How to Reach Venice
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) receives flights from across Europe. The Alilaguna water bus from the airport to San Marco takes about 75 minutes. Venice Santa Lucia train station connects to Rome (3.5 hrs), Florence (2 hrs), and Milan (2.5 hrs).
Get a vaporetto (water bus) pass for your stay — a 48 or 72-hour unlimited pass lets you hop on and off the canal routes freely. Line 1 along the Grand Canal is the world's most beautiful bus route.
Top Things to See & Do
1. St. Mark's Basilica & Square
The golden Byzantine basilica crammed with mosaics and treasures is one of the most extraordinary interiors in Europe. St. Mark's Square — the only piazza in Venice — floods regularly and still fills with morning light that no camera adequately captures.
2. The Grand Canal
Take the Line 1 vaporetto slowly from the train station to San Marco and watch the extraordinary parade of palaces and bridges pass by. The Rialto Bridge at dawn or dusk is unforgettable.
3. Doge's Palace
The magnificent Gothic palace that was the seat of Venetian power for 700 years — the enormous Council Chamber with Tintoretto's Paradise, the Bridge of Sighs, and the prison cells beneath.
4. Murano & Burano Islands
Murano has produced Venice's famous glass for 700 years. Burano is famous for its brightly painted fishermen's houses — one of Italy's most photogenic spots.
5. Get Deliberately Lost
Simply put your phone away and wander. Within minutes you will find yourself alone in perfect medieval lanes with only the sound of water. This is the real Venice.
What to Eat in Venice
- Cicchetti — Venetian tapas eaten standing at a bacaro wine bar
- Risotto al nero di seppia — jet-black squid ink risotto, dramatic and delicious
- Fritto misto — mixed fried seafood from the Adriatic
- Spritz aperol — the Venetian aperitivo drunk at a canal-side table
Best Time to Visit
April–May and October–November offer the best balance of weather and manageable crowds. February brings the spectacular Carnival. Winter Venice is atmospheric and beautiful.
