Eye & Pen: Lifestyle, Travel, Photography and Literature
  • Main
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Accommodations
    • Bucket List
    • Cheap Travel
    • Culture
    • Essay
    • Destinations
    • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Narratives
    • Personal
    • Photography
    • Restaurants
    • Reviews
    • Safe Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Trip Update
    • Weekly Wanderlust
  • Photo Gallery
    • Photo Gallery – All Places
    • Photo Gallery – Aruba
    • Photo Gallery – England
    • Photo Gallery – Europe
    • Photo Gallery – Iceland
    • Photo Gallery – Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Italy
    • Photo Gallery – Northern Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Other
    • Photo Gallery – Scotland
    • Photo Gallery – USA
  • Services
    • Blog Coaching
    • Graphic Design
    • Hire Brandon
    • Advertising
  • About Brandon
  • Contact

The truth about visiting Venice in the 21st Century

2/12/2014

12 Comments

 
Picture
Venice, Italy is one of the most fantasized destinations in the world. It has a sort of romantic, eerie allure for most people who have never experienced it. There are very few cities in the world that shut off all motorized traffic on its streets, allowing for only boats to travel via the canals. With that, and Venice’s rich history, it’s steeped in lore, and is often amongst the most fanciful destinations to visit in the world. Most visitors already have in mind exactly what they believe the ‘Bride of the Sea’ will look and feel like, with the usual essence of the place being almost unreal. But with romanticized dreams of the real world, there is often disappointment.
Venezia (which is the proper Italian pronunciation) is, by all means, an amazing place, worthy of such imaginative presumption, however it’s not quite like most envision it. This, like most places, has been a bit misconstrued and misrepresented. The problem doesn’t lie in its history, its physique, or its present day condition; the problem lies in the 21st Century’s version of Venice. To visit Venice, today, during the ‘tourist’-seasons, means you will likely be overrun by fellow-visitors, nicknack shops, and a potential dream-ruining experience.

I lived in Venice for two months last year, and I can say all of this from my own first-hand experience, and while this may sound rather cynical, know that I’m quite fond of ‘The City of Bridges’! During Venice’s busiest times, it’s ransacked throughout the early afternoon until early evening times, by tourists, fresh off the various cruise boats. The biggest issue with this is space, because most of the alleys are very small, and while they are fascinating to say the least, as they wind every which way, but when hundreds of people are bustling to push their way through to all of the ‘must see’ attractions, the overall mystique of Venice is severely taken away. One of the best things to do and to experience when traveling is the authentic shops, markets and various local events, but when in Venice during the busy-season, the odds that you will find complete authenticity are rather poor.

The best way to really experience Venice is to:
  • Stay in the city, because you then can experience Venice after dark, and early in the morning, before it’s ransacked by cruise ship-goers. Most travelers seem to come into the city for half the day, and then move on, whether it’s via ship, car, or public transport.
  • Perhaps visit in the beginning or at the end of the busier seasons. I’ve been to Venice twice now, and the first time was the best, as far as experiencing all that Venice has to offer in a very short time, because I visited in October, which is right at the end of the tourist season.
  • Stay out of the tourist hotspots. There are many unique and locally owned accommodations available among the islands of Venice. It’s great to be near the attractions and what not, but when it comes to this city, you really want to be near one of these local-preferred areas: Castello, Santa Marta, Fondemente Nuove. I prefer to check around online for the best places to stay, like on GoWithOh’s website, as they have a great selection of intimate places to stay, and a series of solid tips for visiting many of Europe’s most popular destinations.
  • Go to one of the many outlying islands in the Venetian Lagoon. These are typically less visited, and offer nice insights into what historic Venice was and what modern Venice is today.
12 Comments
Sandalsand link
2/12/2014 08:55:56 pm

Good, informative article which in essence may be applied to a number of other "touristy" cities elsewhere. In Italy: Rome, Florence, Siena and so on.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
2/24/2014 11:51:34 am

Thank you! Your comment means a lot to me. :)

Reply
SinClair MacAnann link
2/15/2014 02:23:01 am

What a wonderful blog you have,Brandon! I’m very much enjoying trawling through your site and will be a regular visitor. I’m taking notes on this piece in particular as I hope t be revisiting Venice before too long!

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
2/24/2014 11:52:53 am

Thank you. :) I hope that you share your journey when you revisit. I love to hear stories from fellow travelers, such as yourself.

Reply
Latosha Mooring
2/15/2014 07:13:49 am

I'd still like to experience Venice for myself. It seems mysterious which makes it interesting to me.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
2/24/2014 11:55:10 am

I do hope that you get the chance to experience Venice. It is amazing. You will love it, I am sure.

Reply
Marianne
2/17/2014 07:41:50 pm

How very true! I visit Venice once every year and always in low season, the best! Don't go in the middle of summer, then you will indeed be disappointed. In winter its also beautiful and you'll miss the street venters and crowds. Your tips are all so true, very good. How I'd wish to live in Venice for two months!

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
2/24/2014 11:57:37 am

Thank you for your support, Marianne. It means a lot to me that you took the time to comment. I am glad that you get the chance to visit so often. That is awesome. Revisiting Venice, never gets tiring.

Reply
Dave link
2/26/2014 06:27:05 am

Can't say I overly enjoyed my first, & thus far only Venetian experience but it was during peak season (& quite a few years ago now). That said, there is an undeniable lure to the place and I'm actually planning a trip there in a few weeks, solely to photograph it.

http://travel.davidmbyrne.com/listing/venice-italy/

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
3/23/2014 10:53:31 pm

Great post. I really enjoyed the read.

Reply
Megan link
3/1/2014 06:38:20 pm

I just got back from a week in Venice and have to agree with everything you said. I hear so many people moan about "their one day in Venice" and it really breaks my heart. Sometime, you only have 1 day, but the best parts of Venice are not around the Piazza San Marco (as lovely as that is)...but 20 minutes wandering off in any direction from the Piazza and away from the Strada and you're in the back canals, sunny squares and local cafes. Just a note...I was there for Carnevale and the *only* crowded part of the city was San Marco. The rest was almost empty!

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
3/23/2014 10:55:30 pm

What did you think about Venice? Would you like to go back for a revisit?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Sign up for my VIP email list:

Picture
Picture

Article Topics

All
About Blogging
Accommodations
Bucket List
Cheap Travel
Culture
Destinations
Discussion
Entertainment
Environment
Essay
Fine Art Feature
Gear
General
Giveaway
Green Living
Guest Posts
Inspiration
Interviews
Lifestyle
Luxury
Narratives
Not Recommended
Other
Personal
Photography
Restaurants
Reviews
Safe Travel
Trip Planning
Trip Update
USA Road Trip
Video
Weekly Wanderlust

RSS Feed

Monthly Archive

January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.