Sometimes called “Tintoretto’s Sistine Chapel,” this lavish meeting hall (next to the Frari Church) has some 50 large, colorful Tintoretto paintings plastered to the walls and ceilings. The best paintings are upstairs, especially the Crucifixion in the smaller room. View the neck-breaking splendor with the mirrors available in the Grand Hall.
Cost and Hours: €10, includes audioguide, daily 9:30-17:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing, no photos, tel. 041-523-4864, www.scuolagrandesanrocco.it.
This nearby church, which pales in comparison to the two sights just listed, is only worth a visit for art lovers. One of Venice’s oldest churches (from the ninth century), San Polo features works by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Tiepolo and son.
Cost and Hours: €3, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, closed Sun.
Tucked away in the Cannaregio district is the ghetto where Venice’s Jewish population once lived, segregated from their non-Jewish neighbors. While today’s Jewish population is dwindling, the neighborhood still has centuries of history, not to mention Jewish-themed sights and eateries.
In medieval times, Jews were grudgingly allowed to do business in Venice, but they weren’t permitted to live here until 1385 (subject to strict laws and special taxes). Anti-Semitic forces tried to oust them from the city, but in 1516, the doge compromised by restricting Jews to a special (undesirable) neighborhood. It was located on an easy-to-isolate island near the former foundry (geto). In time, the word “ghetto” caught on across Europe as a term for any segregated neighborhood.
The population swelled with immigrants from elsewhere in Europe, reaching 5,000 in the 1600s, the Golden Age of Venice’s Jews. Restricted within their tiny neighborhood (the Gheto Novo—“New Ghetto”), they expanded upward, building six-story “skyscrapers” that still stand today. The community’s five synagogues were built atop the high-rise tenements. (As space was very tight and you couldn’t live above a house of worship, this was the most practical use of precious land.) Only two synagogues are still active; you can spot them (with their five windows) from the square.
The Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico), at #2902b, is small, but modern and well-presented—a worthwhile stop. Exhibits include silver menorahs, cloth covers for Torah scrolls, and a concise bilingual exhibit on the Venetian Jewish community (€5, June-Sept Sun-Fri 10:00-19:00, Oct-May Sun-Fri 10:00-17:30, closed Jewish holidays and Sat year-round, bookstore, small café, Campo de Gheto Novo, tel. 041-715-359, www.museoebraico.it). You can see three of the ghetto’s five synagogues with the 45-minute English tour (€10, includes museum admission, tours run hourly on the half-hour June-Sept Sun-Fri 10:30-17:30, Oct-May Sun-Fri 10:30-16:30, no tours Sat and Jewish holidays). Group sizes are limited (the 11:30 and 12:30 tours are the most popular), so show up 20 minutes early to be sure you get in—or reserve online at the museum’s website (€1 extra).
Getting There: From the train station, walk five minutes to the Ponte de Guglie bridge over the Cannaregio Canal. Cross the bridge and turn left. About 50 yards north of the bridge, a small covered alleyway (Calle del Gheto Vechio) leads between the farmacia and the Gam-Gam Kosher Restaurant, through a newer Jewish section, across a bridge, and into the historic core of the ghetto at Campo de Gheto Novo.
This controversial bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is just upstream from the train station. Only the fourth bridge to cross the Grand Canal, it carries foot traffic between the train station and bus terminal at Piazzale Roma.
The bridge draws snorts from Venetians. Its modern design is a sore point for a city with such rich medieval and Renaissance architecture. With an original price tag of €4 million, the cost rose to around €11 million by the time it finally opened, after lengthy delays, in 2008. Then someone noticed that people in wheelchairs couldn’t cross, so the bridge was retrofitted with a special carriage on a track. And, to add practical insult to aesthetic injury, critics say the heavy bridge is crushing the centuries-old foundations at either end, threatening nearby buildings.
This “House of Gold” palace, fronting the Grand Canal, is quintessential Venetian Gothic (Gothic seasoned with Byzantine and Islamic accents—see “Ca’ d’Oro” on here). Inside, the permanent collection includes a few big names in Renaissance painting (Ghirlandaio, Signorelli, and Mantegna), a glimpse at a lush courtyard, and a grand view of the Grand Canal.
Cost and Hours: €6, Mon 8:15-14:00, Tue-Sun 8:15-19:15, occasionally opens at 10:00 or closes at 18:00, dry audioguide-€4, free peek through hole in door of courtyard, on Strada Nova, Cannaregio 3932, vaporetto: Ca’ d’Oro, tel. 041-520-0345, www.cadoro.org.
This little-visited scuola (which can mean either “school,” or as in this case, “meeting place”) features an exquisite wood-paneled chapel decorated with the world’s best collection of paintings by Vittorio Carpaccio (1465-1526).
The Scuola, a reminder that cosmopolitan Venice was once Europe’s trade hub, was one of a hundred such community centers for various ethnic, religious, and economic groups, supported by the government partly to keep an eye on foreigners. It was here that the Dalmatians (from a region of Croatia) worshipped in their own way, held neighborhood meetings, and preserved their culture.
Cost and Hours: €5, Mon 14:45-18:00, Tue-Sat 9:15-13:00 & 14:45-18:00, Sun 9:15-13:00, midway between St. Mark’s Square and the Arsenale on Calle dei Furlani at Castello 3259a, tel. 041-522-8828.
The mighty Republic of Venice was home to the first great military-industrial complex: a state-of-the-art shipyard that could build a powerful warship of standardized parts in an assembly line (and did so to intimidate visiting heads of state). While the Arsenale is still a military base and is therefore closed to the public, its massive and evocative gate, the Porta Magna, is worth a look (to see the gate, turn left at the Naval Museum and follow the canal). The Naval Museum itself (Museo Storico Navale) is very old-school and military-run, but anyone into maritime history or sailing will find its several floors of exhibits interesting. You’ll see the evolution of warships, displays on old fishing boats, and gondolas (all described in English).
Cost and Hours: Museum-€1.55, Mon-Fri 8:45-13:30, Sat 8:45-13:00, closed Sun, off Riva San Biagio, Castello 2148, tel. 041-244-1399.
Getting There: From the Doge’s Palace, hike six bridges east along the waterfront to the Naval Museum. To see the gate, turn left at the museum and follow the canal.
For a pleasant peek into a completely non-touristy, residential side of Venice, walk or catch vaporetto #1 from St. Mark’s Square to the neighborhood of Sant’Elena (at the fish’s tail, get off at S. Elena stop). This 100-year-old suburb lives as if there were no tourism. You’ll find a kid-friendly park, a few lazy restaurants, and beautiful sunsets over San Marco.
From roughly June through November, Venice hosts an annual world’s fair—contemporary art in odd years, modern architecture in even years—in buildings and pavilions scattered throughout Giardini park and the Arsenale. The festival is an excuse for temporary art exhibitions, concerts, and other cultural events around the city (for more information, see here; www.labiennale.org).
The island of Venice sits in a lagoon—a calm section of the Adriatic protected from wind and waves by the natural breakwater of the Lido. Beyond the church-topped island of San Giorgio Maggiore (directly in front of St. Mark’s Square—see here), four interesting islands hide out in the lagoon: San Michele, Murano, Burano, and Torcello. A fifth island has the beach—the Lido—a nice outing for a beach break on a sunny day.
(See “Lagoon Tour” map, here.)
These four islands make a good, varied, and long day trip that you can do on your own (see “Getting There” directions later).
San Michele (a.k.a. Cimitero) is the cemetery island—the final resting place of Venetians and a few foreign VIPs, from poet Ezra Pound to composer Igor Stravinsky. The stopover is easy, since boats come every 10 minutes. If you even half-enjoy wandering through old cemeteries, you’ll dig this one—it’s full of flowers, trees, scurrying lizards, and birdsong, and has an intriguing chapel (cemetery open daily April-Sept 7:30-18:00, Oct-March 7:30-16:30; reception to the left as you enter, free WC to the right, no picnicking).
Murano (worth ▲) is famous for its glassmaking. From the Colonna vaporetto stop, skip the glass shops in front of you, walk to the right, and wander up the street along the canal, Fondamenta dei Vetrai (Glassmakers’ Embankment). The Faro district of Murano, on the other side of the canal, is packed with factories (fabriche) and their furnaces (fornaci). You’ll pass dozens of glass shops. Early along this promenade, at #47, is the venerable Venini shop, with glass that’s a cut above much of what else is on offer here, and with an interior showing off the ultimate in modern Venetian glass design (Mon-Sat 9:30-18:00, closed Sun).
Murano’s Glass Museum (Museo Vetrario) traces the history of this delicate art (likely €8, daily April-Oct 10:00-18:00, Nov-March 10:00-17:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, tel. 041-739-586, http://museovetro.visitmuve.it).
Burano, known for its lacemaking and countless lace shops (and worth ▲▲), offers a delightful, vibrantly colorful village alternative to big, bustling Venice. The tight main drag is packed with tourists and lined with shops, some of which sell Burano’s locally produced white wine. Wander to the far side of the island, and the mood shifts. Explore to the right of the leaning tower for a peaceful yet intensely colorful, small-town lagoon world. Benches lining a little promenade at the water’s edge make for a pretty picnic spot.
Burano’s Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto di Burano) shows the island’s lace heritage (€5, April-Oct Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Nov-March Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon year-round, tel. 041-730-034, http://museomerletto.visitmuve.it).
Torcello (worth ▲) is the birthplace of Venice, where some of the first mainland refugees settled, escaping the barbarian hordes. Yet today it’s the least-developed island (pop. 20) in the most natural state, marshy and shrub-covered. There’s little for tourists to see except the church (a 10-minute walk from the dock; the oldest in Venice, and still sporting some impressive mosaics), a climbable bell tower, and a modest museum of Roman sculpture and medieval sculpture and manuscripts (€5; church open daily March-Oct 10:30-18:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-17:00, museum and campanile close 30 minutes earlier, museum closed Mon; last entry to all sights 30 minutes before closing; museum tel. 041-730-761, church/bell tower tel. 041-730-119).
Getting There: You can travel to any of the four islands by vaporetto. Because single vaporetto tickets (€7) expire after one hour, getting a vaporetto pass for this lagoon excursion makes more sense (such as a 12-hour pass for €18; see here for more on vaporetto tickets). Vaporetti can be very crowded; if you want a seat for the longer rides, show up at the boat dock a bit early to get in line.
For a route that takes you to all four islands, start at the Fondamente Nove vaporetto stop on the north shore of Venice (the “back” of the fish). Lines #4.1 and #4.2 converge here before heading out to Murano. Catch either one (every 10 minutes); you’ll first cross to San Michele (whose stop is called Cimitero) in six minutes, then continue another three minutes to Murano-Colonna. Stroll through Murano, then leave that island from a different stop: Murano-Faro, where you can board vaporetto #12 for the 30-minute trip to Burano. From Burano, you can side-trip to Torcello on vaporetto #9 (5-minute trip each way). To make a quick return to Venice from Burano, hop vaporetto #12, which returns you to Fondamente Nove (45 minutes).
Venice’s nearest beach is the Lido, across the lagoon on an island connected to the mainland (which means some car traffic). The sandy beach is pleasant, family-friendly, and good for swimming. You can rent an umbrella, buy beach-gear at the shop, get food at the self-service café, or have a drink at the bar. Everything is affordable and in the same building (vaporetto: Lido S.M.E., walk 10 minutes on Gran Viale S. Maria Elisabetta to beach entry).
Riding a gondola is simple, expensive, and one of the great experiences in Europe. Gondoliers hanging out all over town are eager to have you hop in for a ride. While this is a rip-off for some, it’s a traditional must for romantics.
The price for a gondola starts at €80 for a 40-minute ride during the day. You can divide the cost—and the romance—among up to six people per boat, but only two get the love seat. Prices jump to €100 after 19:00—when it’s most romantic and relaxing. Adding a singer and an accordionist will cost an additional €120. If you value budget over romance, you can save money by recruiting fellow travelers to split a gondola. Prices are standard and listed on the gondoliers’ association website (go to www.gondolavenezia.it, click on “Using the Gondola,” and look under “charterage”).
Dozens of gondola stations (servizio gondole) are set up along canals all over town. Because your gondolier might offer narration or conversation during your ride, talk with several and choose one you like. You’re welcome to review the map and discuss the route. Doing so is also a good way to see if you enjoy the gondolier’s personality and language skills. Establish the price, route, and duration of the trip before boarding, enjoy your ride, and pay only when you’re finished. While prices are pretty firm, you might find them softer during the day. Most gondoliers honor the official prices, but a few might try to scam you out of some extra euros, particularly by insisting on a tip. (While not required or even expected, if your gondolier does the full 40 minutes and entertains you en route, a 5-10 percent tip is appreciated; if he’s surly or rushes through the trip, skip it.) Don’t be surprised if your gondolier answers mobile-phone calls during the ride (have you ever called your loved one at work?).
If you’ve hired musicians and want to hear a Venetian song (un canto Veneziano), try requesting “Venezia La Luna e Tu.” Asking to hear “O Sole Mio” (which comes from Naples) is like asking a Chicago lounge singer to sing “Swanee River.”
Glide through nighttime Venice with your head on someone’s shoulder. Follow the moon as it sails past otherwise unseen buildings. Silhouettes gaze down from bridges while window glitter spills onto the black water. You’re anonymous in the city of masks, as the rhythmic thrust of your striped-shirted gondolier turns old crows into songbirds. This is extremely relaxing (and, I think, worth the extra cost to experience at night). Suggestion: Put the camera down and make a point for you and your partner to enjoy a threesome with Venice. Women, beware...while gondoliers can be extremely charming, locals say that anyone who falls for one of these Venetian Romeos “has slices of ham over her eyes.”
For cheap gondola thrills during the day, stick to the €2 one-minute ferry ride on a Grand Canal traghetto. At night, vaporetti are nearly empty, and it’s a great time to cruise the Grand Canal on the slow boat #1. Or hang out on a bridge along the gondola route and wave at romantics.
Venice’s most famous festival is Carnevale, the celebration Americans call Mardi Gras (Jan 31-Feb 17 in 2015, www.carnevale.venezia.it). Carnevale, which means “farewell to meat,” originated centuries ago as a wild two-month-long party leading up to the austerity of Lent. In Carnevale’s heyday—the 1600s and 1700s—you could do pretty much anything with anybody from any social class if you were wearing a mask. These days it’s a tamer 18-day celebration, culminating in a huge dance lit with fireworks on St. Mark’s Square. Sporting masks and costumes, Venetians from kids to businessmen join in the fun. Drawing the biggest crowds of the year, Carnevale has nearly been a victim of its own success, driving away many Venetians (who skip out on the craziness to go skiing in the Dolomites).
Every year, the city hosts the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition, a world-class contemporary fair, alternating between art in odd years and architecture in even years. The exhibition spreads over the Arsenale and Giardini park. When the Biennale focuses on visual art, representatives from 70 nations offer the latest in contemporary art forms: video, computer art, performance art, and digital photography, along with painting and sculpture (take vaporetto #1 or #2 to Giardini-Biennale; for details and an events calendar, see www.labiennale.org). The actual exhibition usually runs from June through November, but other events loosely connected with the Biennale—film, dance, theater—are held throughout the year (starting as early as February) in various venues on the island.
Other typically Venetian festival days filling the city’s hotels with visitors and its canals with decked-out boats are Feast of the Ascension Day (May 14 in 2015), Feast and Regatta of the Redeemer (Festa del Redentore) on the third weekend in July (with spectacular fireworks show Sat night), and the Historical Regatta (old-time boats and pageantry, first Sat and Sun in Sept). Vogalonga is a colorful regatta that attracts more than 1,500 human-powered watercraft; teams of often-costumed participants follow a 20-mile course through the canals and lagoon (late May-early June, www.vogalonga.it). Smaller regattas include the Murano Regatta (early July) and the Burano Regatta (mid-Sept).
Venice’s patron saint, St. Mark, is commemorated every April 25. Venetian men celebrate the day by presenting roses to the women in their lives (mothers, wives, and lovers).
Every November 21 is the Feast of Our Lady of Good Health. On this local “Thanksgiving,” a bridge is built over the Grand Canal so that the city can pile into La Salute Church and remember how Venice survived the gruesome plague of 1630. On this day, Venetians eat smoked lamb from Dalmatia (which was the cargo of the first ship admitted when the plague lifted).
Shoppers like Murano glass (described earlier), Burano lace (fun lace umbrellas for little girls), Carnevale masks (fine shops and artisans all over town), art reproductions (posters, postcards, and books), prints of Venetian scenes, traditional stationery (pens and marbled paper products of all kinds), calendars with Venetian scenes, silk ties, scarves, and plenty of goofy knickknacks (Titian mousepads, gondolier T-shirts, and little plastic gondola condom holders).
In touristy areas, shops are typically open from 9:00 to 19:30 (sometimes with a break from about 13:00 until 15:00 or 16:00), and more stores are open on Sunday here than in the rest of the country. If you’re buying a substantial amount from nearly any shop, bargain—it’s accepted and almost expected. Offer less and offer to pay cash; merchants are very conscious of the bite taken by credit-card companies.
Popular Venetian glass is available in many forms: vases, tea sets, decanters, glasses, jewelry, lamps, mod sculptures (such as solid-glass aquariums), and on and on. Shops will ship it home for you, but you’re likely to pay as much or more for the shipping as you are for the item(s), and you may have to pay duty on larger purchases. Make sure the shop insures their merchandise (assicurazione), or you’re out of luck if it breaks. If your item arrives broken and it has been insured, take a photo of the pieces, send it to the shop, and they’ll replace it for free.
Some visitors feel that because they’re in Venice, they ought to grab the opportunity to buy glass. Remember that you can buy fine glass back home, too (Venice stopped forbidding its glassblowers from leaving the republic a few centuries ago)—and under less time pressure.
Also be aware that much of the cheap glass you’ll see in Venice is imported (a sore point for local vendors dealing in the more expensive, locally produced stuff). Venetian glass producers, up in arms about the influx of Chinese glass, claim that a big percentage of the glass tourists buy is actually not Venetian. Genuine Venetian glass comes with the Murano seal.
If you’d like to watch a quick glassblowing demonstration, try Galleria San Marco, a tour-group staple just off St. Mark’s Square, which offers great demos every few minutes. They let individual travelers flashing this book sneak in with tour groups to see the show (and sales pitch). If you buy anything, show this book and they’ll take 20 percent off the listed price. The gallery is in an alley that runs behind the north side of the square; walk through the passageway between #140 and #141, then look for #181a on your left and go up to the second floor (daily 9:00-18:00, on Calle del Cappello Nero, San Marco 181a, tel. 041-271-8671, info@galleriasanmarco.it, manager Marino Busetto).
If you’re serious about glass, visit the island of Murano, its glass museum, and many shops (see here). You’ll find greater variety on Murano, but prices are usually the same as in Venice.
You must experience Venice after dark. The city is quiet at night, as tour groups stay in the cheaper hotels of Mestre on the mainland, and the masses of day-trippers return to their beach resorts and cruise ships. Gondolas cost more, but are worth the extra expense (see here).
Venice has a busy schedule of events, church concerts, festivals, and entertainment. Check at the TI or the TI’s website (www.turismovenezia.it) for listings. The free monthly Un Ospite di Venezia lists all the latest happenings in English (free at fancy hotels, or check http://www.aguestinvenice.com).
Baroque Concerts
Venice is a city of the powdered-wig Baroque era. For about €25, you can take your pick of traditional Vivaldi concerts in churches throughout town. Homegrown Vivaldi is as ubiquitous here as Strauss is in Vienna and Mozart is in Salzburg. In fact, you’ll find frilly young Vivaldis hawking concert tickets on many corners. Most shows start at 20:30 and generally last 1.5 hours. You’ll see posters in hotels all over town (hotels sell tickets at face-value).
Tickets for Baroque concerts in Venice can usually be bought the same day as the concert, so don’t bother with websites that sell tickets with a surcharge. The general rule of thumb: Musicians in wigs and tights offer better spectacle; musicians in black-and-white suits are better performers.
The Interpreti Veneziani orchestra, considered the best group in town, generally performs 1.5-hour concerts nightly at 21:00 inside the sumptuous San Vidal Church (€27, church ticket booth open daily 9:30-21:00, north end of Accademia Bridge, tel. 041-277-0561, www.interpretiveneziani.com).
Other Performances
Venice’s most famous theaters are La Fenice (grand old opera house, box office tel. 041-2424, see here), Teatro Goldoni (mostly Italian live theater), and Teatro della Fondamenta Nuove (theater, music, and dance).
Musica a Palazzo is a unique evening of opera at a Venetian palace on the Grand Canal. You’ll spend about 45 delightful minutes in each of three sumptuous rooms (about 2.25 hours total) as eight musicians (generally four instruments and four singers) perform. They generally present three different operas on successive nights—enthusiasts can experience more than one. With these kinds of surroundings, under Tiepolo frescoes, you’ll be glad you dressed up. As there are only 70 seats, you must book by phone or online in advance (€70, nightly at 20:30, Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto, Fondamenta Duodo o Barbarigo, vaporetto: Santa Maria del Giglio, San Marco 2504, mobile 340-971-7272, www.musicapalazzo.com).
Venezia is advertised as “the show that tells the great stories of Venice” and “simply the best show in town.” I found the performance to be slow-moving and a bit cheesy, and the venue disappointing (€39, nightly May-Oct at 20:00, Nov-April at 19:00; 80 minutes, just off St. Mark’s Square on Campo San Gallo, San Marco 1097, tel. 041-241-2002, www.teatrosangallo.net).
St. Mark’s Square
For tourists, St. Mark’s Square is the highlight, with lantern light and live music echoing from the cafés. Just being here after dark is a thrill, as dueling café orchestras entertain (see sidebar on here). Every night, enthusiastic musicians play the same songs, creating the same irresistible magic. Hang out for free behind the tables (allowing you to move easily on to the next orchestra when the musicians take a break), or spring for a seat and enjoy a fun and gorgeously set concert. If you sit a while, it can be about €13-22 well spent (for a drink and the cover charge for music). Dancing on the square is free—and encouraged.
Several venerable cafés and bars on the square serve expensive drinks outside but cheap drinks inside at the bar. The scene in a bar like Gran Caffè Lavena (in spite of its politically incorrect chandelier) can be great. The touristy Bar Americano is lively until late (under the Clock Tower). You’ll hear people talking about the famous Harry’s American Bar, which sells overpriced food and American cocktails to dressy tourists near the San Marco-Vallaresso vaporetto stop. But it’s a rip-off...and the last place Hemingway would drink today. It’s far cheaper to get a drink at any of the hole-in-the-wall bars just off St. Mark’s Square; you can get a bottle of beer or even prosecco-to-go in a plastic cup.
Wherever you end up, streetlamp halos, live music, floodlit history, and a ceiling of stars make St. Mark’s magic at midnight. You’re not a tourist, you’re a living part of a soft Venetian night...an alley cat with money. In the misty light, the moon has a golden hue. Shine with the old lanterns on the gondola piers, where the sloppy lagoon splashes at the Doge’s Palace...reminiscing.
For hassle-free efficiency and the sheer magic of being close to the action, I favor hotels that are handy to your sightseeing activities.
I’ve listed rooms in four neighborhoods: St. Mark’s bustle, the Rialto action, the quiet Dorsoduro area behind the Accademia art museum, and near the train station. I also mention several apartment rentals, big fancy hotels, cheap dorms, and other places on the mainland beyond the urban center. Note that hotel websites are particularly valuable for Venice, because they often include detailed directions that can help you get to your rooms with a minimum of wrong turns in this navigationally challenging city.
Book your accommodations well in advance, especially if you’ll be traveling during busy times.
The prices listed are for one-night stays in peak season (April, May, June, Sept, and Oct) and assume you’re booking directly with the hotel (not through a TI or online hotel-booking engine).
Prices can spike during festivals. Almost all places drop prices in July and August, and again from November through March (except during Christmas and Carnevale). A €180 double can cost €80-90 in winter. Off-season, don’t pay the rates I list.
Over the past decade, Venice’s hotel capacity has nearly doubled. Several big new hotels and countless little boutique hotels have opened, and many private homes have been converted to short-term rental apartments. Now the city is overbuilt for guest accommodations. Demand is soft and, therefore, so are the prices.
My recommended hotels each have a website (often with a built-in booking form) and an email address; you can expect a response in English within a day (and often sooner). I’d suggest emailing several hotels to ask for their best price. Comparison-shop and make your choice.
If you can handle waiting until the last minute to snare a spot, fancy hotels put empty rooms on an aggressive push list, offering great prices. Check hotel websites or sites such as www.booking.com, www.expedia.com, or www.venere.com starting two or three weeks before your arrival date. Before you bite, check to see if rates are lower than the prices in this book.
For tips on making reservations, see here.
To get here from the train station or Piazzale Roma bus station, ride the slow vaporetto #1 to San Zaccaria or the fast #2 (which also leaves from Tronchetto parking lot) to San Marco. Consider using your ride to follow my tour of the Grand Canal (see Grand Canal Cruise, here); to make sure you arrive via the Grand Canal, confirm that your boat goes “via Rialto.”
Nearby Laundries: Lavanderia Gabriella offers full service a few streets north of St. Mark’s Square; Effe Erre is a modern self-service lavanderia near the recommended Hotel al Piave. For details see here.
East of St. Mark’s Square
Located near the Bridge of Sighs, just off the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront promenade, these places rub drainpipes with Venice’s most palatial five-star hotels. To locate the following hotels, see the map on here.
$$$ Hotel Campiello, lacy and bright, was once part of a 19th-century convent. Ideally located 50 yards off the waterfront on a tiny square, its 16 rooms offer a tranquil, friendly refuge for travelers who appreciate comfort and professional service (Sb-€130, Db-€180, bigger “superior” Db-€200-210, 10 percent discount with this book if you reserve directly with the hotel and pay cash on arrival, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi; just steps from the San Zaccaria vaporetto stop, Castello 4647; tel. 041-520-5764, www.hcampiello.it, campiello@hcampiello.it; family-run for four generations, currently by Thomas, Nicoletta, and Monica). They also rent three modern family apartments, under rustic timbers just steps away (the largest sleeps 6 for €380/night).
$$$ Hotel Fontana, two bridges behind St. Mark’s Square, is a pleasant family-run place with 15 sparse but classic-feeling rooms overlooking a lively square (Sb-€120, Db-€180, family rooms, 10 percent cash discount, quieter rooms on garden side, 2 rooms have terraces for €20 extra, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi in common areas, on Campo San Provolo at Castello 4701, tel. 041-522-0579, www.hotelfontana.it, info@hotelfontana.it, cousins Diego and Gabriele).
$$$ Hotel la Residenza is a grand old palace facing a peaceful square. It has 16 small rooms on three levels (with no elevator) and a huge, luxurious lounge that comes with a piano and a stingy breakfast. This is a good value for romantics—you’ll feel like you’re in the Doge’s Palace after hours (Sb-€120, Db-€210, view Db-€220, extra bed-€35, small cash discount, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Campo Bandiera e Moro at Castello 3608, tel. 041-528-5315, www.venicelaresidenza.com, info@venicelaresidenza.com, Giovanni).
$$ Locanda al Leon, which feels a little like a medieval tower house, is conscientiously run and rents 13 reasonably priced rooms just off Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo (Db-€165, Db with square view-€185, Tb-€210, Qb-€250, these prices with cash and this book, air-con, Wi-Fi, 2 apartments with kitchens, Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4270, tel. 041-277-0393, www.hotelalleon.com, leon@hotelalleon.com, Giuliano and Marcella). Their down-the-street annex, B&B Marcella, has three newer, classy, and spacious rooms for the same rates (check in at main hotel).
$$ Albergo Doni, situated along a quiet canal, is dark and quiet. This time-warp—with creaky floors and 13 well-worn, once-classy rooms—is run by friendly Tessa and her two brothers, Barnaba and an Italian stallion named Nikos (S-€70, D-€110, Db-€135, Tb-€170, Qb-€180, €5 discount with this book when you book directly with the hotel, ceiling fans, three Db rooms have air-con, Wi-Fi in common areas, on Fondamenta del Vin at Castello 4656, tel. 041-522-4267, www.albergodoni.it, albergodoni@hotmail.it). The hotel also has three nice overflow apartments at the same prices (but without breakfast).
$ Casa per Ferie Santa Maria della Pietà is a wonderful church-run facility renting 53 beds in 15 rooms just a block off the Riva, with a fabulous lagoon-view roof terrace that could rival those at the most luxurious hotels in town. Institutional, with generous public spaces and dorm-style comfort, there are no sinks, toilets, or showers in any of its rooms, but there’s plenty of plumbing down the hall (bed in 6-bed room-€35-42, in 4-bed room-€45-49, S-€70-85, D-€120-135, higher prices are for Fri and Sat, 2-night minimum on weekends in peak season, only twin beds, reserve with credit card but pay cash, air-con, Wi-Fi, profits go to church care for poor, 100 yards from San Zaccaria-Pietà vaporetto dock, down Calle de la Pietà from La Pietà Church at Castello 3701, take elevator to third floor, tel. 041-244-3639, www.bedandvenice.it, info@bedandvenice.it).
North of St. Mark’s Square
To locate the following hotels, see the map on here.
$$ Hotel Orion rents 21 simple, welcoming rooms in the center of the action. Steep stairs (there’s no elevator) take you from the touristy street into a peaceful world high above. Book directly with the hotel and ask for a Rick Steves discount (Db-€120-180, Tb-€140-210, air-con, Wi-Fi; 2 minutes inland from St. Mark’s Square, 10 steps toward St. Mark’s from San Zulian Church at Calle Spadaria 700a, tel. 041-522-3053, www.hotelorion.it, info@hotelorion.it).
$$ Hotel al Piave, with 28 rooms above a bright, tight lobby and breakfast room, is comfortable and cheery, and you’ll enjoy the neighborhood (Db-€165, larger “superior” Db-€220, Tb-€220, Qb-€270; family suites-€300 for 4, €330 for 5; €10 Rick Steves discount when you book directly and pay in cash, lots of narrow stairs, air-con, Wi-Fi in most rooms, on Ruga Giuffa at Castello 4838, tel. 041-528-5174, www.hotelalpiave.com, info@hotelalpiave.com; Mirella, Paolo, Ilaria, and Federico speak English).
$$ Locanda Silva is a big, basic, beautifully located hotel with a functional 1960s feel, renting 23 decent old-school rooms that are particularly worth considering if you’re willing to share a bathroom to save some money (S-€70, Sb-€85, D-€85, D with toilet but shared shower-€90, Db-€140, Tb-€160, Qb-€180, book direct and request 10 percent Rick Steves discount, another 10 percent off if you stay at least 2 nights, discounts valid only with cash, closed Dec-Jan, air-con, lots of stairs, guest computer, Wi-Fi, on Fondamenta del Remedio at Castello 4423, tel. 041-522-7643, www.locandasilva.it, info@locandasilva.it; Sandra, Katia, and Massimo).
$$ Locanda Casa Querini rents six bright, high-ceilinged rooms on a quiet square tucked away behind St. Mark’s. You can enjoy your breakfast or a sunny happy-hour picnic sitting at their tables right on the sleepy little square (Db-€155, Tb-€180, one cheaper small double, these prices for Rick Steves readers who book directly with the hotel and pay cash, €5 additional discount if you book on their website, air-con, Wi-Fi, halfway between San Zaccaria vaporetto stop and Campo Santa Maria Formosa at Castello 4388 on Campo San Zaninovo/Giovanni Novo, tel. 041-241-1294, www.locandaquerini.com, info@locandaquerini.com; Silvia, Patrizia, and Caterina).
$ Corte Campana B&B, run by enthusiastic and helpful Riccardo and his Californian wife Grace, rents three quiet, spacious, characteristic rooms up a few flights of stairs just behind St. Mark’s Square. For one room, the private bath is down the hall (D/Db-€125, Tb-€165, Qb-€190, cash only, 2-night minimum, at least €10/night less for stays of 4 nights, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Calle del Remedio at Castello 4410, tel. 041-523-3603, mobile 389-272-6500, www.cortecampana.com, info@cortecampana.com).
Near Campo Santa Maria Formosa
A bit farther north of the options listed above, these are in the quiet, somewhat less touristy Castello area, beyond the inviting Campo Santa Maria Formosa. For locations, see the map on here.
$$ Locanda la Corte is perfumed with elegance without being snooty. Its 14 attractive, high-ceilinged, wood-beamed rooms—Venetian-style, done in earthy pastels—circle a small, quiet courtyard (standard Db-€150, deluxe Db-€170, 10 percent discount with cash and this book, suites and family rooms available, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Calle Bressana at Castello 6317, tel. 041-241-1300, www.locandalacorte.it, info@locandalacorte.it, Marco and Tommy the cat).
$ Alloggi Barbaria, a good budget choice, rents eight simple, characterless rooms on one floor around a bright but institutional-feeling common area. Beyond Campo San Zanipolo/Santi Giovanni e Paolo, it’s a fair walk from the action, but in a pleasant residential neighborhood. The Ospedale vaporetto stop is two minutes away on foot, with no steps (Db-€90-100, third to fifth person-€25 each, these prices with cash and this book, limited breakfast of bread and jam, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Calle de le Capucine at Castello 6573, tel. 041-522-2750, www.alloggibarbaria.it, info@alloggibarbaria.it, well-traveled Fausto). You can reach the Ospedale stop on vaporetto #5.2 from the train or bus stations, or (on request) via the Alilaguna blue line from the airport.
West of St. Mark’s Square
These more expensive hotels are solid choices in a more elegant neighborhood. To locate them, see the map on here.
$$$ Hotel Flora sits buried in a sea of fancy designer boutiques and elegant hotels almost on the Grand Canal. It’s formal, with uniformed staff and grand public spaces, yet the 40 rooms have a homey warmth and the garden oasis is a sanctuary for well-heeled, foot-weary guests (generally Db-€260, 10 percent discount if you mention this book while reserving directly with the hotel, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi, fitness room, family apartment, on Calle Bergamaschi at San Marco 2283a, tel. 041-520-5844, www.hotelflora.it, info@hotelflora.it).
$$$ Hotel Bel Sito offers pleasing Old World character, 34 smallish rooms, generous public spaces, a peaceful courtyard, and a picturesque location—facing a church on a small square between St. Mark’s Square and the Accademia (Sb-€110-200, Db-€200-320, “superior” rooms with view of canal or square cost more, 5 percent discount if you mention this book while reserving directly with the hotel, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi; near Santa Maria del Giglio vaporetto stop—line #1, on Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo/del Giglio at San Marco 2517, tel. 041-522-3365, www.hotelbelsitovenezia.it, info@hotelbelsito.info, manager Rossella).
$$$ Hotel Mercurio, a lesser value a block in front of La Fenice Opera House, offers 29 peaceful, comfortable rooms (Sb-€180, Db-€240, Tb-€290, Qb-€320, about €30 extra for a canal view, €10 discount on any room when booked direct and paid in cash, air-con, lots of stairs, Wi-Fi, on Calle del Fruttariol at San Marco 1848, tel. 041-522-0947, www.hotelmercurio.com, info@hotelmercurio.com; Monica, Vittorio, Natale, Stefano, and Giacomo).
These places are on opposite sides of the Grand Canal, within a short walk of the Rialto Bridge. Express vaporetto #2 brings you to the Rialto quickly from the train station, the Piazzale Roma bus station, and the parking-lot island of Tronchetto, but you’ll need to take the “local” vaporetto #1 to reach the minor stops closer to the last two listings. To locate the following hotels, see the map on here.
$$$ Hotel al Ponte Antico is exquisite, professional, and small. With nine plush rooms, a velvety royal living/breakfast room, and its own dock for water taxi arrivals, it’s perfect for a romantic anniversary. Because its wonderful terrace overlooks the Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, and market action, its non-canal-view rooms may be a better value (Db-€325, “superior” Db-€400, deluxe canal-front Db-€490, air-con, Wi-Fi, 100 yards from Rialto Bridge at Cannaregio 5768, use Rialto vaporetto stop, tel. 041-241-1944, www.alponteantico.com, info@alponteantico.com, Matteo makes you feel like royalty).
$$ Pensione Guerrato, right above the colorful Rialto produce market and just two minutes from the Rialto Bridge, is run by friendly, creative, and hardworking Roberto and Piero. Their 800-year-old building—with 22 spacious, charming rooms—is simple, airy, and wonderfully characteristic (D-€95, Db-€135, Tb-€155, Qb-€175, Quint/b-€185, these prices with this book and cash, check website for special discounts, Rick Steves readers can ask for €5/night discount below online specials, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Calle drio la Scimia at San Polo 240a, take vaporetto #1 to Rialto Mercato stop to save walk over bridge, tel. 041-528-5927, www.pensioneguerrato.it, info@pensioneguerrato.it, Monica and Rosanna). My tour groups book this place for 60 nights each year. Sorry. The Guerrato also rents family apartments in the old center (great for groups of 4-8) for around €60 per person.
$ Alloggi Santa Sofia rents five good, inexpensive rooms a few doors down a lane off the busy Strada Nova (Db-€120, on Calle Priuli at Cannaregio 4183, take vaporetto #1 to Ca d’Oro stop, tel. 041-277-0997, www.alloggisantasofia.com, info@alloggi santasofia.com).
As you step over the Accademia Bridge, the commotion of touristy Venice is replaced by a sleepy village laced with canals. This quiet area, next to the best painting gallery in town, is a 15-minute walk from the Rialto or St. Mark’s Square. The fast vaporetto #2 to the Accademia stop is the typical way to get here from the train station, Piazzale Roma bus station, Tronchetto parking lot, or St. Mark’s Square (early and late, #2 terminates at the Rialto stop, where you change to #1). For hotels near the Zattere stop, vaporetto #5.1 (or the Alilaguna speedboat from the airport) are good options.
To locate the following hotels, see the map on here.
South of the Accademia Bridge, in Dorsoduro
$$$ Pensione Accademia fills the 17th-century Villa Maravege like a Bellini painting. Its 27 comfortable, elegant rooms gild the lily. You’ll feel aristocratic gliding through its grand public spaces and lounging in its wistful, breezy gardens (Sb-€155, standard Db-€270, bigger “superior” Db-€320, Tb-€350, Qb-€380, must pay first night in advance, 5 percent Rick Steves discount on balance when you book direct with the hotel and pay in cash—mention when reserving and show this book, air-con, no elevator but most rooms on ground floor or one floor up, guest computer, Wi-Fi, on Fondamenta Bollani at Dorsoduro 1058, tel. 041-521-0188, www.pensioneaccademia.it, info@pensioneaccademia.it).
$$$ Hotel la Calcina, the home of English writer John Ruskin in 1876, maintains a 19th-century formality. It comes with three-star comforts in a professional yet intimate package. Its 25 nautical-feeling rooms are squeaky clean, with nice wood furniture, hardwood floors, and a peaceful waterside setting facing Giudecca Island (Sb-€155, Sb with view-€180, Db-€265, Db with view-€350, price depends on size, check for discounts online, air-con, no elevator and lots of stairs, guest computer, Wi-Fi, rooftop terrace, buffet breakfast outdoors in good weather on platform over lagoon, near Zattere vaporetto stop at south end of Rio de San Vio at Dorsoduro 780, tel. 041-520-6466, www.lacalcina.com, info@lacalcina.com).
$$$ Hotel Belle Arti, with a stiff, serious staff, lacks personality but has a grand entry, an inviting garden terrace, and 66 heavily decorated rooms (Sb-€150, Db-€240, Tb-€270, air-con, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, 100 yards behind Accademia art museum on Rio Terà A. Foscarini at Dorsoduro 912a, tel. 041-522-6230, www.hotelbellearti.com, info@hotelbellearti.com).
$$ Casa Rezzonico, a tranquil getaway far from the crowds, rents seven inviting, nicely appointed rooms with a grassy private garden terrace. All of the rooms overlook either the canal or the garden (Sb-€130, Db-€170, Tb-€200, Qb-€230, ask for Rick Steves discount when you book, air-con, Wi-Fi, near Ca’ Rezzonico vaporetto stop—line #1, a few blocks past Campo San Barnaba on Fondamenta Gherardini at Dorsoduro 2813, tel. 041-277-0653, www.casarezzonico.it, info@casarezzonico.it, brothers Matteo and Mattia).
$$ Hotel Galleria has 10 tight, old-fashioned, velvety rooms, most with views of the Grand Canal. Some rooms are quite narrow. It’s run with a family feel by Luciano and Stefano (S-€95, D-€140, Grand Canal view D-€160, skinny Grand Canal view Db-€170, palatial Grand Canal view Db-€200, breakfast in room, ceiling fans, free mini-bar, Wi-Fi, 30 yards from Accademia art museum, next to recommended Foscarini pizzeria at Dorsoduro 878a, tel. 041-523-2489, www.hotelgalleria.it, info@hotelgalleria.it).
$$ Don Orione Religious Guest House is a big cultural center dedicated to the work of a local man who became a saint in modern times. With 80 rooms filling an old monastery, it feels cookie-cutter-institutional (like a modern retreat center), but is also classy, clean, peaceful, and strictly run. It’s beautifully located, comfortable, and a good value supporting a fine cause: Profits go to mission work in the developing world (Sb-€96, Db-€160, Tb-€207, Qb-€248, groups welcome, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi, on Rio Terà A. Foscarini, Dorsoduro 909a, tel. 041-522-4077, www.donorione-venezia.it, info@donorione-venezia.it). From the Zattere vaporetto stop, turn right, then turn left. It’s just after the church at #909a.
$$ Ca’ San Trovaso rents six newly renovated rooms in a little three-floor, formerly residential building. The location is peaceful, on a small, out-of-the-way canal (Sb-€100, Db-€150, bigger canal-view Db-€170, Tb-€195, breakfast in your room, Wi-Fi, tiny roof terrace, apartments available for 2-6 people for 3-night minimum stay, near Zattere vaporetto stop, off Fondamenta de le Romite at Dorsoduro 1350/51, tel. 041-241-2215, mobile 349-125-3890, www.casantrovaso.com, info@casantrovaso.com, Anna).
$ Casa di Sara, a colorfully decorated B&B, is hidden in a leafy courtyard in a humble back-street area overlooking a canal. Their four quiet rooms and tiny roof terrace offer the maximum in privacy (Sb-€110, Db-€130, Tb-€140, air-con, Wi-Fi, along Fondamenta de le Romite at Dorsoduro 1330, mobile 342-596-3563, www.casadisara.com, info@casadisara.com, Aniello).
North of the Accademia Bridge
These places are between the Accademia Bridge and St. Mark’s Square.
$$$ Novecento Hotel rents nine plush rooms on three floors, complemented by a big, welcoming lounge, an elegant living room, and a small breakfast garden. This boutique hotel is nicely located and has a tasteful sense of style, mingling Art Deco with North African and Turkish decor (Db-€270, bigger “superior” Db/Tb-€290, air-con, lots of stairs, Wi-Fi, on Calle del Dose, off Campo San Maurizio at San Marco 2683, tel. 041-241-3765, www.novecento.biz, info@novecento.biz).
$$$ Foresteria Levi, run by a foundation that promotes research on Venetian music, offers 32 quiet, institutional yet comfortable and spacious rooms (some are loft quads—a good deal for families). Reserve directly with the foundation, mention this book, and pay cash to get the best rates (generally around Db-€200, Qb-€250, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi, on Calle Giustinian at San Marco 2893, tel. 041-277-0542, www.fondazionelevi.it, info@foresterialevi.it).
$$ Istituto Ciliota is a big, efficient, and sparkling-clean place—well-run, well-located, and church-owned—with an Ikea-style charm, 30 dorm-like rooms, and a peaceful garden. If you want industrial-strength comfort at a good price with no stress and little character, this is a fine value. During the school year, half the rooms are used by students (Sb-€80, Db-€140, no extra beds possible, cheaper with longer stays, air-con, mini-fridges in each room, elevator, Wi-Fi, on Calle de le Muneghe just off Campo San Stefano, San Marco 2976, tel. 041-520-4888, www.ciliota.it, info@ciliota.it).
$ Albergo San Samuele rents 10 budget rooms in an old palazzo near Campo San Stefano. It’s in a great locale and the rooms with shared bath can be a good deal (S-€80, D-€110, Db-€150, extra bed-€30, no breakfast, fans, guest computer, Wi-Fi, on Salizada San Samuele at San Marco 3358, tel. 041-520-5165, www.hotelsansamuele.com, info@hotelsansamuele.com, Judith).
I don’t recommend the train station area. It’s crawling with noisy, disoriented tourists with too much baggage and people whose life’s calling is to scam visitors out of their money. It’s so easy just to hop a vaporetto upon arrival and sleep in the Venice of your dreams. Still, some like to park their bags near the station, and if so, these places stand out. The farther you get from the station, the more pleasant the surroundings (for locations, see the map on here).
Nearby Laundry: The nearest self-service launderette is across the Grand Canal from the station (see here).
Close to the Station
These hotels are very close to the station, but each is down a side street, away from the throngs along the main drag.
$$$ Hotel Abbazia fills a former abbey with both history and class. The refectory makes a grand living room for guests, a garden fills the old courtyard, and the halls leading to 50 rooms are monkishly wide (Db-€200, larger “superior” Db-€230—choose Venetian or modern style, ask for 10 percent Rick Steves discount when you book direct, air-con, no elevator but plenty of stairs, Wi-Fi, fun-loving staff, 2 blocks from the station on the very quiet Calle Priuli dei Cavaletti, Cannaregio 68, tel. 041-717-333, www.abbaziahotel.com, info@abbaziahotel.com).
$ Hotel S. Lucia, 150 yards from the train station, is oddly modern and sterile, with bright and spacious rooms and tight showers. Its 13 rooms are simple and clean. Guests enjoy their sunny garden area out front (S-€65, D-€100, Db-€120, Tb-€145, 5 percent discount if you pay cash, €5/person less if you skip breakfast, air-con, Wi-Fi, closed Nov-Feb, on Calle de la Misericordia at Cannaregio 358, tel. 041-715-180, www.hotelslucia.com, info@hotelslucia.com, Gianni and Lorenzo).
$ Hotel Rossi, sitting quietly at the end of a dead-end street off the main Lista di Spagna, rents 14 tired, well-worn rooms that are cheap in every sense—the budget-minded will find it tolerable for a night or two, but consider yourself forewarned (S-€59, D-€83, Db-€98, Tb-€118, air-con, lots of stairs, Wi-Fi in common areas, on Calle de le Procuratie, Cannaregio 262, tel. 041-715-164, www.hotelrossi.ve.it, info@hotelrossi.ve.it).
Across the Bridge from the Train Station
These two places are in a quieter area on the other side of the Grand Canal from the train station—you’ll have to haul your bags across a big bridge. Both are also convenient to the bus station at Piazzale Roma.
$ Albergo Marin has 19 good-value rooms. It’s close enough to the station to be convenient, but far enough to be quiet, sane, and residential (Sb-€120, D-€110, Db-€130, big “superior” Db with fancy showers-€160, Tb-€160, 5 percent discount with this book if you pay cash, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Ramo de le Chioverete at Santa Croce 670b, tel. 041-718-022, www.albergomarin.it, info@albergomarin.it, brothers Giacomo and Filippo).
$ Hotel Ai Tolentini is a pleasant couple hundred yards from the Piazzale Roma bus station—just far enough to make you feel like you’re actually in Venice. The seven rooms are on two floors, up narrow stairs above a restaurant that can be noisy (Db-€130, bigger Db-€150, included breakfast at nearby bar, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Calle Amai at Santa Croce 197g, tel. 041-275-9140, www.albergoaitolentini.it, info@albergoaitolentini.it).
Farther from the Station, Toward the Jewish Ghetto and Rialto
While still walkable from the station, these listings are just outside the chaotic station neighborhood, in a far more pleasant residential zone close to the former Jewish Ghetto. The nearest Grand Canal vaporetto stop is San Marcuola.
$$ Locanda Ca’ San Marcuola is a peaceful, characteristic, good-value oldie-but-goodie renting 14 fine rooms a few steps from the Grand Canal (Db-€140, slightly bigger Db overlooking small canal-€150, Tb-€170, Qb-€200, air-con, elevator, Wi-Fi, next to San Marcuola vaporetto stop on Campo San Marcuola, Cannaregio 1763, tel. 041-716-048, www.casanmarcuola.com, info@casanmarcuola.com).
$$ Locanda Herion, tucked down a sleepy lane just off a busy shopping street, rents 15 beige-tiled, homey rooms (Db-€140, more for larger rooms, one room is wheelchair accessible, 10 percent Rick Steves discount if you book directly with the hotel, air-con, pay Wi-Fi, a few shared terraces, on Campiello Augusto Picutti, Cannaregio 1697a, tel. 041-275-9426, www.locandaherion.com, info@locandaherion.com).
$ Hotel Henry, a small family-owned hotel, rents 15 simple, flowery, nicely maintained rooms with few public spaces. It’s in a sleepy residential neighborhood near the Jewish Ghetto, a 10-minute walk from the train station (D-€80, Db-€95, Tb-€140, Qb-€180, these prices good with cash and this book, no breakfast but bars nearby, apartments available at higher prices, air-con, Wi-Fi, on Calle Ormesini at Campiello Briani, Cannaregio 1506e, tel. 041-523-6675, www.alloggihenry.com, info@alloggihenry.com, Manola and Henry).
Several big, plush, $$$ places with greedy, sky-high rack rates (around Db-€300-350) frequently have steep discounts (often around Db-€220-250, and as low as Db-€120 or less off-season) if you book through their websites. All of the ones I’ve listed here are on the map on here, except Hotel Giorgione. If you want sliding-glass-door, uniformed-receptionist kind of comfort and formality in the old center, these are worth considering: Hotel Giorgione (big, garish, shiny, near Rialto Bridge—see map on here; www.hotelgiorgione.com); Hotel Casa Verardo (elegant and quietly parked on a canal behind St. Mark’s, more stately, 22 rooms, www.casaverardo.it); Hotel Donà Palace, Hotel all’Angelo, and Hotel al Ponte dei Sosperi (three sister hotels sitting like Las Vegas in the touristy zone a few blocks behind St. Mark’s Basilica, with stiff service and renting a total of 100 overpriced rooms that are getting a bit long in the tooth, all on Calle Larga San Marco, www.carrainhotelsgroup.com); and Hotel Ca’ Dei Conti (5 minutes northeast of St. Mark’s Square, palatial and perfectly located but €500 rooms are worth it only when deeply discounted, www.cadeiconti.com).
Other hotels to consider: If all my other listings are full, try one of the following hotels. Rates for these places vary widely with the season and demand (generally around Db-€160-195 for a standard double room in high season): Hotel Violino d’Oro is a beautiful boutique hotel (Via XXII Marzo, San Marco 2091, tel. 041-277-0841, www.violinodoro.com). Its sister hotel, Hotel Anastasia, is more modest, with limited reception staff (San Marco 2141, tel. 041-277-0776, www.hotelanastasia.com). Hotel American Dinesen offers 30 plush rooms with all comforts (near Peggy Guggenheim Collection at Fondamenta Bragadin, Dorsoduro 628, tel. 041-520-4733, www.hotelamerican.com). Hotel La Fenice et des Artistes has 68 classy but unpretentious rooms on a sleepy square (near opera house at Campiello della Fenice, San Marco 1936, tel. 041-523-2333, www.fenicehotels.com). Hotel dei Dragomanni is modern, stylish, and pricey (facing Grand Canal at San Marco 2711, tel. 041-277-1300, www.hoteldragomanni.com).
$ Foresteria della Chiesa Valdese is ramshackle, chilly, and run-down yet charming. It rents 70 beds—mostly in tight (6- to 10-bed) dorms, but with nine fine doubles and some larger private rooms sleeping up to six. It comes with generous public spaces and classic paintings on the walls and ceilings. Its profits support the charity work of the Methodist Church. Reservations for the dorms are accepted only a few days in advance (dorm bed-€35, S-€60, Db-€105-140, Tb-€120-140, Qb-€155-170, 6b-€185-220, higher prices are for weekends and rooms with view, about €5/person less for multi-night stays; includes breakfast, sheets, towels, and lockers; must check in and out when office is open—8:30-19:30, no air-con, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, near Campo Santa Maria Formosa on Fondamenta Cavagnis at Castello 5170, see map on here, tel. 041-528-6797, www.foresteriavenezia.it, info@foresteriavenezia.it).
$ Venice’s youth hostel, on Giudecca Island with 243 beds and grand views across the Bay of San Marco, is a godsend for backpackers shell-shocked by Venetian prices. Though the facility was recently renovated, at heart it’s still a classic hostel—big rooms stacked with bunk beds (rates vary wildly but are rarely higher than the following: €32-42 beds with sheets in 8- to 20-bed dorms, Db-€143, Qb-€210, 5b-€239, breakfast-€3.50, Wi-Fi, lockers, laundry-€7/load, office open 24 hours, Fondamenta Zitelle 86, tel. 041-877-8288, www.ostellovenezia.it, info@ostellovenezia.it). From the bus or train stations, take vaporetto #4.1 (faster) or #2 (more frequent) to the Zitelle stop, then walk right along the embankment to #86. (From the Tronchetto parking lot, take vaporetto #2.)
While touristy restaurants are the scourge of Venice, the following places are popular with actual Venetians and respect the tourists who happen in. First trick: Walk away from triple-language menus. Second trick: For freshness, eat fish. Many seafood dishes are the catch-of-the-day. (But remember that seafood can be sold by weight—per 100 grams or etto—rather than a set price.) Third trick: Eat later. A place may feel really touristy at 19:00, but if you come back at 21:00, it can be filled with locals. Tourists eat barbarically early, which is fine with the restaurants because they fill tables that would otherwise be used only once in an evening.
For locations, see the map on here.
North of the Bridge
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge” map, here.)
These restaurants and wine bars are located beyond Campo Santi Apostoli, on or near the Strada Nova, the main drag going from Rialto toward the train station.
Trattoria da Bepi, bright and alpine-paneled, feels like a classic, where Loris carries on his mother’s passion for good, traditional Venetian cuisine. Ask for the seasonal specialties: The seafood appetizer plate and crab dishes are excellent. There’s good seating inside and out. If you trust Loris, you’ll walk away with a wonderful dining memory (€9-13 pastas, €14-20 secondi, Fri-Wed 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Thu, half a block off Campo Santi Apostoli on Salizada Pistor, Cannaregio 4550, tel. 041-528-5031).
La Cantina is an elegant enoteca, both rustic and sophisticated—you won’t find a menu here. Rather than cook (there’s no kitchen), Francesco and Andrea prepare wonderful gourmet cold plates of meat, cheese, and fish. Though it’s not cheap (meat-and-cheese plates-€15/person, seafood plates-€30/person), you’ll enjoy the very best ingredients paired with fine wines. You can sit inside and watch the preparation scene, or enjoy the parade of passersby from great seats right on the Strada Nova. For a budget alternative, have a cicchetto at the bar with a glass of fine wine (€1.50 for ham-and-cheese cicchetti, €2.50 for seafood; Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, closed Sun, facing Campo San Felice on Strada Nova near Ca’ d’Oro, Cannaregio 3688, tel. 041-522-8258).
Vini da Gigio, a more expensive option, has a traditional Venetian menu, and a classy but un-snooty setting that’s a pleasant mix of traditional and contemporary (€14-18 pastas, €22-24 secondi, Wed-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Mon-Tue, 4 blocks from Ca’ d’Oro vaporetto stop on Fondamenta San Felice, behind the church on Campo San Felice, Cannaregio 3628a, tel. 041-528-5140).
East of the Rialto Bridge
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge” map, here.)
The next few places hide away in the twisty lanes between the Rialto Bridge and Campo Santa Maria Formosa. Osteria da Alberto is a tad farther north of the others, in Cannaregio.
Rosticceria San Bartolomeo is a cheap—if confusing—self-service diner. This throwback budget eatery has a surly staff: Don’t take it personally. Notice that the different counters serve up different types of food—pastas, secondi, fried goodies, and so on. You can get it to go, grab one of the few tiny tables, or munch at the bar—but I’d skip their upper-floor restaurant option (€7-9 pastas, great fried mozzarella al prosciutto for €1.70, fruit salad, €2 glasses of wine, prices listed on wall behind counter, no cover and no service charge, daily 9:00-21:30, San Marco 5424, tel. 041-522-3569). To find it, imagine the statue on Campo San Bartolomeo walking backward 20 yards, turning left, and going under a passageway—now, follow him.
Osteria al Portego is a small, friendly neighborhood eatery near Campo San Lio. Carlo serves good meals and excellent €1-3 cicchetti—best enjoyed early, around 18:00. The cicchetti here can make a great meal, but consider sitting down for a dinner from their menu. From 19:00 to 21:00, their six tables are reserved for those ordering from the menu; the cicchetti are picked over by 21:00. Reserve ahead if you want a table (€14-15 pastas, €15-18 secondi, €1 glasses of house wine, daily 10:30-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, on Calle de la Malvasia, Castello 6015, tel. 041-522-9038). From Rosticceria San Bartolomeo (listed earlier), continue over a bridge to Campo San Lio, turn left, and follow Calle Carminati straight 50 yards over another bridge.
Osteria da Alberto, up near Campo Santa Maria Novo, is one of my standbys. They offer up excellent daily specials, €11-18 seafood dishes, €9-12 pastas, and a good house wine in a woody and characteristic interior (although it’s set along a canal, you can’t see it from the dining area). It’s smart to reserve at night—I’d request a table in front (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-22:30, closed Sun; on Calle Larga Giacinto Gallina, midway between Campo Santi Apostoli and Campo San Zanipolo/Santi Giovanni e Paolo, and next to Ponte de la Panada bridge, Cannaregio 5401; tel. 041-523-8153, www.osteriadaalberto.it, run by Graziano and Giovanni).
Rialto Market Area
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge” map, here.)
The north end of the Rialto Bridge is a great area for menu browsing, bar-hopping, drinks, and snacks; it also has fine sit-down restaurants. As with market neighborhoods anywhere, you’ll find lots of hardworking hole-in-the-walls with a line on the freshest of ingredients and catering to local shoppers needing a quick, affordable, and tasty bite. This area is very crowded by day, nearly empty early in the evening, and packed with young Venetian clubbers later.
My listings below include a stretch of dark and rustic pubs serving cicchetti (Venetian tapas), a strip of trendy places fronting the Grand Canal, a few little places on the market, and a couple of “normal” restaurants serving solid pasta, pizza, and secondi. All but the last two eateries are within 200 yards of the market and each other.
The Cicchetti Strip: Four Venetian Tapas Bars
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge” map, here.)
The 100-yard-long stretch starting two blocks inland from the Rialto Market (along Sotoportego dei Do Mori and Calle de le Do Spade) is beloved among Venetian cicchetti enthusiasts for its delightful bar munchies, good wine by the glass, and fun stand-up conviviality. These four places serve food all day, but the spread is best at around noon (generally open daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-20:00 or 21:00; two of the places I list are closed Sun). Each place offers a fine bar-and-stools scene, while a couple can be treated like a restaurant—order from their rustic menu and grab a table. Scout these places in advance (listed in the order you’ll reach them, if coming from the Rialto Bridge) to help decide which ambience is right for the experience you have in mind. Then pick one, dig in, and drink up.
At each place, look for the list of snacks and wine by the glass at the bar or on the wall. When you’re ready for dessert, try dipping a Burano biscuit in a glass of strawberry-flavored fragolino or another sweet dessert wine. Most bars are closed 15:00-18:00, and offer glasses of house wine for under €1, better wine for around €2.50, and cicchetti for €1-2.
Bar all’Arco, a bustling one-room joint, is particularly enjoyable for its tiny open-face sandwiches (closed Sun, San Polo 436; Francisco, Anne, Matteo).
Cantina Do Mori has been famous with locals (since 1462) and savvy travelers (since 1982) as a convivial place for fine wine. They serve a forest of little edibles on toothpicks and francobolli (a spicy selection of 20 tiny, mayo-soaked sandwiches nicknamed “stamps”). Go here to be abused in a fine atmosphere—the frowns are part of the shtick (closed Sun, can be shoulder-to-shoulder, San Polo 430).
Osteria ai Storti, with a cool photo of the market in 1909, is more of a sit-down place. It’s run by Alessandro, who speaks English and enjoys helping educate travelers, and his sister Baby—pronounced “Bobby” (€9 pastas, €12-15 secondi, daily except closed Sun off-season, around the corner from Cantina Do Mori on Calle San Matio—follow signs, San Polo 819).
Cantina Do Spade is expertly run by Francesco, who clearly lists the cicchetti and wines of the day (also good for sit-down meals, 30 yards down Calle de le Do Spade from Osteria ai Storti at San Polo 860, tel. 041-521-0583).
The Bancogiro Stretch: Five Places Overlooking the Grand Canal
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge” map, here.)
Just past the Rialto Bridge, between Campo San Giacomo and the Grand Canal, this strip of five popular places in a recently renovated old building has some of the best canalside seating in Venice. I call this the “Bancogiro Stretch” (the restaurants front a former banking building called Bancogiro).
Each place has a unique character and formula. Unless otherwise noted, all are open daily and serve drinks, cicchetti, and inventive, somewhat pricey sit-down meals. While you can get a drink anytime, dinner is typically served only after 19:00 or 19:30. During meals, they charge more and limit table seating to those ordering full lunches or dinners; but between mealtimes you can enjoy a drink or a snack at fine prices. After dinner hours, the Bancogiro Stretch—and especially in the surrounding alleys that house low-rent bars—becomes a youthful and trendy nightspot. Before or after dinner, this strip is one of the best places in town for a spritz.
Here’s the rundown (in the order you’ll reach them from the Rialto Bridge): Bar Naranzaria serves Italian dishes with a few Japanese options (€14 pastas, €17-24 secondi). Caffè Vergnano, your cheapest option—especially during mealtimes—is just a café with no cover (€10-12 salads, pizzas, and pastas—and a busy microwave oven). Osteria al Pescador is a more serious restaurant (€18-27 single-plate dishes, €35 four-course fixed-price menu, usually no pasta, closed Tue off-season). Bar Ristorante Bancogiro is really good, with romantic dining upstairs (no canal views), a passion for the best cheese, and good cicchetti options at the bar (€17-18 pastas, €22-26 secondi, nice €16 cheese plate, closed Mon, tel. 041-523-2061, www.osteriabancogiro.it). The more modern Bar Ancòra seems to be most popular with the local bar crowd, with a live piano player crooning lounge music during busy times (€13 pastas, €18 secondi, cicchetti at the bar).
Other Good Eateries near the Rialto Market
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Rialto Bridge” map, here.)
Al Mercà (“At the Market”), a few steps away and off the canal, is a lively little nook with a happy crowd, where law-office workers have lunch and young locals gather in the evening for drinks and little snacks. The price list is clear, and I’ve found the crowd to be welcoming to tourists interested in connecting (stand at the bar or in the square—there are no tables and no interior, Mon-Sat 9:30-14:30 & 18:00-21:00, closed Sun, on Campo Cesare Battisti, San Polo 213).
Ristorante Vini da Pinto is an inexpensive, tourist-friendly eatery facing the fish market, with a large menu, decent prices, and relaxing outdoor seating. The best deal is the fixed-price, three-course seafood meal for €15, including a pasta, seafood sampler plate, veggies, and dessert. Grander versions cost €20-25 (€8-12 pastas, €9-19 secondi, daily 12:00-22:00, Campo de le Becarie, San Polo 367a, tel. 041-522-4599).
Osteria al Ponte Storto, a little place on a quiet canalside corner a block off the main drag, is worth seeking out for its good-value set-price meals: a €13 lunch deal (Tue-Fri only) that includes a pasta, salad, glass of wine, and water. The €25 option comes with a fish or meat main dish (instead of the pasta) and adds coffee and dessert (Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-21:45, closed Mon, down Calle Bianca from San Aponal church, San Polo 1278, tel. 041-528-2144).
Between the Rialto Bridge and Frari Church: Antica Birraria la Corte is an everyday eatery on the delightful Campo San Polo. Popular for its €8-11 pizza, calzones, and wonderful selection of hearty €11-13 salads, it fills the far side of this cozy, family-filled square. While the interior is a sprawling beer hall, it’s a joy to eat on the square, where metal tables teeter on the cobbles, the wind plays with the paper mats, and children run free (€11-13 pastas, €13-20 secondi, daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-22:30, on Campo San Polo at #2168—see map on here, tel. 041-275-0570).
While my first listing is a serious restaurant, the other places listed here are cheap-and-cheery options convenient to your sightseeing. For locations, see the map on here.
Ristorante Antica Sacrestia is a classic restaurant where the owner takes a hands-on approach to greeting guests. His staff serves creative €40-55 fixed-price meals, a humdrum €24 menù del giorno, and wonderful €14 pizzas. (Be warned: These meals seem designed to overwhelm you with too much food. You will not leave hungry.) You can also order à la carte; try the €22 antipasto spread, which looks like a lagoon aquarium spread out on a plate. My readers are welcome to a free sgroppino (lemon vodka after-dinner drink) upon request. The best way to eat inexpensively in this place is to order a pizza (€14-18 pastas and pizzas, €22-35 secondi, no cover, Tue-Sun 11:30-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, closed Mon, behind San Zaninovo/Giovanni Novo Church on Calle Corona, Castello 4463, tel. 041-523-0749).
“Sandwich Row”: On Calle de le Rasse, just steps away from the tourist intensity at St. Mark’s Square, is a handy strip I call “Sandwich Row.” Lined with sandwich bars, it’s the closest place to St. Mark’s to get a decent sandwich at an affordable price with a place to sit down (most places open daily 7:00-24:00, €1 extra to sit; from the Bridge of Sighs, head down the Riva and take the second lane on the left). I particularly like Birreria Forst, a pleasantly unpretentious café that serves busy local workers a selection of meaty €3 sandwiches with tasty sauce on wheat bread, or made-to-order sandwiches for €4 (daily 9:30-22:00, air-con, rustic wood tables, Castello 4540, tel. 041-523-0557, Romina), and Bar Verde, a more modern sandwich bar with fun people-watching views from its corner tables (big €4-5 sandwiches, splittable €9-10 salads, fresh pastries, at the end of Calle de le Rasse facing Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4526).
Ristorante alla Basilica, just one street behind St. Mark’s Basilica, is a church-run, indoor, institutional-feeling place that serves a solid €14 fixed-price lunch, often amid noisy school groups. It’s not self-serve—you’ll be seated and can choose a pasta, a secondi, and a vegetable side dish off the menu. Don’t expect high cuisine or ingratiating service—but it’s efficient and filling (Tue-Sun 11:45-15:00, closed Mon, air-con, Calle dei Albanesi, Castello 4255, tel. 041-522-0524, www.allabasilicavenezia.it).
If you tire of Italian fare, Capitol, around the corner from the listings above, has inexpensive but tasty Chinese standards to eat in or take out (€6-8 main dishes, extra rice-€2, daily, on Campo S.S. Filippo e Giacomo, Castello 4294, tel. 041-522-5331).
Picnicking: Though you can’t picnic on St. Mark’s Square, you can legally take your snacks to the nearby Giardinetti Reali, the small park along the waterfront west of the Piazzetta.
For a (marginally) less touristy scene, walk a few blocks north to the inviting Campo Santa Maria Formosa. For locations, see the map on here.
Osteria alle Testiere is my top dining splurge in Venice. Hugely respected, Luca and his staff are dedicated to quality, serving up creative, artfully presented market-fresh seafood (there’s no meat on the menu), homemade pastas, and fine wine in what the chef calls a “Venetian Nouvelle” style. With only 22 seats, it’s tight and homey, with the focus on food and service. They have daily specials, 10 wines by the glass, and one agenda: a great dining experience. This is a good spot to let loose and trust your host. They’re open for lunch (12:30-14:30), and reservations are a must for their two dinner seatings: 19:00 and 21:30 (€20 pastas, €26 secondi, plan on spending €50 for dinner, closed Sun-Mon, on Calle del Mondo Novo, just off Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5801, tel. 041-522-7220, www.osterialletestiere.it).
Osteria al Mascaron is where I’ve gone for years to watch Gigi, Momi, and their food-loving band of ruffians dish up rustic-yet-sumptuous pastas with steamy seafood to salivating foodies. The seafood pastas seem pricey at €24-36, but they’re meant for two (it’s OK to ask for single portions). The €16 antipasto misto plate—have fun pointing—and two glasses of wine make a terrific light meal (€16-19 main dishes, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-23:00, closed Sun, reservations smart Fri-Sat, Wi-Fi; on Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, a block past Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5225; tel. 041-522-5995, www.osteriamascaron.it).
Fast and Cheap Eats: The veggie stand on Campo Santa Maria Formosa is a fixture. For döner kebabs (€3.50) and pizza to go (€2/slice), head down Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa to Peter Pan at #6249 (daily 11:00-24:00, Castello).
All of these recommendations are within a 10-minute walk of the Accademia Bridge (for locations, see the map on here). Dorsoduro is great for restaurants and well worth the walk from the more touristy Rialto and San Marco areas. The first listings, near the Accademia, are best for lunch. The places in Zattere overlook the Giudecca Canal. Best for dinner are the four restaurants near Campo San Barnaba. Last are a handful of pizzerias and cicchetti bars on Campo Santa Margarita.
Near the Accademia Bridge
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge” map, here.)
Bar Foscarini, next to the Accademia Bridge and Galleria, offers decent €9-15 pizzas and €8-10 panini in a memorable Grand Canal-view setting. The food is decent but forgettable, and pricey drinks pad your tab, but you’re paying a premium for this premium location. On each visit to Venice, I grab a pizza lunch here while I ponder the Grand Canal bustle. They also serve breakfast (daily 8:00-23:00, until 21:00 Nov-April, on Rio Terà A. Foscarini, Dorsoduro 878c, tel. 041-522-7281, Paolo).
Enoteca Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi, with a wonderfully characteristic cicchetti-bar ambience, is much loved for its €1.20 cicchetti, €4 sandwiches (order from list on board), and €1-2 glasses of wine. You’re welcome to enjoy your wine and finger food at the bar or out on the sidewalk. This is primarily a wine shop with great prices for bottles to go—and plastic glasses for picnickers (Mon-Sat 8:30-20:30, closed Sun, 100 yards from Accademia art museum on San Trovaso canal; facing Accademia, take a right and then a forced left at the canal to the second bridge—it’s at Dorsoduro 992, tel. 041-523-0034).
Bar al Maraveje is perfect for a sandwich, with quiet comfy tables just minutes from the Accademia. They serve a range of fresh sandwiches, from €1.50 topolini (four-bite sandwiches) and tramezzini (crustless sandwich triangles) to heartier €4 ciabatta sandwiches (daily, 100 yards west of the Accademia, just over a bridge on Calle de la Toletta, Dorsoduro 1185, tel. 041-523-5768).
Al Vecio Marangon glows like a dream come true on its corner tucked away from the frenzy of Venice, about 100 yards west of the Accademia. This stylishly rustic bar serves cicchetti-style dishes and pastas within its tight and picturesque interior or at a line of outdoor tables. Consider their splittable piatto di cicchetti misti (€17), a sampler of sardines, octopus, codfish, and seafood salad. As they take no reservations, arrive early or be prepared to wait (daily, on Calle de la Toletta, Dorsoduro 1210, tel. 041-525-5768).
In Zattere
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge” map, here.)
Terrazza del Casin dei Nobili takes full advantage of the warm, romantic evening sun. They serve finely crafted, regional specialties with creativity at tolerable prices. The seaside seating is breezy and beautiful, but comes with the rumble of vaporetti from the nearby stop. The interior is bright and hip (good €8-13 pizzas, €10-16 pastas, €15-18 secondi, daily 12:00-23:00 except sometimes closed Thu; from Zattere vaporetto stop, turn left to Dorsoduro 924; tel. 041-520-6895, Ruggiero and Eleonora). On Wednesday and Sunday evenings in summer, there’s live music nearby on the Zattere promenade.
Ae Oche Pizzeria is playful, with casual tables on the embankment and a sprawling pizza-parlor interior. It’s a hit with young Venetians for its fun atmosphere, but can be pricey once you add in the €2 cover and the 12 percent service charge (€6-9 pizzas, daily 11:30-15:30 & 18:30-23:00, a couple of hundred yards from the Zattere vaporetto stop, Dorsoduro 1414, tel. 041-520-6601).
On or near Campo San Barnaba
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge” map, here.)
This small square is a delight—especially in the evening. As these places are within a few steps of each other—and the energy and atmosphere can vary—I like to survey the options before choosing (although reservations may be necessary to dine later in the evening).
Ristoteca Oniga is all about fresh fish and other sea creatures, with a chic-and-shipshape interior, great tables on the square, and the enthusiastic direction of Raffaele. The menu is accessible and always includes a good vegetarian dish (€12-15 pastas, €18-25 secondi, Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:30, closed Tue, reservations smart, Campo San Barnaba, Dorsoduro 2852, tel. 041-522-4410, www.oniga.it).
Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti serves well-presented quality dishes, with seating within its tight little wine-snob interior or at a few petite, romantic canalside tables. They serve good wines by the glass from their prize-winning list (€15 pastas, €25 secondi, Mon-Sat 12:00-16:00 & 19:00-22:00, closed Sun, Fondamenta de la Toletta, Dorsoduro 1169a, tel. 041-523-8944, www.enotecaartisti.com).
Pizzeria al Profeta is a casual place popular for great pizza and steak. Its large interior seems to stoke conviviality, as does its leafy garden out back (€8-10 pizzas, €9-13 pastas, €15-25 secondi, Wed-Mon 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-23:00, closed Tue; from Campo San Barnaba, walk down Calle Lunga San Barnaba; Dorsoduro 2671, tel. 041-523-7466).
Enoteca e Trattoria la Bitta is dark and woody, with a soft-jazz bistro feel, tight seating, and a small, forgettable back patio. They serve beautifully presented, traditional Venetian food with—proudly—no fish. Their helpful waitstaff and small, handwritten daily menu are focused on local ingredients (including rabbit) and a “slow food” ethic. As it has an avid following, they do two dinner seatings (19:00 and 21:00). Reservations are required, and service can be intense (€10-11 pastas, €18-27 secondi, dinner only, Mon-Sat 18:30-23:00, closed Sun, cash only, just off Campo San Barnaba on Calle Lunga San Barnaba, Dorsoduro 2753a, tel. 041-523-0531, Debora and Marcellino).
On Campo Santa Margarita
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near Accademia Bridge” map, here.)
For a fresh, youthful, and neighborhood vibe away from the tourist crowds and cutesy Venice, hike out to Campo Santa Margarita, where you’ll find a multi-generational slice-of-life scene by day and a trendy college-bar scene after dark. The square is ringed by bakeries, pubs, pizzerias, and fruit stands offering options for everything from picnics to finer dining.
For pizza with good tables on the square, consider Pier Dickens Ristorante-Pizzeria (daily, huge selection of €9 pizzas, €16 three-course fixed-price meals, tel. 041-241-1979). For rustic cicchetti plates ranging from sardines, anchovies, and cod to platters of fine salamis and cheeses, try Osteria alla Bifora—a former butcher shop (daily, candle-lit woody interior and tables on the square, tel. 041-523-6119, Franco and Mirella). A number of hole-in-the-wall cicchetti bars (on the square and just off it) serve drinks and tapas plates to local eaters with a contagious love of life.
Cannaregio, along the fish’s “back,” offers the classic chance in Venice to get off the beaten path. I’ve listed restaurants both near the Jewish Ghetto and near a main thoroughfare (see map on here; these zones are about a 10-minute walk apart). Also listed here are a few convenient, last-resort options next to the train station.
Near the Jewish Ghetto
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Train Station” map, here.)
This sleepy neighborhood—more residential than touristic—features a grid layout with straight and spacious canalside walks (part of an expansion from the 1400s). Although it lacks the higgledy-piggledy feel of the older part of town, it’s worth the long walk for a look. Rather than come here just for a meal, I’d make time to explore and then grab a bite while in the neighborhood. Cannaregio is most peaceful at sunset.
Osteria L’Orto dei Mori is a chic place serving nicely presented, creative Venetian cuisine. You can eat in the elegant, modern interior or on a great neighborhood square with 10 tables surrounded by a classic scene of wellhead, bridges, and canal (€14 pastas, €19-24 secondi, smart to reserve for dinner, Wed-Mon 12:30-15:30 & 19:00-24:00, closed Tue, on Campo dei Mori, facing a bridge on Fondamenta dei Mori, Cannaregio 3386; tel. 041-524-3677, www.osteriaortodeimori.com).
Osteria Ai 40 Ladroni (“The 40 Thieves”) is a characteristic, unpretentious old standby with a few tables on the canal, a rustic interior, and a convivial garden out back. The action is near the bar (€9-12 pastas, €10-15 secondi, they’re proud of their mixed seafood antipasti, Tue-Sun 12:00-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, closed Mon, on Fondamenta de la Sensa near the corner of Calle del Capitello, Cannaregio 3253, tel. 041-715-736).
Osteria Enoteca Timon, while nothing earthshaking, has a relaxing canalside setting with a hipster vibe, nice wines, and cicchetti (a block past the Jewish Ghetto on Fondamenta Ormesini near the corner of Calle de la Malvasia, Cannaregio 2754, tel. 041-524-6066).
Trattoria Al Mariner, just one bridge east of Osteria Timon, is another fun eatery, with a rustic interior and romantic canalside tables serving delightful local dishes (€8 pastas, €12 secondi, daily, Cannaregio 2679, tel. 041-720-036).
Osteria al Bacco is simple and rustic, with a typical Venetian menu and a couple of canalside tables (€10-14 pastas, €16-17 secondi, Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-24:00, closed Mon, on Fondamenta Capuzine near the corner of Calle Girolamo, Cannaregio 3054, tel. 041-721-415).
Gam Gam Kosher is your best bet for all-kosher Venetian dishes with canalside seating near the ghetto. While the interior seating is forgettable, the canalside tables will make the meal memorable (great vegetarian options; €9 antipasti, €10 primi, €12-18 secondi; Sun-Thu 12:00-22:00, Fri 12:00-two hours before Shabbat, Sat one hour after Shabbat-23:00, a few steps past the bridge where Lista di Spagna crosses the canal called Fondamenta di Cannaregio at #1122, tel. 366-250-4505).
Along the Main Drag
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Train Station” map, here.)
Closer to the Grand Canal than the options listed above, the following places are a few steps from the main drag connecting the train station to the Rialto/San Marco area. All are near the San Marcuola vaporetto stop.
Pizzeria Vesuvio, a neighborhood favorite, has classy indoor seating and pleasant tables outside (€7-10 pizzas, daily 11:00-23:00 except closed Wed off-season, on Rio Terà Farsetti, Cannaregio 1837, tel. 041-795-688).
Osteria di Bentigodi serves traditional Italian dishes with a creative flair and a passion for what’s in season. Chef Domenico overcomes his hidden location and simple ambience with a fun personality, great food, and live music—nightly from 20:00. Reservations are smart for dinner (daily from 12:00 and 19:00, €15-20 pastas, €20-30 secondi, €3 cover, down a dead-end directly across from recommended Pizzeria Vesuvio at Calesele-Cannaregio 1423, tel. 041-822-3714, www.bentigodi.com).
Enoteca Cicchetteria Do Colonne is a local dive with a loyal following and a good spread of cicchetti and sandwiches (no hot food). It’s handy for a drink and a snack. While the food is mediocre, the scene—both at the bar and at the tables outside—feels real and is fun (daily 10:30-21:00, on Rio Terà del Cristo, Cannaregio 1814, tel. 041-524-0453).
Near the Train Station
(See “Hotels & Restaurants near the Train Station” map, here.)
There are piles of eateries near the station. The buffet in the station itself is not bad, with big €3-4 sandwiches, and slices of pizza for €3. A block away is a small branch of the efficient and economical Brek, a self-service cafeteria chain (€6 pastas, €7-12 secondi, daily 11:30-22:00, head left as you leave the station and walk about 50 yards past the bridge along Rio Terà Lista di Spagna, Cannaregio 124).
On Fondamente Nove, with a Lagoon View: Ristorante Algiubagiò, though not cheap, is a good place to eat well overlooking the northern lagoon—you could combine a meal here with a trip to Murano or Burano. The name is a combination of the owners’ four names—Alberto, Giulio, Barbara, and Giovanna—who strive to impress visitors with quality, creative Venetian cuisine made using the best ingredients. Reserve a waterside table or in their classy cantina dining room (€16-19 pastas, €20-28 secondi, €35-55 fixed-price meals, daily 12:00-15:00 & 19:00-22:30, between the two sets of vaporetto docks on Fondamente Nove, Cannaregio 5039, tel. 041-523-6084, www.algiubagio.net).
On Giudecca Island, with a View of St. Mark’s Square: I Figli delle Stelle Ristorante offers a delightful dining experience with an excuse to ride the boat from St. Mark’s Square across to the island of Giudecca. Simone and his staff artfully serve Venetian classics with a dash of Rome and Puglia and a passion for fish and lamb. While they have inside seating, the reason to venture here is to sit canalside with fine views of Venice across the broad Giudecca Canal and all the water traffic. Reserve ahead to specify “first line” seating along the water, “second line” seating a few steps away, or a table inside (€15 pastas, €22 secondi, daily 12:30-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, 50 yards from Zitelle vaporetto dock—from San Marco ride line #4.2 or #2, Giudecca 70/71, tel. 041-523-0004, www.ifiglidellestelle.it).
You’re legally forbidden from picnicking anywhere on or near St. Mark’s Square except for Giardinetti Reali, the waterfront park near the San Marco vaporetto docks. Though it’s legal to eat outdoors elsewhere around town, you may be besieged by pigeons.
Venice has one main produce market and several convenient supermarkets:
Outdoor Market near the Rialto Bridge: The fruit and vegetable market that sprawls for a few blocks to the north of the Rialto Bridge is a fun place to assemble a picnic (best Mon-Sat 8:00-13:00, liveliest in the morning, closed Sun). The adjacent fish market is wonderfully slimy (closed Sun-Mon). Side lanes in this area are speckled with fine little hole-in-the-wall munchie bars, bakeries, and cheese shops. The Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop is convenient to both.
Neighborhood Deli near the Rialto Market: This tiny alimentari just down the street from the market sells a flavorful concoction of cheese, Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and hot peppers that they call intruglio. It goes great with a fresh roll (€2.70). It’s at Sotoportego dei do Mori, at the end of my favorite strip of cicchetti bars (Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-19:00, San Polo 414; see map on here).
Produce Stands: Many larger squares have a produce stand. To find the one nearest St. Mark’s Square, face St. Mark’s Basilica, then walk along its left side, heading east down Calle de la Canonica. Cross the bridge and turn left at Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo. There are also stands on Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Campo Santa Margarita.
Supermarket near St. Mark’s Square: A handy (but often mobbed) Co-op supermarket is between St. Mark’s and Campo Santa Maria Formosa, on the corner of Salizada San Lio and Calle del Mondo Novo at Castello 5817. It has a deli counter and a great selection of picnic supplies, including packaged salads for €3 and fresh sandwiches (daily 8:30-20:30).
Other Supermarkets: The largest supermarket in town is the Co-op at Piazzale Roma, next to the vaporetto stop at Santa Croce 504-507 (daily 8:30-20:00). It’s an easy walk from the train station, as is the Billa supermarket on Campo San Felice (daily 8:00-23:30, along the Strada Nova between the train station and Rialto area, Cannaregio 3660). Another Billa supermarket is convenient for those staying in Dorsoduro: It’s at #1492, as far west as possible on the Zattere embankment, by the San Basilio vaporetto stop and the cruise-ship docks (daily 8:30-23:00).
You’ll find good gelaterie in every Venetian neighborhood, typically offering one-scoop cones for about €1.50 (plus €1 per extra scoop). Look for the words artigianale or produzione propria, which indicates that a shop makes its own gelato. All of these are open long hours daily.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, the popular, inventive, upscale Grom ice-cream chain has three branches in Venice: on Campo San Barnaba at Dorsoduro 2761 (beyond the Accademia Bridge); on the Strada Nova at Cannaregio 3844, between the Rialto and the train station; and on Campo dei Frari at San Polo 3006, facing the Frari Church (all open long hours daily; one-scoop cones for €2.50, then €0.50/scoop).
A competing, even more expensive gourmet gelato shop, Gelatoteca Suso, serves delectable flavors on the San Marco side of the Rialto Bridge (next to recommended Rosticceria San Bartolomeo on Calle de la Bissa, San Marco 5453). Il Doge, on the big and bustling Campo Santa Margarita, has Sicilian-style granita—slushy ice flavored with fresh fruit—as well as regular flavors (Dorsoduro 3058a, tel. 041-523-4607).
Several of the cafés on St. Mark’s Square have gelato counters in summer. Try Gran Caffè Lavena at #134, or Todaro (on the corner of the Piazzetta at #5, near the water and just under the column topped by St. Theodore slaying a crocodile).
From Venice by Train to: Padua (2/hour, 25-50 minutes), Vicenza (2/hour, 45-75 minutes), Verona (2/hour, 1.25-2.25 hours), Ravenna (roughly hourly, 3-3.5 hours, transfer in Ferrara or Bologna), Florence (hourly, 2 hours, often crowded so make reservations), Bolzano/Dolomites (to Bolzano about hourly, 3-3.5 hours, transfer in Verona; catch bus from Bolzano into mountains), Milan (hourly, 2.5-3.5 hours), Cinque Terre/Monterosso (5/day, 6 hours, change in Milan), Rome (roughly hourly, 3.5 hours, overnight possible), Naples (almost hourly, 5.5-7 hours with changes in Bologna or Rome), Brindisi (5/day, 9 hours, change in Rome or Bologna). Note that the departures listed above are operated by Trenitalia; a competing private rail company called Italo offers additional high-speed connections to major Italian cities including Bologna, Florence, and Rome but doesn’t accept rail passes (visit www.italotreno.it). When taking the train to nearby cities such as Padua and Verona, prices and journey times vary greatly depending on whether you take an express or regional train. For more information on travel in Italy by train, see here.
International Destinations: Interlaken (3/day, 6.5 hours with 2 changes), Munich (1/day direct, 7 hours, more with change in Verona; 1 direct night train, 9 hours; reservable only at ticket windows or via www.bahn.com), Innsbruck (1/day direct, 5 hours, more with change in Verona; reservable only at ticket windows or via www.bahn.com), Paris (2/day, 11 hours, changes in Milan and Basel; 1 direct night train, 14 hours, reserve up to 4 months in advance, no rail passes accepted, www.thello.com); Geneva (1/day direct, 7 hours, more with changes). Travelers to Salzburg, Ljubljana, and Vienna can take an Austrian Railways bus (2/day in the morning) to Villach in Austria, and continue from there by direct train (bus leaves from Tronchetto and Mestre railway station; buy tickets from windows in train station). To Ljubljana, there’s also a direct DRD bus from Mestre (1/day, 3.25 hours, www.drd.si) and a private shuttle service (www.goopti.com). To Vienna, you can also take a direct evening train (1/day, 7.5 hours) or night train (1/day, 11 hours).
Marco Polo is Venice’s main airport. Some budget flights, including Ryanair, use the smaller airport in the nearby city of Treviso. (For more on budget carriers, see here.)
Marco Polo Airport
Venice’s small, modern airport is on the mainland shore of the lagoon, six miles north of the city (airport code: VCE). There’s one sleek terminal, with a TI (daily 9:00-20:00), car-rental agencies, ATMs, a bank, and a few shops and eateries. For flight information, call 041-260-9260, visit www.veniceairport.com, or ask your hotel.
Getting Between the Airport and Venice
You can get between the airport and downtown Venice in any of four ways:
| Form of Transportation |
Speed |
Cost |
| Alilaguna boat |
Slow |
Moderate |
| Water taxi |
Fast |
Expensive |
| Airport bus to Piazzale Roma |
Medium |
Cheap |
| Land taxi to Piazzale Roma |
Medium |
Moderate |
Each of these options is explained in detail here. An advantage of the Alilaguna boats is that you can reach most of this book’s recommended hotels very simply, with no changes—except hotels near the train station, which are better served by the bus to Piazzale Roma.
Both Alilaguna boats and water taxis leave from the airport’s boat dock, an eight-minute walk from the terminal. Exit the arrivals hall and turn left, following signs along a paved, level, covered sidewalk (easy for wheeled bags).
When flying out of Venice, allow yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. Water transport can be slow. Plan to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight, and remember that just getting there can easily take up to two hours. Alilaguna boats are small and can fill up. In an emergency, you can always hop in a water taxi and get to the airport in 30 minutes.
Alilaguna Airport Boats
These boats make the scenic (if slooooow) journey across the lagoon, shuttling passengers between the airport and a number of different stops on the island of Venice (€15, €27 round-trip, €1 surcharge if bought on boat, €1-2 less if bought online, includes 1 suitcase and 1 piece of hand luggage, additional bags-€3 each, roughly 2/hour, 1-1.5-hour trip depending on destination). Alilaguna boats are not part of the ACTV vaporetto system, so they aren’t covered by city transit passes. But they do use the same docks and ticket windows as the regular vaporetti.
There are two key Alilaguna lines—blue and orange—which take about the same amount of time to reach St. Mark’s Square. From the airport, the blue line (linea blu) heads first to Fondamente Nove (on the “back” of Venice’s fish, 40 minutes), then loops around the “tail” of the fish to San Zaccaria and San Marco (about 1.5 hours) before continuing on to Zattere and the cruise terminal (almost 2 hours). The orange line (linea arancio) runs down the Grand Canal, reaching Guglie (handy for Cannaregio hotels, 45 minutes), Rialto (1 hour), and San Marco (1.25 hours). For a full schedule, visit the TI, see the website (www.alilaguna.it), call 041-240-1701, ask your hotelier, or scan the schedules posted at the docks.
From the Airport to Venice: You can buy Alilaguna tickets at the airport’s TI, the ticket desk in the terminal, and at the ticket booth at the dock. Any ticket seller can tell you which line to catch to get to your destination. Boats from the airport run roughly twice an hour (blue line from 6:10, orange line from 8:00, both run until about midnight).
From Venice to the Airport: Ask your hotelier which dock and which line is best. Blue line boats start leaving Venice as early as 3:40 in the morning for passengers with early flights. Scope out the dock and buy your ticket in advance to avoid last-minute stress.
Water Taxis
Luxury taxi speedboats zip directly between the airport and the closest dock to your hotel, getting you to within steps of your final destination in about 30 minutes. The official price is €100 for up to five people; add €10 for every extra person (10-passenger limit). You may get a higher quote—politely talk it down. A taxi can be a smart investment for small groups and those with an early departure.
From the airport, arrange your ride at the water-taxi desk or with the boat captains lounging at the dock. From Venice, book your taxi trip the day before you leave. Your hotel will help (since they get a commission), or you can book directly with the Consorzio Motoscafi water taxi association (tel. 041-522-2303, www.motoscafivenezia.it).
Airport Shuttle Buses
Buses between the airport and Venice are fast, frequent, and cheap. They take you across the bridge from the mainland to the island, dropping you at Venice’s bus station, at the “mouth” of the fish on a square called Piazzale Roma. From there, you can catch a vaporetto down the Grand Canal—convenient for hotels near the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. If you’re staying near the train station, you can walk from Piazzale Roma to your hotel.
Two bus companies run between Piazzale Roma and the airport: ACTV and ATVO. ATVO buses take 20 minutes and go nonstop. ACTV buses make a few stops en route and take slightly longer (30 minutes), and require a supplement if you have a Venice vaporetto pass (see here). The service is equally good (either bus: €6, runs about 5:00-24:00, 2/hour, drops to 1/hour early and late, check schedules at www.atvo.it or www.actv.it).
From the Airport to Venice: Both buses leave from just outside the arrivals terminal. Buy tickets from the TI, the ticket desk in the terminal, ticket machines, or the driver. ATVO tickets are not valid on ACTV buses and vice versa. Double-check the destination; you want Piazzale Roma. If taking ACTV, you want bus #5.
From Venice to the Airport: At Piazzale Roma, buy your ticket from the ACTV windows (in the building by the bridge) or the ATVO office (at #497g) before heading out to the platforms. The newsstand in the center of the lot also sells tickets.
Land Taxi or Private Minivan
It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the airport to Piazzale Roma or the cruise port. A land taxi can do the trip for about €40. To reserve a private minivan, contact Treviso Car Service (minivan-€55, seats up to 8; car-€50, seats up to 3; mobile 348-900-0700 or 333-411-2840, www.trevisocarservice.com, tvcarservice@gmail.com).
Treviso Airport
Several budget airlines, such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Germanwings, use Treviso Airport, 12 miles northwest of Venice (airport code: TSF, tel. 042-231-5111, www.trevisoairport.it). The fastest option into Venice (Tronchetto parking lot) is on the Barzi express bus, which does the trip in just 40 minutes (€10, buy tickets on board, every 1-2 hours, www.barziservice.com). From Tronchetto, hop on a vaporetto, or take the People Mover monorail to Piazzale Roma for €1.30. ATVO buses are a bit more frequent and drop you right at Piazzale Roma (saving you the People Mover ride), but take nearly twice as long because they make more stops (€10, about 2/hour, 1.25 hours, www.atvo.it; buy tickets at the ATVO desk in the airport and stamp them on the bus). Treviso Car Service offers minivan service to Piazzale Roma (minivan-€75, seats up to 8; car-€65, seats up to 3; for contact info, see listing above).
More than 1.5 million passengers visit Venice via cruise ship every year. If your trip includes cruising beyond Venice, consider my guidebook, Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports.
There’s a movement afoot to ban the largest cruise ships from the Giudecca Canal, with some critics proposing that cruise ships should avoid Venice altogether and tie up on the mainland.
But for now, most cruise ships visiting Venice dock at Stazione Marittima (also called Terminal Crociere, Venezia Terminal Passeggeri, or VTP), which is roughly between the Tronchetto parking garage and Santa Lucia train station. The terminal forms “the fish’s mouth” of Venice. Some smaller ships also tie up at the Santa Marta and San Basilio docks, to the south of the main port. The Venice port website has a map of the different docks (www.vtp.it).
The main cruise port consists of one long, wide, rectangular pier and a narrower, adjacent pier; together these form a harbor. There are six terminal buildings: #117 (along the north side of the main pier), #107 and #108 (along the south/harbor side of the main pier), #103 (at the top of the harbor), and Isonzo 1 and Isonzo 2 (along the narrower pier, used mostly by the MSC cruise line).
Wherever you arrive, the best strategy is to make your way to terminal #103 (the long, low-slung, modern, red building with the tall gray tower in the middle) at the top of the harbor. The waterfront strip in front of this terminal includes the dock for both vaporetti and taxi boats; the People Mover monorail is a five-minute walk beyond this building.
Getting into Town
The handy Alilaguna express boat (blue line) conveniently connects the cruise port directly to St. Mark’s Square (San Marco-Giardinetti dock) in just 30 minutes (€8 one-way, €15 round-trip, €1 surcharge if bought on boat, €1-2 less if purchased online, includes 1 suitcase and 1 piece of hand luggage, additional bags-€3 each, 2/hour in each direction; before boarding at the cruise terminal, buy ticket at kiosk in front of building #103; www.alilaguna.it). Because this service is understandably popular, the boats can fill up; if you’re arriving on a cruise ship, get to this dock as quickly as possible.
To reach the Grand Canal (and the start of my self-guided Grand Canal Cruise) from Stazione Marittima, take your cruise line’s free shuttle bus, if offered, or hop on the People Mover (€1.30) to Piazzale Roma. The People Mover station is a five-minute walk inland from the port (you’ll see its elevated platform).
If money is no object, you can spring for a water taxi to anywhere in town (€70-80).
If all of these options are jammed up (as can happen when multiple cruise ships arrive all at once), you can walk to the Grand Canal in about 15 minutes, or all the way to St. Mark’s Square in about 45 minutes.
If your ship arrives at the Santa Maria or San Basilio docks, take vaporetto #2 from San Basilio to get downtown.
Getting to Marco Polo Airport
Buses between Piazzale Roma and the airport are quick and inexpensive (described earlier). From the cruise port, take the People Mover to Piazzale Roma to catch the airport bus. To go from Stazione Marittima to the airport, you can also take a land taxi (€40) or the Alilaguna blue line (€15, 1.25 hours). From the Santa Marta or San Basilio docks, you can take a land taxi to the airport (€40).
