It is not a real trip to Italy without touching down in Venice! These are the things you should know before visiting this one-of-a kind city!
A few years ago the city introduced an access fee for everyone who wants to do a day trip to the city during the busy tourist months. If you booked accommodation in the old town, then you are exempted! Usually this fee is active on the weekends and festivities from April to July. So, if you plan a trip after the wedding, you will have to pay the fee. The ticket is 5€ daily until the 4th last day before the day of access and 10€ daily after the 4th last day before the day of access. So the earlier you book, the cheaper it will be!
The city is easily reachable by train from any major city in Veneto. In case you want to come by car, you can park before the bridge Ponte delle Libertà that connects the city to the mainland. For example, Green Park costs about €6/day until midnight. There is a bus stop right by the parking lot, but you cannot buy the tickets on the bus. If you walk a bit further, there is another parking spot with the possibility to buy the bus tickets. An alternative is parking at the Mestre train station and then reaching the city by train or bus.
If you come for the first time to Venice, the route from Piazzale Roma and the main station to Piazza San Marco is rather straightforward. By following the directions, you will pass over the famous Ponte di Rialto and the Canal Grande. But allow yourself some time to wander around the little streets and get lost outside of the main tourist track. Just be careful to not make an expected turn and end up swimming in a canal by mistake.
If you have little time to spend in Venice, I would go directly to Piazza San Marco to admire the Basilica and the Campanile. Right behind it you will find the Palazzo Ducale, the house of power at the time of the Serenissima Republic. The palace is connected to the prisons or “Piombi” through the Ponte dei Sospiri, the bridge where prisoners saw daylight for the last time. Both the Basilica and the Palazzo are worth a visit, but tickets sell out rather quickly.
On the way to Piazza San Marco, you can stop at the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, which hosts a few masterpieces from Tiziano Vecellio. Nearby you will also find the Scuola Grande di san Rocco, decorated by Tintoretto.
Then I would head towards the Ponte dell’Accademia and cross the bridge to catch a view of the Canal Grande and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. In the same area, you will find the Squero di San Trovaso, a traditional spot where they still fix gondolas nowadays and the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, a contemporary art exhibition, with a little garden with a view on the Canal Grande. Then you can reach Punta della Dogana, from where you will have a gorgeous view of Piazza San Marco from the other side of Canal Grande.
If you have been to the most famous spots already, you can explore the neighborhood of Cannaregio, where you can find the old Jewish ghetto and the church of Madonna dell’Orto with paintings from Tintoretto. In the same area, you will find many bacari or typical Venetian taverns where you can have “cicchetti” or small appetizers (like tapas) and “ombre”, small glasses of house wine. There can be tiny bacari, as well as big as normal restaurants. There you can have mini sandwiches, small meatballs, fish appetizers or also small portions of fried vegetables or fishes.
Please remember that it is not allowed to eat or drink while sitting on the ground. You should not sit or lie down on the ground, on riverbanks or embankments, near monuments, on bridges, on steps, on well curbs, or on walkways for high water. If you need a little downtime close to Piazza San Marco, you can find a few benches at the Giardini Reali. However, it is not allowed to bring your packed lunch there!
If you have a few more days to spend around Venice, you should visit the islands of Murano, famous for the artistic glass work and Burano, famous for the thread-lace centerpieces. Alternatively you can do a day trip to Chioggia, a fishermen’s city which resembles Venice for its channels and bridges. All three cities are also famous for their colorful houses.
Restaurants:
60/40 Venezia - sandwich shop
Ca' d'oro Alla Vedova - bacaro, so no seating available
Paradiso Perduto - fish restaurant
Cantine del Vino già Schiavi - bacaro
Do Spade - restaurant
Ristorante Taverna al Remer - even without consuming, cross the restaurant and find yourself directly at the Canal Grande
Al Timon - bacaro