Lonely Planet Pocket Venice: Top Experiences - Local Life (Pocket Guide)

Product Information

The Biennale, an annual cultural exhibition held in Giardini and Arsenale is understandably a huge draw for fans of contemporary art and architecture.

If you’re flying into Marco Polo many people will tell you it’s cheaper to get the coach into town (€10) than the Alilaguna ferry (€15). That might be the case – but it all depends on where you’re staying.So put aside what you may have heard – you absolutely can visit Venice on a budget – and you don’t have to do it in an unsustainable way, either. Instead of being a ‘hit and run’ daytripper, you can take your time in this magical city without breaking the bank. Our local tips will help you find the cheapest way to travel to Venice on a budget. Work out which airport is really the cheapest to fly to Walking along the canals is the perfect way to get familiar with the city and will allow you to discover hidden corners and squares you might otherwise miss. There’s no need to worry about acqua alta – the city deploys walkways in case the streets get flooded, but it’s always wise to have some rain boots ready to go if you plan to visit in autumn. For the active and sportier teens, Venice Kayak can get the whole family out on both the inner and outer lagoons.

Discover the world's most intriguing experiences with our weekly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Everyone knows that water is what makes Venice unique. It’s all part of its mythos and charm – the Serenessima floats in the middle of the Lagoon, with only a strip of land connecting it to the mainland. Walking remains the best way to get around the six sestieri of Venice. The city on the Lagoon is relatively small – going from the Santa Lucia railway station to Piazza San Marco only takes about thirty minutes on foot, for example – and its main sights are usually well-marked and easy to find. Although you should probably arm yourself with a good GPS and a nice map, the unconventional layout of Venice's streets and alleyways can thwart even the best sense of direction. You’re going to be taking a lot of boats in Venice – here’s how to know which one to take. From the airport, if you want to arrive by water, take the Alilaguna ferry – a private company that has different routes and stops around the city. Alilaguna also has a couple of tourist lines out to the islands.

And while climate change is sparking drought in Italy, the canals of Venice are usually full. Even last summer, when Italy’s lakes and rivers were visibly drying up, Venice looked the same as ever. Can I still take a gondola ride? You already know that fragile Venice is being destroyed by overtourism. Sometimes, it feels like being on a budget means you can’t help but be part of the problem – you think you can’t afford to eat in a nice restaurant, buy a sumptuous handmade mask, or stay at a locally-owned hotel. A vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal is fun for the whole family – line 1 runs the complete length from Piazza Roma to Piazza San Marco, passing the ornate facades of Venice's most regal palaces along the way.

If you must, consider lighter, umbrella strollers to ease the pain and for optimal foldability on public transport. There are also water taxis – slinky private rides that whisk you around like any other taxi, only for about 10 times the price of a car. And of course, there are gondolas, for those romantic rides along the water. If a gondola doesn’t feel right, you can get a similar experience in a traghetto – an oversized gondola that’s used as a public transport option to cross the Grand Canal at regular points. This costs just €2, as opposed to €80 for a gondola (rising to €90 from November 2023).The southernmost of the sestieri, Dorsoduro, which includes the island of Giudecca, has some of Venice’s most interesting museums and most populated universities. Dorsoduro is home to the famous Ca’ Foscari University, widely known in Italy as being one of the best for the study of languages, as well as the Venice Architecture Institute. It goes without saying then that the area is a top choice for students, and as a result, the whole of Dorsoduro brims with eateries and nightlife. Probably the most well known of all the regattas is the Regata Storica, which takes place each year on the first Sunday of September. Located on the Grand Canal, it’s divided into two main events – a historical parade, made up of tens of boats and people in period clothing, and the actual race, which is divided into several categories depending on the type of boat. Every four years Venice hosts the Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare – the regatta of the ancient maritime republics. The four contestants are Venice, Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi. Each of the four maritime republics has a turn hosting the Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare. Until the Second World War, Ferrara had a renowned Jewish community; this was the setting for The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, by Giorgio Bassani, and you can still wander the narrow streets of what used to be the Jewish quarter. Learn the history of the community – both here and more widely in Italy – at the exceptional MEIS, or National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah.