Venice: a maze for grown-ups, so come prepared
Updated October 2026
We have been to Venice twice: the first time and the last time. Well, joking aside. We stayed overnight once, and if there’s a next time, it will be a day trip from Verona at most.
Venice at a glance
- Best time
- April to May, September to October
- Price level
- expensive
- Getting around
- walking and water buses only
- Best for
- history and art, and boating
- The catch
- Day trippers fill the center, and it is pricey. Stay overnight and wander away from the main sights.
When to go
February: Carnival, the busiest and priciest time of the year. Temperatures are average daily highs in °F and °C (WeatherSpark). Ratings are our own. $ = cheapest, $$$ = most expensive. 🔥 = heat, ★ = big event.
A maze for grown-ups
We liked this maze for grown-ups. Some alleys are so narrow that a well-fed middle-aged man has to turn sideways to squeeze through. And yes, we did the obligatory gondola ride.
Do your homework
Plan Venice properly before you go. Don’t just wing it like we did. There’s plenty to see and good food to find, but our attention went into navigating, taking photos and that gondola ride. We don’t even remember eating, so the restaurants below come from reviews, not from us.
Where to stay
We stayed close to the mainland side, one bridge in, which was handy. If you want to stay deeper in the city, be ready to open your wallet. Venice is not cheap.
Day trips and the entry fee
Day visitors pay an entry fee on certain days. In 2026 there were 60 fee days, mostly weekends and holidays from April to July. The fee was €5 if paid at least four days ahead and €10 after that, from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Overnight guests don’t pay but must register for an exemption. The 2026 season ended in late July, and the 2027 dates will be published later, possibly for more than 60 days. Check before you go.
Getting around
On foot and by water bus (vaporetto). A car only gets you as far as the mainland side.
What Venice costs
On a budget, about $115 to $185 per person per day. In comfort or luxury, about $360 to $550. The lower number is the quiet season, the higher one peak season.
Includes your stay, food, activities and local transport, not flights. Converted at about $1.10 per euro. Estimates only.
Flights from the US and Canada
Fly into: Venice (VCE). Typical economy fares per person, round trip. Canadian fares are in Canadian dollars. Not live prices, so always check before you book.
Day trips
Venice works as a base because trains run often in every direction. You can stay in one hotel and do day trips for art, food and other cities.
Watch glassblowing on Murano, and photograph the colorful houses of Burano. You can do both in one day.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel are world-famous. Book tickets ahead.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
The wine hills of Valdobbiadene are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and tastings at the estates are cheap.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
The Arena, Juliet’s balcony and Piazza delle Erbe fit easily into a day.
A food city with covered arcades. A long but doable day.
A port city from the Austro-Hungarian era that feels more Central European than Italian. The café culture is in a class of its own, and Piazza Unità d’Italia opens straight onto the sea. A long day, so leave early.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
Where to eat
Breakfast and brunch
Lunch
Dinner
We picked these places from Google ratings and reviews in October 2026, and we haven’t eaten at all of them. Many Italian restaurants take reservations on WhatsApp, and a reservation only counts once they reply. The Map link opens the restaurant in Google Maps, where you’ll also find a booking button if they take online reservations. Opening hours change, so check before you go.
Food and wine
Veneto on a plate: a typical four-course menu, and the wine to go with each.
Soccer
Even if soccer isn’t your sport, a home game is one of the best evenings you can have in Italy: the singing, the flags, the whole crowd living every pass. Tickets usually cost a fraction of a pro game in the US or Canada.
Kickoff times are set only a few weeks ahead, so check the club’s website for the schedule.
Golf
Green fees are estimates and vary by season and day of the week. Most courses ask for a handicap certificate. The links go to the course or a golf directory with booking and contact details.
Shopping
- Murano glass: buy it straight from the workshops on Murano, and watch out for cheap imports. 📍 Map
- Burano lace: the real handmade kind is rare and expensive. 📍 Map
- The Rialto market: fish and produce next to the Rialto Bridge in the mornings. 📍 Map
Culture and events
- Carnival, about two weeks in February, sometimes into early March: the busiest and most expensive time of the year, with the center packed.
- The Biennale, May to November: an international art or architecture show in alternating years. It doesn’t cause big crowds, but adds visitors all summer.
- Festa del Redentore, third weekend of July: huge fireworks over the lagoon on Saturday night. Waterfronts and boats fill up that evening.
- The Venice Film Festival, late August to early September on the Lido: Lido hotels fill up, with little effect on the rest of the city.
- Regata Storica, first Sunday of September: a historic rowing race on the Grand Canal. The banks fill up by afternoon.
Check the exact dates on the event’s own website, as they can change from year to year.
Plan it
Is it right for you? The destination finder compares your dates, budget and interests across 38 places.
Find where to go