5 Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make in Venice

Alright, let's be honest. Planning a trip to Venice can feel a little overwhelming, to say the least. I mean, you've heard the stories about tourist traps, the confusing maze of canals, and of course, the entire logistics of it all. We get it. It can seem like the city is designed to confuse and overcharge you. But what if you could put all that stress aside and plan the perfect trip to Venice in just five simple steps? Hello everyone, my name is Rick and I'm Andrea and today we are going to show you how to unlock Venice magic without the madness. From the moment you land to your last sip of espresso we'll cover how to get there, where to stay, how to get around, what to eat, and how to find the real Venice. By the end of this video, you'll have a clear plan to skip the chaos and dive straight into the beauty of the floating city. Finally, we will give you some very important pro tips that only locals know, including the infamous access tax, so you'll have your true magical trip to Venice. That sounds amazing. So let's begin with getting there and getting there the right way, right? So first things first, let's get you into Venice without any of the travel headaches, right? I mean, if you fly into Venice, you're likely going to land at one of two of its close airports. The main airport is Marco Polo or the other one, it's the smaller Treviso airport. Now from Marco Polo, you've got three main options to get into downtown Venice. The cheapest and the fastest way to the city's edge is the express bus. Look, it just costs around 10 euros. It's a direct 20 minute ride to Piazzale Roma, the last place you'll see a car in Venice for real. And then from there, it's either a short walk or a water bus to your hotel. Now, for a more scenic arrival, the Alle Laguna water bus is for you. For about 18 euros one way or 32 return, these boats cruise from the airport docks across the lagoon with stops near major spots like San Marco. It's a classic Venetian entrance, but just a heads up, it's slower. It takes over an hour and you might have to walk with your luggage from the docks to the hotel. The Alle Laguna has two lines, the blue line that connects the airport to the island of Murano and Lido before getting to San Marco square and the orange line that goes down the Grand Canal and stop at the Rialto bridge before arriving at San Marco. You can pick the one that is the stop closer to your hotel. That sounds like very, very good advice. And of course, your third choice from the Marco Polo airport to downtown Venice, well, it's pure movie star luxury set for someone like me, right? A private water taxi. You'll arrive directly at your hotel's private dock and it is an unforgettable experience. But that glamour usually comes with a price tag, about 120 euros. But if you're in a group, maybe you can split the cost or if you're wrestling with a lot of luggage, that could be an option too. We also mentioned that Venice has a second airport in Treviso, located about 40 kilometers outside the city center. This airport is mostly used by low-cost airlines. If you land here in order to get to the city center, you will need to either take a bus that connects the airport with Piazzale Roma in Venice or take the bus from the airport to the Treviso train station and then from there, you can go to Santa Lucia train station. Last, you can also take a taxi that will cost you between 90 and 120 euros, depending on the type of day and the day of the week and the number of bags. Now, if you're arriving by train, you are in for a treat. You'll pull into Venice's Santa Lucia train station and the second you step outside, you'll be greeted by the Grand Canal. It's the best possible introduction to Venice. Now, this is a very important thing to remember. Venice has two train stations. Venezia Santa Lucia, that is right on the Grand Canal, and Venezia Mestre, that is on the mainland, about 10 kilometers away from the city center. Bottom line, the train station you need to get off if you want to visit Venice's city center is Santa Lucia, not Mestre. Right, and if you're taking a road trip in Italy and you want to drive to Venice, you're going to be arriving at Piazzale Roma. It's the only area of the city that you can reach by car and then you'll park your car and you're going to need to reserve that parking in advance because guess what? Spots are limited and in peak season, they sell out very quickly. But then from Piazzale Roma, you'll either walk to the city center or take the Vaporetto, more on that later, or of course, take one of those famous, wonderful water taxi rides to your hotel. No matter how you arrive, book your airport transfer in advance or your train ticket in advance, especially during high season. It can save you from a long wait. So where do you stay and for how long? For a first-time visit, three days is a sweet spot. It gives you enough time to see the essential like St. Mark's Square, the Rialto Bridge and even over the colorful island of Murano in Murano. With four or more days, you can truly get lost in the city hidden corners at your own relaxed pace. But I really, really think that a lot of folks, they don't visit Venice for enough time. Three or four days is absolutely imperative to get a good idea of what it's all about. Now, as for where to stay, the city is split into six districts or sesteri, sesterieri, which you can see here. Now, it might be tempting to stay in San Marco to be close to all of the action, but it's easily the most crowded and the most expensive area. Now, let me tell you a little secret. We love the Cannaregio and the Dorsoduro areas. Cannaregio is authentic. It's got a local feel. It's close to the train station and it's packed with fantastic restaurants that are by the canal. And Dorsoduro, that's the city's artistic hub, home to the Peggy and Guggenheim collection and buzzing with full of energy from the local university. And both give you easy access to the main sites while offering a peaceful escape from the crowds, right? If you are on a budget and you want to save some money, you can stay in Mestre, Venezia Mestre, on the mainland. Remember the other train station we're talking about early? Now, from there, you can commute to the city center by train in about 10 minutes. The train runs very frequently during the day, every 5-10 minutes or so, and the cost is really cheap, about €1.50 one way. However, the last train is 11.51 p.m. and after that, you're out of luck and you will need to find an alternative way to go back to Mestre. So keep this in mind. Right, and another crucial tip, of course, book your accommodations and all of your tickets for those must-see attractions like the Doge Palace well in advance. Particularly if you're traveling between April and October. Look, the best spots always fill up fast, so booking anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months ahead is a very smart move. You can scan this QR code or click the link in the description to buy your skip-the-line tickets in Venice and they're changeable if your plans change, so don't worry about it. Getting around without getting lost too much. In the historic Venice, there are no cars, no scooters, no subway. Your options are your own two feet and the water. Walking is hands down the best way to see Venice, at least in our opinion. Getting lost here isn't a mistake, it's part of the magic. So put your phone away for a bit, follow random canals and see where you end up. You'll discover hidden courtyards and quiet squares that you'd never find on a map. Just wear very comfortable shoes because you will walk a lot. Avoid sandals or flip-flops because you will need to climb a lot of steps and you don't want to trip and hurt yourself. You definitely don't want a trip to the doctor either. Now, for longer trips, of course, you'll be using the Vaporetto. This is Venice's public water bus system. Think of it like a floating city bus. There's several Vaporetto lines as well, but the only ones you need to know is lines one and two. Line one is the slow and steady local stopping everywhere bus along the Grand Canal, making it a very fantastic sightseeing tour on its own. And line two is an express, zipping you from the train station to Rialto and San Marco much faster. And of course, we will leave a link in the description for a downloadable Vaporetto map. A single 75 minutes Vaporetto ticket is pretty steep at €9.50 at the time of recording. This is why multi-day pass is the best money-saving tool in Venice. For example, a one-day pass costs you €25, allowing you to use the Vaporetto as many times as you like. You can get passes for one, two, or three days and they give you the freedom to hop on and off as much as you like. Perfect for exploring the outsider island of the lagoon. You can buy them online or at any major Vaporetto stall. Exactly, and the 24-hour starts as soon as you tap it right away. Now, of course, you're also going to see those wonderful water taxis. They're very fast and, like I said, very pricey, costing at least €100 for a single journey, but definitely something to try. And of course, you've got the gondola ride. This is purely a tourist experience, not transportation. Now, the city does set official rates, so know before you go. A 30-minute ride during the day is officially €90 and that price goes up at night for the entire boat, not per person. It is a bucket list item, so knowing the official rate will help you avoid getting overcharged. By the way, you can scan this QR code to book your gondola ride and keep in mind there are several places around Venice downtown where you can start your ride and, depending on the location where you want to start, you'll have different routes. So if you want to take one, for example, that might include the Grand Canal or the Rialto Bridge, you definitely need to book the right one. But we do have a pro tip, of course, for those who want to save a little money. It's called the traghetto. Now, these are bare-bones gondolas. There's no luxury here, but they ferry people across the Grand Canal between the main bridges. It only costs a couple of euros and that's how the locals do it. And one of the most famous ones is the Traghetto di Santa Sofia, right by Rialto Bridge. But, of course, there are some others along the Grand Canal. Absolutely. All right, you now know how to navigate Venice like a local and that Vaporetto Pass tip is gonna save you some serious cash. If you're finding this video helpful and you want to help the channel, hit the like button below. This will help the channel to grow and will help others to find this video. Now, eating like a Venetian and not a tourist is very important in Venice. Venice gets a bad rep for mediocre, overpriced food. But that's only if you eat in the wrong spots. Avoid the restaurant with their laminate menu showing pictures of the food, especially around St. Mark's Square and the train station. If a restaurant has every Italian dish on the planet, from carbonara to pizza, you can be almost 100% sure it's a tourist trap. And skip it. For lunch, the real secret to eat in Venice is to embrace the tradition of cicchetti, which is pronounced exactly like that. Cicchetti. These are Venetian tapas, small, incredible bites, served in local bars called bacari. You'll find everything from crostini with creamy, salt cod, called baccalamante cato, to fried meatballs. And there's also a vegetarian option that you can try. Exactly. A pro tip, don't call them tapas in Venice. They will not be very happy. Now, this isn't just about food, right? It is a cultural experience. You stand at the counter, point at what looks good, and ask for a small glass of wine called ombra, or a classic Aperol spritz. Now, each piece of cicchetti usually just costs a couple euros. And you can have a most amazing, memorable, affordable meal just by hopping between different bacari. It's kind of like bar Venetian style. For food, to find the best one, just wander away from the touristy highway and into the neighbor like the Canareggio or Sempolo. Look for unassuming little bars, buzzing with locals, chatting in Italian. That's where you find the truly authentic taste of Venice. Exactly. Now, one other pro tip that we've got for you is definitely look at the reviews on Google. Type in the name, look at the reviews, and if it's got 4.0 or more, it's probably a safe bet. We were just at a restaurant the other day, or we were considering a restaurant just the other day, and there was a very nice man, Italian, talking about how wonderful their food was, and it was homemade and everything. And we checked the reviews. It had 2.6. 2.6! Can you imagine? They probably had to work hard to get a 2.6. I mean, in Italy, that is just crazy. So definitely, 4.0 or more, usually pretty good. For dinner, look for something typical, where locals eat. Move a few blocks away from the main attraction, and you'll be able to find some excellent choices. Make sure to try some of the most famous Venetian dishes, like the Spaghetti Al Nero di Sepia, squid ink pasta. We know they do not look appealing, but trust this one, they are delicious. They are delicious, especially if you like seafood. I mean, you don't taste the black. Also, being Venice, it's right on the Adriatic Sea, so it's going to be famous for seafood. Try some of the many choices that are offered by the local restaurants, and you probably won't be disappointed. Absolutely. The final step is about finding the real Venetian magic, which means balancing the must-see sights with the joy of discovery. To avoid the crowds, the number one rule is to start your day early. Be at St. Mark's Square around 8 a.m. You'll have almost the piazza for yourself, and it's an absolutely serene in the morning. By 10 a.m., the crowd swells dramatically, and squares become a sea of people at lunchtime. The same goes for the Rialto Bridge. Go early to see the market come alive without having to elbow your way through it. For the St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, always book your ticket online to skip the massive lines. Now, that is a great advice, but there is something... We're talking about pro tips, so I want to give you my own pro tip that I actually haven't even talked to you about Okay, so yes, you can buy your tickets directly with the outlets online. Doge's Palace will have their own website, but you will not get a refund, nor will you be able to change your tickets if your plans change. If you use our QR code or the link in the description to get your guide, you will be able to change or get a refund if you need to, because today anything can happen, right? Absolutely. Now, the real soul of Venice reveals itself when you step off the main path, connecting the train station, Rialto, and St. Mark's. Make it a mission to get lost in the quieter neighborhood. Explore the historic Jewish ghetto in the Canareggio area. Wander the artsy streets of the Dorsoduro, or lose yourself in the residential, calm area of the Castello. You will not be disappointed. And don't forget the islands. Evaporate to trip to Murano for its famous blast blowing, and to Murano with its bright coral fisherman's houses is an essential part of any visit. It gives you a whole new perspective on the Venetian lagoon, and definitely try it. And finally, of course, enjoy the evenings. After all the day-trippers have left, Venice is a whole other city. The streets quiet down, the canals glimmer with the reflecting lights, and the city's romantic, cinematic quality truly comes alive. I mean, a late-night Vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal is something you won't ever forget. Absolutely. Okay, now let's get some pro tips. Now let's talk about the best season to go. I think we can agree that the best time to visit Venice is in the spring, right? Let's say from the beginning of April to the end of May, or in the fall, that's mid-September to the end of October. In these two periods, the temperatures are going to be very nice and comfortable. In the mornings, it'll be a little crisp, okay, but then it warms up by lunchtime, not too hot, and in the evening, nice and pleasant. Also, the amount of tourists is what I like, right? During that time in the evening, less than half of what you'll see in the summer, which means it's going to be much more enjoyable to walk and explore Venice. Now, we don't recommend going in the middle of summer when temperatures are really hot, humidity is at its highest, and of course, the tourists, the amount of tourists, it's insane. Now, another very important tip is about packing. In our opinion, if you want to enjoy Venice, you have to pack light. The lighter the better. Let's explain to you why. In Venice, there are many bridges that you will need to cross, and lifting bags up and down these bridges is not an easy task. Also, unless your hotel is right by the evaporator station or it can be reached by taxi, you will need to carry your luggage yourself, sometimes for quite a distance. In our opinion, you should leave your main bag at the train station and depot and bring only the bare minimum with you for your stay in Venice. That way, your back is going to thank you. Very, very good advice. Now, let's talk about the access tax, right? I mean, this is infamous. You may have heard that the city of Venice is now charging tourists to enter the city. Now, this is true, but to an extent. Let me clarify. The access tax doesn't apply to tourists that are spending the night. So, if you're spending the night, you don't pay an hotel, right? You'll need to fill out this form or ask your hotel if they can do it for you, and this tax only applies on selected dates, usually Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The tax is 5 euros if you pay at least 4 days prior to your visit, or 10 euros if you pay less than 4 days prior to your visit. The tax also applies on selected months, and it's not year-round. To know if the tax applies to you or to your visit, you can check the link in the description below, and it's going to have all of the details. Absolutely. So, planning a trip to Venice doesn't have to be a nightmare. It's all about having a smart plan. And watching videos like this one, right? Absolutely. Knowing how you're getting into the city, pick a neighbor that fits your needs, and get the appropriate pass to master the canals. Ditch the tourist traps for the incredible cicchetti and beat the crowds by waking up early and daring to get lost. And don't forget having a glass of wine or three of that ombra, right? Now look, Venice is a city that rewards a little planning, but truly comes alive when you allow for spontaneity. Follow a quiet alley, cross a bridge for no reason, and see what you discover. I mean, that's where you're going to find the unforgettable Venice that you've been dreaming of. That's all we have for you today. Thank you for watching, and if you have any questions, leave a comment below. We love to hear back from you and answer your questions the best we can. And while you're there, don't forget to like and subscribe so you won't miss any future videos. In the meantime, we'll see you on our next video. Ciao!