# Venice

A city built on more than a hundred islands in an Adriatic lagoon, with no road traffic, which was the capital of a maritime republic until 1797.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/veneto/venice · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Spain?

Fly to Marco Polo airport, which has direct flights from several Spanish cities. From there there's a bus to Piazzale Roma and Alilaguna boats into the city; neither is covered by the normal vaporetto passes, which exclude the airport. If you arrive by train from another Italian city, you get off at Venezia Santa Lucia, already on the Grand Canal.

## How do you get around the city?

On foot and by vaporetto. There are no cars or bikes in the historic centre: everything is done on foot along streets and bridges, and the vaporetto covers the Grand Canal, the outer circuit and the islands. A single ticket costs €9.50 and is valid for 75 minutes, so if you're going to take more than two a day, buy the 1-, 2-, 3- or 7-day pass. Children under 6 don't pay.

## What do you need to book in advance?

The Doge's Palace secret itineraries, tickets for the basilica, the campanile and the Loggia dei Cavalli, and rowing lessons. If you're only visiting for the day on one of the dates designated by the city council, register and pay the access fee: €5, or €10 if you do it late. If you sleep in Venice or are under 14, you're exempt.

## Where to sleep and where to eat?

For sleeping, three ways to be inside: the Hotel Flora, a family hotel with a garden five minutes from San Marco; the Foresteria Valdese, a guesthouse in a frescoed palace in Castello; and Generator Venice, a hostel with private rooms on the Giudecca.

For eating, cicchetti at the bar of the Cantina Do Spade, open every day next to Rialto; market fish at the Trattoria alla Madonna, which closes on Wednesdays; and a special meal of lagoon produce at Al Covo, in Castello.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Film locations, Classic film locations

## Qué hacer
- **The Grand Canal on the line 1 vaporetto** (1 h · Everyone; under-6s free · Desde 9.5 € 75-minute ticket): Line 1 is slow, and that is the good thing: it stops at almost every landing stage and leaves time to look at the palaces, the Rialto market and the Accademia bridge. Line 2 does the same canal with fewer stops.
Why do it and who it suits
The Grand Canal is the main street of Venice, and almost all its palaces were built to be seen from the water. From the vaporetto you see them as they were conceived: Gothic and Renaissance façades, private landing stages, gondolas, delivery boats and the comings and goings of a city that still moves by water. It is also the cheapest way to do it: a public transport ticket, with no excursion or guide.
It suits everyone, including families with small children, who travel free up to age 6 and often enjoy it more than any museum. If you are looking for silence or an explanation of every palace, it is not the plan: it is a scheduled boat, sometimes full, with announcements over the loudspeaker and people getting on and off.
Where to sit
The outdoor seats, on the boats that have them, are the ones everyone wants, so the way to get them is to board at the first landing stage, at Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia, and wait for the next boat if the one that arrives is full. If you are standing, position yourself by the railing on the canal side, not in the door area, which is where people get on and off.
Tickets and passes
The 75-minute ticket costs €9.50 and covers a full journey with time to spare. If you are going to use the vaporetto three times in the day, the 24-hour pass, at €25, already pays off. There are 2, 3 and 7-day passes for €35, €45 and €65. Young people aged 6 to 29 can get the Rolling Venice, at €6, which entitles them to a 72-hour pass for €27.
With each ticket you can take up to three items of luggage free, provided the sum of their three dimensions does not exceed 150 cm each. Larger suitcases are not accepted. Folded pushchairs travel free and, if they fit, open ones too. Dogs travel free, one per passenger, muzzled and on a lead or in your arms.
Don't board without a validated ticket: there are inspectors and the fine is paid on top of the price of the journey.
When to go
First thing in the morning the canal is quiet, the light is soft and the boats are half empty. At dusk and at night, with the palaces lit up, the trip changes completely and is worth repeating. The worst is mid-morning and the return in the afternoon, when day-trippers and residents coincide.
In winter special timetables apply. From 2 November 2026, line 2 shortens its journeys along the Grand Canal at certain times, to San Marco Giardinetti or to Rialto, while the notice does not cut line 1, which remains the one that runs the whole canal. If you want to go quickly in winter, check the timetable.
If it rains or there is fog
The vaporetto runs in the rain, and the closed cabin lets you see the canal under cover. In dense fog or acqua alta above 95 cm, ACTV modifies the service and some lines change route: check the notices on the website or the app before setting out.
- **Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace** (1 h 15 · From age 6; not suitable with claustrophobia or vertigo · Desde 40 € per person (€20 reduced)): The normal visit shows the power of the Republic; this one shows how it worked on the inside: where things were written, where people were judged and where they were locked up. There is no Spanish tour: choose English, French or Italian.
Why do it
The Doge's Palace that everyone sees is that of the great halls: the Scala dei Giganti, the Great Council Hall, the ceilings by Tintoretto and Veronese. But behind those walls there was another palace of narrow corridors, archives, offices and cells, where the secretaries of the Council of Ten worked and where prisoners were locked up. This itinerary opens those doors and explains how the Republic of Venice was governed and watched over. The story of Giacomo Casanova's escape from the Piombi, which the guide tells in the reconstructed cells, is the moment people remember most.
The practical reason is the price. Entry to the St Mark's Square museums costs €35 at the ticket office, and the secret itinerary, €40, includes the guided tour and, afterwards, independent access to the Doge's Palace, the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the monumental rooms of the Biblioteca Marciana. For €5 more you see what almost nobody sees.
Who it suits and who it doesn't
It suits teenagers and adults with a curiosity about history, and anyone who already knows the palace and wants to return with a different eye. Children aged 6 to 14 pay the reduced rate and are usually hooked by the cells and the torture chamber.
It is not for under-6s, who cannot enter, nor for people with mobility problems: there are narrow staircases. The museum advises against it with claustrophobia, vertigo, cardiorespiratory problems and during pregnancy.
Hours and when to go
There are tours in Italian at 11:00 and 12:30, in English at 10:00, 11:30 and 13:00, and in French at 10:30 and 12:00. From 15 June to 31 August, the 13:00 English tour moves forward to 9:30. As they are all in the morning, you have the afternoon for the rest of the palace, which opens from 9:00 to 18:00 in winter (1 November to 31 March) and from 9:00 to 19:00 in summer, with last entry an hour before closing.
The first tour is the best: you come out into the big rooms before they fill with groups.
Getting there
The public entrance is the Porta del Frumento, on the Piazzetta di San Marco. By vaporetto, from Piazzale Roma or the station, line 1 drops you at San Marco Vallaresso or San Zaccaria, and line 2 at San Marco Giardinetti.
What it costs
€40 full price and €20 reduced. Reduced rates apply to children aged 6 to 14, students aged 15 to 25 with ID, over-65s and Rolling Venice holders, among others.
There is another itinerary: the doge's hidden treasures
If you are more interested in art than in prisons, the palace offers another guided route of the same length and price through the Foscara loggia, the chest room, the doge's apartment, Titian's fresco of St Christopher and the doge's private chapel. Groups are a maximum of ten people and there are also tours in English, Italian and French.
- **Murano, Burano and Torcello by vaporetto from Fondamente Nove** (7 h · Everyone · ACTV 24-hour pass, €25): The plan
A day in the north of the lagoon to see three very different islands: Murano, the glass island; Burano, of the coloured houses and lace; and Torcello, almost empty, where the first Venice stood. You don't need an organised excursion: with the public ACTV vaporetto and a day pass you can do it on your own, at whatever pace you like.
How to get around: the lines
Everything leaves from Fondamente Nove, the quay on the north side of Cannaregio, opposite the San Michele cemetery.

Line 12: Fondamente Nove – Murano – Mazzorbo – Torcello – Burano – Treporti. It is the one that takes you to Burano and Torcello.
Lines 4.1 and 4.2: circular routes linking Murano with Fondamente Nove and the rest of the city; useful for going only to Murano or coming back from there.
Line 13: Fondamente Nove – Murano Faro – Vignole – Sant'Erasmo, if you are interested in the market-garden island.
Line 9: a short shuttle between Burano and Torcello, crossed in a few minutes.

Timetables change by season and with fog or high tide. Check departures beforehand on the AVM/ACTV website or its real-time timetable.
Tickets
The single ACTV ticket is valid for 75 minutes from first validation and costs €9.50. For this day it is not worth it: with three or more journeys, the 24-hour pass, at €25, works out cheaper and lets you get on and off without counting. There are also 48-hour (€35), 72-hour (€45) and 7-day (€65) passes, and children under 6 travel free. Validate your card every time you board.
If you are going to be in Venice for several days, the 72-hour pass also covers the vaporetto along the Grand Canal and the Lido beach.
An order that works

Set off early for Burano and Torcello on line 12. First thing the boat is less full and you reach Torcello before the groups.
Torcello. It was the seat of the lagoon's first bishopric. Today there are only a few houses, the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, with Byzantine mosaics and a great Last Judgement on the entrance wall, and its bell tower. Tickets that include St Mark's Basilica also give access to Santa Maria Assunta in the following six months.
Burano, next door: cross on line 9 or go back on the 12. Stroll along the canals with the painted houses, see Piazza Galuppi and, if you are interested, the Lace Museum. It is a good place to have lunch.
Murano, on the way back to the city. Walk along the glassmakers' canal, go into a furnace where work is done in view and, if you want the context, visit the Glass Museum. From Murano you return to Fondamente Nove on lines 4.1 or 4.2.

Count on the whole day, about seven hours. If you have less time, stick to Murano and Burano.
Museums
The Murano Glass Museum and the Burano Lace Museum belong to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. Check their website for hours, which change with the season, and prices. In Torcello, also check the cathedral's hours before going.
With children and accessibility
It is a good excursion with children: boat, small flat islands, and in Murano they can watch glass being blown. With a pushchair or wheelchair, bear in mind that at peak times the vaporetti are full. In Burano the bridges have steps.
So you don't get caught out
At the Murano furnaces they will offer you free demonstrations that end in a shop; you are under no obligation to buy. If you buy glass, look for the Vetro Artistico Murano mark, which guarantees its origin. Take water and a hat in summer: in Torcello and on the quays there is little shade.
- **Venetian standing rowing lesson in Cannaregio** (1 h 20 · All ages; under-4s do not pay · Desde 100 € two people, weekdays): What it is
In Venice you row standing up and facing forward, like the gondoliers: it is the voga alla veneta. In this lesson you learn it yourself, in a traditional wooden batela with an instructor from Row Venice. First you practise the stroke with the boat moored; then you head out along the quiet canals of Cannaregio, rowing in turns. It is not a gondola ride: you hold the oar yourself, and that is why it is remembered.
Who runs it
Row Venice, a sports organisation of Venetian rowing instructors (Row Venice Srl Sportiva Dilettantistica), which teaches all year round, departing from Cannaregio. Lessons are private: the boat is for your group.
The options and prices
Prices per boat, according to the Row Venice website:

Classic lesson, 80 minutes. In a four-seat batela: €100 for two people, €130 for three, €150 for four; on national and international holidays, €160 for one to four people. In a five-seat batela: €220 on weekdays and €280 on holidays.
Cicchetto Row, 2 h 15 min: you row and stop at two bàcari, the Venetian wine bars, for cicchetti and a drink, with or without alcohol, and ice cream for the children. €225 for one person, €265 for two, €325 for three, €375 for four and €500 for five. Best if you have no dietary restrictions.
Rowing on the Grand Canal, 80 minutes, leaving via side canals to the Grand Canal, next to the market and under the Rialto bridge. Sundays and holidays, €160 for one to four people; in the late afternoon-evening, €180.
Squero & Cicchetto Row, on request: includes a 30-minute guided visit to a historic squero, a gondola boatyard from 1560 that operated until 1920. €400 for up to four people.

Times
The classic lesson leaves between 10:00 and 16:00, and from April to October also at 8:30. The Cicchetto Row leaves at 17:30 from June to August, at 11:30 and 17:30 in spring and autumn, and at 11:30 from November to March. The evening Grand Canal, at 20:00 in summer and 17:30 in winter. The specific slots can be seen on the booking calendar.
How to book
Online, on the Row Venice booking page, preferably more than 24 hours in advance. They also respond by chat, WhatsApp (+39 344 7900 576) and email. Book early: if the weather forces a change, you will have room for another date.
Meeting point
At Cannaregio 3541, on the Fondamenta Gasparo Contarini, next to the small marina at the Sacca della Misericordia. Search for "Row Venice" on your phone map; the confirmation includes directions. From Fondamente Nove, where the vaporetti to the northern islands leave, it is a few minutes' walk.
Age, fitness and what to bring
There is no minimum age. Children under 4 do not pay and can row with their parents; those aged 4 and 5 row with an adult or the instructor, and from age 6 they can row alone if they concentrate. Three children aged 9 or under count as two people. Weight and height do not matter; agility for getting in, getting out and moving around the boat does. A folding wheelchair fits on board if the person can board without it.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing, flexible footwear, a hat and water; they provide umbrellas. If it is cool, dress in layers: rowing warms you up quickly and sitting you cool down. The boats are stable and you don't get wet unless you want to.
If the weather is bad
There is no rowing in heavy rain or, often, in wind of 20 km/h or more. If bad weather is forecast the day before, Row Venice writes to you to change the date; if not, they decide an hour before. If the lesson is cancelled altogether, they refund the amount minus €5 handling.
- **St Mark's Campanile and Loggia dei Cavalli** (1 h · All ages · Campanile €15; basilica with museum and Loggia €20): Two heights above the square
In St Mark's Square there are two places to see it from above, and they are bought separately:

The campanile, the 98.6 m brick tower, the tallest structure in Venice. At the top, from the bell chamber, you see the whole city, the lagoon, the Lido and, on a clear day, the Alps.
The Loggia dei Cavalli, the terrace on the basilica's façade, at the height of the bronze horses. From there you look at the square head-on, from mid-height, with the Clock Tower on one side and the Doge's Palace on the other.

If you are only going up one, the campanile gives the wide view and the Loggia gives the view of the square and the inside of the basilica from the museum.
The campanile
The one you see is not the original. The tower collapsed on the morning of 14 July 1902 and the city decided to rebuild it "where it was and as it was". The new campanile was inaugurated on 25 April 1912, St Mark's Day. Of the five bells, only the largest, the Marangona, survived the collapse; its name comes from the carpenters of the Arsenal, whose working day it marked. From up here Galileo showed his telescope to the Venetian nobles on 21 August 1609.
There are no stairs for the public: you go up by lift, installed in 1962, in about 30 seconds to the bell chamber. That is why it is a climb suitable for almost everyone, including children and older people. If you are at the top when the bells ring, the noise is very loud: bear that in mind with small children.
The Loggia dei Cavalli and the museum
The terrace is part of the St Mark's Museum, on the upper floor of the basilica. Inside the museum are the four original bronze horses; those on the façade are copies. From the interior gallery you see the basilica's golden mosaics up close, and then you go out onto the Loggia, above the main door.
Entry to the museum and the Loggia is bought as a supplement to the basilica ticket. Only when the basilica is closed for services and the museum is open is the museum ticket sold separately.
Tickets and prices
The St Mark's Procuratoria prices for 2026, for individual visitors:

Campanile: €15.
Basilica: €10.
Basilica + Museum and Loggia dei Cavalli: €20.
Full basilica (basilica, Pala d'Oro, museum and Loggia): €30.
Museum and Loggia without basilica, only when the basilica is closed for worship: €14.

Young people aged 10 to 18, students up to 26 and over-65s get a 50% discount on those prices; under-10s get in free. Tickets are named and the basilica one has a fixed time slot. They are bought on the basilica's official ticket website; for the campanile, buy in advance too in high season, because the queues in the square are long.
With any ticket that includes the basilica you can visit, within the following six months, other churches in Venice and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello, which you will see if you take the excursion to Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Hours and how long it takes
The hours of the basilica, the museum and the campanile change with the season and with religious celebrations: check them in the hours section of the basilica's ticket website before choosing a slot. Allow half an hour for the campanile, with the lift queue, and an hour for the basilica with the museum and the Loggia.
Getting there and tips
The square is a step from the San Marco vaporetto stops. Travel light: large rucksacks and bags are not allowed in, and you will have to leave them beforehand at the left-luggage. For the basilica, keep shoulders and knees covered.
For the light, go up the campanile early in the morning or at the end of the afternoon. If you want to see the square from below after the visit, the vaporetto along the Grand Canal leaves from right here, and the Doge's Palace is next door.
- **Lido beach by vaporetto** (4 h · Families in the heat · Desde 16 € vaporetto return): What it is
The Lido is the long, narrow island that closes the lagoon on the Adriatic side. On its seaward side it has kilometres of golden sandy beach, with calm water and a seabed that slopes down very gently. It is the beach of the Venetians and the simplest way to have a swim if you visit Venice in summer. On the island there are cars and buses, streets with early 20th-century villas and, in September, the Film Festival.
Getting there
By vaporetto, to the Lido S.M.E. stop (Santa Maria Elisabetta), on the lagoon side. From there you cross the island on foot along the Gran Viale to the sea in about ten minutes.
The lines that reach Lido S.M.E., according to AVM:

Line 1, from Piazzale Roma and the station along the whole Grand Canal, with stops at Rialto and San Marco: the slowest, but with views.
Lines 5.1 and 5.2, circular routes calling at Fondamente Nove, the station, Piazzale Roma, Zattere and San Zaccaria.
Line 6, from Piazzale Roma via Zattere, Giardini and Sant'Elena.
Line 14, from San Marco – San Zaccaria, which continues towards Punta Sabbioni and Burano.

Tickets
The single ACTV ticket costs €9.50 and is valid for 75 minutes. In summer ACTV also sells a beach return ticket for €16 on line 14. If that day you are going to move around the city more, the 24-hour pass, at €25, covers going, returning and the rest of the vaporetti. Children under 6 travel free.
The beaches

Blue Moon, the beach in the centre of the Lido, at the end of the Gran Viale and the most convenient if you arrive by vaporetto at Santa Maria Elisabetta. It is run by Venezia Spiagge, the municipal company, with umbrellas and sunbeds in three areas, day cabins, a swimming pool, showers, changing rooms, a bar and a terrace over the sea. Umbrellas are booked online on its website. Venezia Spiagge has worked to remove barriers and presents the beach as accessible.
Lungomare and San Nicolò, also run by Venezia Spiagge, towards the north of the island.
Free beaches. The free-access ones are at the ends of the island, towards San Nicolò in the north and towards Alberoni in the south, where the beach is wider and more natural. At Alberoni there are protected dunes: walk on the marked paths.

The beaches with services open only in the summer season; outside it the establishments close and you can walk the beach, but there are no lifeguards. Now, in November, Venezia Spiagge has its facilities closed until summer.
Swimming safely
The water at the Lido has several times been awarded the Blue Flag, according to Venezia Spiagge. The bottom is shallow and the sea is usually calm, which makes it comfortable for children. Swim in the supervised areas in season and respect the flags. On the free beaches there may be no lifeguard.
When to go and how busy it gets
From June to September. On weekdays and in the morning there are fewer people; at weekends in July and August the Venetians fill the beach. At the end of the afternoon the light is softer and the heat drops. In September, during the Film Festival, the Palazzo del Cinema area is very busy.
With children
It is the easiest beach getaway from Venice with children: the boat trip is already part of the plan, the water is shallow and Blue Moon has showers, toilets, a bar and a swimming pool. Bring an umbrella if you go to a free beach.
If you have spare time in the afternoon, from Lido S.M.E. line 14 continues towards Punta Sabbioni and Burano, an alternative to the excursion to the northern islands.
- **Campo San Barnaba, Indiana Jones's library in Dorsoduro** (20 min · All ages · Free): In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones finds a clue to the Grail in Venice inside a library set up in a disused church. The film's library does not exist: what you see from outside is the facade of the church of San Barnaba, in the square of the same name, in Dorsoduro. The interiors were built in a studio, so there is nothing to recognise inside.
What you see today
An everyday Venetian square, with the classical facade of the church at the far end and a canal alongside. The facade is recognisable as soon as you enter the square. It is a short stop: twenty minutes, a photo and a coffee, and you carry on to the rest of Dorsoduro.
Getting there
It is between Ca' Rezzonico and Campo Santa Margherita, on foot from the Accademia. If you go by vaporetto along the Grand Canal, get off at Ca' Rezzonico and walk a few minutes inland.

## Dónde comer
- **Cantina Do Spade** (Bar, Venice, €€). Qué pedir: fried cicchetti at the bar with a local wine by the glass; at a table, sarde in saor or bigoli in salsa
- **Trattoria alla Madonna** (Restaurant, Venice, €€€). Qué pedir: the house fish antipasto, the granseola in its shell or the seafood risotto, and a fry to share
- **Al Covo** (Restaurant, Venice, €€€€). Qué pedir: the fish of the day chosen at the market, the bigoli mori in salsa or the paranza fry; if the whole table agrees, the seven-course tasting menu

## By plane: Direct flight to Marco Polo and boat or bus into the city
Venice is easily done by plane from Spain: according to AENA there are direct flights to Marco Polo airport from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga and Seville. You do not need a car at any point: from the airport to the city you go by bus to Piazzale Roma, about 20 minutes, or on the Alilaguna boat, which drops you at the landing stages of Fondamente Nove, San Marco or Santa Maria del Giglio. Neither is included in normal vaporetto passes.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Flora** (Hotel): A family hotel beside St Mark's
Hotel Flora is run by the Romanelli family on a quiet street in the sestiere of San Marco, a few steps from the square and the Grand Canal. It has forty rooms spread through an old building, with a hidden garden in the inner courtyard that is what most distinguishes it: in a city almost without greenery, having breakfast or a drink among plants, away from the noise of Calle Larga XXII Marzo, changes the day. The hotel also has a bar with an old-fashioned air, a lounge, 24-hour concierge, laundry service and daily cleaning.
The rooms
The rooms keep period furniture, damask fabrics and Murano glass lamps. All have air conditioning and free wifi, and the corner rooms look onto the inner garden or the private courtyard of the neighbouring Palazzo Contarini. There are singles, doubles, triples and family rooms, as well as a family suite.
For those travelling with small children it is one of the most comfortable options in the centre: the family rooms have a cot and high chair, and they ask for a changing table if you need one. The hotel lends a pushchair during your stay, offers babysitting by reservation and has nappies or wipes ready if you ask before arriving. There is a lift, which in Venice is not always the case.
Italian breakfast is included in the price. The hotel does not publish fixed rates: the price appears on its booking engine according to the date.
Getting there without dragging your bags
The nearest stops are Santa Maria del Giglio and San Marco-Vallaresso, both on vaporetto line 1 and about three minutes' walk from the hotel. From Santa Lucia station or from Piazzale Roma, take line 1 to either; the journey along the Grand Canal is already a first sightseeing trip.
From Marco Polo airport you have three options, according to the hotel: the Alilaguna boat, orange line to Santa Maria del Giglio or blue to San Marco; the ACTV or ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma and, from there, line 1; or a water taxi to the door. If you come by car, the hotel recommends leaving it at Garage San Marco in Piazzale Roma or at Tronchetto, with prior reservation.
What is nearby
St Mark's Square is about five minutes' walk away, so it is a good base for climbing the bell tower first thing or for arriving on time for the Doge's Palace secret itineraries tour. From Santa Maria del Giglio line 1 leaves to travel the Grand Canal by vaporetto or go down to the Lido in summer.
- **Foresteria Valdese** (Small hotel): Sleeping in an 18th-century palace without paying palace prices
The Foresteria Valdese occupies Palazzo Cavagnis, in the sestiere of Castello, a few minutes from Campo Santa Maria Formosa. It is the guesthouse of the Waldensian Church, which bought the palace in 1868 and turned it into a place of welcome and a school for poor children. The building was rebuilt in the early 18th century to a design by the architect Domenico Rossi, and on the piano nobile frescoes by Venetian painters remain; the ceiling with the myth of Bacchus and Ariadne was painted by Carlo Bevilacqua in 1810. Today the palace is a declared national monument.
It is not a luxury hotel, nor does it pretend to be: it is a simple, well-located house, with common lounges for reading or chatting, a small book-swap library and a play corner for children. It is open all year.
The rooms
There are singles, doubles, triples and rooms with several beds. All have wifi, air conditioning, hairdryer and towels. The bathroom varies by room: some have it inside, others private but outside the room and others shared, the cheapest option.
The most requested are the rooms with a view, bright and overlooking the canal; some retain frescoes by Santi and Bevilacqua. The rooms with four to seven beds, with their own bathroom, are intended for families and groups and look onto the canal or the rooftops. There is a lift.
Continental breakfast is served from 8:00 to 9:30, and during the day there are coffee, tea and chocolate machines. Reception is open from 8:00 to 19:00; if you are going to arrive later, tell them beforehand, because out-of-hours arrival is arranged and may carry a supplement. They speak Spanish, as well as English, Italian, French and German.
Getting there
From Marco Polo airport, the house recommends the Alilaguna boat, blue line, to the Ospedale stop: about 40 minutes by boat to Fondamente Nove, plus ten or fifteen minutes' walk from the airport to the jetty. From Ospedale it is five minutes on foot: you skirt the hospital along Fondamenta dei Mendicanti, cross Campo San Giovanni e Paolo and continue along Barbaria de le Tole to Calle dell'Ospedaletto and the Cavagnis bridge. If you come by car, leave it on the mainland: the house suggests the Marive service, with guarded parking and a launch to Fondamente Nove.
What is nearby
Fondamente Nove, from where the vaporettos leave for Murano, Burano and Torcello, is a walk away. You reach St Mark's on foot in a quarter of an hour, and the Venetian rowing lesson leaves from the Sacca della Misericordia, in Cannaregio, about twenty minutes away.
- **Generator Venice** (Hostel): A hostel on the island opposite
Generator Venice is on the Fondamenta delle Zitelle, on the island of the Giudecca, the strip of land that closes Venice to the south, across the Giudecca Canal. From the waterfront you see St Mark's straight ahead, and at night the contrast is great: the district is residential and quiet, far from the crowded streets of the centre, and yet you are a short vaporetto ride from the square. The ground floor is a large common space with a bar, restaurant and seating areas.
Dormitories and private rooms
It is a hostel, so there are beds in shared dormitories: small ones of three to seven beds with an ensuite bathroom, a women's one of twelve beds with bathroom and large ones of ten to sixteen beds with shared bathrooms. All shared dormitories are for over-18s only.
For couples and families there are private rooms: a Deluxe double with a large bed, bathroom and canal view; a triple with shared bathrooms; family rooms for four and for five with bathroom and canal view; and private rooms of seven and eight beds for groups. There is air conditioning in rooms and dormitories.
Prices change daily: the hostel publishes them on its booking engine. If you book on its website, it includes breakfast, a discount on food and drink at the bar and a later check-out.
Bar, terrace and services
The bar runs all day and the restaurant serves a buffet breakfast every morning. From April to September, if the weather is good, the Giudecca terrace opens, from 7:00 to 23:30. There is a happy hour in the afternoon, activities for guests, free wifi, 24-hour reception, laundry, luggage storage and a shop. The hostel advertises itself as wheelchair accessible.
Getting there
From Santa Lucia station, the landing stage is in front of the door: take line 2 or 4.1 to Zitelle, and the hostel is about a hundred metres to the right. From Marco Polo airport, the ATVO bus takes you to Piazzale Roma in about 20 minutes, and there you take the 2 or 4.1 to Zitelle. From Treviso, the bus takes about 40 minutes to Piazzale Roma. By water taxi, for up to four people, the journey takes about 40 minutes.
What is nearby
From Zitelle you cross to St Mark's in a few minutes for the bell tower or the Doge's Palace. And for the Lido beach in summer, you change line at San Zaccaria.

## Car-free: A whole city without cars
There are no cars or bicycles in Venice's historic centre, so here travelling without a car is not an option: it is the only one. You arrive by plane or train, get around on foot and by vaporetto, and the boat serves as bus, taxi and excursion. The budget runs from a hostel bed with cicchetti at the bar to a hotel in San Marco with a fish dinner.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Flora** (Hotel): A family hotel beside St Mark's
Hotel Flora is run by the Romanelli family on a quiet street in the sestiere of San Marco, a few steps from the square and the Grand Canal. It has forty rooms spread through an old building, with a hidden garden in the inner courtyard that is what most distinguishes it: in a city almost without greenery, having breakfast or a drink among plants, away from the noise of Calle Larga XXII Marzo, changes the day. The hotel also has a bar with an old-fashioned air, a lounge, 24-hour concierge, laundry service and daily cleaning.
The rooms
The rooms keep period furniture, damask fabrics and Murano glass lamps. All have air conditioning and free wifi, and the corner rooms look onto the inner garden or the private courtyard of the neighbouring Palazzo Contarini. There are singles, doubles, triples and family rooms, as well as a family suite.
For those travelling with small children it is one of the most comfortable options in the centre: the family rooms have a cot and high chair, and they ask for a changing table if you need one. The hotel lends a pushchair during your stay, offers babysitting by reservation and has nappies or wipes ready if you ask before arriving. There is a lift, which in Venice is not always the case.
Italian breakfast is included in the price. The hotel does not publish fixed rates: the price appears on its booking engine according to the date.
Getting there without dragging your bags
The nearest stops are Santa Maria del Giglio and San Marco-Vallaresso, both on vaporetto line 1 and about three minutes' walk from the hotel. From Santa Lucia station or from Piazzale Roma, take line 1 to either; the journey along the Grand Canal is already a first sightseeing trip.
From Marco Polo airport you have three options, according to the hotel: the Alilaguna boat, orange line to Santa Maria del Giglio or blue to San Marco; the ACTV or ATVO bus to Piazzale Roma and, from there, line 1; or a water taxi to the door. If you come by car, the hotel recommends leaving it at Garage San Marco in Piazzale Roma or at Tronchetto, with prior reservation.
What is nearby
St Mark's Square is about five minutes' walk away, so it is a good base for climbing the bell tower first thing or for arriving on time for the Doge's Palace secret itineraries tour. From Santa Maria del Giglio line 1 leaves to travel the Grand Canal by vaporetto or go down to the Lido in summer.
- **Foresteria Valdese** (Small hotel): Sleeping in an 18th-century palace without paying palace prices
The Foresteria Valdese occupies Palazzo Cavagnis, in the sestiere of Castello, a few minutes from Campo Santa Maria Formosa. It is the guesthouse of the Waldensian Church, which bought the palace in 1868 and turned it into a place of welcome and a school for poor children. The building was rebuilt in the early 18th century to a design by the architect Domenico Rossi, and on the piano nobile frescoes by Venetian painters remain; the ceiling with the myth of Bacchus and Ariadne was painted by Carlo Bevilacqua in 1810. Today the palace is a declared national monument.
It is not a luxury hotel, nor does it pretend to be: it is a simple, well-located house, with common lounges for reading or chatting, a small book-swap library and a play corner for children. It is open all year.
The rooms
There are singles, doubles, triples and rooms with several beds. All have wifi, air conditioning, hairdryer and towels. The bathroom varies by room: some have it inside, others private but outside the room and others shared, the cheapest option.
The most requested are the rooms with a view, bright and overlooking the canal; some retain frescoes by Santi and Bevilacqua. The rooms with four to seven beds, with their own bathroom, are intended for families and groups and look onto the canal or the rooftops. There is a lift.
Continental breakfast is served from 8:00 to 9:30, and during the day there are coffee, tea and chocolate machines. Reception is open from 8:00 to 19:00; if you are going to arrive later, tell them beforehand, because out-of-hours arrival is arranged and may carry a supplement. They speak Spanish, as well as English, Italian, French and German.
Getting there
From Marco Polo airport, the house recommends the Alilaguna boat, blue line, to the Ospedale stop: about 40 minutes by boat to Fondamente Nove, plus ten or fifteen minutes' walk from the airport to the jetty. From Ospedale it is five minutes on foot: you skirt the hospital along Fondamenta dei Mendicanti, cross Campo San Giovanni e Paolo and continue along Barbaria de le Tole to Calle dell'Ospedaletto and the Cavagnis bridge. If you come by car, leave it on the mainland: the house suggests the Marive service, with guarded parking and a launch to Fondamente Nove.
What is nearby
Fondamente Nove, from where the vaporettos leave for Murano, Burano and Torcello, is a walk away. You reach St Mark's on foot in a quarter of an hour, and the Venetian rowing lesson leaves from the Sacca della Misericordia, in Cannaregio, about twenty minutes away.
- **Generator Venice** (Hostel): A hostel on the island opposite
Generator Venice is on the Fondamenta delle Zitelle, on the island of the Giudecca, the strip of land that closes Venice to the south, across the Giudecca Canal. From the waterfront you see St Mark's straight ahead, and at night the contrast is great: the district is residential and quiet, far from the crowded streets of the centre, and yet you are a short vaporetto ride from the square. The ground floor is a large common space with a bar, restaurant and seating areas.
Dormitories and private rooms
It is a hostel, so there are beds in shared dormitories: small ones of three to seven beds with an ensuite bathroom, a women's one of twelve beds with bathroom and large ones of ten to sixteen beds with shared bathrooms. All shared dormitories are for over-18s only.
For couples and families there are private rooms: a Deluxe double with a large bed, bathroom and canal view; a triple with shared bathrooms; family rooms for four and for five with bathroom and canal view; and private rooms of seven and eight beds for groups. There is air conditioning in rooms and dormitories.
Prices change daily: the hostel publishes them on its booking engine. If you book on its website, it includes breakfast, a discount on food and drink at the bar and a later check-out.
Bar, terrace and services
The bar runs all day and the restaurant serves a buffet breakfast every morning. From April to September, if the weather is good, the Giudecca terrace opens, from 7:00 to 23:30. There is a happy hour in the afternoon, activities for guests, free wifi, 24-hour reception, laundry, luggage storage and a shop. The hostel advertises itself as wheelchair accessible.
Getting there
From Santa Lucia station, the landing stage is in front of the door: take line 2 or 4.1 to Zitelle, and the hostel is about a hundred metres to the right. From Marco Polo airport, the ATVO bus takes you to Piazzale Roma in about 20 minutes, and there you take the 2 or 4.1 to Zitelle. From Treviso, the bus takes about 40 minutes to Piazzale Roma. By water taxi, for up to four people, the journey takes about 40 minutes.
What is nearby
From Zitelle you cross to St Mark's in a few minutes for the bell tower or the Doge's Palace. And for the Lido beach in summer, you change line at San Zaccaria.

## As a family: Boats, oars and coloured islands

Children like Venice because everything goes by water: the bus is a boat and the street can end in a canal. Tiredness comes from the bridges, so alternate short walks with vaporetto trips.

### What works best
The line 1 vaporetto along the Grand Canal, free for under-6s

The Venetian rowing lesson: no minimum age and under-4s do not pay

Burano, with its coloured houses, and Torcello, with space to run around

The Lido beach in summer

St Mark's Campanile, to see the city from above

### Where to sleep
Cannaregio and Castello, quieter and with neighbourhood life

Lido, if you go in summer and want a beach

### Where to eat
Cicchetti in bàcari: small portions that almost everyone likes

Picnics in the campi with benches and wellheads, as in Castello

### Keep in mind
A pushchair is a bad idea: there are steps on almost every bridge. A baby carrier is better

The Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace do not admit under-6s

Under-14s do not pay the access fee

### Qué hacer as a family
- The Grand Canal on the line 1 vaporetto
- Murano, Burano and Torcello by vaporetto from Fondamente Nove
- Venetian standing rowing lesson in Cannaregio
- St Mark's Campanile and Loggia dei Cavalli
- Lido beach by vaporetto
- Campo San Barnaba, Indiana Jones's library in Dorsoduro

## Consejos

### Sleep inside
The early morning hours and the night are another city, and you save the access fee.

### Vaporetto pass by days
The 1-day costs €25 and the 3-day €45. Those aged 6 to 29 can get the 72-hour pass for €27 with the Rolling Venice.

### Check the tide
With acqua alta above 95 cm the vaporetto lines change. ACTV publishes the alerts.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Do you have to pay to enter Venice?
On the dates designated by the city council, anyone entering only for the day pays €5 (€10 if they register late). Those who sleep in the city and children under 14 are exempt.

### How many days do I need?
Two or three nights: one day for San Marco and the Grand Canal, another for the lagoon islands and half a day to get lost in Cannaregio or Castello.

### Is it a good idea with children?
Yes: the vaporetto is a ride in itself, under-6s don't pay and they like the islands. Leave the pushchair at home: there are bridges with steps at every turn.

### How much does the vaporetto cost?
€9.50 for the 75-minute ticket and €25 for the one-day pass.

### Can you see the parts of the Doge's Palace that aren't normally open?
Yes, with the secret itineraries: 1 h 15 min, €40, by reservation and with no Spanish-language session.