Venice: Cheap Flights & Best Hotels

Venice Travel Guide

A City Built on Water

Venice was built across more than a hundred small islands in a lagoon at the head of the Adriatic, its palaces resting on wooden piles driven into the mud. There are no cars: canals serve as streets, and life moves by boat or on foot over hundreds of bridges. For centuries this was the capital of a powerful maritime republic, and its wealth still shows in Byzantine mosaics, Gothic palaces and Renaissance art. Venice and its lagoon are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The trick to enjoying it is to see the famous sights early, then wander into quieter districts where Venetians still live.

Choosing When to Go

• April–June and September–October: Mild weather and long days, but these are also busy months. Book accommodation early.
• July–August: Hot, humid and crowded; the Venice Film Festival on the Lido takes place in late summer.
• November–March: Quieter and atmospheric, with misty canals. This is also when acqua alta (high water) is most likely; the MOSE flood barriers now protect the city from many high tides, but some flooding of low areas such as St Mark's Square can still occur.
• Carnival: In the weeks before Lent, usually in February, Venetians and visitors wear elaborate masks and costumes. It is magical but very busy.

Note: Venice has introduced an access fee for day-trippers on certain peak days. Overnight guests in the municipality are generally exempt but may need to register. Check the official Comune di Venezia website before travelling.

Highlights

St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) is the city's grand drawing room. St Mark's Basilica glitters with golden mosaics; booking a timed entry avoids long queues, and modest dress is required. Next door, the Doge's Palace was the seat of government, with lavish council chambers and the Bridge of Sighs leading to the prisons. Climb the Campanile for views over the lagoon.

The Grand Canal is best seen from a vaporetto: line 1 travels its full length slowly, passing palaces, the Rialto Bridge and the Ca' d'Oro. Near the Rialto, the fish and produce markets have operated for centuries; go in the morning.

Art lovers should visit the Gallerie dell'Accademia for Venetian painting by Titian, Tintoretto and Bellini, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for modern art in a canal-side palazzo. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is filled with Tintoretto paintings. The Venice Biennale, alternating between art and architecture editions, brings international exhibitions to the Giardini and Arsenale.

For a slower Venice, explore Cannaregio, home of the historic Jewish Ghetto, Castello, and Dorsoduro with its student bars along the Zattere.

Lagoon Islands

• Murano: Centuries of glassmaking; watch a furnace demonstration.
• Burano: Brightly painted houses and lace-making.
• Torcello: The lagoon's earliest settlement, with a Byzantine cathedral and peaceful fields.
• Lido: A long beach island.

Food and Drink

Venetians love cicchetti, small snacks eaten standing at a bar (a bàcaro), usually with a small glass of wine (an ombra) or a spritz, which is closely associated with the Veneto. Try sarde in saor (sweet-and-sour sardines), bigoli in salsa (thick pasta with anchovy and onion), risotto al nero di seppia (cuttlefish ink risotto) and fegato alla veneziana (liver with onions). Tiramisù is claimed by the Veneto region. Vegetarians can enjoy seasonal vegetable risottos and artichokes from the lagoon island of Sant'Erasmo in spring. Restaurants right on St Mark's Square are much pricier; walk a few streets away.

Getting There and Around

Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is on the mainland; buses run to Piazzale Roma, and Alilaguna water buses reach central stops. Treviso Airport (TSF) serves some low-cost flights. Trains arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia station, right on the Grand Canal; make sure your ticket isn't to Venezia Mestre on the mainland.

In Venice, you walk or use the vaporetto (water bus) run by ACTV. Single tickets are expensive, so multi-day passes are usually better value. A traghetto, a gondola ferry across the Grand Canal, is a cheap way to experience a gondola. Private gondola rides and water taxis are costly; agree prices in advance. Pack light: there are many bridges with steps.

Where to Stay

• San Marco: Central and expensive.
• Cannaregio: Local feel, near the station, good value.
• Dorsoduro: Arty, near the Accademia.
• Castello: Quieter, near the Biennale.
• Mestre: On the mainland, much cheaper, with quick trains and buses to Venice.

Budget Tips

• Eat cicchetti instead of full restaurant meals.
• Buy a multi-day vaporetto pass if you'll ride several times a day.
• Refill water bottles at public fountains.
• Many churches are free or low-cost and hold major art.
• voyagiro.com compares 27+ booking sites for free, helping you compare flights into Venice, Treviso and nearby airports.

Practical Information

• Visa: Italy is in the Schengen Area; requirements depend on nationality.
• Currency: Euro (EUR).
• Rules: Sitting on bridges, swimming in canals and picnicking in St Mark's Square are banned, with fines.
• Plugs: Types C, F and L.