First and foremost, Venice is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind city. It is postcard pretty, and a place we're glad we saw. That being said, it's also an absolute zoo, with hoards of tourists and vendors. With the aggressive crowds, cheesy shops, and terrible restaurants the place can really feel like a floating tourist trap.
Since the prices on Venice are so inflated, we made the wise decision to stay on mainland Mestre, near the airport, for our first night in the country. This saved us quite a bit and allowed us to experience another, perhaps more authentic, area of Italy.
On our second day in the country we moved to an expensive, though not fancy, room in historic Venice, near Piazza San Marco - AKA the heart of the city's contrived touristy chaos.
Ironically, we spent most of our time on Venice trying to avoid the area we had paid so much to stay in. Instead, we tried to find the residential, quiet pockets on the islands. We think we succeeded fairly well - finding legitimate, lived-in neighborhoods near both the university and soccer stadium.
Our favorite Venice memories:
- Marveling in the unique beauty that is Venice. Winding through the pedestrian alleys and getting lost on purpose - every turn leads to another waterway, bridge, and photo op.
- Eating gelato. Lots and lots of gelato. Every day.
- Filling our hungry post-flight bellies with delicious fresh-from-the-oven pizza in Mestre.
- Wising up to the fact that much of the Venetian food scene is lousy and overpriced and making our own meal of store-bought wine, antipasti and caprese salad. Finding a quiet square overlooking the water on the east side if the islands and dining in peace.
- Discovering a cheap cafe (no cover charge or service fee!) with AC and wifi that we returned to again and again for cappuccinos, Prosecco, and campari cocktails.
Next stop: Villach, Austria
Since the prices on Venice are so inflated, we made the wise decision to stay on mainland Mestre, near the airport, for our first night in the country. This saved us quite a bit and allowed us to experience another, perhaps more authentic, area of Italy.
On our second day in the country we moved to an expensive, though not fancy, room in historic Venice, near Piazza San Marco - AKA the heart of the city's contrived touristy chaos.
Ironically, we spent most of our time on Venice trying to avoid the area we had paid so much to stay in. Instead, we tried to find the residential, quiet pockets on the islands. We think we succeeded fairly well - finding legitimate, lived-in neighborhoods near both the university and soccer stadium.
Our favorite Venice memories:
- Marveling in the unique beauty that is Venice. Winding through the pedestrian alleys and getting lost on purpose - every turn leads to another waterway, bridge, and photo op.
- Eating gelato. Lots and lots of gelato. Every day.
- Filling our hungry post-flight bellies with delicious fresh-from-the-oven pizza in Mestre.
- Wising up to the fact that much of the Venetian food scene is lousy and overpriced and making our own meal of store-bought wine, antipasti and caprese salad. Finding a quiet square overlooking the water on the east side if the islands and dining in peace.
- Discovering a cheap cafe (no cover charge or service fee!) with AC and wifi that we returned to again and again for cappuccinos, Prosecco, and campari cocktails.
Next stop: Villach, Austria
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