Venice in 1.5 Days

[Breakfast_at_Taylors]

My mom and I are going on our first trip to Europe this October on a 12-night cruise! Afterwards, we’re taking a train to Venice (arriving in mid afternoon) and spending two nights near Piazza San Marco before flying back home.

 

We’re two fit, adventurous Americans who love walking, window shopping, and taking pictures of quaint and quirky side streets and alleyways. We’re big foodies, and we’re NOT huge fans of galleries or beaches. What would you suggest we put on our bucket list?

[Grandma Cruising]

I’d definitely book the Doge’s Palace Secret Itinerary tour - you can book it online.

It’s worth buying a 1 or 2 day Vaporretto ticket. That means you can get on and off as often as you like. Then take a 1 or 2 all the way up the Grand Canal. Go to the Rialto Bridge first thing on the morning to see the market there, walk from there to St Marks Square, again as early in the morning as you can get there - it’s get very crowded there.

After that, just wander around, getting away from the main areas. We loved the Jewish Ghetto area - here’s a link to information about the area, including how to get there https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2610788&page=17

Lastly, get a good map of Venice - we use the pop-up map (which you can buy from Amazon)

 

 

 

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[edinburgher]

Welcome, as I note you are a newcomer to CC and to cruising and also to Europe as you have posted almost identical posts for every port you will visit.

 

 

 

Huge question! Huge city. Even one and a half days won't be enough, so you need to prioritise the sights which are going to appeal to your own personal interests as you won't be able to see and do everything and everyone will have their own personal preferences depending on the amount of time they will have there. Will you stay in Venice or want to visit Murano or Burano? If so, you need to factor in time for these too.

 

 

It will be an exciting trip for you. To get the most from it you need to be pro-active. Read, read, read. By the time you have read about the city you should have an idea of what might be of interest then you can check opening days and opening hours, transport, if you need to pre-book entry etc. A two day vaporetto pass would be an option and give you flexibility. You could work some of your visiting plans around the stops although Venice is easily walkable. You can also ask more specific questions on the boards once you have decided your personal priorities.

 

 

Begin with shore excursions even if you don't want to book any. They give you an idea of some of the highlights. Tripadvisor Venice, Venice Tourist Info website and plenty others including guide books which you can maybe borrow from your public library? Many websites also offer DIY walking tours which you can print off and take with you. For info on where you dock, try the Destinations section on cruisecritic, and sites such as whatsinport.Another site with lots of info is venicefor visitors.

 

 

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

[roothy123]

We had a day and a half, possibly two in Venice pre-cruise, and didn't DO a lot of things. We're not shoppers, and aren't crazy about museums. I didn't even care if we didn't take a gondola ride. (If you do, though, I would try for one that's on a smaller canal.) I tried to get into the San Marco basilica, but was turned away because I had a small camera off-the shoulder pack. (If you go there, be aware that they're very strict about backpacks, although large purses seemed to be fine.) So with all this "we didn't care" stuff, what did we end up doing? I walked around the area of our hotel (not far from St. Mark's), just nosing around. (Be prepared to get lost - pretty tricky!) I also got a vaporetto pass and took several vaporettos. (Be aware that the white ACTV city vaporettos are different from the yellow Alilaguna boats. Separate tickets are required, and there ARE vaporetto police checking tickets at times! Keep your receipt.). It was a thrill to go putting past the port and see our cruise ship there the day before we boarded it. (It was in Venice two days, one each for 2 cruises.) It was nice to get away from the St. Mark's area and see lesser-touristed areas. A vaporetto pass makes that possible. We went to Murano and Burano, spending more time in the latter as I love color. There is a LOT of color in Burano!

 

Whatever you do, I think you'll find Venice to be a fun, rather unique place. I loved it. In addition to the sites others suggested, you might want to get basic info here: tomsportguides.com You'll need to go under "Ports" and search for Venice or Italy to find the Venice guide.

[Breakfast_at_Taylors]

Thank you very much, Roothy. This is all extremely helpful! I’ll definitely look into everything you suggested.

[rdt10]

I like going into St Mark's Cathedral and paying to go upstairs where the real bronze horses are located (the ones above the Cathedral are replicas) and going out onto the landing overlooking St Mark's Square. Very nice views. You can pre-book your entry into the Cathedral online and skip the line.

 

One of the best things to do in Venice is to just walk and get lost. There are shops, restaurants and squares all over. We frequently walk from Piazzale Roma to Rialto Bridge to St Marks. There are signs with arrows high on the corner of buildings pointing to Rialto Bridge, St Marks, etc. The multi-day vaporetto pass is also nice to get around and go down the Grand Canal.