What would you do if you had only one day to spend in Venice with your family while traveling in Italy? Here are a few tips that hopefully will be helpful to give you some ideas about where to stay, how to move around and what to see. Before going to Italy I find it useful to know a little more about the culture in addition to taking Italian lessons.
Last May I went back to Italy with my husband and eight year old son to visit my family. We decided that we would not stay for the whole vacation in Tuscany where they now live but instead go to Dolomiti, the northeastern Alps and stop in Venice (Venezia) on the way up there. I procrastinated with making reservations and ended up doing that too late forgetting that June 2 is a holiday in Italy and that was the day that we would spend in Venice.
Tip 1: consult the calendar for Italian holidays when planning your trip. Holidays affect transportation, store and restaurant schedules. In addition, places get crowded more than usual.
Venture in the Countryside outside of Venice!
Having been in Venice often, I knew too well that staying in the laguna can be very expensive and a high price for a hotel still does not guarantee a decent room. I wanted us to stay at a bed and breakfast or agriturismo (farm house) outside of Venice in a little town called Mogliano Veneto, in Treviso province but everything was booked due to the upcoming holiday. Near Treviso there are many small towns with railway stations so it is very easy to reach Venezia Santa Lucia (the train stop of old Venice) by train in a short time. I did not consider Mestre (the modern Venice) because it is a big city and I felt that after walking all day we would prefer to go back to a quieter place. I used Bed and Breakfast Italy to make reservations and I ended up finding a bed and breakfast at Casale sul Sile near Treviso, called Dimora di Campagna.
Tip 2: Consider staying outside of Venice - prices are better and there are multiple options in addition to hotels such as bed-and-breakfasts, farm houses, and holiday villas. They usually have gardens like shown below, very important when traveling with children.
Dimora di Campagna struck me immediately because it is a beautiful XVII century Venetian villa and the owner replied to me promptly, while other facilities took their time to respond and I was running out of time. Yes, this is a draw back of the site, people take their time to reply so to cut corners when I could I would contact the owner directly through their websites and not through Bed and Breakfast Italy. As I mentioned earlier the villa was amazing, exquisitely decorated with historic original furniture but modern amenities and a beautiful groomed garden. My son loved it from the first moment we arrived because of the garden and the animals! Among them two dogs, five cats, and a few hens. After driving for 5 hours as soon as we parked the car he started to play with the dogs, run around and climb on the trees. My son has a lot of energy.
Bike around Casale sul Sile
Casale sul Sile is a small town along the river Sile which is well known for its spring water. It is possible to kayak or canoe down the river or bike along it on the greenway, although it is not completed yet. The river Sile is a regional natural park. Unfortunately, because we stayed there only two nights we could not explore it but it is something that I would certainly consider doing having more time available. Also the bed and breakfast had bikes that guests can use. In Veneto, the region of Venice, people use their bike as a mean of transportation from the young to the elderly. It is a fun way to move around.
Tip 3: check in advance at the place you are staying for bike availability. And if you are with children inquire if they have kid bikes.
Energize Yourself with a Heavenly Breakfast
The next day we went to Venice after a wonderful breakfast prepared by Sabrina, the owner of the bed and breakfast. She served it in the garden, and surprised us with home made organic pancakes, brioches, desserts and fruit smoothies (centrifughe). We ate it all! A wonderful way to start the day and getting ready for what awaited us ahead.
Forget Your Car, Take a Train to Venice
After breakfast we drove to Quarto d'Altino a small town 15 minutes from Casale sul Sile to catch the train for Venezia Santa Lucia. There were many tourists at the station but we managed not to miss the train and be in Venice by 9:00 am. Small railway stations do not have a ticket office but instead there are ticket machines to purchase train tickets. Make sure that you have change; from Quarto d'Altino one way to Venice is 3.20 €. You can also use credit cards but you will be asked to use your pin number, no matter whether it's a credit card or a debit card. There were tourists who could not remember their pin number and that is how you could miss the train.
Tip 4: arrive at the railway station early if you don't already have tickets and have change ready. It's less confusing with coins than with a card.
Ready, Set, Walk! Wait, Let's Take a Vaporetto Instead!
Once in Venice I bought a city map at the railway station at the newspaper stand (edicola). Venice being an old city is like a labyrinth - which is why it's handy to have a map. In order to know where to go from the station I also often look at signs for San Marco square or other famous landmarks posted on buildings and then I just follow them. Same on the way back, I follow signs for "ferrovia" (train station) to reach the railway station. However, this time we decided to take a vaporetto (water bus) to San Marco, the cheapest way to view Canal Grande from the water. One way ticket was 7.50 €. You can purchase tickets outside the railway station. In the morning vaporetti are not as crowded. As the day goes on there are more and more people trying to get on.
Tip 5: get a map and use public transportation, water taxis are expensive and gondolas are for touristic rides only, not a way to get from Point A to Point B.
Public Restrooms: Are there Any?
Yes! There are public restrooms in Venice but they are not free and they are spread out in different areas of the city and surrounding islands, check this link to see where they are located https://wctoilettevenezia.com/mappa-bagni/?lang=en and their schedule. They are not open 24 hrs a day. If where you are in the city there are none in your area, a way to go around it is to get a coffee in a bar or cafe and use its restroom, this is what the locals usually do.
Cannot Miss San Marco Square
We left the station and finally reached San Marco, the most popular square in Venice. We stood in line to enter the Basilica of San Marco - we didn't have to wait too long to get in. The entrance to the main area of the church is free but to see the Treasure and the Campanile there is a charge. My son wanted absolutely to see the Treasure and he had high expectations about it but was soon disappointed when he discovered that it had nothing to do with a pirate treasure. The entrance was 3.00 € per person. Next we went to the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale). There are many ticket options, and because we wanted to see only the Doge's Palace and are a family we were charged 13.00 € per person. To obtain information about tickets for Palazzo Ducale go to http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/home/.
Tip 6: browse the following site http://www.veneziaunica.it/en for ideas about museums, events, and what to visits, but also for transportation ticket options and your city pass.
My son's favorite part of Palazzo Ducale visit was to cross Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) apparently named after condemned people crossed it to go to jail and sighed at their last view of Venice and the outside world. He also loved to look at the convict cells in the prison called i Piombi di Venezia. The ornate palace with its frescoes and tapestries did not impress him but the prison did and made him hungry as well. So where to go for lunch?
Leave the Crowd: the Adventure Starts Now
We were done with the visit and ready to eat so we decided to leave the tourist area and started meandering in the small streets, in Venice they are called "calli". As soon as you leave the main calli people suddenly disappear and thus you may have a good chance to find a good place to eat at a fair price. All we wanted was a sandwich (panino in Italian) and we were able to find it at Bistro de l'Osmarin: panini artigianali (artisan sandwiches) located at Sestiere Castello 4976/B. Sandwiches were made with local ingredients from the region. There was no place to sit, but it didn't matter, we sat on steps viewing a canale (canal). By the time we were done it was really hot and humid 31 C/ 88 F, very unusual for the beginning of June.
Tip 7: venture outside main calli and squares to find a good place to eat and enjoy a break from the constant crowd.
My son was getting tired and wanted to go back home and by home he meant the bed and breakfast with its beautiful mature trees and I have to admit that the idea of its shaded garden was appealing in such a hot day. Nonetheless we kept walking, crossed Rialto Bridge and somehow ended up at the Church of San Francesco della Vigna. There was nobody there except for the three of us and the church caretaker who, after talking to my son, decided to give us a private tour of the church by showing us each painting and explaining its meaning. He also went as far as to put the coins to illuminate the masterpieces. What an unexpected treat! Tip 8: keep coins handy in case you are visiting churches, you will need them to illuminate the art work.
Explore the Art and Craft of Venetians: Enter into Ateliers and Small Shops!
Continuing to walk toward the railway station my son's eyes were caught by an atelier of mask and costume making, Sogno Veneziano. We went in and the owner showed multiple masks to him and he was completely captivated by it. The owner also let him walk in the back of the atelier to view the period costumes his wife made. The art of mask and costume making is typical of Venice. The atelier sells and rents costumes for Carnevale and private events. Carnevale is a big celebration similar to Mardi Gras in the US and in Venice is celebrated at the end of January. According to the owner there are only five atelier left in Venice today that do this kind of work. A handmade mask can be a nice gift to bring back home. Sogno Veneziano is located at Cannaregio, Calle delle Erbe 6423/a.
Tip 9: see what the Venetians make that is unique to Venice.
And Finally Indulge Your Dinner!
Our day was coming to an end. We felt that we were able to visit enough for a day despite the crowd and the heat. The fact that we didn't make any reservations ahead of time did not affect our visit. On the contrary it gave us the liberty to choose on the spot what to do, and often we let our son decide where to go next. That evening we reached Casale sul Sile exhausted. We had our dinner at a quiet restaurant, a nice way to end the day.
Arrivederci (See you)! Or like the Venetians say "se vedemo"!
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