The memories of waking to the chiming bells across Venice are always fresh in my mind. We'd have some wonderful Italian coffee and bread with nutella then be on our way with no particular destination in mind. One of the best things to do in Venice is just walk and find out where the next turn will take you. You'll discover the most picturesque canals and bridges off the beaten path and not overrun with tourists.
Note about arriving: Our first trip to Venice was our Honeymoon so we splurged and took a private taxi. It was quite expensive, but to me, it was worth it! While there are hordes of people waiting for the vaporetti with all their luggage, you can breeze right by to a taxi, which are very nice looking boats.
Santa Maria della Salute in the distance
I have to admit that cruising down the Grand Canal in a private taxi made me feel somewhat of a celebrity, lol! He pulled right up to our hotel. The crazy thing is that the "docks" are about as wide as two 2x4 inch planks side by side. Scary! Especially when you're trying to balance two huge, heavy suitcases. That night I had a nightmare that my bags, full of my favorite shoes and dresses mind you, fell off the plank into the questionable water of the canal, never to be seen again...it was very disturbing! Anyway, on our second visit to Venice we tried to be more economical. Not good! We were jammed onto a vaporetto with tons of other tourists and they toss all the suitcases into one HUGE pile. To make matters worse, we took the long route to our neighborhood and the ride seemed never-ending, Ugh! Then when you get out they have to try and unwedge your bags from deep within "Mount Luggage". Next time we plan our trip I am definitely budgeting for a taxi...hopefully we'll get lucky and find people to split the tab with.
