Things to do in Venice on a Layover

Venice:

My husband and I arrived a day before the cruise embarkation to spend more time wandering the streets of Venice. It is truly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.

Hotel:
We stayed in hotel Principe, which was right in the main street of (Lido de Venezia)Venice. The rates were reasonable, and the hotel turned out to be quite quaint. The room was small, but was everything we needed for one night. Plenty of air conditioning and good WiFi. Restaurants and shops were right outside our door.

Food:
The front desk attendant recommended that we go eat at  Trattoria Vittoria da Aldo. They are a small, family owned restaurant located in Lido de Venezia. We wanted to try authentic Italian cuisine and that is exactly what we got! The prices were reasonable, and the food was fresh and delicious. Try their fish soup, it will blow your mind. Just remember that touristy places are usually more expensive, so much of the Venice restaurants were pricey. However, if you're looking to save money, they sell slices of Pizza and quick snack food all over the city. If you want to go to the outskirts of the city to eat cheap, it will cost you as you will most likely need a taxi to get to another location. The taxis charge an arm and a leg in Europe.

Things to do :
There are so many things to do in Venice. My husband and I are all about saving money. The best way to explore the city is by foot.  The first

night we were there, we decided to do just that. We spent about two hours walking around the canals and admiring the architecture. The city has so many little souvenir shops, murano glass shops, clothing shops, live music, beautiful sights, and so much more which makes it so easy to fall in love with the city.

If you're looking to ride a Gondola, be prepared to spend some cash. The Gondola ride is 100 Euros for 35 minutes, it was a bit out of our budget so we decided against it.

The next day we went to Murano Island in Venice, the only way to get there is by private taxi or by their water transportation system called Vaporetto. Venice has several stations (they remind me of bus stations on water). My husband and I bought an all day pass for the Vaporetto water transportation system. The pass was 28 Euros each, but it is certainly cheaper than a water taxi. Murano is about 20 minutes by Vaporetto and it is totally worth a visit! It was a beautiful island, we spent a few hours walking around and checking out handmade glass sculptures. The island is filled with little shops that sell variety of handmade glass sculpted souvenirs.

If you're looking to come watch people doing glassblowing , be sure to get to Murano early. The last show is usually at 3:00 PM.

We enjoyed walking around Murano as it was less crowded than the main island of Venice. There are many restaurants in Murano, but most of them don't open until dinner time. However, you can find a few Cafe's or pizza shops that have decent food for decent prices, and a chance to use a restroom! Alcohol costs cheaper than getting a can of coke, so we indulged ourselves in drinking beer and wine.

Unfortunately, there are so many more places to see in Venice including the Burano Island, Torchello, St.Mark's Square, St.Mark's Basilica,  and so much more! My husband promised he'd take me back for our 20th Anniversary, so I'll be waiting.