Ever wondered if a day is enough to experience Venice? We used our 24 hours in Venice to enjoy Venetian wonders and food from dusk through dawn, and we made every moment count.
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When We Spent 24 Hours In Venice In February
We were fresh off an 11.5-hour flight from the USA, and a 4-hour train ride from Rome to Venice, jetlagged, and overstimulated and it just kept coming. Knowing we did this to ourselves, we of course took it in stride, but let me share the details of our 24 hours in Venice and a quick appetizer of our time before the main meal!
We visited Venice in February during Carnival, and it was like visiting Disney on steroids, with so many people in the streets that you could hardly walk. The police were in the streets making sure people kept moving forward. We were able to pass through the narrow alley-like streets, elbow to elbow, up to three people wide, with opposing traffic doing the same.
No stopping, just a continual walk, and there was no space; it was almost claustrophobic at times. It was tight and hard to navigate, and the restaurants were overloaded with people, with wait times to sit and have a drink exceeding what you might expect!
The Rialto Bridge was stacked 3 layers deep with people waiting to stand at the front of the railguard to look up and down the canal, complete insanity!
With the rainfall and umbrellas, I almost got clipped a few times with umbrellas. It was very chaotic and difficult to navigate between 5 and 7p, and also very agitating because you could not stop anywhere without masses of people.
They say Italy is tough in the summer, but I think summer would pale in comparison as this is a very prominent event. The tradeoff? Seeing the vibrant costumes and those celebrating their heritage and the history of Venice. It was as remarkable as it was annoying, but it was also like NYC on a busy day. If you are not a person who likes crowds, stay away from the February Carnival because it will not be a welcoming situation!
24 Hours In Venice During Festival
We did not have a true itinerary as we were not sure which train we were catching so our original trip was not going to be 24 hours in Venice and more like 18 hours! BONUS because we grabbed an earlier train.
How our 24 hours in Venice started after we got off the train in Venice! Right in front of us was the canal that we would ride on and head towards the Rialto Bridge.
TIP: Move out of the middle of the Vaporetto if you have luggage the Captains get very angry and aggressive and will yell and push you until you move all the way to the end of the Vaporetto, Don’t stand in the middle (Sounds like fun so far right)
We purchased Vaporetto tickets for 2 people for 30$ for 24 hours in Venice, which is an excellent value! We got off at the Rialto bridge exited and left. At that point the GPS had us go up and over the bridge and we walked at least a mile until we could not find the hotel, nor could anyone help us find it.
We happened upon a man who kindly guided us back to the Vaporetto (at a different location) and sent us back to the Rialto bridge, where dusk began to appear at the same time. We got off the vaporetto and hung a left again, but this time, we went past the bridge down a road and over a few sets of stairs, moving through masses of people with LUGGAGE.
Finding The Hotel After 1.5 Hours
We found the hotel hidden in an alley and the front desk. Not a great start to our 24 hours in Venice, it took too long. The hotel knew that there were 2 streets by the same name and had a little laugh about our mishap “You should have taken our transportation”. You see they offered transportation for a 20-minute walk or a $15 dollar all you can ride in the 24-hour pass but their offer is 75$pp one way, $150 — so I did decline and for it, they didn’t feel the need to disclose there were 2 streets by the same name. How nice!
I won’t lie, tired and a little ticked at the hotel, I had to hold back my Italian temper and just asked for the keys or this 24 hours in Venice was going to be very long and miserable. But of course, they wanted to give us the history and tour us through the hotel. I wasn’t there as a travel writer so I gotta be honest, I didn’t care!
A Quick Overview of 24 Hours In Venice
Out The Door For Cicchetti
So instead of being frustrated we cleaned up and went out to enjoy Ciccehtti hour. Determined to shake off the rocky start, we dove into the local culture with some Cicchetti, Venice’s answer to tapas. These delightful small plates, which we enjoyed at a spot near the iconic Rialto Bridge, included toasted Italian bread topped with a rich combination of sauce, artichokes, and cheese, and another featuring fresh mushrooms and cheese.
Accompanying our meal were Aperol Spritzes—those effervescent, bittersweet cocktails that have taken Italy by storm. This culinary pause, costing us $17 each, was a tad pricier than similar fare in other Italian cities, underscoring Venice’s reputation for being on the expensive side.
As night fell, we strolled across the Rialto Bridge, soaking in the vibrant evening scenes of Venice. The city pulsed with life, its waterways a constant stream of Vaporettos under the rain-dappled lights.
Our exploration led us to a quaint candy store, where we stocked up on sweets for the next leg of our journey. It was so inviting and pretty on the inside! After the candy store, we headed to dinner, in a mostly local place (the servers didn’t even speak English).
After dinner, we strolled to walk off the Pasta carbs, and then headed back to our hotel, where we picked up our keys again from the front desk as they didn’t allow you to have your keys when you walked about (so glad we were in Kindergarten)
The Next Morning (Continuing our 24 Hours In Venice)
The following day, with time against us due to an impending train strike that threatened to halt even the high-speed services, we made a swift decision. Foregoing our planned stop in Bologna, we managed to secure seats on a different train line, switching our tickets to Italo and extending our stay in Florence by a night.
But before departing, we seized the chance to visit the majestic Doge’s Palace. Despite the relentless rain, we, along with throngs of other undeterred tourists, marveled at this historic site. We caught glimpses of the Basilica and St. Mark’s Square, grabbed lunch at a truly local eatery, and then, with our luggage in tow, made our way back to the train station via Vaporetto.
This whirlwind visit, marked by both misadventures and awe-inspiring moments, encapsulated the unpredictable beauty of Venice. Even amidst logistical chaos and unexpected detours, the city’s charm remained undiminished, turning potential frustrations into memorable chapters of our Italian escapade. As we left Venice behind, our spirits were high with anticipation for what adventures awaited in Florence.
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