Weekend Trip to Venice

Spoiler Alert: Venice in January is COLD.

but absolutely worth it.

My friends and I took a short trip to Venice on a travel break weekend while studying abroad in Rome in 2013. While I wish we had done some more planning in advance of the trip (rather than wandering around lost and wasting time deciding what to do), we still had a lovely time.

We woke up (far too early) to hop on the train to Venice. We definitely felt like we were now experts of the Italian train system after having a near disastrous experience on our trip to Pompeii the day before. That’s a story for another time.

We arrived in Venice, got our tickets for transportation, and headed to our Airbnb by bus… er, boat. It already felt like an adventure. We got off at our stop to meet the contact for our apartment and saw… no one.

January is Venice is not only the height of the off-season for tourism, it’s also REALLY cold. So there are not many people out and about. We were just hanging out on a dock. By ourselves. We waited outside for nearly an hour (did I mention it was cold!?), awkwardly waving at the one or two Italians who did walk by. It was bizarre.

Thankfully, our Airbnb host finally showed up to walk us to the apartment. She didn’t speak English, and we didn’t speak Italian, but she did speak Spanish, and one of the girls on our trip also spoke Spanish! We made it to the apartment, warmed up for a bit, and then set out to explore.

Without further ado, here are my recommendations for Venice! 

Piazza San Marco

This one is probably obvious, but St. Mark’s Square is a must-see! We enjoyed the beautiful mosaics in St. Mark’s Basilica and the incredible architecture of the Doge’s Palace. Unfortunately, the Campanile di San Marco (the huge clocktower) was closed, so we weren’t able to climb to the top. Next time! 

Murano & Burano

These islands just outside Venice are famous for their glassblowing and lacemaking crafts. Fair warning, if you go in the middle of January, there won’t be many demonstrations running, and some shops will be closed. But if you’re willing to wander off the beaten path, there’s still plenty to see and do!

Verona

Okay, so Verona is obviously not in Venice. It’s a separate city you may have heard off (“In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,” ring a bell?), and it’s a perfect day trip from Venice. We spent the day eating gelato and acting out our best Letters to Juliet impressions. 10/10 recommend.

Venice in the winter is definitely quieter and slower-paced than the bustling, tourist-filled city it becomes in the summer, but it’s magical all the same!