Romance in Venice, Italy

Romance in Venice isn't dead but it certainly doesn't come cheap. One of the most romantic cities in the world has become an overpriced hotspot for over-priced hotels and and restaurants.

However, you don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy Venice with your lover and with a bit of insider knowledeage you can still enjoy a romantic time on a budget.

Go off season - During the winter, Venice is magical city often shrouded in mist. It has less tourists and with it come lower prices both on flights, rooms and also restaurants.

Budget flights to Treviso - Treviso airport is the budget airline destination and is a short bus ride away from the city center.

Rent an apartment - Renting an apartment in Venice provides with a much cheaper alternative than a hotel. It can offer you the same privacy and as they come with their own catering facilities, you can save yourself a little extra by having candle lit dinners at home.

Get lost - Stay away from the usual tourist areas, go wandering around the city and get lost in its unique streets. Find those secret piazza's or hidden away cafe or restaurant, you'll also pay far less the further away you get from the crowds.

Find the real Venice - Dorsoduro will enable to you experience what real life in Venice is like. This lively area, particularly around the Campo Santa Margherita, is full of real venetians and is much more affordable.

Drink at Harry's Bar - Not everyone can hang back and afford the fantastic cocktails at one of the former haunts of Ernest Hemmingway. Rather than pay €14 for a signature Bellini cocktails (peach juice and prosecco sparkling wine), try the ‘spritz al bitter’ (prosecco, soda and Campari or Aperol) which is a favorite with the locals and around just €2 a glass.

Two man Gondola, The Traghetto - Taking the loved one on a gondola is not cheap and can set you back 100 euros if you go at peak time. Try taking the traghetto which are a two man gondola which ferries residents across the Grand Canal where there are no bridges.

It's a very authentic experience for as little as half a euro. - Why have dinner when you can eat lunch! Have a romantic dinner with your loved at lunchtime. Go away from the tourists and restaurants that display ‘menu turistico’ and head for the trattorie around the city (and especially in Dorsoduro). They often have very cheap set menues and you can eat well with as little as €10.

Secret Gardens of Venice

If you think about Venice, the first thing coming up in your mind is water and stone. However, the city also offers hundreds of hidden gardens waiting to be discovered by you. Although the environment is difficult, some of the gardens are the most magnificent ones in the world due to their combination of flowers, plants, rocks and water.

One of the gardens, the Giardinett Reali, which is located between St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon, is open to the public without any admission charge. You will see pebbled paths, splashes of colour, you will smell heavenly fragrances and high trees and greenery will protect you from the sun. After leaving the garden, you should discover the baroque church Santa Maria della Salute which was completed in 1689.

There is a special walking tour through Venice’s gardens that aren’t easily found by tourists. Here you will visit amongst others two convent gardens and a beautiful renaissance Venetian garden which is located on the grounds of a secluded palace and only few people know that it exists.

You can read more about the 'Secret Gardens of Venice via the book by Cristiana Moldi-Ravenna and available on Amazon. There are many luxury and affordable holiday apartments in Venice to stay in so accommodation shoul dbe no problem. Several budget airlines also fly into Venice including Ryanair.

Driving in Venice, Italy

Being located away from the mainland of Italy, unless your car can float, if you’re driving to Venice you’ll need to park it until you leave the city.

During high season, one option is to park it on the mainland close to either Mestre (the main train station on the mainland) or next to the causeway by the lagoon (where you can catch a boat into the city). This is a good way to avoid getting stuck in km of traffic going between the mainland and the Piazzale Roma in Venice.

If you’d rather not have to get a lift back to your car, you can park it at a few places on the island. One option is the Tronchetto parking garage which is good value and convenient for access to the center of Venice. This is a huge garage build on an artificial island and has more empty spaces than the more central private garages at the Piazzale Rome. It’s also the only place you can park if you have a larger vehicle.

When driving from the mainland, take the causeway toward Venice. Stay in the right lane. Just before you reach the city, you'll see an exit labeled "Tronchetto." Take this exit road to Tronchetto, then follow the signs for the garage and parking lots. The cost is 20 euros a day for a car and expect to pay more for campervans etc. You can reserve a parking space online at their web site http://www.veniceparking.it/

Alternatively there are two city owned spots: the first is on the mainland near to Mestra and the other is at the Piazzale Roma. They both have unlimited space and you can make reservations online at the website. The cost is also 20 euros a day for cars.

Explore Venice’s streets

“Dear old Venice has lost her complexion, her figure, her reputation, her self-respect; and yet, with it all, has so puzzlingly not lost a shred of her distinction.“ Henry James’ thoughts are still as true as they were hundreds of years ago.

Forget about the buildings being threaten by decay and rising tides, forget about the dirty Grand Canal and forget about the pigeon on Piazza San Marco but see the piazza like Napoleon once: as the finest drawing room in Europe!


Walk through the narrow streets and follow the signs to San Marco and Ponte di Rialto, even though they don’t seem to make any sense – What a way to pass the time! 150 canals and about 411 bridges connecting the 117 small islands are waiting to be discovered. Venice always wanted to be a bit different to the rest of the peninsula and so even the street names are still from the 11th century. Surely, the waterways cannot be called ‘streets’ but are ‘canale’ for the bigger ones and ‘rio’ for the most.

Walk along the ‘calle’, ‘fondamente’, ‘Ruga’, ‘rughetta’ and many more small side streets. You will truly enjoy the adventurous exploration of the city. If you don’t feel sure to do it on your own, there are various walking tours offered to either explore the past or some special quarters.

Trip on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy

“The finest street in the world, the finest houses“ – These have been the words of the French writer Philippe de Comines in the 15th century and he wasn’t the only one caught by Venice’s charm and beauty.

Even though the best way to explore the city’s romance is to walk through the narrow streets, some things you can only enjoy taking a trip on the Grand Canal. Nowadays, the canal is a little bit dilapidated but still rivals the world’s great boulevards. 3.5 km long, 6m deep and 40m wide, this street weaves through the city and only if you take a vaporett you will see the outstanding buildings on the side and the palazzos which were built between the 12th and 18th century.

Shortly behind the train station and Canale di Cannaregio, the second biggest canal in Venice, you’ll find the famous Veneto-Byzantine buildings, called the Fondaco dei Turchi. Other attraction you will see on your way are the Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi and the Ca’ d’Oro, probably the most beautiful Gothic house in the city. Ponte dei Scalzi, the stone Ponte di Rialto and the wooden Ponte dell’ Accademia are the most famous bridges crossing the canal.
Just before the canal opens into Bacino di San Marco, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute comes into sight.

News: Easyjet have a flights sale on right now and fly to Venice.

Rialto Bridge Food Market in Venice

Now one of my favourite thing to do in Venice every time I am there is to visit the Rialto Bridge food market Mondays through to Saturday, in Venice. Venice is already a wonderful city in its own right, but also knowing about the Rialto Bridge food market, adds even more to the Venice experience.

The Rialto Bridge market starts from 630am and normally ends around 1pm. To get the freshest and best fish etc though then the earlier you get to the market the better in my personal view. I used to go there are about 8am and woudl get lovely fresh fish, straight out of the sea.

You can also by a wide variety of goods in the Rialto Bridge Venice market. You can find a wide range of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, all types of food and a number of other goods. Even if you do not buy anything it is well worth visiting the market with the market a fantastic photo opoortunity, with the array of colours and goods on offer. You can find Rialto apartments in Venice, including Ponte Venice apartment.

Best places to eat in Venice, Italy - (Italian food)

Like all areas in Italy, Venice is no slouch when it comes to food. As it's by the sea, fish is the main ingredient and most of the restaurants specialise in sea food. Being in the north of Italy though, there are still some that focus on meat dishes and stews which can be a treat when trying to warm the bones from the cold weather in thw winter months.

Many of Venice’s restaurants are expensive and touristy especially in the San Marco area but it is still possible to eat well, but you will have to look around, avoiding the main tourist area. When it comes to eating, Cannaregio, San Polo and Dorsoduro are three areas that offer good value for money and there are many restaurants that cater for the real locals. Some of our favourites are Trattoria Dona Onesta (Calle Dona Onesta, Dorsoduro), Ai Gondolieri: (Ponte Del Formager, Dorsoduro) Algiubagiò (Fondamente Nuove, Cannaregio) Al Fontego dei Pescatori (Sotoportego del Tagiapera. Cannaregio)

If drinking is more your thing, the locals inhabit the bacaro, which are the wine-only Venetian pubs, where a series of little snacks (tapas-like cichètti) are on offer to patrons. A good choice is Osteria alla Botte (campo San Bartolomeo, San Marco).

Lastly, you have to get into the tradition of cichetti in Venice. Cichetti are small dishes served in bars all over the city, usually with an ombra, which is a small glass of wine. Most of the locals eat cichetti before lunch or before dinner and it's a great way to hang out with the locals and to eat some great food at reasonable prices. Try some of our favourites. Some of the best are Vivaldi (Calle della Maddonetta 1457, San Polo), Ai Promessi Sposi (Calle dell'Oca 4367, Cannaregio, Venice), Ruga Rialto (Vecchai San Giovanni 692, San Polo Venice) and Cantina do Mori (Calle dei Do Mori, San Polo). The real enjoyment though, is just to stop where you're hungry and jump into one of the many trattorias on offer.

Lido di Jesolo near to Venice

The Venetian coast is a lovely region which has some beautiful coastline and some great areas to relax whilst on holiday. If you are staying in a Venice apartment then taking a day trip to Jesolo or even a weekend there is worth considering.

Lido di Jesolo neat to Venice is sat on the North Eastern coast , situated perfectly on the Adriatic Sea. Lido is very much a tourism area; the tourists attracted by the long beaches, shops and hotels. The beaches here are actually more than ten miles long and

If you are looking for museums and architecture then this is not perhaps the ideal place to visit. If you are looking though for a place to escape to a beach for the weekend, whilst staying in Venice, then Lido di Jesolo is perfect! You can also learn more about Venice http://www.timeout.com/travel/venice and for Venice accommodation here.