Venice: Getting Off the Tourist Track
It’s been nearly 20 years since we visited Venice (we did a grand tour of Venice, Pisa, Florence & Rome many moons ago when I hadn’t realised I would settle in England) and when I discovered how close this extraordinary city of islands and canals were to Verona, I was beyond excited to revisit this Italian gem.
Every single time I saw a Canaletto my heart beat for a return trip – so we booked the quick train from Verona (around an hour & 20 minutes, in advance) and boarded giddily, armed with cappucinos and pistachio crema stuffed croissants.
The very definition of happiness.
We just wandered, no real destination in mind, just a few hours of exploring before catching the train back to Verona.
Of course we did a little shopping – though I wasn’t allowed to buy a Santa on a Gondolier as our Christmas ornament of the year – Mr Kiwi is so very unreasonable…
Whatever you do, avoid eating in San Marco square. It’s a hassle to get to with the crazy crowds, they charge 9 Euro for a bottle of coke (at the time of writing) and often add a per person charge for the live musicians. Oh, and when we visited on this trip there were extensive, hammering building works.
What a delightful experience…
We strolled through fully knowing what it’s like – honestly, walk even a couple of streets away and find somewhere to eat – we discovered a little place that even had bacon & egg pizza which made my little kiwi heart sing (probably helped with a serving of pure Italian carbs).
We covered all of the tourist hot spots on this visit – because it’s been so long…
…but, in the title of this post I grandly announced the secrets to getting off the tourist track.
It’s not just clickbait – if you want more chill, local Venice turn right out of the train station. There are tiny restaurants, sweet cafes serving wine & beer canalside and amazing churchs hidden around so many corners.
Or, if you go left – avoid the signposted route to San the Rialto & San Marco Square. Just wander away from the crowds or grab a watertaxi out to one of the islands for much less hustle and bustle. Get under the skin of Venice properly.
Venice has just started charging a city fare to access the city Friday – Sunday during the busy season as well – something to bare in mind.
What a city.
