We spent the day in Venice on Saturday, and when all was said and done, it lived up to its expectations, the good and the bad.
Is it crowded? Yes. On a day in the supposed “off-season” it was canal-to-canal tourists. Curls and I noted that it was much like a day at Disney World…you’re constantly surrounded by crowds of people from all different countries, and nearly all of them are carrying a camera.
The hardest part we found while spending the day in Venice wasn’t seeing everything we wanted to see, it was getting past the stress of getting there and getting around. For long periods of time, especially on the walk from the Santa Lucia train station to Saint Mark’s Square (which is a good 30-40 minute walk), you find yourself squeezing by tourists and in between narrow walk ways so much that you forget that you’re actually in Venice. Several times, I had to stop and remind myself that we had made it…we were walking the streets of Venice.
Incidentally, getting there can be a little stressful as well. We opted for the cheaper route, driving to the Venice-Mestre Train Station (not the Mestre Ospedale Station…we made that mistake). Parking across the street is 12 Euro/Day. Taking the train in is 1.25 Euro one-way. As you spill out onto the island from the train station, it’s a bit of a mess as well. If you like wide-open spaces, you won’t find any in Venice.
We decided in our 6 hours touring around that the most important thing to do is to simply relax and take it all in. Drown out the constant noise of crowds and annoying tour groups and just enjoy the surroundings. Here were some of the sights that made us say, “Ahhhh, Venice”:
The Campanille
The Harbor
The Bridges (including the Bridge of Sighs)
Another great thing to do is to get away from the hustle of the crowd and enjoy some of the non-touristy areas. You’ll know you’ve found them when you find yourself among people without cameras around their necks. We found our slice of the real Venice by the Naval History museum. We even found a second hand store (a small corridor attached to a church where nice older Italian women are happy to give you a deal). Your money goes to the children the church supports...though I didn't get pictures of it, it's just down from the Naval History Museum in this area:
by this Church
Overall, Venice is beautiful and chaotic, and definitely worth another visit!
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