Welcome to Part 1 of our digital journey through Italy! This post will focus on our overall itinerary and stay in Venice. If you’re planning your own trip, be sure to check out my family’s , Duomo experience, Florence tips, and Cinque Terre post. A guide for Tuscany and Rome will be published soon.
My sisters and I have traveled to Europe several times, both for adventure and for work. In 2009, I interned at a local newspaper in Ireland for credit during a summer in college—and after that? Hopping on an eight-hour flight and crossing the vast Atlantic Ocean didn’t seem so daunting.
Our parents are a different story: they didn’t grow up in a community where a quick trip to Spain was the norm. They got jobs, had babies, and remained happily vacationing in the USA. But last year, they expressed interest in a family trip abroad—and Italy was their dream destination!
Never been to the land of wine and pasta? Here’s our nine-day itinerary (created in May 2018), with a focus on the big hits: Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Rome. This post will center around Venice—stay tuned for more!
The Grand Canal in Venice
Itinerary
Day 1: Fly from USA -> Venice
Day 2: Venice -> Florence
Day 3: Florence
Day 4: Florence and Tuscany
Day 5: Florence -> Cinque Terre
Day 6: Cinque Terre -> Rome
Day 7: Rome
Day 8: Rome
Day 9: Rome -> Fly to USA
Notes
Traveling as a group of seven meant some extra planning was required. We made dinner reservations two or three weeks in advance, booked Airbnbs several months ahead of our trip, and requested two private tours about five months out. We also bought train tickets and museum entrance passes a month before our adventure. Italy is one of the more tourist-heavy countries I’ve traveled through (similar to my home in NYC!), so extra planning only means less time standing in line. I also used several travel blogs and a Lonely Planet guide book for recommendations.
The Rialto Bridge, as seen from our gondola on the Grand Canal.
Venice
This little town on the water surprised us. My husband and I weren’t prepared to enjoy Venice as much as we did, based off recommendations and travel guides. But despite the slight Disney World feel around the Rialto Bridge, my family was glad to see the colorful canals of Venice—before they crumble into the sea! Grabbing a spritz in the quieter neighborhoods and strolling through Doge’s Palace afterhours were both highlights of our trip.
WEATHER
Acqua alta, which translates to “high water,” can be common in Venice—particularly in November and December. Sometimes the flooding only last for a few hours. You can check if the canals are spilling onto the sidewalks with the city’s official acqua alta forecast website. And if they are? Pack some rain boots! Hunter won’t fail you, and Sam Edleman has travel-chic options.
Where to Stay
We opted for an Airbnb on the cusp of the Cannaregio and Castello neighborhoods, near the Ospedale (in English, “hospital”) water bus stop. This was one of our favorite Airbnbs throughout the trip. The AC and Wi-Fi worked well, and the outdoor roof decks provided a perfect place for my family to rest with a bottle of wine. They also let us leave our luggage in the downstairs foyer after checkout, which allowed us to explore sans suitcases.
Tip: If you’re hoping to stay in iconic Venice, don’t book a hotel or Airbnb in Mastre (Venezia Mestre). This is the mainland part of the city, so you would need to hop on a train or bus to access the Venice pictured in this post. That said, cheaper housing options are readily available in the Mastre district. Figure out which is more important to you: the price or the location?
Shot from the sundeck of our Airbnb in Venice
Getting to Venice from the Airport
We could easily access our apartment from an Alilaguna boat, which is the public airport transportation in Venice. Tickets cost 15 Euro per person one way, and 27 Euro for a roundtrip ticket. Expect to stand in line for 10 – 40 minutes depending on the time of day.
You can also hire a private water taxi, but it’s quite a bit more expensive. Rates seem to hover around 107 Euro for four people, plus an additional 10 Euro charge per passenger. You can book these boats once you've landed. If you schedule one through a hotel concierge, be sure to get a quote, as markups can be high.
Things to Do
Weave Through Waterways
Yes, we took a gondola ride—and we didn’t regret it! Rates are 80 Euro per boat during the day, and each boat fits about 5-6 people. Our party split into two groups and spent less than what an Uber costs from Downtown Brooklyn to JFK Airport. If you can’t find a gondolier on the quieter streets, head to the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge.
Doge’s Palace
The grand and gothic Palazzo Ducale maintains extended summer hours, so we skipped the line and entered this museum at 10 pm (post-dinner, pre-gelato). We wandered the halls of Venice’s landmark building for an hour with only a handful of other tourists. The palace was built in 1340, and was the residence of the Doge, or elected ruler, of the former Republic of Venice.
St. Mark’s Bell Tower
This was a last-minute addition to our itinerary: My husband, my sister, and I ran over to Piazza San Marco early on our final morning in Venice and rode the elevator to the top of the iconic belfry. The views of city's blue-green canals and terracotta skyline were stunning. We waited in line for 30 minutes, hung out in the tower for about 8 minutes, and then rushed back to the Airbnb in order to catch our vaporetto (water bus) to the train station. Spoiler alert: we made it. And tip: Skip-the-line tickets are available if you plan in advance—whoops!
San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower
I landed a day later than the rest of the family, so they explored this one on their own. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the less-trafficked bell tower and its panoramic views of Venice. The church of San Giorgio Maggiore is free to explore, and the trip up to the belfry is 5 Euro. My family used a vaporetto to reach the island where the church and tower are located.
Other Options
Hop over to the island of Murano to see glass blowers at work, or Burano to see where lace is made.
Visit the famous opera house, La Fenice
Walk through the Gallerie dell'Accademia
Tour St. Marks Basilica
Where to Eat
Happy Hour
Venice is known for the Prosecco-based Aperol spritz, but we ended up sipping on these aperitifs all over Italy! The cicchetti tradition is also popular: cicchetti (pronounced chee-KET-eeh) are small snacks served with your early evening drinks in bàcari (cicchetti bars). My husband and I broke away from the group and strolled over to Osteria Ai Do Pozzi—pictured on the right—for a little happy hour sampling. We found ourselves surrounded by Italians, sipping wine on an outdoor patio in a quiet square. Venice’s calm Castello neighborhood was charming, and this little pub in the center of it was a nice place to rest for an hour before dinner.
Dinner
Breakfast and lunch were typically small affairs—but our family wanted to do dinners right. So we made a reservation at Osteria Oliva Nera, also located in the Castella neighborhood. The owner of the “ristorante” had a fantastic dry wit and served our party delicious dishes of seafood. We also tasted the in-season fried zucchini flowers, which are not to be missed! Before heading over to Doge’s Palace for the rest of our evening, the owner gifted us with boxed samples of olive oil.
Last-Minute Tips
Download the Vaporetto app to learn more about the water bus system.
We couldn’t find SIM cards at the Venice airport. You can, however, find a TIM store with international SIM cards available on the San Polo side of the Rialto Bridge, past all the market booths. Here is the exact location on Google Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/GdWcQ
We did not experience any flooding during our trip, but we did have one rainy day. My top travel umbrellas include this small one (less than 7 inches, includes a case) and this more sturdy one (about 11 inches).
If you’re coming from the United States, remember to pack an outlet converter. Here’s the one I use.
Simply wander Venice’s small and winding streets at dusk to enjoy the magic of this city.
“Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.”
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