My top travel tips for Venice

My top travel tips for Venice. When visiting the famous Doge’s Palace in St Mark’s Square, leave your visit until much later in the afternoon to avoid the queues – we went at 454pm, walked straight inside, managed to see everything we wanted to. Take a Gondola ride - The Gondola is an identification mark of the city. These appear on all commercial promotion of the city’s tourism and hence can seem a bit overrated. But believe me, a canal ride of the city is every bit as beautiful as it is hyped. It is the best way to know the leisurely lifestyle of Venice. Gondola’s have a set price which is 80 euros, or 100 euros if you want it after or during sunset. Travel Light - The water taxis and ferries do not always drop you right in front of your hotel. It is highly likely that you will need to walk for a while to get to your hotel. You may have to cross a few step bridges as well. So, travel light and expect some walking to be involved during the commute. If you're arriving by bus or train, you have to cross a rather steep bridge to get to the city centre, hence traveling light is highly recommended Acqua alta’, which is what the locals call this occasional flooding can be bit of problem in Venice. It gets quite bad on certain days of the year, good part being - it lasts only a couple of hours. Note, it is not all over the city, so you can either avoid the flooded area, which is mainly around San Marco, or walk on the heightened sidewalks. If you want to be prepared, check the forecasts a couple of days prior to your arrival. If it says ’80 cm above sea level’, this means only a very little flooding, and only when it’s 100 cm above sea level will you need to adapt your routes. It is safe to drink water from the water fountains in Venice and you're likely to find one in every Piazza. Carry a bottle along and refill away. It's cheaper than grabbing a bottle every time. Venice's nightlife is pretty much non-existent, unlike other Italian cities. You can term it a sleepy town as most of the people who live here are those who work with tourists, run family businesses; most things wind up by 9 PM. So, sleep early and head to Piazza San Marco early morning to consume the quiet beauty of the place without rubbing shoulders with a hundreds of other tourists. If you're one to love quaint bookstores (or highly instagrammed spots), then a visit to Libreria Acqua Alta Bookstore is an absolute must. The name of the bookstore translates to “bookstore of high water”, an attempt to combat the city's constantly rising waters. The interiors are a heady surprise - books, magazine, maps and other ephemera piled and crammed into waterproof bins, bathtubs and even gondolas to protect the books! You'll also find several beaded chandeliers, mannequins dressed like old Venetians, and oars hanging from the wall, all a part of the charm. The store is also home to more a couple of stray cats, who take shelter atop the stacks during the rising tides. While everyone knows the Doge's Palace, did you know Venice has almost 100 museums! Yes, this tiny island is home to 100 museums and if you're a museum-lover, you must go beyond the Doge's Palace. Why not plan to visit at least 2-3 of the museums in Venice. You can even grab the Venice Museum Pass and gain entry to each of them at a discounted fare. Steer clear of the restaurants around tourist attractions. Restaurant with flags of multiple countries, Italian music playing, and tourist menu advertised can generally be interpreted as "expensive" and "least authentic" If you aren’t looking for an elaborate menu with multiple courses of food to choose from, walk into a bacari. There are places that offer small portions of food and wine (known as cicheti and ombre) at an affordable rate. Have your breakfast sorted at one of the Venetian deli outlets. These places provide freshly made food options at a reasonable rate. No trip to Venice is complete without a visit to the world famous “Harry’s Bar” Harrys Bar is synonymous with Venice and known as far as New York as the place where the Bellini (fresh peach juice and sparkling wine) was invented by Arrigo Cipriani. To move, to breathe, to fly, to float. To gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote: To Travel is to live – Hans Christian Anderson By Debbie Hayward-Bird – Independent Travel Counsellor