Italy has welcomed us with all of its beauty. After our awesome day at Lake Como now it was time to start our journey for Venice. As I mentioned there was a transport problem in Milan but, somehow we managed to reach our bus station from where we have to catch the morning bus at 7:15 AM.
Venice is one of the most different and magnificent city. It resides on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. There is something very special about the place. The water taxis, water buses or gondolas are the only means of transportation over there. Getting around is easy but entirely different from the rest of the world.
How to reach Venice from Milan?
There are various options available to reach Venice from Milan.
1. Fast Trains
Journey time- 2-2.5 hours
Cost- 28-35 Euros
2. Slow Trains
Journey time- 3.5 hours
Cost- 22-28 Euros
You can check trains at omio for more details.
3. Flix Buses
Journey time -3.5-4 hours
Cost- 14-22 Euros
You can check flixbus for bus timings and cost.
We opted for flixbus as it is cost effective and, a road journey to Venice is full of scenic views.
We reached Venice Mestre at 11:00AM. After reaching Venice Mestre, we decided to collect our ACTV day pass, which included buses and water buses. We had already bought the pass online but, we have to take the printout of the day pass.
Note: You can find the machines at bus stops. Also, you need to carry some cash and coins to buy the ticket on the spot.
How to roam around Venice?
The easiest way to roam around in Venice is taking ACTV day pass. This pass includes buses and water buses. Also, buy this pass if you are planning to visit the islands in Venice. Otherwise, you can buy a single ticket every time. This pass comes in multiple variants. You can buy day pass from actv website.
Where to stay in Venice?
Venice is an expensive city, so choosing where to stay is necessary.The better option is to stay near Venice Mestre and from where you can go to Venice anytime. There are buses which run from Venice Mestre throughout the day and takes only 10 minutes to reach Venice.
We check-in our hotel and had our lunch before starting our day in Venice.We took the bus from the bus stop nearest to our hotel. It took 10 minutes to reach Venice. We reached Venice around 1:15 AM and we already had our itinerary planned, so we exactly knew where we have to go.
We decided to go to Burano island, which is the most beautiful island in Venice.
Places to visit in Venice
1. Burano Island
Burano is one of the most picturesque locations in the world. It is known for its small, brightly painted houses, which are popular with artists. It is also known for its lace making.
How to visit Burano Island?
One Vaporetto line runs from Venice to Burano: the 12. The large, express ferry runs from Venice's San Zaccaria stop to Burano and Murano, with another stop at Venice's Fondamente Nove stop. It takes about 45 minutes and costs €6.50 per person. But in case you have ACTV pass, you don't need to buy this.
Note: Please find the timetables on actv website.
We reached Burano Island around 2:15 PM and the 45 minutes journey from Venice to the island is full of scenic views of other islands en route. We visited many places in Burano island like Bell Tower, Bepi's House,Piazza Galuppi and Tre Ponti.
2. Torcello Island
Torcello island is easily accessible from Burano in 5 minutes with the ACTV ferry (T line), which runs every half hour, Torcello immediately offers an atmosphere of times to its visitors.
2. Murano Island
The island of Murano is famous for its long tradition of glass-making. One can shop for locally crafted souvenirs. Murano island can be reached from Torcello island in 15 minutes with a ACTV ferry.
There are many places in Murano to visit. Choose wisely as per your time like Glass museum, Basilica Di Santa Maria e San Donato, St. Pietro Martire Church, Palazzo da Mula, glass factories, glass shops.
After visiting the three most beautiful islands in Venice, we decided to head back to Venice, where we have to visit other attractions. We spent our afternoon in the islands and returned around 6:00 PM.
4. Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace is built in Venetian Gothic style and is one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. It is open till 9:00 PM so you can visit after 6:00 PM also.
5. Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs is one of the famous bridge in Venice. The bridge connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace.
6. St. Mark's Square
It is also known as Piazza San Marco, is the primary public square of Venice.
7. Saint Mark's Basilica
It is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best-known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.
8. St Mark's Campanile
It is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. It also offers a city view.
9. Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice. It connects the sestieri of San Marco and San Polo. It has been rebuilt several times since its first construction and is now a significant tourist attraction in the city.
10. Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is one of the major channels in Venice which connects the whole city.
11. Gallerie dell'Accademia
All the places are nearby in Venice, so you can easily visit all the attractions in 3 hours.
We were able to visit all the places by 9:00 PM and then we were looking for a good restaurant for our dinner. There are multiple restaurants along the Grand Canal. So you can enjoy good food and good ambience.
Note: You can get buses to Venice Mestre till midnight so plan accordingly to return.
We returned to our hotel in Venice Mestre after having our dinner. With this our second day comes to an end.
The next morning we have to head towards our next city Florence to taste the essence of Tuscany.
Cost of the trip:
Milan-Venice - Bus tickets -10.13 Euros
Venice Travel Card - 20 Euros
Stay - 25 Euros
Food- 9.5 Euros
Total cost- 64.63 Euros
Keep travelling!
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Click here to read part I.