Get to St. Marks Square and the Rialto before 10am for the best and quietest look round. For a well-earned rest, go to the Danieli for a cuppa! Expensive (£10 for tea for two), but you can sit in splendour for hours.
Harry’s Bar for a Bellini is very expensive, but a treat for your taste buds, and great barmen.
Gondola before 10am to have the canals to yourself – once-in-a-lifetime treat for romantics!
Go to the Dorsuduro district for views over the Grand Canal to St. Marks but without the crowds. Get there via the Accademia Bridge and treat yourself to a jug of hot chocolate at La Piscina on the far side - sunny, quiet, and lovely views. (Order a jug of hot milk too if molten chocolate sounds too rich!)
Quick Tips:
Tip 1: Avoid the main routes and stick to the back streets. If you can, walk to the ghetto area, full of quiet, multicolored back streets - relaxing and very beautiful.
Tip 2: If you see something you like, buy it - chances are you won't find the shop again!
Tip 3: If you want a pint, go to the only pub we saw. Called something like the Devil & Forest, it is off the main shopping street (Disney store). Full of locals and tourists alike, as it’s relatively cheap, especially the campari and soda.
Best Way To Get Around:
We covered most districts in a weekend on foot, but our legs were killing us! Gondolas are fab, but very expensive; and to get across the river, you can pay under a euro for a short trip on a traghetto, which just crosses the river, standing room only. By far the best way to travel is the number 1 water bus route. Get on it at the start and go up and down the Grand Canal for up to 90 minutes for 5 euros. We got Ryanair to Treviso and then the bus (45 minutes) they arrange into Piazzale Roma (8 euros return). Then got the no. 1 water bus to our boat stop on the Grand Canal. Much easier than we expected.