Is 2 full days enough for Venice ?
Jan 13th, 2018, 12:34 PM
#1
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Is 2 full days enough for Venice ?
Hi !
We will be in Italy in july and we are wondering if 2 full days for Venice is enough.
We have 12 nights. Our plan is :
July 8 Arrival in Rome and 5 nights in Trastevere neighbourhood.
july 13 Train to Florence ans 4 nights there. We allows 4 night theres since we want to one or two daytrip (Sienna for sure)
Here's is the thing, my wife have an old friend who lives in Padova. She invited us to stay at her place but despite being a friend of my wife we are not too much into that idea since it would mean to do day trips to Venice instead of really be there in morning and late evening.
What we have think is go early from Florence to padova july 17 , stay most of the day with my wife friends and go to Venice around 17:00 to get our appartement/hotel.
We woul then have three night from july 17 to july 20 (so 2 full days and evening on july 17),
july 20 fly back to Montreal at 13:20.
What do you think ?
We will be in Italy in july and we are wondering if 2 full days for Venice is enough.
We have 12 nights. Our plan is :
July 8 Arrival in Rome and 5 nights in Trastevere neighbourhood.
july 13 Train to Florence ans 4 nights there. We allows 4 night theres since we want to one or two daytrip (Sienna for sure)
Here's is the thing, my wife have an old friend who lives in Padova. She invited us to stay at her place but despite being a friend of my wife we are not too much into that idea since it would mean to do day trips to Venice instead of really be there in morning and late evening.
What we have think is go early from Florence to padova july 17 , stay most of the day with my wife friends and go to Venice around 17:00 to get our appartement/hotel.
We woul then have three night from july 17 to july 20 (so 2 full days and evening on july 17),
july 20 fly back to Montreal at 13:20.
What do you think ?
Jan 13th, 2018, 01:06 PM
#2
Well, what's your alternative? You're asking whether two full days in Venice are "enough." So, what do you want to see/do in Venice and can you accomplish that in two days?
If you didn't spend the time in Padova, you could have nearly 3 full days in Venice, but you'd probably upset the "old friend." Your call. FWIW, you might enjoy seeing the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova.
Or could you ask the friend to travel into Venice to have lunch with you one day?
If you didn't spend the time in Padova, you could have nearly 3 full days in Venice, but you'd probably upset the "old friend." Your call. FWIW, you might enjoy seeing the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova.
Or could you ask the friend to travel into Venice to have lunch with you one day?
Jan 13th, 2018, 03:41 PM
#4
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It's never enough for me, and I've been there quite a few times (last time Christmas week 2016 for 6 days). And I wouldn't want to be commuting from Padova, either. I'd take a day off Florence and add it to Venice, but that's me.
Jan 13th, 2018, 07:36 PM
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IMHO, there is never enough time in Venice. However, I also think Padua is a really beautiful, underrated city. I had only a day there and was very sorry I had not scheduled more time. It is worth a stop, even without the friend being there.
I agree I would want to be "in" Venice. I would say stay the first night with your wife's friend, but it is a pain changing sleeping locations. I would not want to stop on the way, with luggage to store or lug along, then have to continue on later in the day. I also think that evening after the travel and the stop in Padua, you will be too tired to enjoy your arrival in Venice. Padua is a very short train ride from Venice, so I suggest this:
July 17, Depart early from Florence. Go straight to Venice. Arrive by 10:00 or 11:00. Check into hotel. All afternoon and evening for getting oriented, sightseeing, dinner and night time walk.
July 18, Schedule a morning tour of anything you want specifically to see. At noon, catch a train to Padua. Arrive at 12:30. Spend the afternoon and evening with friend, hopefully do some sightseeing in Padua. Have late dinner with them.
(Lots of great restaurants in Padua) and catch late night train back to Venice. It will be OK arriving late because you were oriented the evening before and it will be fun arriving to Venice at night. Check vaporetto times.
July 19, whole day for anything else you want to see in Venice. Last evening dinner.
I agree I would want to be "in" Venice. I would say stay the first night with your wife's friend, but it is a pain changing sleeping locations. I would not want to stop on the way, with luggage to store or lug along, then have to continue on later in the day. I also think that evening after the travel and the stop in Padua, you will be too tired to enjoy your arrival in Venice. Padua is a very short train ride from Venice, so I suggest this:
July 17, Depart early from Florence. Go straight to Venice. Arrive by 10:00 or 11:00. Check into hotel. All afternoon and evening for getting oriented, sightseeing, dinner and night time walk.
July 18, Schedule a morning tour of anything you want specifically to see. At noon, catch a train to Padua. Arrive at 12:30. Spend the afternoon and evening with friend, hopefully do some sightseeing in Padua. Have late dinner with them.
(Lots of great restaurants in Padua) and catch late night train back to Venice. It will be OK arriving late because you were oriented the evening before and it will be fun arriving to Venice at night. Check vaporetto times.
July 19, whole day for anything else you want to see in Venice. Last evening dinner.
Jan 13th, 2018, 09:59 PM
#8
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I did not want to go to Venice. I had heard all the talk about stinky canals and horrible crowds, so only scheduled two days. When it came time to leave my wife almost had to physically drag me away to the train. SO much I did not see of that stunning town!
Jan 14th, 2018, 03:57 AM
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This is two questions. One is about time planning, the other is about friends hoping to take the opportunity to see each other.
You can sightsee or you can sit and talk, but you can't really do both at the same time. It is up to you to decide what has the priority. Once you have figured that out, the rest is easy.
1. I like your idea of going to Padua for the day to have a leisurely lunch together, then going on to Venice, because most apartments won't let you check in until late afternoon anyway. But bear in mind this also reflects how much importance I would put on the visit, and your emphasis might be different.
2. If seeking more time in Venice to compensate, I would take a night from Rome, not Florence, because you have a day trip to Siena planned for Florence, and that will bracket two of the nights in Florence.
Rome - 4 n
Leave early or late for Florence, depending on interests - the first night
A full day in Florence, the second night
The day trip to Siena the third night
Anything else in Florence, the fourth night
Venice - if you have 4 nights then you can do as you planned, go via Padua to Venice for the first night.
Three full days use up the second, third, and fourth nights.
You can sightsee or you can sit and talk, but you can't really do both at the same time. It is up to you to decide what has the priority. Once you have figured that out, the rest is easy.
1. I like your idea of going to Padua for the day to have a leisurely lunch together, then going on to Venice, because most apartments won't let you check in until late afternoon anyway. But bear in mind this also reflects how much importance I would put on the visit, and your emphasis might be different.
2. If seeking more time in Venice to compensate, I would take a night from Rome, not Florence, because you have a day trip to Siena planned for Florence, and that will bracket two of the nights in Florence.
Rome - 4 n
Leave early or late for Florence, depending on interests - the first night
A full day in Florence, the second night
The day trip to Siena the third night
Anything else in Florence, the fourth night
Venice - if you have 4 nights then you can do as you planned, go via Padua to Venice for the first night.
Three full days use up the second, third, and fourth nights.
Last edited by Sue_xx_yy; Jan 14th, 2018 at 03:59 AM.
Jan 14th, 2018, 04:41 AM
#11
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Venezia is a tiny island and 48 hours, sleeping included, is more than enough to walk all around it to see the main historical landmarks and get a feeling of it. But to know what Venezia is like nothing less than 1 year of constant living in it is enough, because the humidity in the air changes constantly and so the light projection in it is different every week and makes it look different by day and at night and gives another feeling of it while walking on its narrow streets.
Jan 14th, 2018, 10:27 AM
#14
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Sassafrass and Sue_xx_yy offer nice alternative plans. I would consider one of them.
The train between Venice and Padova in July can be hot and crowded. I went second class and was sorry I hadn't spent the few extra euro for first.
The train between Venice and Padova in July can be hot and crowded. I went second class and was sorry I hadn't spent the few extra euro for first.
Jan 14th, 2018, 11:18 AM
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Thanks to all for all those insights, very useful !
So the general idea seems to be that 2 days in Venice is not enough. Thanks, once again, for all the ideas to add a day there. Somme things to consider:
1) We wont have a late dinner with friends, they are working (but plan to take one day off for us) and they have young kids.
2) 5 nights for Rome was mainly to get rid of jet lag.
3) I know Florence is a powerhouse but we have no intention to see more than one museum (Uffizi or accademia) and even there it's not mandatory
What do you think of that:
July 8 arrival at rome at 11:20. Day lost because of jetlag. Get the appartement, have dinner. sleep.
july 9 Rome at 50% shape...
july 10 Rome at 100% shape (St peter ? Ostia Antica ? Colesseum ?)
July 11 Rome
July 12 Rome
July 13 departure for Florence, arrival around noon, lunch get the appartement, walking and dinner
july 14 Daytrip to Sienna (if all tell us that we must more see Florence instead of daytrip we will consider it)
july 15 Florence (maybe one museum)
July 16 Departure around 9:00 for Padua. Leave Padua for Venice at 17:00
July 17 Venice
July 18 venice (daytrip to Burano ?)
July 19 Venice
July 20 Departure for Montreal at 13:40
The thing about Venice is that we have read that it's hard to find good/authentic/ not overpriced food.
So the general idea seems to be that 2 days in Venice is not enough. Thanks, once again, for all the ideas to add a day there. Somme things to consider:
1) We wont have a late dinner with friends, they are working (but plan to take one day off for us) and they have young kids.
2) 5 nights for Rome was mainly to get rid of jet lag.
3) I know Florence is a powerhouse but we have no intention to see more than one museum (Uffizi or accademia) and even there it's not mandatory
What do you think of that:
July 8 arrival at rome at 11:20. Day lost because of jetlag. Get the appartement, have dinner. sleep.
july 9 Rome at 50% shape...
july 10 Rome at 100% shape (St peter ? Ostia Antica ? Colesseum ?)
July 11 Rome
July 12 Rome
July 13 departure for Florence, arrival around noon, lunch get the appartement, walking and dinner
july 14 Daytrip to Sienna (if all tell us that we must more see Florence instead of daytrip we will consider it)
july 15 Florence (maybe one museum)
July 16 Departure around 9:00 for Padua. Leave Padua for Venice at 17:00
July 17 Venice
July 18 venice (daytrip to Burano ?)
July 19 Venice
July 20 Departure for Montreal at 13:40
The thing about Venice is that we have read that it's hard to find good/authentic/ not overpriced food.
Jan 14th, 2018, 11:39 AM
#18
Have you considered skipping Florence? I have been to Italy at least six times and have not been to Florence.
Your chances of finding bad food in Venice are higher than elsewhere. If you get tired of seafood I recommend La Bitta.
Your chances of finding bad food in Venice are higher than elsewhere. If you get tired of seafood I recommend La Bitta.
Jan 14th, 2018, 11:49 AM
#19
I took my big meal at lunch. I was there this past July and found that restaurants felt a little less insanely touristy in the day time.
Best meal I had: a late lunch at Anice Stellato--this is not a super casual place. For casual and inexpensive, Pizzeria Ae Oeche was pretty good. Also had a wonderful lunch at Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti. And I ate at several of the same places this guy did, and he reports much better (and certainly more thoroughly with way more details) than I ever could or would, so look at this thread:
https://www.chowhound.com/post/venic...d-town-1066774
Best meal I had: a late lunch at Anice Stellato--this is not a super casual place. For casual and inexpensive, Pizzeria Ae Oeche was pretty good. Also had a wonderful lunch at Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti. And I ate at several of the same places this guy did, and he reports much better (and certainly more thoroughly with way more details) than I ever could or would, so look at this thread:
https://www.chowhound.com/post/venic...d-town-1066774
