Welcome to Vol 5 of my Venice Reader Mailbag.
Can you believe we’ve made it to Volume 5? Your questions just keep coming, and honestly, this series wouldn’t exist without you.
From the well-trodden tourist spots to the tucked-away corners only locals know, your curiosity has taken us on a deep dive into Venice like no guidebook ever could.
So pour yourself a spritz, settle in, and let’s open up the final volume of the Venice Reader Mailbag… because Venice still has plenty of secrets to reveal.
Venice Reader Mailbag Vol 5
In this final instalment (at least for now), we’re tackling even more of your clever, quirky, and sometimes delightfully unexpected questions.
If you’ve followed along since Volume 1 to Volume 4 then, you know the drill… this is where your curiosity meets my best tips (with a side of honest traveller chat).
Think hidden gems, secret cicchetti bars, lesser-known art treasures and tips for experiencing Venice in ways that feel completely yours—without getting lost in the crowds (or at least, getting lost in the good way).
Remember that I still offer trip consultations and even AMA calls where you can ask me questions about your trip over a live call, if you want more personalised tips.
Question #1
Where do you recommend staying- an older hotel? In which areas?
I’d stay in a hotel or one of Venice’s boutique hotels around the historical centre.
My favourite is Bloom&Settimo Cielo based in the San Marco neighbourhood, 10 mins away from St. Mark’s Square and less than 5 to the Accademia Bridge.
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So location wise it’s great to explore both popular attractions as well as lesser beaten areas. Other areas I recommend are Dorsoduro, the bordering part of Castello with the San Marco neighbourhood and San Polo.
Question #2
What is your favourite place to stay and your favourite coffee place?
My favourite place to stay is Cannaregio or Dorsoduro because I like the vibe in those areas, the shops, the bacari and the restaurant selection.
My favourite coffee place is Pasticceria Tonolo, and I like it especially for their sweet pastries, freshly baked every morning!
In Cannaregio, I’d recommend:
Question #3
Hotel accommodation. The hotel I stayed last time is now closed for renovations. Cannaregio is best, but open to suggestions. Going to Florence, so train access is necessary.
Cannaregio is great if you want to have easy access to the train station, I recommend. Even Santa Croce is good. Check Santa Croce Boutique Hotel there.
Question #4
Can you suggest somewhere unexpected to visit off the normal tourist routes?
Somewhere unexpected that I consider off the beaten path is Malamocco, the first settlement on the Lido of Venice. Then the Sant’Erasmo island also called the “Venice garden” is where fruits and vegetables provided to many of the restaurants in Venice are grown.
Finally, if you want to stay on the island of Venice, consider visiting San Pietro di Castello, where you can discover a completely different side of the city, appreciate its slower pace with zero crowds.
Question #5
Where can I have a look of the making of a Gondola? And second, where can I get some Cooking lessons of venice kitchen?
At Squero di San Trovaso in Dorsoduro. I also found that Row Venice organise a visit to the squero and cicchetti at the end. I think you should contact them both directly to see if they still offer this experience.
Question #6
How do you decide which Venice pass offers the best value?
I explain each Venice city pass available in my guide. One thing you have to ask your self is, what do I really want to visit, based on your available time. Be realistic so you can pick the best attraction pass for you.
There are 3 attractions city passes I believe are worth considering: the All Venice City Pass, the Museum Pass and the St. Mark’s City Pass. The first one is the most comprehensive pass so it’s great if you have 4/5 days at least to spend in Venice.
The second one is to cover all the Civic museum of Venice, including the ones in Murano and Burano and lesser known gems like Ca’ Pesaro and Fortuny Museum. The last one is good for people with fewer days and that want to focus on the main museum in St. Mark’s Square.
The transportation pass is something you purchase separately. The choice of 1/2/3/7 day pass is based on length of your stay and you want to visit other places in the Venetian lagoon like Murano and Burano, Lido etc.
If you know that you don’t want to walk everywhere, or want to avoid getting too tired and experience a local way of moving around the city, this is how I’d decide.
Question #7
What’s the best resource for finding various experiences in Venice?
I use GetYourGuide a lot and recommend many experiences. There you’ll find both transportation, tours, unique experiences to live in Venice all in one place.
They list experiences that local providers offer, so they act as the middle man. It’s a reliable resource that it’s been in use for many years, and you can cancel until 24 hours before your experience day and get a full refund.
This is good to know if anything changes in your travel plans last minute. They also offer discounts ever now and again, which it’s good to save some money.
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Venice Reader Mailbag Vol 5
That’s all for Volume 5! The final chapter of my Reader Mailbag series (for now)! I can’t thank you enough for all your brilliant, quirky and curious questions.
Each one has reminded me why Venice never gets old: there’s always a new delight to discover, a secret cicchetti spot to try and a story waiting around every corner.
Even though this is the last volume for now, your questions will always be welcome… so keep them coming! Who knows? Perhaps we’ll pick the mailbag back up someday, with even more Venetian adventures to explore together.
Until next time, keep wandering, keep asking, and keep falling in love with Venice.
More useful resources for your trip to Venice:
- Your First Time in Venice
- Venice Water Taxi guide
- Where to Stay in Venice
- Venice Train Stations
- Venice Instagram Spots
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