Venice is an excellent destination for a layover.
Thanks to the city’s compact size and excellent transportation links, it makes for an easy, stress-free stopover. This year, I found myself with two options for flying between London and Athens; one direct flight, and one with a seven-hour layover in Venice.
Say less! I would never turn down the opportunity to spend time in beautiful Venice.
To my relief, I discovered that yes, visiting Venice on a layover is absolutely possible. Now, it takes roughly one hour to travel between Marco Polo Airport and St. Mark’s Square, so that’s definitely something to keep in mind when planning the feasibility of your trip. I’d say not to attempt it if your layover is shorter than six hours.
Even with a few hours in town, you can see a surprising amount.
With my seven hours, I was able to travel down the canals, cross iconic bridges, sample some excellent gelato, and wander through a handful of piazzas. You won’t be able to see everything, of course, but you can absolutely soak up the vibes, grab some food, and even squeeze in a gondola ride.
The trick is, I quickly learned, to pick a handful of highlights and make your way around them at a relaxed pace. A layover in Venice isn’t going to be about crossing off every major tourist attraction, but it is going to introduce you to this city and leave you with plenty of reasons to return for a longer trip.
In this guide, I’m going to be sharing all of the logistics, transportation options, and attractions to prioritise based on how much time you have to spend in Venice.
Let’s get started.
Getting to Venice From the Airport
Venice’s airport has a left luggage section just outside of arrivals, which will make any layover immediately much easier. At just €6 for 24 hours, it’s a bargain! I left my backpack and brought with me my camera, phone, and money for the day.
From outside the left luggage area, you can then hop on an ATVO Venezia Express bus that takes you to Piazzale Roma, which comes in at €15 for a round-trip ride. Buses head from and to the airport every half an hour, so you’ll never have to wait long for one.
From Piazzale Roma, you can then either walk into the more tourist parts of Venice (it’s a 25 minute walk to get to St Mark’s Square), but I decided to hop on a vaporetto (water bus) instead. The Linea Uno (No. 1) vaporetto runs from Piazzale Roma along the length of the Grand Canal and costs €7.50 for a single journey.
Gondola rides are crazy-expensive (around €80 for a 40-minute ride), so I decided to skip that particular experience. But the water transport in Venice, however, gives you a similar experience at a much more affordable price. You still get to see Venice from the water, and if you manage to get to the front of the queue while you wait for the vaporetto, you’ll be able to nab a front row seat outside, where you can clearly see all of the action.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll spend your water bus journey falling swiftly in love with Venice.
I spent my entire vaporetto ride swooning over the colourful buildings, taking photos of everything, then pondering whether I should have my honeymoon there one day.
Venice was easily one of the prettiest places I’d ever visited.
So Let’s Talk About the Tourists
I stayed on the water bus until Sant’Elena, then dawdled my way back towards Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square), wandering down narrow alleyways and gazing up at the colourful buildings. I was falling more and more in love with Venice with every step.
And then, when I finally reached Piazza San Marco, I was greeted with the following scene.
Oh, yeah.
The crowds.
Big yikes.
And suddenly Venice wasn’t quite as wonderful anymore.
I’d heard that Venice was crazy-chaotic in the summer months — we all know about its troubles with overtourism — but I was still surprised by the crowds. This was a random Tuesday in September, when all the kids were back in school. I really hadn’t expected it to be quite so busy.
But you all know me: if there’s optimism to be built out of a bad situation, I’m going to be the one to do so.
I couldn’t complain about there being tourists in Venice when I was also a tourist, so I pretended the crowds weren’t there and set about seeing as much as possible. After all, Venice is popular for a reason: because it’s amazing.
I fought my way through St Mark’s Square, checking out Doge’s Palace, the opulent St. Mark’s Basilica, and the campanile. If you’re on a tight timeline on your layover, you may have to admire these iconic structures from the outside; the queues to enter often stretch back a hundred metres and you’ll want to make sure you have time to see everything else.
I wandered across to the Bridge of Sighs, which was beautiful. The bridge connects Doge’s Palace with its prison, and on that bridge was where many criminals took their last glimpse of Venice before being locked up.
I couldn’t come to Venice and not sample some of the gelato, so I made my way over to Gelato Fantasy, which is reportedly home to the best flavours in town. I went for the strawberry cheesecake, and was it the best in Venice? Well, it was definitely the best I’ve ever tried.
And then I was all about getting lost. I had a couple of hours left before I’d have to make my way back to the airport, so I decided to spend them wandering down tiny alleyways and snapping photos of the picturesque canals.
And it was during this walk that I started to truly appreciate Venice. Away from the crowds, it can be so wonderful — and wandering down small pathways is the perfect way to get some time for yourself.
My First Impressions of Venice
I have mixed feelings about my first visit to Venice. You could call it a love-hate relationship.
There were so many aspects to the city that I loved. While I was cruising along on the water, I was busy making plans to visit every single year. I couldn’t stop taking photos and I was even declaring it to be the prettiest city in Europe.
But as soon as I left the water, I struggled. There were so. many. people. that it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was the most crowded city I’ve ever been to! I appreciated that we were all there for the same reason, and that Venice is more than worth battling through it all — but it was still a little frustrating.
Have you ever been to Venice? Was it that ridiculously crowded when you visited?
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I’m with you on the love/hate. I would love to visit the quiet alleyways and side streets, but that huge influx of tourists would be a huge turnoff for me.
Yeah, that was the problem! And I guess the solution is to visit in winter and hope you get a sunny day.
Went there in August and November, both were crowded, but November definitely better. Although it gets so foggy that, in the end, we didn’t go up the Campanello because it just didn’t make sense…
Thanks for sharing!
I lovelovelove Venice! It was packed the first time I went in 1997 and I haven’t been back since 2003, so I can’t even imagine the crowds now. But the smell (so gross when it rains that it comes back to being iconic again) and the lack of cars/buses just make me love it more. I would go back in a second, despite the crowds.
Since I went before the invention of digital cameras (or at least before I started using them) do my previous trips even count? Har har:-).
Haha! It sounds like a valid excuse to plan your return trip so you can retake all your photos again :-)
I think the crowds would have made me panic a bit, so I think I would need to go to Venice in the off season.
I’m glad you made the most of your layover, I’m like you, I have never left the airport during a layover because I get too worried about missing my next flight!
Mmmmm, real Italian gelato!
I was surprised by how easy it was to visit on a layover. I’d always assumed short layovers like that would be way more hassle than they was worth, but it really wasn’t.
Yep, it definitely sounds like off-season is the time to go!
I loved Venice best after dark, when you can wander the quiet back streets pretty much alone. And it’s just so damn atmospheric. There’s enough light around to take decent photos but not so much as you get glare from the brightness. Murano and Burano are lovely too, if you ever go back :-)
I actually looked up whether I could visit Burano on my layover as well, before realising that would be ridiculous! It looks gorgeous — definitely on my list for next time.
Venice looks so gorgeous! I’ve just been to Italy but didn’t reach Venice. I’ve heard from a friend that yes, it is wonderful, but it’s alright to not spend a ton of time there because it is a) expensive and b) very crowded, and I’m getting the same impression from your post. I still absolutely want to visit and pretty much do what you did for a couple of hours :P
Yes! I actually think that visiting on a short layover made for a more pleasant trip. Had I been in town for four or five days, I think the crowds would have started wearing me down. Instead, they barely bothered me as I was just so excited to be in Venice!
I had a similar experience this July in Florence, the city was beautiful but it the crowds were crazy and you had to queue for hours to see any of the religious buildings or visit the galleries. It was insane! I haven’t been to Venice but it looks like it could be a good move to go there in low season, even if the weather isn’t as great.
Yes! It’s so frustrating, isn’t it, when you have a limited amount of time in a place! If you can’t book online or in advance, it does mean you have to skip out on many of the biggest tourist attractions.
I’d really recommend visiting in winter. I’ve been twice in February and had St Marks Square almost entirely to myself. We had beautiful weather, clear blue skies but cold, and then one foggy incredibly atmospheric day, wandering along deserted streets beside canals where we couldn’t see the other side for the fog. It was amazing. A weekend there in January / February would be the best I reckon!
That sounds amazing, and definitely like the right time of year to visit! I’ll keep it in mind for any future visits :-)
I’ve never been… But prettier than Ljubljana?!? I must put this place on my list :)
I too hate crowds… Just been to Camden town on a Saturday and I wanted to punch everyone in the face :///
Ha! It is such an exceptionally beautiful place.
Felt the same way a out Venice – too many people and too many dirty pigeons. I went nearly ten years ago in August, if u ever go back it will definitely be in the shoulder season
I don’t think I noticed the pigeons! But then there were so many people, there was probably nowhere for them to land, haha.
It’s years since I was last in Venice and I never really got to know it well. I do remember enjoying getting lost in the back alleys best though.
Definitely! It was the only place where I could escape everyone else! :-)
I’ve never been! I always think about visiting in off-seasons but then I realize I also like the weather to be nice. When summer comes around I realize I would be silly to visit the city – as your post has proved – I wonder if it’s ever really quiet though. Maybe I should just stay there for a few days…
It’s a tough payoff, isn’t it? I think if I still lived in Europe, I’d likely plan a last minute autumn/spring trip based on when there was going to be a full week of blue skies and sunshine.
Venice is one of my absolute favourite cities. It’s so beautiful and charming, but also full of personality, like there are stories around every corner. Fortunately when I visited (February, quite a few years ago now) I don’t remember it being as crowded as it looks in your video, although it’s entirely possible I’m remembering it through rose-tinted glasses! I really hope it’s quieter for your next visit. :)
Based on other comments on this post, it sounds like it’s not as crowded during the winter months, so you timed your visit well!
I felt the same about Venice; the crowds are crazy but there’s a reason why. Also, congrats on going for the layover tour! It’s a great way to get a quick peak at a city at no extra cost. If you ever have the chance, go for a 23-hour layover in Cairo; enough time to see the pyramids, museum, and another sight or two, and you get to leave before you go crazy.
Oooh, I actually did have a long layover in Cairo once, but I was too nervous to leave the airport!
I love Venice! It’s one of the most special places I’ve ever been. I’ve visited Venice two times in wintertime, in January/February. Almost no tourists, no crowded places and a magic light in late afternoon before it’s getting dark. Be prepared for cold temperatures, but it’s definitely worth it! Lauren, your blog is really great and I enjoy your posts very much :)
Thank you so much, Martina! That means a lot :-)
When we visited Venice in the 1980s and 1990s, it was crowded–but not nearly as crowded as when we visited in September 2016. I think the cruise ships are destroying Venice–not just by unloading hordes of tourists, but also because the backwash of those large ships is eating away at the pilings. They should be banned, and I understood that they are still allowed to dock there because the locals want the business. Venice is still lovely on the back canals, but I feel sad that one of my favorite cities is being killed by tourism. Mary McCarthy wrote that “The tourist Venice is Venice,” and that has been true for hundreds of years, but the invasion of the cruise ships has made it a nightmare at times. It’s sad, because Venice is a world treasure.
I’m absolutely with you when it comes to cruise ship tourism, Rachel! It’s so damaging for the environment and the places the gigantic ships choose to visit. Dubrovnik is another destination that’s struggling with cruise ships.
We accidentally went to Venice during carnevale… intense! I found it a bit much. Loved the graveyard island though, and the water buses, even though they were all packed all the time.
Oh, wow. I can’t even imagine how crowded it would be during carnival!
Venice for me was awesome in the early morning before most people were out of bed. But by about 10am I really began to despise it. The crowds made it feel like Disneyland and the city lost its charm pretty quickly.
I would love love love to go there and see it as perhaps it was 50 years ago. Still, I think it’s possible to enjoy some parts of it even if you hate crowds. Sort of regretting I didn’t get one of those canal buses you mentioned.
Yes! If you can visit at quieter times of day (or year), it would absolutely be a magical experience!
What airport did you leave from? Mine is going to be Treviso and I have several hours and would LOVE to stop by to sight see a bit!
I left from Marco Polo Airport.