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Travel, a citytrip to Venice in Italy

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Travel story, a city trip to Venice in Italy, with visits to Piazzale Roma, with a Vaporetto over the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square with the tower Campanile, Torre dell'Orologio, the basilica, the Doge's Palace, Ponte Di Rialto and Museo Correr

Where in Italy can you find Venice?

Map of the Canal Grande in Venice in Italy?

Sunday 30/07

Flight from Zaventem to Treviso for a city trip to Venice in Italy

A city trip to Venice had been on our wish list for over five years, but there was always something that made it impossible to actually realize this trip. This Spring though, we received an interesting promotion (518 EUR per person including flight and 3 nights) from Travel Bird in our mailbox, which we could not resist.

On Sunday afternoon, we take our time driving in the direction Zaventem, where we leave our car at Car Hotel. On site, we arrange the administration quickly, we leave our car keys with total trust and immediately hop on the (worn-out) transfer van that drops us off right in front on the departures hall.

Once we've passed the security in the airport, we still have enough time to grab a bite to eat. This because we fly with the infamous low cost airline Ryanair, where you pay a scandalous amount for your food on the flight. In advance we have also paid extra to be able to choose our seat on the plane and opted for priority boarding (EUR 26 in total for 2 persons). This way we don't need to queue in the endless line and are at least reassured that we can take our hand luggage into the cabin. We definitely didn't want to miss out on this small luxury!

As often happens with such companies, we have to deal with a delay of a little under an hour and only start boarding at around 19.00pm. Fortunately, after that everything proceeds according to plan and we land 1,5 hours later in Treviso, where we take the shuttle bus to Venice (22 EUR per person for a return ticket). After about an hour drive we arrive at Piazalle Roma, the end stop of all public transport and start point of the magical Venice with its countless channels.

It's already dark when we get out of the bus, but it's still very hot and humid. Fortunately, we're given a well detailed road-description and after a about 10-minute walk we arrive at Hotel Al Sole, a fun and fairly centrally located 3-star accommodation.

Although the fact that we have a spacious room and are offered a free bottle of refreshing prosecco, there are a number of disadvantages to list. For example, the air conditioning only works on a minimal force, which results in the room being hardly any cooler than outside. This means a lot of sweating tonight! Another negative point is that the window of our bathroom doesn't shield, which allows the neighbors on the other side to peek and snoop when we take a shower.

It's already after 22.00pm when we leave the room to go for a short walk and to explore the nigh area. Unfortunately, most of the bars have already closed and we return with a dry throat back to the hotel where we quickly jump in our bed.

Pictures - photos of hotel Al Sole and the canals in Venice in Italy

Monday 31/07

From Piazzale Roma with a Vaporetto over the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square with the Campanile tower, Torre dell'Orologio, the Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Museo Correr

It promises to be a hot and humid day today, so we set our alarm clock as early as possible so that we can take place at the breakfast table in the courtyard of our hotel at 7.00am. The buffet is pretty comprehensive and offers a wide range of different types of croissants, rolls, multiple types of siege, various yoghurts and fruit, etc. Sufficient alternatives to fill up our tummy. We need to shield the food from the present pigeons, which aren't at all afraid of us and strike up the attack immediately as we leave the table.

Since there's no road traffic (cars, buses, bikes, motorbikes, ...) in Venice, we go back to the Piazzale Roma to take the waterbus (vaporetto) at 8.00am. As we do, we straight away obtain a subscription for 48 hours (30 EUR per person), so that we volonté can make use of this public mean of transport (single ride costs EUR 7.50). Line 1 and 2 are the most popular routes, but the ferries sail across the whole of the Canal Grande to the San Marco Square and nearby Lido.

This trip over Canal Grande is one of the highlights of Venice because on the way, you already get to see the main attractions of Venice. As we pass, among others we get to see the beautiful buildings Ca' Pesaro, Ca' d'Oro and Ca' Rezzonico, the world-famous Rialto Bridge, some nicely decorated churches and ultimately the San Marco Square where we like any typical tourist start our journey of discovery of this ancient city.

It's already after 22.00pm when we leave the room to go for a short walk and to explore the nigh area. Unfortunately, most of the bars have already closed and we return with a dry throat back to the hotel where we quickly jump in our bed.

Pictures - photos of Canal Grande and the tower Campanile in Venice in Italy

It's just past 9.00am when we set foot ashore and there already has formed a very long queue for the basilica. Therefore, we decide to first visit the Campanile (8 EUR per person), the high tower at the San Marco Square, so can create a better picture of the buildup of the city from above. In the meantime, we also tick off the glockenspiel note of the Torre dell'Orologio, which strikes each hour.

san marco square santa maria della salute venice canal grande

Pictures - photos of Canal Grande, San Marco square and Santa Maria della salute in Venice in Italy

Once we're back down, we visit the impressive 14e - 15th century Doges Palace (20 EUR for a combination ticket for the four San Marco museums). This really is a must see for anyone interested in culture, anyone who both loves architectural splendor as impressive paintings. The building features extremely impressive wall and ceiling art and paintings of famous 16th century Venetian artists such as Veronese and Tintoretto. This museum is worth every penny!

Pictures - photos of Doge's palace in Venice in Italy

When we leave the Doge around 11.00am, the line at the basilica still hasn't stopped growing. Yet we decide to join the queue, as this is considered one of the top sights of Venice. Once we finally go in, we are confronted with the hypocrisy and commercialization of the Catholic Church. All women with bare shoulders and legs must cover these body parts before they are authorized to enter the church (cloths can be purchased at 1 EUR per piece). Men in sleeveless shirts and shorts on the other hand may enter the church without any problem! You can visit the basilica for free, but there's a separate entrance fee for the treasure room, the Pala d'Oro and to enter the Loggia. The interior of the basilica is rather dark and gloomy so we kindly thank for making this extra investment.

After the basilica, we visit the Museo Correr that's also situated on the San Marco Square. Here we get a picture of how the rich nobility lived in Venice in the 16th and 17th century. Even here we get shown some architectural gems. Then the route automatically proceeds into the archaeological museum and the Biblioteca Marciana (including combination ticket), which is also worth a visit.

doge's palace basilica canal grande venice

Pictures - photos of the Basilica, Doge's palace and Canal Grande in Venice in Italy

In the meantime, it's already been 14.00pm and our tired legs have had enough of slow museum visits. Through narrow streets and picturesque bridges, we surprisingly easy find our way to the charming Campo Santo Stefano, where we find ourselves a shady seat on one of the many terraces. Here we pay EUR 10 for a large pint and a soft drink, which we think is a reasonably democratic price are for a very tourist town.

museo civico correr gondola sail ponte de rialto santa maria della salute venice

Pictures - photos of Museo Civico Correr, gondola sail on the canals, Ponte de Rialto and Santa Maria Della Salute in Venice in Italy

Then, on the extreme tip of Dorsoduro we pay a visit to the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Salute (free) before we take the Vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma. The way back is quite long due to the many stops and is severe disturbance by a crying baby, but yet again we manage to intensely enjoy all the beautiful buildings that we pass on Canal Grande.

torre dell orologio gondola sail canal grande venice

Pictures - photos of Torre Dell Orologio, gondola sail on the canals and Canal Grande in Venice in Italy

Once we've arrived near our hotel in Santa Croce, we look for a cozy and affordable restaurant. Fortunately, the selection in this district is more than sufficient and for less than EUR 50 for two people, we find some fine dining.

On the way to our hotel we pass another inviting bacaro (wine bar) for which we cannot resist to drink a glass, but afterwards we're totally effete and soon find our bed in hotel Al Sole.

Tuesday 01/08

With the Vaporetto over the Grand Canal to Gallerie dell 'Accademia, lunch at Campo Santo Stefano, gondola sailing under the Ponte Di Rialto and visit to the house of Cassanova

After a tasty breakfast in the courtyard between the cooing pigeons which are constantly on the lookout for any left crumbs on the plates, we start our day fresh and full of energy, ready for a new journey of discovery through Venice.

We take the vaporetto boat along the beautiful Canal Grande and leave at the stop just in front of the Gallerie dell' Accademia. The outside of the building isn't very spectacular, but it houses 500 years of Venetian painting of great Masters such as Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese (12 EUR per person). Avid art lovers can also rent a headphone (EUR 6), but we prefer to give and listen to our own interpretation of the many sometimes (very odd) artwork. Furthermore, in an annex, there's also an exhibition of a contemporary painter, which clearly is in his 'pink period', as most of the work is drawn in a very childish way. This 'artist' doesn't do it for us!

gallerie dell accademia canal grande venice

Pictures - photos of Gallerie dell' Accademia and Canal Grande in Venice in Italy

After leaving the museum we already are a little hungry and via the Ponte dell'Accademia cross The Canal to go for lunch at Campo Santo Stefano. Today is so hot, it's boiling, so we look for a richly shaded terrace. While enjoying a cool drink and some tasty food, we observe an international human mass passing. Here you literally hear all languages!

Then we walk through picturesque alleys, cozy squares and various bridges to Ponte di Rialto, cross the world famous bridge over the Canal Grande and, after the San Marco Square, the main tourist attraction of Venice. It's overly crowded, as everyone's looking to take the ultimate holiday photo.

ponte di rialto san marco square basilica ponte dell accademia venice

Pictures - photos of Ponte Di Rialto, San Marco square, Basilica and Ponte Dell Accademia in Venice in Italy

We also succumb ultimately for the rural commerce and the argument that you've not been in Venice if you haven't sailed in a gondola. With a smile on our face, we then pay 80 EUR (max. 6 persons per gondola) for a ride of 30 minutes. We start at the Grand Canal and underpass the Rialto Bridge. Then the gondolier takes a turn to one of the smaller side channels, which you're unable to see as a pedestrian. We even pass even the old residence of Casanova! After half an hour, the fun is over and we sail back ashore. After all a very nice experience and a positive contribution to our trip.

gondola boating house of cassanova venetian masks venice

Pictures - photos of gondola boating, house of Cassanova and Venetian masks in Venice in Italy

Then we walk through the many shopping streets to the Ca d'Oro (Galleria Frachetti), a museum that according to our travel guide hosts a number of beautiful works of art (13 EUR per person). At the entrance, we find out that the current exhibition especially exhibits carpets. Something we're not necessarily interested in, so we decide to skip the visit to this museum.

Instead we take the vaporetto back in the direction of San Marco Square, where we go for a short stroll along the busy Riva degli Schiavoni, a wide promenade along the water with inviting (but unfortunately very expensive) terraces. Since there's no indent to forgo the shade and the sun still swelters on our skin, we flee into one of the narrow-shaded alleys. With luck on our side, we arrive in Campo San Zaccaria, where we quench our thirst with a refreshing 'Spritz', a local drink that consists of Prosecco, bubbly water and Aperol (sweet) or Campari (bitter).

After that we go back the San Marco square one more time, to capture the beautiful buildings forever in our memory. The stories about the hugely expensive prices for a drink on the central terraces are true. For a coffee, you'll easily pay 11 EUR and for a gin and tonic don't be surprised to see EUR 20, more or less four times the normal price compared to the rest of Venice!

Finally, we start looking for a nice restaurant to end our day appropriately. We pass a lot of nice shops and some cool bars but for a long time don't find an attractive restaurant. After walking for a while we come back at Campo Santo Stefano again, where we eventually take place on one of the many inviting terraces. This will be our favorite square of this beautiful city!

Pictures - photos of Canal Grande and mood images in Venice in Italy

After our tummies are satisfied, we take the vaporetto to Piazzale Roma one last time, where we opt for a nightcap in one of the nearby kiosks. Once arrived at the room, we rinse off all sweat from our body and try to go online to update ourselves on the latest news on the home front. Unfortunately, for the second day in a row we experience problems with the WIFI and we cannot log in. No points for Hotel Al Sole!

Wednesday 02/08

Scuola Grande di San Rocco museum and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church with the return flight from Treviso to Zaventem

It's our last day in this beautiful city. After a refreshing shower and a tasty breakfast, we pack our luggage and check out around 9.00am at Hotel Al Sole, where we should pay 21 EUR tourists tax (EUR 3,5 per day/person). We may leave our trollies next to the reception desk until we leave effectively. How handy!

We decide to pay one last visit to one of the many museums and choose the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the lavishly decorated headquarters of the richest brotherhood from the 15th century. All 54 paintings are by Grand Master Tintoretto and he took a total of 23 years to complete this master piece. The large chapter room is filled with beautiful paintings for which you can take hours to admire. The board room is dominated by the huge painting where the crucifixion of Christ Majestic is displayed. This museum is a must for any art lover.

Pictures - photos of musea Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice in Italy

Near the Scuola Grande di San Rocco is the Gloriosa Santa Maria dei Frari, the center of power of the Franciscans and the second largest church in the city. The imposing building houses paintings of Titian, Donatello and Bellini. There are also a number of beautiful sculptures to admire.

musea scuola grande di san rocco santa maria gloriosa dei frari venice

Pictures - photos of musea Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice in Italy

To conclude this great city break beautifully, we order a refreshing glass of Spritz and a tasty pizza on a cozy terrace. More Italian than this, it can't get! And to complete the conclusion of this trip, we buy a beautiful handbag in one of the many leather businesses. In Belgium, you'd pay at least twice as much for such quality.

After this successful and once again sultry morning, it's unfortunately time to pick up our luggage and go to the bus stop on Piazzale Roma. Around 13.00pm we leave in a super hot bus toward Treviso, where we arrive after 45 minutes driving.

san rocco santa maria gloriosa dei frari venice

Pictures - photos of San Rocco and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice in Italy

Treviso is a small, local airport with a few shops and snack bars, and with that said, it's pretty much all there's to do here. Since we have a large margin built in our schedule, we have time to change 'to Belgian weather conditions'. Then all we need is patience to finally see our flight to Brussels with corresponding gate appearing on the screen.

In the Departures Hall, it's extremely warm and together with hundreds of people we're waiting in long, long queues. Unfortunately, there are no more chairs and to complete the disaster we regularly see our departure time delay with a number of minutes. Very frustrating and tiring! After a small hour standing and sweating we finally may board the Ryanair craft. Fortunately, we quickly take-off and land after 1,5 hours of flying with a very harsh whack on Zaventem. For a split second, we think that this brutal landing had caused damage to the airplane, but luckily these machines can hold a solid shock.

On the parking of Zaventem the transfer bus awaits and within ten minutes we're dropped off in front on the Car Hotel. We quickly settle the debt (EUR 56 for 4 days indoor parking) and then set off in the rain, direction Antwerp.

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Useful Information:

Emergency Numbers Venice

National emergency number, emergency numbers of Venice: 112

Medical information Venice in Italy:

Always refer to your doctor to get your vaccinations looked after. Also in European countries certain vaccinations are required or recommended.
Protection against the sun is in venice in italy is absolutely necessary. While on a city trip, it often gets forgotten that the time spend outside, the sun gets reflected or is hailed by the white cottages, sandstone, e.a. The use of a sunscreen is absolutely recommended in order to protect the skin against incineration. Even in the cooler periods of the year, it's necessary to apply the uncovered skin, to protect from the sun. A good pair of sunglasses to protect the eyes must not be forgotten.

The time difference in Venice Italy vs Belgium:

There is no time difference between Venice Italy in relation to the Belgian time.

Language Use:

In Venice the people mainly speak Italian. In the tourist centers and restaurants they also speak English, but is often not of a high level.

Electricity:

Venice is equipped with 220V. Belgian connectors are used without problems.

Gratuities:

If you're served in an excellent manner, but also depending on the services, usually a tip of 10 à 12 % is given. Please note that some places include a tip (service fee) in the price.

Clothing:

In the summer period, very light clothes are the most courteous, although occasionally a shower can fall. Sometimes the shoulders and legs have to be covered in churches.

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