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This post will be sharing how to spend 24 hours in Venice, Italy.
To kick off my 2022 Summer holidays, I headed back to Italy to celebrate my 29th birthday. It was a challenge picking a country to spend my birthday. But after visiting Milan earlier in the year and becoming more exposed to the regions and many cities in Italy, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with the country. I’m currently spending hours studying the map and planning a long-haul trip where I’ll get to explore the entire country. But for now, I’ll enjoy exploring in bits.
For this four-day-long trip, I decided to visit Venice & Rome. I thought I could squeeze Florence into this trip, but after much consideration, I decided against rushing the trip. I wanted to enjoy it as much as iI could thoroughly. In the future, I’ll have enough time dedicated to the Tuscany region of Italy.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this trip, it was scorching hot. No one told me Southern Italy gets that hot in the Summer. As a travel blogger who has to walk around and take pictures, this was uncomfortable weather because I didn’t bring the proper footwear. Neither did I get a wide-brimmed hat. I was lucky to bring a few suitable outfits. But next time, I’ll stick to shorts and short dresses.
Anyway, the trip has been completed and while I anxiously wait for my trip to Spain in July, here are all the details of my trip to Venice.
24 Hours In Venice: Here’s How to Plan A Trip As A Solo Traveller
Venice is a city in the Northern Italy region of Veneto. Also known as ‘The Floating City’ or ‘The City of Canals’, it is built on over 100 small islands. If you fly into Venice during the day, you’ll understand and appreciate Venice’s unique infrastructure and architecture from the plane. It is incredible. While we were landing, everyone looked out the window, and I knew I was in for a great time. Now, when travelling, I avoid reading up on a city beforehand. I always want to have a great unbiased first impression.
Flights
Cost: £18.99/€21.92 – one way
I booked my flight to Venice in March. I flew with Easyjet, which meant we landed at the main Airport, Venice Marco Polo. Easyjet has been cancelling many flights recently, so I was worried. I was also anxious about the queue at the Airport Security because it seems like everyone is flying after not being able to for two years. The period leading to the trip was quite stressful, but I could get through just in time with my 30l backpack.
Airport Transfer
Cost: €1.50 – one way
It was already dark when we landed and passed through passport control. At the terminal entrance, I had to figure out how to get to my hostel, about a 5-minute walk from Venice Mestre Station.
Unfortunately, the Venice Airport didn’t have a direct train station, so I had to use the bus, which was pretty easy. I downloaded the AVM Venezia App, the official transport app and bought a 75 Minutes Biglietto Bus ticket for €1.50. According to Google Maps, it would take less than 75 minutes to get to my hostel from the Airport with two buses. So I bought the ticket, activated it and showed the bus driver, who was very friendly. I should have used the ATVO Airport Shuttle bus, but I missed it and couldn’t wait for the next one, about 30 minutes away.
Accommodation
Cost – €74.48/£64.42 – for two nights.
I stayed in the fantastic Anda Venice Hostel, eight floors of dorm rooms five minutes from the Venice Mestre Station. I know I was heading to Rome afterwards, so I wanted to stay somewhere close to a train station. This hostel is easily the biggest I’ve stayed in so far, especially since my room was on the 8th floor. There’s a bar on the ground floor which I was slightly worried about because of the noise. But the rooms are soundproof, so it didn’t affect me on the 8th floor.
This modern hostel has all the facilities you’ll possibly need. They also offer a cheap buffet breakfast for €7-8, which you should take advantage of because Mcdonald’s breakfast menu is pretty non-existent in Italy. If you’re looking to spend a quick 24 hours in Venice before going to other cities, this is the hostel for you.
Transportation
This is where Venice got expensive. As a result of being built on small islands, the primary form of transportation is through canals. Yes, you can get around the mainland by bus or tram, which is relatively cheap, but the routes are limited. A daily bus pass which covers the Mestre region costs €5. This was enough to take me to and from my hostel. You can also move around on foot, but you don’t want to do that during the hot Italian summer, trust me. Anyone familiar with this blog knows that I hardly ever pay for transportation. I always prefer to move around on foot when I travel. But there was no way I could manoeuvre that in Venice. Most routes required transport through the canals.
According to ACTV, the company in charge of public transportation in Venice, there are about 159 types of water crafts with 120 floating stations and 30 lines. So, save yourself the stress and buy the daily combined automotive and navigation pass for €21. Yes, it’s a lot, but this way, you can explore Venice via water and land all day without worrying about tickets.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can rent the Venice Gondola; which is a private boat ride along the Grand Canal. But the price only makes sense if you’re with a group.
Meals
It is important to bear in mind that Venice is an incredibly popular tourist destination. In fact, the city is currently struggling with over-tourism and they are trying to cut down on the number of tourists flocking in. This means that a lot of things including food will be overpriced. So, if you’re on a budget like me and you have 24 hours in Venice, take advantage of supermarkets and fast food. Trust me, supermarket meals are very decent and they hit differently. Just make sure whichever hostel you’re staying in has a microwave where you can heat food up. If you really want to splurge, you can get yourself a nice meal in a restaurant outside the Venice city centre.
Attractions
Another reason you’re better off buying a combined Venezia Daily Pass is that most of the attractions are along The Grand Canal. So you can easily stop at the floating station and explore before continuing your journey. Use Google Maps to direct you to the stations connected to each attraction.
Here are some of the must-see attractions to visit in Venice:
- Rialto Bridge: there are tons of footbridges across the canal but this one is the oldest of the four bridges that span across the Grand Canal.
- Doge’s Palace: an impressive and unmissable Gothic palace built in the 13th century.
- St. Mark’s Square: the main public square of Venice which is dominated by the St Mark’s Basilica, St Mark’s Clocktower and s St Mark’s Campanile.
- Bridge of Sighs: an iconic white limestone bridge which connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace.
- Grand Canal: the main waterway of Venice
- Murano: linked islands famous for glass making. It’s a 30 minutes journey from mainland Venice along the Grand Canal with a stunning view.
- Burano: an island on the Venice Lagoon famous for its lace work and colourful buildings.
- Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute: 16th-century basilica along the Grand Canal.
- Ponte dell’Accademia: the second iconic quaint wood and metal bridge that spans across the Grand Canal.
- Constitution Bridge: the fourth iconic bridge that spans across the Grand Canal.
If you have just 24 hours in Venice, you’re better off taking the water boat to explore all the islands of Venice. Just make sure you’re sitting outside the shade where you can get a great view of the iconic attractions and stunning architecture. If you have more than a day, it is important to split your itinerary between water and land attractions to save money.
Shopping & Souvenirs
There are quite a number of shopping centres in Venice which also include high street and Italian brands. Depending on what you want to buy, use Google Maps to find them. Also, avoid buying souvenirs around popular tourist attractions to save money.
Finally,
While Venice is a great place to visit, you can see that it gets expensive quickly. So, don’t feel too bad if you can only afford to stay for 24 hours in Venice. The days are longer now so you have ample time to explore as much as you want to.