tuesday morning for Florence. I know that seafood is not at the market on Sunday or Monday.

So, our options are to go Saturday upon arrival or Tuesday morning early (7-8am) before we depart for Florence.

I would prefer to get this out of the way on Saturday, but my concern is that we might not arrive at the market until 10 or 10:30 and it will not be as terrific (much sold and not full displays) as I remember our experience last year.

I would appreciate it if anyone can tell me for sure... is the seafood portion of the market just as incredible on Tuesdays as it is on Saturdays? What would be "too late" to arrive on Saturday to see the best displays? 10? 11?

Thanks all.

sarge, on a saturday, the market should keep going at least until 12 noon or so. OK, it won't be as good as it would have been at 6am, but better than nothing.

i have only been to the rialto market a couple of times, but as its main purpose is to supply the restaurant trade, there shouldn't by much difference betweeen a Sat and a Tuesday.

so i would say that if you are likely to have time on tuesday before you go, why not visit it then?

Hi Sarge,

I don't remember what day we went to the Rialto market but it was late morning and the selections was beautiful and plentiful.

Have a good time Sarge, if you have time eat at Paradiso, great place.

Earlier on any day is better. IF your goal to get the "best" array and experience then wait till tuesday. Go before 7 am watch them finish setting up. then go back to the hotel and have breakfast get your bags etc.

If you plan to buy and cook anything at your apartment, Tuesday is preferable - there will be more fresh merchandise (not every kind of fish and seafood is being brought in every day - except for Tuesday, when every piece of fish on the whole market will be from the same morning's haul), plus everything will be cheaper (they're raising the prices each Friday and Saturday since there's more request on weekends). If you don't want to buy, Saturday is fine, too - the later hour won't be a problem, particularly not on a Saturday (the market tends to stay open longer on Saturdays).

I stayed at the Pensione Guerrato which is located almost at the corner of the market..Tere were such a diverse variety of fresh fish that it made me wish to have a place with the kitchenette ..
Going back to the same pensione again in September.

Usually Tuesday and Friday are the best days to buy fresh fish..At least that were the norms in Rome..

Hey sarge,

>Tuesday morning early (7-8am)<

Sarge56,

Ca D'Oro or Ca' Rezzonico? You're staying in Dorsoduro, yes?

ellenem, no. We are staying in Cannaregio. Our apt actually falls exactly half-way between the San Marcuola stop and the Ca'D'Oro stop. I like to get off at the latter, because it is a straight shot from there to the apt. If I get off at the former, more twists and turns. :)

Franco, if you are still here, can you please give me exact location of your favorite pastry/sweets shop in Venice? I tried to map it last trip, but Google maps for Venice seems to get a lot wrong. There are several on the Strada Nova, but if I remember correctly, your favorite was somewhere right in my neighborhood. :) Exact directions from Ca'D'Oro vaporetto stop would be awesome.

Grazie!

I misremembered your neighborhood.

I like the mapping feature at www.veniceexplorer.net. You can search by civic number, name of place/business, type of place/business. It is good for pinpointing a location. However, it doesn't show much of the map at once. I used it to find the location of Franco favorite pastry shop:


Pasticceria Boscolo Anna
Cannaregio 1818, campo S. Leonardo on Campiello dell'Anconetta
(i.e. on Strada Nuova/Rio Terra di Maddelena, near S. Marcuola vaporetto stop, just east of where Rio Terra Farsetti curves around the Ghetto)

Yes, the explanation given by ellenem in brackets is great; the location as mapped by veniceexplorer is misleading since it quotes two squares, one wrong, one correct: it's on Campiello dell'Anconetta (a small and barely noticeable square in the course of Strada Nova), NOT on Campo S. Leonardo, which is in the course of Strada Nova as well, but larger and further towards the ferrovia. Note that the name "Boscolo" is now just a small "subtitle" to the new name of the pastry shop, "Antichi Pasticceri Venexiani". (There is a new owner, but the staff and the pastry are still the same as always.)

I may have made a mistake cutting a pasting. But my map has Campiello dell'Anconetta so I was able to cross reference. Glad I've got it correctly on my map!

Excellent! Thank you both!!!

I agree with notbob and ira in getting there very early. watching the setting up is part of the fun.

I made a mistake here: while they are MEMBERS of the association of the Antichi Pasticceri Venexiani (and that sign is displayed inside), the new name is NOBILE, with - as I said - "Boscolo" as the "subtitle". Sorry!

got it! Grazie mille, Franco!