VenetoInside.com is an authorized third-party resale site that focuses on activities and tickets to…read moreattractions in the Veneto region. While most people associate the Veneto with Venice, it also covers popular cities Verona (of Romeo and Juliet fame) and Padua (a university town). Most people know about VenetoInside.com if they are doing research for independent travel as they are the authorized retailers of skip-the-line tickets to St. Mark's Basilica and St. Mark's Campanile (bell tower). The tickets are on sale during peak season (April 1 to November 2) and can be booked 10 minutes before the chosen time. Skip-the-line for the bell tower can be booked from April 1 to October 31. When you purchase the tickets make sure to follow the directions exactly. I highly recommend buying skip-the-line tickets especially during peak tourist season. Though the basilica doesn't charge admission, you are not allowed to skip the line. With limited vacation time, it's certainly worth paying a few euros to maximize your sightseeing. https://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/tickets/skip-the-line-saint-marks-basilica/ https://www.venetoinside.com/attraction-tickets-in-veneto/tickets/st-marks-bell-tower-skip-the-line-entry/ Alternatively I bought a guided tour ("St. Mark's Cathedral and it's Treasures") which is a tour with skip-the-line privileges and admission to the Treasury and Pala d'Oro, which is normally separate from the basilica. They also promote exclusive access to the St. Mark's Baptistery and Zen Chapel. I had no problem with buying my ticket and redeeming it for my tour. My only issue was that the guide's accent was so thick I had to supplement my visit with Rick Steves' audioguide. Not only was I able to understand much more, that audioguide was free. https://www.venetoinside.com/tours-activities-in-veneto/tour/venice-st-marks-cathedral-and-its-treasures-skip-the-line/ The other popular option is skip-the-line guided tours of the basilica and Doge's Palace, the other major attraction in Venice. This makes sense as they are literally next to each other. The only reason why I didn't do this is because I wanted to do the Secret Itineraries tour, which is sold separately and bought directly from the Doge's Palace website. *** Another popular excursion in Venice is visiting the islands in the Venetian lagoon: Murano, Burano and Torcello. There are two options for doing this. https://www.venetoinside.com/tours-activities-in-veneto/tour/half-day-excursion-murano-burano-torcello/ (guided tour) https://www.venetoinside.com/tours-activities-in-veneto/tour/hop-on-hop-off-venice-islands-boat-tour/ (DIY option) The DIY option did not exist at the time of my visit (~July 2018) so I chose the half-day visit. I made the most of my half-day tour as it included a glassware demonstration in Murano and transportation via chartered boat (as opposed to a vaporetto) with information given in English, Italian, Spanish and French. Subsequent visits I will do the DIY option as this will give me time to explore the colorful houses in Burano and have lunch and visit the chapel/climb the bell tower in Torcello. While perusing the reviews of the activities it seems like whoever responds to the negative reviews treats the review writer with disdain, mostly accusing the person for not paying attention to the instructions. I found this quite rude. There is a certain level of decency that should be respected when responding to negative reviews - hospitality 101. I hope they take this into consideration.

Easy to buy skip the line tix for the basilica and just show them on your phone. Very convenient…read more Don't pass up the 'extra' tours inside the basilica. They are all worth the extra few Euros. We especially enjoyed the last one which let you go upstairs to see the amazing gold mosaics up close and most wonderful you can go out on the roof overlooking the piazza- stunning views. No pics allowed inside but the vistas from this roof terrace were super. Can't believe I missed this on an earlier visit.

Arriving at Venezia Santa Lucia Station was one of the highlights of my trip to Italy. The moment…read moreyou step outside the station, you're greeted by one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. Seeing a city built entirely on water is something you truly have to experience in person. I absolutely fell in love with Venice. The historic architecture, charming canals, colorful boats, and beautiful bridges make you feel like you've stepped back in time. Everywhere you look, there's history, culture, and incredible scenery. Watching the boats glide through the canals while people go about their daily lives is simply mesmerizing. We spent time just relaxing along the water, taking in the views, and enjoying the atmosphere. It was peaceful, beautiful, and unlike anywhere else I've ever visited. The restaurants, cafés, and waterfront views only added to the experience. Out of all the places I visited in Italy, Venice was by far my favorite. As someone who loves history and historic architecture, this city exceeded every expectation. I could easily spend days wandering its streets and canals. It's a destination I would absolutely return to and highly recommend to anyone visiting Italy.

Main train station in Venice that has about 16 tracks that you can take to different cities. We…read moretook the train from here to Milan which was about 2.5 hour train ride. Just be sure to constantly keep an eye on the monitors so you know which train to take. They're constantly updating. Try to arrive about an hour before your departure so you can give yourself some time to get familiar with the platform or just to check out the little shops inside for some last minute souvenirs or snacks. Trains are clean and seats are comfortable.

So what happens when you take advantage of cheap flights two weeks before leaving for Venice during…read morepeak season? You're pretty much left with super expensive rooms or hostels, and I'm too old to be living the hostel lifestyle. Everything I read said don't stay in Mestre because you're not in the heart of Venice and it doesn't feel like Venice since you're not water locked. After reading TripAdvisor reviews, I decided on Legrenzi Rooms and I ended up loving the hotel and Mestre! Location: -It's about a 3 minute walk to the Carducci bus station and about 5 minutes to walk to the Mestre Central tram station where it will take you about 20 minutes to get to Venice. -There is also a grocery store called Simply about a 3 minute walk away where you can pick up water before heading to Venice. -Right outside of the hotel, there are 3 casual bars/eateries if you don't feel like walking. -Piazza Ferretto is the main square and it's about a 5 minute walk away where you will find lots of cafes and restaurants. The square itself is charming, clean, and safe! Rooms: -There are only 9 rooms in this small, yet modern B&B. Unlike other European hotels, I didn't feel cramped and there was actually room to put your luggage and hang up your clothes. The bathroom was clean and the rain shower felt great after a long day of walking around Venice. -There is a mini fridge in the room, so I was able to buy some goodies at the store and keep it in the room. -Wifi is free and I didn't have problems with the speed. Since it's the summer, there isn't a comforter on the bed, but they do have one stowed away if you need it (you won't). The AC was also strong, which was a welcome relief after a day of walking around hot Venice. It was also quiet and our room looked out onto the cute courtyard. Service: -The employees here are nice and helpful! They speak English and will help you with anything you need. -Breakfast is included and the breakfast spread was plentiful with fresh juices, natural yogurts, fruit, pastries, eggs, cheese, cold cuts, cereal, bread, tea, and cappuccino. Bottom Line: -If you're looking to save money, but still want a nice B&B and don't mind not being in the heart of Venice then you should definitely book a room at Legrenzi!

I totally agree with the previous review. Mestre was much less expensive and has easy access to…read morethe Venice. Alessandro and Erico(sp) was SO helpful in trying to locate my lost luggage and even changed our train reservations for us to Florence since our baggage hadn't yet arrived. The room was clean and unique with the loft bedroom. It is small but totally worth the price we paid. I would definitely recommend it to someone that doesn't need a fancy hotel with room service and want to save some money on their Italian getaway.

Walking distance with our luggage. It was a convenient location, got off the train and went right…read moreover the bridge. It was a nice stay, big room, although bed wasn't comfortable, clear bathroom. We had a cute lil out door area with a table and chairs. Friendly front desk. A down side was our room was right in front of the front desk so we could hear them talking while we were sleeping. Ps city tax is to be paid in cash and upon check in.

This resort was absolutely beautiful, the workers were so kind and great to talk to. Rooms were…read morevery clean with a beautiful waterfall shower. There's so much history here and you can tell as soon as you walk in. Breakfast was amazing and over looked the water. Our room overlooked the canals which was so nice and relaxing to have during my stay. I will definitely try and make it back in the future.

Whether you are arriving by bus, taxi, car, tour bus, etc., you come into Piazzale Roma. It is at…read morethe end of the Ponte della Liberta and the entrance into the city of Venice. It is the city's central transportation hub. It is busy all hours of the day. This is where your adventure will begin.

This is a BUSY bus station.. Because people move so fast here, it can be a bit hectic, but if you…read morego at the slowest times of day, you can find attendants who are more patient to help you with your questions. Some even speak English.

ATVO is the Venice Airport Bus Service. We have used their services from Venice Marco Polo Airport…read moreto our hotel and from the hotel to the airport. The service is reliable. The ride is comfortable. The driver doesn't help with the luggage storage, but he will open the additional compartment when you ask. The bus doesn't have USB charge ports. It supposes to have wifi. But very slow and disconnects all the time! Overall, the bus is on time and reliable. This is the most important part of the service. The ticket is €10 per person. Pretty reasonable compared to most of the airport bus services from other cities.

This was certainly the easiest way to get from the Marco Polo Venice Airport into the Piazzale Roma…read morein Venice. The cost was € 8 per person one way or € 15 for a round trip including luggage (which was stored in the baggage compartment below). We took the Venezia Express Bus. We purchased the tickets from a kiosk right near the bus. The ride was very comfortable and took about 20 minutes.

Best place to stay if you're in Venice! We took a water taxi over and it was an easy 15 minute…read morewalk. Great safe location with a lot to see and do nearby. Rooms were very clean and beautifully decorated. One room was upgraded to a canal view. Free breakfast in the morning from 8-10 with tons of options. When we arrived we were offered fresh pastries and coffee! All the staff was extremely helpful and kind, and willing to help with directions and suggestions of locations to visit. I would highly recommend staying here!

Venice is open for business, people! Don't believe the doom and gloom news the media loves to put…read moreout! We just spent 4 glorious days in Venice on a family vacation. While we were hesitant to visit initially based on media reports of extensive flooding, repeated reassurances by the hotel staff persuaded us to go ahead with our visit. So glad we did!! The hotel's location is fantastic, as with almost all buildings in the city, the hotel is located alongside a busy canal in the Cannaregio district - very central to all points of interest and boat taxi stations. The hotel itself is clean and welcoming, although infrastructure struggles to keep up with demand at times. The highlight of our stay was the staff - Fabio, Diego, Sorina and others were simply fantastic!! Very friendly and solicitous/helpful...they made our stay all the more memorable!! Weather was superb, cold but clear and sunny, the city was very clean given the 30-million visitors it receives annually (54,000 Venetians constantly bombarded by hordes of tourists). December is a fantastic time to visit as crowds are thinner (heard that summers can be unbearable due to heat and overcrowding) and all sights are readily accessible. No sign of flooding anywhere!! The hotel rooms were comfortable and clean, complimentary bottled water was a huge bonus. Breakfast was adequate (Continental) but not overly impressive - coffees/hot chocolate/juices etc on demand were most welcome. All in all...had a superb time walking the miles of beautiful alleyways, visiting the islands of Murano and Burano (the latter a fantastically colorful fishermen's village) and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the glorious sights the city and environs have to offer. So, ignore the news media...do visit and help the hotel staff earn a living (negative media coverage resulted in mass cancellations, jeopardizing local livelihoods) ...in turn, they will take excellent care of you! Thank you, lovely staff of Ca Gottardi!!

I was very disappointed. We didn't get to explore many of the canals, rather spending a large…read moreportion of the tour at the edge of the city and the lagoon. Further, the guide didn't seem to care much about the quality of our experience. She literally said "this is a group of younger people, so we can do a chill tour" -- I took this to mean she would be informal, but it turned out to mean she put minimal effort into educating us about the city or the ensuring we were getting to see the sights. There were people in the tour more interested in taking pictures, but instead of making sure that we stayed on track the guide just sat in her kayak while they took selfies. It was fun to paddle around in a kayak, and doing so at sunset was absolutely beautiful. But overall, this "tour" is definitely not worth the price.

I had SO much fun! Instructor and guide, Anna, was so knowledgeable and patient. She was such a…read morepleasure to talk to, it felt like a local friend was showing me around Venice. She had a friend with her--Andrea--who was also a local and SO NICE and KNOWLEDGEABLE! When I could not hear Anna, Andrea would relay the information back to me. As well as ask her in Italian really fast if I had any questions. She may become a guide as well so if you can somehow request either of these two girls you will get your full money's worth! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and will 100000% be back next time in Venice!