‘Is a Week Too Long in Venice?’
Travel Blog • Eva Holland • 04.10.08 | 12:33 PM ET
That’s the question posed recently by a Times of London reader, concerned that he may get “bored of the watery Italian city” before the week is up. “Perhaps we got carried away,” he writes, “as it now seems like a very long time.” Times travel expert Richard Green offers a perfectly reasonable answer, suggesting day-trippable destinations in the Veneto, but the response I kept waiting for—“Bored in Venice? Are you serious?”—never came. So here it is.
Dear Jack from Faversham: Bored? In Venice? Are you serious? First of all—and pardon the Dr. Phil moment here—I think boredom comes to those who seek it. There’s always more to learn and experience in any new place; a week isn’t long enough to completely exhaust any city in the world. Take a long walk. Sit in a park and people-watch. Try a new food. Visit an obscure museum. Talk to a bartender. Window shop.
It’s not that I have anything against day trips to the Veneto. It’s the set-up—the idea that the day trips might be a necessity, because Venice itself might be used up and discarded in less than a week—that bothers me. Not so long ago I spent a week in Venice, and I found plenty of activities to fill my time. I walked. I got lost. I stopped to eat and drink. I contemplated violating the city’s ban on public naps. I walked some more. The days flew by, and far from feeling like “a very long time,” my week in Venice wasn’t nearly long enough. I’ll be back—and Jack, I hope you will be, too.
Related on World Hum:
* Hemingway’s Favorite Venice Bar Offering Discounts to Americans
* Day Trippers Not Wanted on Venice’s New Vaporetto Line
Photo by soylentgreen23 via Flickr (Creative Commons)
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Sophie 04.10.08 | 5:40 PM ET
My favorite thing to do when I travel anywhere is to sit and look. For hours.
Besides, you’ll probably spend half that week lost on the web of streets and canals, trying to find that lovely little trattoria you passed earlier…
Janet 04.11.08 | 10:55 AM ET
Never would I be bored spending a week in Venice! Have been there 3 times in the past 5 years and would love to go back. Go visit some of the islands—Burano was our favorite or head to Verona and Padova, both easy daytrips from Venice. Enjoyed both of these places last summer. Just slow down, eat some gelato, do some people watching and enjoy.
Jack from eyeflare.com 04.11.08 | 12:04 PM ET
A week is just about enough to scratch the surface of Venice!
I agree, if you end up bored here, then you’re really looking to be bored. You could easily spend three days just taking photos… and the rest in the art museums.
Family Travel Gil 04.12.08 | 8:44 PM ET
I think that sometimes we tend to be schedule-driven tourists (at least I do). This means that at times I have scheduled a visit in to city with a list of “must see” sites. In my hurried mind, I feel that if I’ve seen these, I’m good to move on. As I’ve gotten older and more experienced, I’ve learned to slow down and enjoy the destination. A week in Venice? Count me in! —Family Travel Girl
http://www.familytravelgirl.com
Zach Everson 04.14.08 | 12:43 AM ET
Three days is ideal. Anything longer than that and the city starts to lose its charm.
Doreen Orion 05.03.08 | 6:25 PM ET
I’ve been to Venice several times and I can’t wait to go back. One thing a lot of tourists do is take boats everywhere, and thus miss out on just walking and getting lost in the city.
One bit of advice a local once gave me: If you see something in a store you want, don’t plan to buy it later, you’ll never find the place, again.
Sophie 05.03.08 | 6:35 PM ET
Doreen, that may be the best advice I’ve ever heard. We had exactly that experience trying to find a restaurant.
The good news is, we finally gave up and went into the next restaurant we passed and ended up having one of the most memorable meals of all my travels. The restaurant was called Ai Tre Spiedi and I don’t know if I could ever find it again—but the NYT says it’s a local secret. (I learned just now thanks to Google.)
Doreen Orion 05.03.08 | 6:43 PM ET
Thanks! I’m writing that restaurant name down, although I have little hope of every finding it. (But, searching for anything in Venice is part of the fun, isn’t it?)
And, as an aside: A few blogging girlfriends and I are in the midst of a “shoe-off” (ie to see who has the best shoes). We’re posting our entries and I slipped in one of my ringers: a pair I got in Venice years ago. One of the other gals just cried “foul!” I think she understands she doesn’t stand a chance against Italian shoes. Little does she know, I’ve got three more pairs purchased in Venice (which is where I learned very well that “buy it when you see it” tip, as it was almost 5 pairs).
Keri Kowski 05.12.08 | 3:01 PM ET
A week isn’t enough time in Venice! I LOVE Venice and can’t say enough about it! The first time I was there my mother and I got “lost” for five hours, wandering around the winding “streets” and crossing the mini-canals; it was one of the best times we had in all of Europe! We found the locals’ restaurants, tasted the best limon gelato, ate the best home-cooked food, waved to grandmother’s enjoying the weather, talked to pet cats, shopped at the quaintest shops, and found the best deals!
The last time we were there we stopped in a book store and bought a Venice fact or myth “ghost story” book that includes a tour of the City with spooky stories about the various buildings. I can’t wait to go back this October with the book and do that walking tour at night!
Every time we return to Venice it’s a different and great experience! A week is not long enough in my opinion.
(Plus, you can always visit Burano and Murano for the great lace and glass!)