Like most people on the planet, we’ve always dreamed of visiting Venice. Just thinking about Venice conjures up a sense of romance. The photos you’ve all seen are achingly beautiful. It’s hard not to imagine yourself strolling through the narrow streets, perhaps with a Classical soundtrack, and of course, at some point, you find yourself in a gondola.
When we discovered that Venice was only a 4-hour drive from Rovinj, where we were renting an apartment for a month, we decided a road trip was just too good to pass up.
We rented a car through Auto Europe and got ourselves a GPS. The drive was scenic and enjoyable. Boarder crossings and toll booths were painless.
There is no parking in Venice, it’s a pedestrian city, so we drove to Marco Polo Airport and parked in one of the lots there. At a cost of only €4 per day, it seemed the best option. From there we took a water taxi into town.
We chose the water taxi, although it cost €110, because we had such limited time and we also considered it a sightseeing experience. The taxi was very nice and roomy. It felt amazing to have it all to ourselves. Although, if we’d had an opportunity to split the cost with others, we would have. The taxis hold up to 10 people for the same price.
We were dropped off next to the Hotel Ala, where we had rented a triple room. The location was great, on a nice little square near the Grand Canal and within a few minutes walking distance to St. Mark’s Square.
We were going to be in town for one evening and then for the following morning, so we decided to skip all of the museums in favor of exploring the city on foot.
The following photos were taken in the afternoon, evening, at dawn, and day time. The light was amazing no matter the time, but of course, dusk and dawn were the best.
Meandering Family: Beyond the Nest 
Ahhh Venice! Such a glorious city. I’ve been reading lots of other posts lately about how touristy Venice is, and whether or not it is worth visiting. We think that if you just go there and can look past the cheesy souvenir and t-shirt stands, and the restaurants with English westernised menus, it is impossible not to be impressed by the beauty of Venice. I think you had the right idea spending a couple of days exploring on foot instead of standing in line to visit museums, that’s the perfect way experience Venice. Glad that you enjoyed Venice as much as we did. 🙂
Yes, we are in complete agreement. Venice is so wonderful. There is no doubt for us that it is worth visiting. I think the time of year, how you choose to spend your time, and your mindset will have a huge impact on your experience. We went in late October and in certain key areas it was still quite crowded. We noted that in the peak season it must be jam-packed, and very likely unpleasant if you all have the same itinerary. That said, the city itself is an absolute gem and, for us, the history, the atmosphere, and the architecture are the magic of the place. No doubt Venice has amazing museums, galleries, and many other tourist attractions, but in our opinion, what makes Venice truly unique and worth the visit is what’s outside, not what’s inside.