Going to Venice in June

Was in Venice last May/June with two kids as well. Much smaller however.

Id look into renting an apartment. They are very readily available and you can find one on the Grand Canal for way less than a hotel (at least that was my experience, your mileage may vary).

Personally, I love Venice. It is a city that probably best manifests the problems with relying on tourism in lieu of all other industries, so in some respects it can be frustrating. But they are taking, or discussing, steps to limit the big cruise ships, etc... which really put a strain on the city's joys.

All that said, go and wander around. 4 days is maybe a touch long, but you could use a day for a day trip to Murano or Burano or even, fare Verona.

Its a good city for snacking and the further you get away from St. Mark's and the Rialto bridge (though these sites are must see) the more its charms reveal itself. Would recommend ordering the campanile pass ahead of time. You can skip the line and get a bird's eye view of Venice.

My kids loved this stupid little game we played where every time someone spotted a lion they got a point. Most points won something at end of day. Your kids may be to old for that, but it at least could be worth a shot. Your kids may also want to paint a Venetian mask, which is a good way to occupy an hour or so. Good museums and all that. St. Mark's Church is awesome.

Had some good meals, but nothing earth shattering. Check a few blogs, guidebooks, and you should be good. Rialto market worth walking through. Pretty good gelato across the city in the right shops.

I love a day wandering the backstreets of Venice, drinking wine while standing up, snacking, move on to the next spot, etc...And if you can snag an apartment on the grand canal with a balcony, its a lovely place to end the day and watch this golden city turn opaque and shiny.

ETA: I have not done a gondola ride (and been to Venice 3 times) but a ride on the Vaporetto (think boat bus) down the grand canal is much cheaper and really cool experience.

PS Pack light. Pack Lighter. Pack Lightest. Trundling over what feels like miles cobblestones with mountain of suitcases is going to be a trip sourer if you cant find a porter.

Venice is either a city you love or you hate. My wife and I both love it and would jump at a chance to go back. A few "must-do's" that we have recommended to people since our trip are:


Visit Murano and eat at La Perla ai Bisatei: My wife and I are foodies. Before our trip to Italy we researched and talked for hours on the great meals and atmospheres that we would experience on our honeymoon. La Perla ai Bisatei is the manifestation of our expectations of what we thought a "true" Italian dining experience would be like. It was small, simple, with only locals sitting around drinking with a jug of wine between them. It felt and looked like it had been untouched by tourist's. The menu was small, with only Italian staples. The wine was cheaper than water and the bread was the best we had on our trip. The spaghetti was "heavenly" according to my wife.

Embrace being lost: As mentioned above Google Maps, while very helpful, will not be perfect. The small alleys and quick turns are too much and you will often find yourself turning in circles trying to find your destination. Embrace it. Venice is a great city to be "lost" in and you never know what you will find around each turn. One of the best nights of our honeymoon was a night Google Maps had us turned around looking for a gelato shop and we stumbled upon an Italian courtyard party (street party?). We could not understand a word the band was singing but we had an awesome night dancing and drinking in a random courtyard in Venice.

Climb to the Top of St Mark’s Campanile: Was very cool to see Venice from a birds eye view. You can take an elevator to the top. Be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time to skip the line.

Utilize the Water Taxi: It's cheap for the day-to-day pass and a quick way to get around the city. I highly recommend you buying to see more parts of the city and the surrounding islands.

See Venice in the Early Morning: With its tight alleyways and narrow streets Venice gets very congested and in some places will be shoulder-to-shoulder particularly between the Rialto Bridge and St. Marks Square. Because of this I would dedicate one morning to get up at daybreak to see these areas and the city before the crowds from the tour ships get in. One morning in particular stands out when my wife and I stopped at a small pastry shop near the Rialto Bridge, bought a pastry, and than sat on the bridge eating breakfast as the sun came up.

I hope y'all have a great trip and enjoy the city as much as we did!

Edit: My wife and I did a gondola ride. It was overpriced, but we felt like it was necessary thing to do while in Venice. I recommend finding a gondolier in the back channels who stays off the Grand Canal.

Skip the gondola - gondoliers texting, talking to each other, and whistling at your women kinda ruin it. If you really must do, get a private gondola without strangers. Gondoliers distribute weight of passengers so you may be getting cozy with someone you don’t know.

As for food, just explore. There are plenty of little sandwich shops with awesome $5 sandwiches - fruit on the street is obviously overpriced but was tasty and convenient. Get your golato fix at the place with the French name. Muhguhd. Definitely do dinner on the canal. Doesn’t matter if the food is shitty, still a great experience.

We did the Murano/Burano day trip which was good to escape the crowds and get some good pictures. Your kids may not appreciate it as much.

Strongly suggest waking up at daybreak and exploring. You’ll have the alleys to yourself until everyone finishes breakfast. Mind your wallet - those Indians selling toys have some sticky hands.

Find a night tour of St. Marks. You’ ll be pleasantly surprised.

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Find a night tour of St. Marks. You’ ll be pleasantly surprised.

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Looking into this.

Any tips for visiting Doge’s palace?

It’s worthwhile. Get to walk on the “Bridge of Sighs.”

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we stumbled upon an Italian courtyard party (street party?). We could not understand a word the band was singing but we had an awesome night dancing and drinking in a random courtyard in Venice.

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Man, that sounds awesome!

In 2011, I and a young lady from our tour group wandered around Venice for a few hours and stumbled onto a "local" piazza. Had a few glasses of wine, some pasta/seafood, and just people watched and took photographs for a while. It's one of my most indelible memories of that trip...and that trip was #1 on my bucket list.

Was there is October. Gondolas are cheaper before 6. They also get together and sing at some point if that interests you. There was a pizza/ wine/ coffee place called Farini (2 or more locations) that was excellent. Clean, Friendly staff and easy to get in/out Lots of touristy stuff, but the Doge's (sp?) palace and the square were both impressive. If money is not tight, the water taxi in to town from the airport beats the ferry and other methods by far, and is fun. It is E80-E100- Plenty to do, Like others have said Verona or Burona might be diversions as you may run out of entertainment for a 12-13 year olds.