Venice has its days counted, due to global warming and rising sea level, so you better run to visit this gorgeous tiny island in the heart of Italy. In this article I will explain a bit about how things work over there and the main attractions to visit.
First things first, to access the main island you must take a ferry. The public transport ticket is called VeneziaUnica and is pretty expensive. It is not worth to buy individual stretches (they cost 7 EUR), instead buy a 7 days card for 50 EUR or 48 hours for 30 EUR and use them as much as you want.
In summer the city gets too crowded, so I recommend visiting out of season, to pay cheaper, get less queue and enjoy your stay
Here are the top things you can do in Venice Island:
1. See the major sites in Plaza San Marco
It won’t be hard for you to find this square because signs all over the island lead you to get there. You can start visiting the interior of Basilica di San Marco, have a look at the Bridge of Sighs behind Palazzo Ducalle and end your visit climbing the St Mark’s Campanile, rebuild in 1912 after the collapse of 1902.
The bridge has this name because the legend says that in ancient times the prisoners (crossing it) sighed when they saw the outer world for the last time. The price for the ascent to the top of the Bell tower and see Venice at 98 meters high is only 8 Euros.
2. Cross the Rialto Bridge
Another must is to cross the Rialto Bridge, an amazing view point for pictures with the Grand Canal, one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Know as the oldest bridge crossing the canal, divides the districts of San Marco and San Polo.
3. Get around in a gondola
A trip to Venice won’t be complete if you don’t go for a gondola ride around the corridors. During the day you are going to pay about 80 EUR for 30 minutes ride, at night after 7PM the price rises for 100 EUR.
4. Shop around in the tiny stores
There is plenty to shop in Venice, even if you are on a budget trip. Starting from the best tiramisu in the world to impressive carnival masks (from 10 euros you can buy one). If you have a bit more of cash, Rialto has plenty of jewelry and souvenirs shops.
5. Visit another islands
If you do have extra time, do not miss the other islands around including Giudecca, Lido (where you can go to the beach) and Murano (where you can see glass factories).
Enjoy your trip!