Tips for Traveling to Venice: How to Enjoy Italy’s Floating City
There are probably a million other Venice travel guides on the internet, and our goal is to create one that has all the info and tips for traveling to Venice that you'll need in just one article!
The floating city is pretty much on everyone's bucket list, and it truly is a magical place worth visiting. But let's be honest - it's the type of place that can get overcrowded, be overpriced, and kind of kill the beauty of visiting.
That's why we're going to share all of our tips for traveling to Venice, so that you can enjoy this stunning wonder as much as we did.
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First Things First - Can Tourists Still Visit Venice?
Tourists can still visit Venice! While it used to be free, there is now just a small charge to enter the city. We're going to cover all of the details in our "entry requirements section" which you can skip to by clicking on words above.
📍 Where is Venice in Italy?
Venice is an island located off of the north east coast of Italy along the Adriatic Sea.
Tips for Traveling to Venice: How to Get There
Our first tips for traveling to Venice, are to help you get there in the cheapest and most efficient way! Costs add up quickly while traveling to Venice, so we're going to show you the different options for doing so.
✈️ Which Airport Do You Fly to For Venice?
Venice has its own airport, which is Marco Polo Airport. The airport is located just 13 km north east of Venice and takes 15 minutes in a taxi, or 25-30 minutes in public transportation.
🛫 How Do You Get to Venice From the US?
From the US you easily fly direct to Venice, or you can fly to a variety of other cities in Italy and take the train, or have a connection in plenty of other cities throughout Europe.
If you plan on going in high season to Venice direct via a US airline, there is a high chance of the flight being oversold! Plan your trip a day early and you can give up your seat for a substantial amount of $, and getting put on the next flight out for free!
🇺🇸 What US Cities Fly Direct to Venice?
The US cities that fly direct to Venice are Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. The Canadian cities that fly to Venice direct are Montreal and Toronto.
Other cities that fly direct to Venice include Alghero, Amsterdam, Asturias, Athens, Barcelona, Bari, Basel, Belgrade, Berlin, Birmingham, Bordeaux, Bournemouth, Brindisi, Brussels, Cagliari, Cannes, Casablanca, Catania, Chisinau, Cologne, Copenhagen, Corfu, Doha, Dubai, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Foggia, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Helsinki, Iasi, Ibiza, Istanbul, Izmir, Jersey, Karpathos, Kefalonia, Lamezia Terme, Leeds, Leipzig, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Luxembourg, Lyon, Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Mykonos, Nantes, Naples, Nice, Nuremberg, Olbia, Palermo, Pantelleria, Paris, Prague, Reggio Calabria, Reykjavik, Riga, Rome, Seoul, Sion, Skiathos, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv, Tunis, Vienna, Warsaw, Yerevan, Zakynthos, and Zurich.
Flight Tip: Using Skyscanner you can put from "your city" to "Everywhere". This way you can see which is the cheapest airport in the area to fly. Also, you can check the calendar to see which are the cheapest dates for flying direct to Venice!
Search for a flight to Venice or Italy:
🚌 Other Ways to Get to Venice
If you don't happen to fly direct to Venice, you can also get their by the following options:
- Take a train to Venice from surrounding cities
- Take a bus to Venice from surrounding cities
- Join a Bla Bla car trip
- Rent a car and drive to Venice (this is the option that we did - but we only recommend it if you are doing a long road trip around Italy or visiting several other places in Europe).
- Take a cruise to Venice - We were working on cruise ships for years, and this is a popular cruise port, that you can find a lot of one-way cruises to!
🚐 Tips for Traveling to Venice from the Airport
You can get to the city from the airport and vice versa in a few different ways:
- Take the Aerobus: 18 euros each way
- Take a prepaid bus: $10
- Take a water taxi transfer: $16
- Take a taxi: 40-50 euros per car
What Do You Need to Travel to Venice, Italy?
The requirements for visiting Venice have just changed, and we're also going to clue you in on the requirements to visit and stay in Italy, as well as the other countries in the Schengen Zone.
💶 Does Venice Have an Entry Fee?
Venice does have an entry fee, but it is actually not 24/7 and is for only certain days of the year! The fee is a flat 5 euros per day, and the fee is only charged between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:00 pm, which are the peak hours for tourism in Venice.
The dates that Venice has an entry fee are as follows:
- April 25th- May 5th
- May 11th & 12th
- May 18th & 19th
- May 25th & 26th
- June 8th & 9th
- June 15th & 16th
- June 22nd & 23rd
- June 29th & 30th
- July 6th & 7th
- July 13th & 14th
🤑 Venice Fee Exemption
There are certain people who are exempt from having to pay the fee, and will need to register with proof of exemption upon arrival to the city. The people that can be exempt from payment are:
- Local residents
- Children under 14
- Local students
- European Disability Card holders
- Members of the Armed Forces and the Police Forces that are there to perform relevant duties
🛂 Visa Entry Requirements for Italy
Travelers from the US, Australia, UK, and many other countries do not require a visa to visit Italy, or the other countries in the Schengen Zone. They will be able to stay 90 days within a 180 day period in total inside the Schengen Zone.
The 90/180 Rule
It's important to note that the 90 days count towards all countries in the Schengen area. For example, if you spend 20 days in Hungary (also part of the Schengen Zone), you will then only be able to spend a total of 70 days in Italy (or the other Shengen countries) within that 180-day period.
We always use the Schengen visa calculator, which is really helpful for those who are planning on traveling in and out of the EU for longer periods of time.
🇪🇺 Schengen Visas
For those of you who are planning on staying longer than 90 days inside the Schengen Zone, or those of you who are from a country which doesn't get visa-free access, you will need to apply for a Schengen Visa. Make sure to check the list of countries that need to get a Schengen Visa before traveling to Europe.
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Tips for Traveling to Venice: Local Adjustments
Whenever visiting a new country or new city, there are certain things that may be different from home. Some of our tips for traveling to Venice are to make sure you are fully prepared before your stay! Here are some things to keep in mind while visiting.
🗣 What Language Do They Speak in Venice?
All over Italy the official language is Italian. However, there are a ton of different dialects in Italy, so even if you understand Italian you may notice a difference in the language.
In Venice they speak Veneto, also known as Venetian.
Locals are extra sweet and appreciative when you try to speak a bit of their language (whether it be Venetian or Italian), so pick up a few phrases before going for a more pleasant stay!
Is it Okay to Speak English in Venice?
As a very touristic place, it's pretty common for locals and people working in shops, restaurants, and hotels to speak English.
💶 What Currency Does Italy Use?
The currency used in Venice is the same as the rest of Italy, which is the euro. Most places take credit cards, so you won't need to have too much cash on you, unless it's for tipping or certain street vendors.
Is Venice Expensive to Visit?
Compared to come other cities in Italy, Venice is particularly expensive. One of our favorite tips for traveling to Venice though is to walk on the outskirts of the center! Here you'll find better prices for meals and shops.
🔌 What Electrical Socket is in Venice?
Venice uses the same plug types as the rest of Europe, which are types C, E, & F. The standard voltage in Venice is 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
🚰 Is it Safe to Drink Tap Water in Venice?
The water is perfectly safe to drink from the tap in Venice. However, it's good to know that restaurants typically only offer bottled water, so we recommend getting a reusable water bottle and filling up at fountains.
💸 Is There Tipping in Venice, Italy?
Tipping isn't very common in Italy, and sometimes people just put a euro or two on the table if they've received good service.
There is also a service charge which is typical in a lot of places in Northern Italy which is called "coperto", and this is for bread, sometimes water, or simple things included in what Americans know as typical service.
We always suggest checking the menu or inquiring before you sit down, so that you know if there will or will not be a coperto added to your bill.
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Things to Do in Venice, Italy
Now that you know some of the basics tips for traveling to Venice, it's time to check out all of the beautiful places around the city, and all of the fun things to do around town.
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🚶🏻♀️ Roam the Canals
Did you know that Venice is comprised of 150 canals?! This is one of the main reasons that we recommend people to spend more than a day in Venice.
Spend some time simply getting lost and exploring the different canals throughout the city, and don't forget to bring your camera! There are so many picturesque spots, and you could spend hours without getting bored.
🌁 Walk Over the Grand Canal Via Rialto Bridge
The number one canal in Venice is the Grand Canal, which is the largest canal going through the center of the city.
Make sure to spend some time walking on both sides of the canal, as there are a ton of shops, restaurants, and street vendors to see.
Rialto Bridge is one of the most iconic sights, and walking over the bridge that connects the two sides of the canal gives you some of the most stunning views of the city.
🏛 Visit St Mark's Square
St Mark's is the biggest and most famous square in Venice, and is home to the top tourist attractions in Venice, including museums, a cathedral, palace, and more.
Sites at St Mark's Square:
Basilica di San Marco: the central cathedral
Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace): ornate gothic palace
Torre dell'Orologio: Renaissance tower with a mechanical clock from 1499
Procuratie Vecchie: 3 emblamatic buildings
Olivetti Exhibition Centre: Mid-20th century Olivetti showroom
Museo Correr: art museum of Venetian works from the 13th century
Ravagan Gallery: modern and contemporary art gallery
Colonna di San Todaro: two iconic columns
🛶 Take a Gondola Ride
One of the most iconic activities in Venice is to take a gondola ride. Sailing around the stunning canals of Venice in true Venetian style is truly one for the bucket list.
Gondola's are one of the most iconic way to see the city.
Gondola rides have become increasingly expensive, so one of our tips for traveling to Venice is to try and find one on a smaller canal where you can negotiate a bit more.
The Grand Canal is where the most amount of gondolas are, but the going rate is around $100!
I actually got lucky once - I was in Venice for one day before starting my contract working on a cruise ship, and asked the guy if I could get a discount since I was alone and really wanted to do it.
He ended up telling me to meet him after the gondola rides all finished (I believe it was around 7 pm) and he took me for a free ride around the whole city! Yea - the intentions sound fishy, but it was a really good time, and there were no strings attached if you know what I mean.
Visit the Cutest Book Store
Libreria Acqua Alta may just be the cutest book store you'll come across. Free to visit, the vintage shop is full of adorable book installations, and is also one of our favorite photo spots in Venice.
🤝 Check Out the "Building Bridges" Masterpiece
Located outside of the center of Venice, this incredible bridge made of hands is one of the hidden gems of the city.
Building Bridges was created by Lorenzo Quinn to symbolize unity and peace. It's a wonderful peice of art, and can be visited by going inside the naval base.
🎭 Check Out the Ornate Masks
Masks are a symbol of Venice, and you can find them being sold and displayed all over the city.
Centuries ago the aristocrats wore masks to be able to go out in bars, gamble, and engage in "controversial" activities without being able to be recognized on the streets, and now you kind find these intricate face coverings everywhere.
Typically ornate and glamorous, they are a tradition in the city, and continue to be used during Venice's annual carnival.
🪜 Climb Scala Contarini del Bovolo
This is certainly one of the hidden gems of Venice, but one you won't want to miss! The Contarini del Bovolo is an ornate multi-arched spiral stairwell connected to a beautiful palace.
⛵️ Take a Catamaran Cruise
What better way to enjoy the island of Venice than being able to experience it from the water? For the same price of a gondola ride you can also set sail on the outskirts of the city enjoying live music and drinks.
🌈 Take a Day Trip to Burano & Murano
Burano and Murano are two islands right next to Venice that you won't want to miss out on!
Murano is the closer of the two islands, and is known for its stunning glass blowing. The charming island has beautiful architecture, as well as some really unique galleries and shops to check out.
Burano is Venice's bright and bubbly sister, bursting with bright colors, and know for its incredible lace tradition.
Both islands are incredible to spend a half day, and you can easily combine them for the perfect day trip from Venice on your own, or sign up for one of the tours that take care of it for you.
Tips for Traveling to Venice: Local Food & Drink
Italy has some of the best food in the world! While there are an endless amount of Italian dish options you can choose from, we're going to share a bit about the cuisine that is specific to the region of Veneto.
Being an island, Venice is known for having a lot of seafood incorporated into their dishes, particularly sardines and anchovies. Rather than a lot of pasta, Venice is also known for being the region with the most rice, and also incorporates a lot of polenta.
🍝 Typical Venetian Food
Here are some dishes that are specific to the Veneto region:
- Cicchetto: small bites of food on bread or polenta (similar to Spanish tapas)
- Carpaccio: paper-thin sliced raw beef topped with shaved parmesan
- Pandoro: thick sweet bread stuffed with candied fruits that's served during Christmas
- Pincia: a Venetian-style bread pudding
- Bacala Mantecato: creamy salted cod
- Scampetti con Polenta: polenta topped with shrimp
- Bigoli in Salsa: thin noodles (similar to spaghetti) with onions and anchovies
- Risotto al nero di seppia: squid ink risotto
- Sarde in Saor: deep fried sardines marinated in onions, vinegar, pine nuts, and raisins
- Fegato alla veneziana: liver with figs and caramelized onions often served with toasted bread, potatoes, or polenta
🍴 Tips for Traveling to Venice: Where to Eat in the City
There are so many great restaurants in Venice, but the key mistake that tourists make while visiting is eating next to the tourist highlights.
Spend 10 minutes walking towards the outskirts of town, and you'll find prices drop significantly, and quality increases immensely.
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Tips for Traveling Venice: Getting Around
Now that you know all of the fun things to do in Venice, let's look at the different ways of getting around this gorgeous city.
🚗 How Do Tourists Get Around in Venice?
Venice is actually a car-free city! This means that in order to explore you'll have to rely mostly on walking. We honestly love walking the city, as it really allows you to see all of the hidden gems lying around.
Don't worry though, if you have a long walk ahead of you (for example going from the entrance of the city to the water taxis for the island) then you can rely on the public water taxis that go all around the city!
Rides are 9.50 euros, but if you plan on using them more than twice then it's actually worth it to get one of the daily passes, which are good for all of the water taxis in the area.
🚌 Transportation Passes in Venice
One of our top tips for traveling to Venice is to invest in one of the transportation passes! We didn't do this and ended up spending more money in the long run.
There are 4 different passes that you can get, depending on how long you'll be in the city, or how much you want to travel. These do NOT include transport to and from the airport, and children under 5 years old travel free.
- 1 Day - 25 euros
- 2 Days - 35 euros
- 3 Days - 45 euros
- 7 Days - 65 euros
🚐 Tourist Passes in Venice
Another one of our tips for traveling to Venice is to invest in one of the city passes! We didn't know about this until the end, but if you plan on seeing a lot of sites or moving aound a lot, then they can be worth it.
There are two types of tourist passes:
- San Marco City Pass: starting at 24 euros, this pass includes Doge's Palace, 4 museums, & entrance to 3 churches from the Chorus network (also has a family deal)
- Rolling Venice Pass: 33 euros for ages 6-29 and includes 3 days of free travel on Actv pubic transport, and discounts on museums and shopping
The San Marco City Pass includes Doge's Palace.
🚶🏻♀️ Is Venice Walkable in a Day?
You can certainly see Venice in a day if you really set your mind to it. But we wouldn't recommend walking Venice in just one day!
We ended up walking through the city several times in the 4 days we were there, and each day we came across new canals and cute alleyways to appreciate.
The Hand Bridge is also a pretty far walk from the center, so we'd recommend doing different areas of the city on different days.
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Tips for Traveling to Venice: Where to Stay
Venice is certainly a pricey place to stay, but it truly is worth staying on the island itself rather than staying across the bridge in a nearby town. There is a variety of different places to stay from small apartments to super luxury hotels.
There are a lot of luxury hotels in Venice.
If you'd like to be in the main action of it all, then you'll want to look for a hotel that is either near Saint Mark's Square or near Rialto Bridge.
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, then we'd recommend you to look within San Polo, Cannaregio, or closer to the end of the island with the naval museum and building bridges.
We recommend checking this map on Booking.com to find a place that best fits your needs for the best price:
Is Venice Safe?
Venice is overall a pretty safe city, but it can be dangerous outside the city center near the bus station.
We didn't run into any issues, but also hear that leaving your car on the street is particularly dangerous, and it's important that if you drive you should leave your car in a lot that has security.
As Venice is also highly trafficked, pickpocketing can be common, so it's important to always be aware of your surroundings!
Venice is pretty safe at night in the center. Just make sure you stay in well-lit areas and stick to the most touristy zones.
👮🏻♀️ Safety Tips for Traveling to Venice
- Carry a bag that zips.
- Keep an eye on your belongings at all times.
- Don't wander around alone at night near the bus station.
- If you have a car, park it in a secure lot outside the city.
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Other Tips for Traveling to Venice
We've shared almost all of our tips for traveling to Venice, Italy. But don't go anywhere just yet! We have a few more of them to share with you.
☀️ Weather in Venice
Venice experiences all 4 seasons, with warm and humid summers, and cold winters. It doesn't snow often, but there is a small chance to see some in December or January.
📆 What is the Best Month to Visit Venice?
The best month to visit Venice is one that is during the shoulder season, or during Carnival.
In September and October Venice has great weather, and the crowds start to die off a bit. April and May are even better months to visit, as the weather starts to warm up, and it's before the tourist season starts, so the hospitality is better.
February is when you can experience the famous carnival in Venice, which is a really special time to immerse in the city's traditions.
Danielle Zito
There are so many incredible holidays and festivals around the world to enjoy! From carnival celebrations to lantern festivals, there is a wide variety of wild parties and traditional rituals that you can find across the globe.Each year we look to tick off a couple of these festivals around the world from our bucket list, and we're here to help you do the same!We've worked hard to gather all of
🧳 How Do I Prepare for a Trip to Venice?
Here are some of the things we brought with us on our trip to Venice:
- Comfortable sandals for walking around
- Cute dresses for photos
- Bag/ Backpack that zips (check out our list of favorite backpacks for travelers!)
- Action Camera (we use the Insta 360 X3 because you can use it with an extra long selfie stick to mimic a drone)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Chapstick
- Reusable Water Bottle (we use this water bottle from Cafago because it holds the temperature)
- Camera (we use the Sony A7Riii)
- Wide Lens for wider shots of the canals (we use Sony GM 14mm 1.8)
- Drone unique shots of the islands (We use the DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro)
- Power Bank (we use Anker power banks as they are super long lasting and durable)
- Cash for the tickets and street vendors
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🤔 Is Venice Worth Visiting?
While Venice can be very crowded and expensive, there is a reason that it is so mobbed with tourists.
It's a simply stunning city, and if you can follow our tips for traveling to Venice, it will certainly be worth a visit!
If tyou follow our tips for traveling to Venice, it will be worth visiting!
⏳ How Many Days in Venice is Enough?
We'd recommend a full three days in Venice. This is a great amount of time to be able to enjoy all of the different canals, museums, and other attractions around the city.
Save a full day for visiting Burano and Murano, the neighboring islands.
If you have more time, you can check out some other incredible cities nearby such as Verona, Treviso, and Trieste, or take a few day trip to the incredible mountains of the Dolomites.
There is a ton to see and do in Venice, so give yourself a few days.
Conclusion: Tips for Traveling to Venice
Here is a list of all of the tips for traveling to Venice we have shared, for quick reference!
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We hope you've found our tips for traveling to Venice helpful, and that you enjoy your trip just as much as we did!
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