How To Visit Venice on a Budget
Venice is one of the most romantic cities full of beautiful architecture, history and incredible food. The city is built on 100 islands, everywhere you walk you’ll see these beautiful canals. Venice isn’t always top of the list for backpackers or people on a budget as it is pretty expensive. This post will give you some tips on how to save money and what there is to see. Here’s how to visit Venice on a budget:
Accommodation
The best way to save money is to stay in Mestre the mainland town connected by bus or train. Trains run regularly every 10-15 minutes and it takes about 10 minutes to get there on the train. A single ticket costs €1.25.
This is the hotel/hostel I stayed in prices start from £20 a night.
Pros
- Cheaper than staying in the centre of Venice
- Great for solo travellers met lots of new people
- Free car parking
- 10 minute walk to station
- Close to supermarket
Cons
- Not very modern
- No lockers in room
- Not many showers/toilet so had to wait a while in the morning
- Didn’t feel very safe walking back from train station at night
Another option would be the Generator Hostel, this one is slightly more expensive starting around £30. This hostel looks beautiful inside and I would recommend booking in advance as it sells out fast.
Pack a picnic
There are lots of supermarkets and bakeries to buy fresh produce making it much cheaper than eating at a restaurant.
Chiesa di San Pantalon Church
I was taken here on the walking tour, I hadn’t heard about this church before and was so impressed. It has the most breathtaking painting on the ceiling which took the artist 20 years to create. Unfortunately you aren’t allowed to take photos inside but you can see a few here on Tripadvisor.
Boat or Gondola ride
A quintessential tourist attraction in Venice is the gondola ride. This was my second visit to Venice I went a few years ago with my mum and we went on a gondola ride. I’m so glad I did this as it had been on my bucket list for ages. It is very expensive so I would recommend saving up for this. If your budget doesn’t allow for this then the lady on the walking tour recommended getting a water bus as its so much cheaper than having a gondola ride.
Free Walking Tour
It’s so easy to get lost in Venice with the maze of canals and small streets so doing a walking tour will help you get your bearings. It is also a great way to lean about Venice’s past and culture. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones there are a few spots in Venice where it was filmed which the tour guide pointed out. I did the free walk in Venice tour and my tour guide was called Lucia, she was really friendly and knowledgeable.
See the Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs was built to connect the old prison to the interrogation rooms the view from its stone barred windows was the last that prisoners saw as they were led to their cells.
Saint Mark’s Basilica
Free to get in but the queues can be very long.
Do you have any tips to visit Venice on a budget?
Looking where to go next, why not visit Milan or the beautiful island of Ischia.
32 Comments
Lisa Yip
What a fascinating post! Been thinking of travelling to Italy so this has been insightful with great tips! 👍
Little Lottie
This is super helpful. I’m visiting Italy at the end of the month and want to stick to a tight budget. Definitely want to splash on a Gondola ride though! 🙂 x
tayonthemove
Beautiful pictures, thanks for the tips!
RhapsodyBoheme
❤️❤️❤️
Unchronicled Narratives
Well written post, feel like flying to Venice now. 🙂
Laura Blossomofhope
I loved how you split everything up into sections, I am sure this is helpful to so many people xx
http://blossomofhope.blogspot.com/
enjoytheadventures
Thank you! 🙂
shaunz
Great tips! Thanks for visiting my blog, i’m a new follower to your blog. Looking forward to future posts..;)
Annabelle
These tips are so useful! I loooved Venice and can’t wait to go back someday!
x Annabelle
travelsandtea.com
Christina ❤️ Vancouver foodie - carealot604
These photos make me want to travel! <3
cookingwithauntjuju.com
I spent my 30th birthday there many years ago with my hubby!
Tuscan Dreams
I was in Venice at the weekend for the first time…. it is definitely somewhere you really need to see in a lifetime and we was lucky enough to have local friends who gave us advice, I love the post because it can be a pricey city but your tips are great for the money savvy traveller!
Nyse
Wow this was fascinating, I’ll be honest I never thought much about going to Venice, but I knew it wasn’t exactly the most budget friendly place. Your tips are helpful, as well as insightful. Great post!
Nyse
Wow this was fascinating, I’ll be honest I never thought much about going to Venice, but I knew it wasn’t exactly the most budget friendly place. Your tips are honestly helpful. Great post!
Paulo@Travel Bugs
Thanks for sharing! Venice is in my bucket list for the longest time :-S
jesstmxo
So helpful I really want to go I’ll tell my boyfriend about this. Have yoy ever been Rome???
enjoytheadventures
Thanks 😊 its such a beautiful place. Yes I’ve been to Rome it’s definitely worth visiting there’s so much to see and the Vatican is amazing!
jesstmxo
It’s on the top of my list💙💙
grant
Excellent advice!
mytimetotravel
Venice is a different place before and after the day trippers, so I think it is false economy to sleep on the mainland (although I recognize that my budget is not rock bottom). Last time I found a B&B in Sant’Elena which was much cheaper than sleeping in the center, but still close. The station area should be cheaper, too. Also, I find a transport pass well worth the money, especially if you want to visit one of the islands -highly recommend Burano.
enjoytheadventures
Ah that sounds good. Yeah there’s a few cheaper places surrounding Venice but that aren’t too far away. I’ve heard good things about Burano hopefully will go back one day and visit 😊
Tails Around the Ranch
One of my favorite cities in the world. Thanks for sharing these tips. But even if you have to pay a bit more, Venice is worth every single Euro. 🙂
enjoytheadventures
Yeah it’s such a beautiful unique place 😊
munchkinontheroad
Always enjoy your adventures…
Swinttravelblog
Love it there the food is great! Good information.
Jacque'
The wife and I really love this blog and appreciate the useful information and imagery you provide. We would like to encourage you to keep writing and never abandon this blog. When you decide to have a mobile app version, I would love to be of service. I appreciate the hard work you have put into this blog and wish you all future success in business and in life.
Thank you for your time, it is the most precious thing we all possess.
-Jacque’
enjoytheadventures
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy reading my blog. I’ll let you know if I get an app version in the future 😊
Ashley Miller
Thank you for your post!! Have you ever traveled France? Do you have any ideas about saving money there? Thanks 🙂
Ashley M. |thecarpediemlifeblog.wordpress.com
enjoytheadventures
I went to strasbourg https://enjoytheadventure.co.uk/2016/09/07/day-in-strasbourg-france/ To save money I would recommend using air bnb. Also getting food from a bakery and having a picnic will save some money. I’ve also been to Paris and the French alps but it was a long time ago so can’t remember too much.
Ashley Miller
So cool! Thanks for the advice. Have a lovely day!
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Kim
Thanks for sharing this! Venice has been high on my travel wishlist for a while now, and this will definitely help.