Spoonie Guide to Venice
Venice is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. The old architecture and canals create such a magical city. There really is nothing like it. We stayed for four nights and it felt like the right amount of time to explore the different neighborhoods and go on a few tours. It was by far the busiest place we visited so I would recommend visiting before June to avoid the crowds.
Getting There
Parking we went to the San Marco garage which was right on the island. There was a line to get in and people were leaving it to go to one of the further lots. Stick with it. There are people constantly coming out so there will be a space for you. Make sure you leave your keys in the car. They end up shuffling the cars around to allow for the most efficiently used space.
There is also an airport and train station out side of Venice. You can take water taxis from there.
Accessibility
This is definitely NOT an accessible city. Every time they add ramps to a bridge I think “awe that’s nice of them” except for the fact that they don’t do that with 90% of the bridges throughout the city.
One problem for me with my vertigo is going on a boat. The fastest way to get anywhere from the car parks is a ferry or water taxi. Because I didn’t want to ruin our trip right at the beginning so we opted to walk. It was a hot and grueling 45 minutes and we had to walk over the Rialto bridge which is incredibly busy. It was hard to decide what was a better option. But we figured since we would be walking around the other days anyways we might as well get started. If the above photos of Peter schlepping two checked bags don’t look fun then I recommend taking a water taxi.
We were here the first week of June and it is so hot and humid. Very few places are air conditioned. I would recommend visiting probably in April or may if you’re sensitive to the heat although it can be rainy then.
Tour recommendations
This tour showed the parliamentary aspects and areas of the Doges Palace. The private quarters are still in use by the Mayor today. There are lots of stairs. The tour begins with 4 flights up. I did not see any elevators. If you are interested in doing this tour and struggle with tours I would recommend contacting them in advance and asking about elevators. The prison has low ceilings, so if you are over 5’5” you will have to stoop a lot. The palace boasts incredible paintings and frescoes. This was a really informative tour not only about the art and architecture but about Venice’s history and political system.
Sweet Venice: traditional cafès and pastry shops walk
This was such a fun tour to start the day. We found out about different local pastries and sweets. Our guide was knowledgeable about so much more than sweets and was able to answer our questions about architecture and history.
Jewish Ghetto 2-Hour Walking Tour
This walking tour really didn’t have too much walking. We began sitting in the shade discussing the square around us. The jewish ghetto is more or less a single square and a few buildings around it. We crossed one canal to get a better view of the architecture. So there weren’t even that many stairs. Unfortunately, the synagogue/museum were closed for renovation. The guide gave a really comprehensive tour of the ghetto through our the centuries and even had a book with images that showed how all of Venice has stayed standing while being built on a marsh.
Food recommendations
Neither Peter nor I had ever eaten at a Michelin Star restaurant so we decided to try two this trip. They were both amazing with one being the best meal either of us had ever had. I found them on the Michelin guide restaurant. I was able to make reservations two months in advance on The Fork app or Google.
This was probably the best meal Peter and I have ever had. The restaurant only has 6 tables and it is an intimate and beautiful environment. Each course was so unique and tasty. If you are able to I highly recommend eating here.
While it didn’t receive a Michelin star this year it was an incredible meal. They took classic Italian and Venetian dishes and turned them up 10 notches.
Hotel Recommendations
We stayed at Hotel Danieli, which is apart of the Mariott Bonvey group. It was such a lovely hotel. Every detail was lovely. The room was spacious and comfortable. For me the best part of the stay was breakfast on the terrace every morning. The buffet spread was very good but what kept us coming back was the view. Watching Venice from there was so beautiful and peaceful. We did eat at the restaurant one night for dinner. It was very good but we felt it was a little over priced for what it was.
One issue we found that was because it was off of St Marc’s square it was difficult to make your way through the crowds during the day. We found that going around the back was much easier.
The hotel does have their own water taxi dock so you can walk right into the lobby. Peter took one from here to the car parks. He found it incredibly convenient and regretted not doing that to begin with.
