Venice is no doubt one of the most expensive cities in Italy, and in Europe. People often complain that it’s difficult to find a place to eat that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, or that accommodation is really expensive. This is true, but it is possible to experience Venice on a budget! I’d like to share a few suggestions on how to enjoy Venice for under 25$ a day!
If you come to Venice by train from an other Italian city, you’ll get off at Venezia Santa Lucia, right in the middle of the historical city centre. By comparison, if you fly to Venice, you’ll have to pay a bus fare, 6€ if you’re coming from Marco Polo airport and a whopping 10€ if you’re coming from Treviso airport, which is further away and used by Ryanair.
Of course, you can use Venice airport water taxi too!
In spite of the steep prices, there are some good news about visiting Venice: many attractions have no entrance fee. St. Mark’s Basilica, for instance, is free to enter! Inside you’ll find golden mosaics in the Byzantine style that will remind you of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Take in as much as you can of Saint Mark’s Square and Palazzo Ducale. The Bridge of Sighs, the famous clock tower, and the view over the island of San Giorgio Maggiore are all priceless.
The pleasure of visiting Venice comes nevertheless in wandering its streets, and in getting lost on purpose. When you’ve seen San Marco, Rialto and the Accademia Bridge, head for the less crowded areas. Set off to explore less touristic neighboorhoods like Cannaregio or Castello. My favourite areas are Madonna dell’Orto in Cannaregio and Ponte dei Greci in Castello. It’s quieter there, and there are no mask shops to distract you from the beauty of the canals.
For lunch you could grab a couple of tramezzini (triangular sandwiches) at Bar La Toletta, located in the sestiere (neighboorhood) of Dorsoduro, close to the university area. They cost 1,60€ each on the go, with plenty of fillings to choose from. I usually buy 2 of them for a total of €3,20.
There is a fountain nearby where you can refill your water bottle for free. I can personally assure you that the water is good! There are two great places to eat your lunch nearby: one is a patch of green – a rare thing in Venice – in Fondamenta Bonlini, right next to Squero San Trovaso, where they build and repare gondolas. The other one is at Zattere, a spacious street with a beuatiful view of the Giudecca. This is where in summer lots of locals, and some tourists too, love to sunbathe if they don’t feel like going to the beach.
There are lots of things to explore nearby. Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute is free to visit, for instance, and has a magnificent view over the lagoon. This iconic Venetian church was built in the seventeenth century as a votive offering to the Virgin Mary, because the city was being decimated by the plague. A stroll in the Jewish ghetto, or around the Arsenale – where the ships used to be built – are other areas not to be missed.
For a very cheap dinner, you could go to Taverna del Campiello Remer, close to Campo Santi Apostoli, where from 17.30 to 19.30 you can stuff yourself at the all-you-can-eat buffet for 5€, with a drink included in the price. Oh, and make it a spritz, the local aperitif drink. The place is at the end of a tiny calle (street), so I’ll suggest that you ask a local to find it (try a shop owner)! The location is superb, overlooking the Grand Canal, and with a very nice atmosphere.
To save money on your accommodation you could stay in one of the campsites outside of Venice. If it’s summer you could sleep in a shared tent for as little as €8,50. You’ll need to pay €1,30 for a ten-minute bus ride to Venice itself. The shuttle service offered by the campsite is likely to be more expensive and less straightforward than the local bus so don’t be fooled!
How do you like this idea of spending a day in Venice on the cheap?
In today’s post, Stefania of The Italian Backpacker is sharing with us some budget travel tips on how to enjoy Venice for under $25 a day. For those who are not familiar with her blog, Stefania grew up in a small village an hour away from Venice, in Italy. She also studied foreign languages at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, where I lived for some years. She has a great passion for traveling, blogging and sharing her expert knowledge on living and traveling in Venice. If you have not heard of her already, make sure to check out her blog.
51 thoughts on “Enjoy Venice For Under $25 A Day!”
[St. Mark’s Basilica, for instance, is free to enter!], has it been free all the while?? When I was on my Europe tour, the tour guide told us the entrance fee was €20 and not worth it. Instead he brought us to a glass factory. I’m going to hunt him down and kill him!
@Realgunners: The entrance to the basilica itself is free. You need to pay if you want to see other things inside it like the treasury and the pala d’oro (2-3 € each), plus 5€ for the museum upstairs if you want, which is worth more for the view over the square than for what is exposed in my opinion. It’s not 20€ for sure! Maybe she meant the Palazzo Ducale, which is that expensive but absolutely worth it (always in my opinion)!
I’m pretty sure he meant St Mark’s Basilica, that’s what Basilica di San Marco meant, right? Actually that’s the only building we were interested in. I only learnt about other buildings like the Palazzo Ducale much later when I came back. Anyway this either makes that tour guide a liar or an imbecile :(
Nothing much I can do now, guess I’ll just have to go again for a full experience next time.
Venice! Awesome. Argh, a few years ago I was offered a contract to go there and I didn’t end up going. So shattered! Love the waters through Venice and will have to take a boat around it. By the way, can you just hire a boat and go yourself? Or does someone have to take you?
@Ken Kai: You need a licence to drive a boat in Venice! Your best bet is to make friends with a local who owns a boat and ask him to show you around, LOL!
Great tips for this amazing city. I loved my time in Venice and found it not as expensive as I expected. If you stay away from the tourist areas when looking for food, walk a lot to avoid transport costs and stay off the main island then I definitely think $25 would be achievable. Especially with that 5€ all-you-can-eat buffet!
I had $70/days for 4 days, I so hate it. But just loved the place, so won’t complain much..thanks for tips gal!
Nice job but I feel too old for a tent! Are there any cheap options for hostels or hotels?
@Andrew Boland: Of course, there are plenty of hostels. If you stay in Mestre or Lido it is cheaper!
C’mon! You can never be too old for a tent, Andrew!
All you can eat plus a drink for 5 Euros? Yes, puh-leeze! Love places without names that are located down random back alleys – thanks for the great tips!
Great tips. Venice is right up there in my bucket lists. Hope to visit it soon :-)
Same here Paulo :-)
Venice is a dream destination for many, so ideas and tips to travel there on a budget is valuable. I like the fact that so many places have free entry and you can enjoy the city on foot (most of the time we end up spending too much on transport).
I absolutely agree, Renuka. It’s so romantic! I bet some honeymooners go there :-)!!
We were only in Italy a few days and didn’t make it to Venice. I think I could spend years in Italy and still not be done! The food! Great tip on Venice on the cheap! The fountains is a great tip – we used the free water fountains all over Rome with no problem.
I was supposed to stay in Venice for a week last summer, but I’ve chosen to go to Crete instead. I don’t regret it, but I wish I could see Venice as well! Maybe this summer.
This was great Stefania and thank you for sharing her with us, Agness! You confirmed what I often suspected in that Venice is expensive. I tell ya though, I would sure love to have some tramezzini at Bar La Toletta. Good post! :)
Taking a cruise that’s embarking in Venice in the fall. Staying a couple or so days before the cruise. This is very helpful post. Where is this cheap eats that you’re talking about?
Bar La Toletta is in Dorsoduro 1191, near the bookshop of the same name. It is in the university area, between Campo San Barnaba and Ponte dell’Accademia. Taverna del Campiello Remer is in Cannaregio 5701, in a small alley between Campo Santi Apostoli and Rialto.
I haven’t been to Venice in years – maybe about five or so – but I remember it being really tricky to budget there. Though, also, it’s the kind of place you only go for a weekend or so, so it’s not the end of the world.
Some good tips here, and definitely worth catching all the free things around, and doing your own kind of walking tour. We also bought bread, cheese and tomatoes from the market for lunch as it was cheaper than eating out too!
Hard to do Venice on the cheap. Good job!
Last summer I wanted to fly to Venice, but I was a bit concerned about the prices. Now I know it can be explored with a tight budget.
Been there, done that, Venice is a wonderful dream city!
But I’m not sure about mass tourism in there – I think it might ruin it. All those gigantic cruise ships crossing by…
With so many people, I had to get up early in the morning to get to see the popular places.
Still, there are beautiful quiet areas that no-one ever comes across. Just a few streets away from the crowd, you can take a rest in a quiet area that might even feel romantic…
http://www.escapehunter.com/escapes/italy/main-venice-murano-burano-torcello-010511.php
Good to know that, thanks for sharing!
Doing an Asian city for less than $25 is doing well, but Venice for less than $25 a day is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! We’ve seen very, very little of Europe, because we’ve always been scared off by how expensive most people say it is. It’s great to know it can be done for so much less.
I’ve also heard many things about Venice being way too expensive and touristy…
Thanks for the tips. Even though I was only in Venice for a day trip, it is the most expensive city I have visited so far. 5 euro for a coffee? No thanks. We ended up eating some cheap sandwiches near the station. Other than that we didn’t spend any money except for souvenirs. But I want to return one day and budget tips are always welcome.
Amazing that you can visit Venice for $25 or less a day. I think I would personally want to spend more to see more of the sights and attractions but great to know some cheap tricks once we make it there!
I know it’s crazy!
Taking a water taxi, instead of a guided tour, to Murano (for glass work)and Burano (for lace work) are nice inexpensive side trips.
Hi Agness, Hope you would fine & doing great with your official Blog ! Agness, I appreciate your works because you always come back with unque post & great summary ! Most of peoples are not aware about “Enjoy Venice For Under $25 A Day” But you did nice job to share this great summary & made aware to users :)
Hi Maneesha! Yes, I’m doing great. Just came back to Germany for a while. Thank you so much for the kind words. Happy travels and shoot me a message if you need anything!