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Venice is just as gorgeous as portrayed in the movies! With its winding alleyways dividing the rows of shops and restaurants, you can get lost for hours on the island. The city is also accompanied by neighboring islands, such as Murano and Burano, accessible by a water taxi. Venice was my favorite trip, even compared to my stay in Rome and Florence! This blog will detail how I got to Venice, where I stayed, and what I did.
How to get to Venice from Campus
Traveling to Venice from the CIMBA campus is relatively simple. First, go to the office and purchase a bus ticket for the Castelfranco train station. They will also put you on the bus list to depart back to campus on Sunday. Next, you have to buy a train ticket through the Trenitalia App for the nearest station to your place of stay. The bus station is located outside the parking lot of the Sports Café. Ask the office in advance for bus departure times.
Where do I stay?
Because Venice is an island, most places to stay (especially on a budget) are going to be on the mainland. The town of Mestre is the closest to Venice and is the last train stop before departing to Venice. I stayed at the Meininger Hostel in Mestre which is within walking distance to the station and made for an extremely convenient departure to the city.
Activities Worth Doing
Because I had three days of exploration, I spent a large part of my first day aimlessly walking into all the shops and mindlessly navigating my way around the town. But there are several places Ihighly advise you to go see. St. Marco’s Square is located at the back of the island, northeast of the train station. It’s a thirty-minute walk and is central to a lot of neat attractions. Directly in the square is St. Marco’s Cathedral, with a cost of three euros to enter. You can buy your tickets online if you wish, but the line moves fairly quickly (about a 25-minute wait). Inside you will be met with gold-incrusted, domed ceilings covered in intricate paintings of Catholicism. You can also pay an additional seven euros to walk the steeply inclined steps up to the balcony where you are met with a beautiful view of the square and its surrounding structures.
A gondola ride along the canals of Venice is an absolute must if you have the money to spare. Although most places to purchase a ride are priced at $90 per person, a cheaper alternative is to purchase a gondola tour at a water taxi station, lowering the price to $25. The downside to the 30-minute boat ride is that five or six of those minutes are allotted to leaving and returning to the port, but I do believe it's worth doing.
The last place I recommend is a gelato place called Suso. This gelateria is labeled the best in Venice and I couldn’t agree more. I personally ordered the Cookie flavor on two separate occasions, with its creaminess equivalent to ice cream. If you’re a dessert lover, Suso is a must!
Geography of Venice and its neighboring Islands
As stated previously, the two islands I recommend going to are Murano and Burano. Murano is a town that specializes in glass making. While visiting, you can watch the art of glass blowing from start to finish, visit the glass museum, and go into shops filled with figurines and jewelry. Unfortunately, I did not have the privilege of making the last glass-blowing show in time, but I still enjoyed shopping for gifts. Although the products are a little pricey, it’s worth walking away with at least one locally-made item because their uniqueness is like no other.
Burano was my favorite, especially if you like to take pictures. Historically, the vibrant colored buildings were painted for fishermen to locate the town through dense fog. Now the town is a tourist hot spot with structures painted in every color. Burano is also known for its lace products seen in most shops. Other than taking pictures, however, there wasn’t much else to do. An hour or two is all you need to really see everything and maybe buy a treat for the short taxi ride back to Venice.