OTP’s Top 10 Things to Do in Venice on a Backpacker’s Budget

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They don’t call her the Queen of the Adriatic for nothing; Venice is priced for nobility. Lucky for you, we figured out how to avoid the not-so-sneakily-laid tourist traps and make it out financially unscathed. Keep your wallet stuffed with those rainbow-colored Euro bills by following OTP’s List of Top 10 Things to Do in Venice on a Backpacker’s Budget.

Every touristy city has that one really high tower/skyscraper/ferris wheel/etc., that basically asks for your first-born child in exchange for a supposedly incredible view. Venice is no different. Ignore the crowds forming a never-ending line in front of the Clock Tower in Saint Mark’s and instead, when you first arrive at the train station in Venice, head to the nearby parking garage in Piazzale Roma and take the elevator to the top. While it’s not the same view as from the Clock Tower, you still get a decent eye-full for a 100% discount.

City maps are NOT free in Venice (jerks), they charge 2,50€ at the tourist office in the train station for a map and guidebook. If you want some free and current city info, check out the tourist office next to the parking lot for a Venice Magazine and What’s On Guide.

Thank the backpacking gods that the Italian tourist board still hasn’t figured out a way to charge admission to a public square because if you haven’t seen Saint Mark’s Square, you haven’t seen Venice. Don’t you dare miss the detail-laden astrological clock and the golden intricacies of Saint Mark’s Basilica. After you see the obligatory points of interest, it’s fun to just sit back and tourist watch.

While it’s one of the best places in the world to people watch, DON’T post up on the stairs around the square – the not-so-friendly police officers will slap you with a fine for “picnic-ing” on the steps.

The pigeons are notoriously fearless so it’s relatively easy, albeit disease-transmitting, to get a photo of them perching on your arm.

Vacation-planning geniuses (or backpackers with a lot of dumb luck) will end up in Venice around Carnevale time. In one of the most historic Carnevale celebration locations, the locals put on one hell of a spectacle. Wandering around in awe of the incredible costumes while snapping enough photos to make your parents happy, will keep even the most ADD-stricken entertained for hours. The glam-ed-up locals know what they’re setting themselves up for and bring enough patience to the party to pose for hours – and for free. Plus, the piazze around Venice are filled with live entertainment and bands all night long so grab a mask and shake your groove thang, Veneto-style.

Want that disgustingly romantic gondola ride around the canals of Venice but don’t want to cough up your next week’s food fund to have it? Screw paying 80€ for a 40 minute ride (it’s actually a city-wide controlled price, don’t let the gondolieri tell you otherwise), and take a traghetto (tragic plus ghetto?) Older, less frou-frou versions of gondole, traghettos are around to take you across the Grand Canal if you’re not near a bridge. This is the shortest and cheapest gondola ride in the city, and at only 50 cents per ride, you can even splurge and cross the river twice. Live large!

Carnevale may be the most famous of the Venetian festivals, but the city really explodes when they take the party down to the water. In July, the Redentore fills the open water between the main part of the city and the island of Giudecca with anything that floats. Boats are even anchored together to form multi-boat floating discos! The event ends with incredible fireworks and once everyone gets their sea legs, dancing goes on all night. In September, the Historical Regatta fills the waterways with a series of colorful boat races. After all, Venice is called the “City of Light” and “City of Water” and they make sure to kick ass at both of those.

Visiting Venice in the cold is a great tourist horde avoidance tactic. Put on your booze jacket and warm yourself up with the help of a vin brulé, a tasty Venetian cross between sangria and hot apple cider. Most bars keep it stocked and a to-go cup costs a measly 1,50€.

Italian architecture alone is enough to satisfy all the artsy-fartsy types out there, but Venice one-ups the rest of Italy by hosting the La Biennale di Venezia, a city-wide contemporary international art exhibition that takes place every two years for six months. While entrance to the official exhibitions requires some dough, countries that don’t have their own pavilions set up shop in old palaces and museums and admission to those is usually free. Even better, you get the chance to poke around the secret nooks and crannies of the city normally closed to the public. Let’s see, if the last one was in 2009, the next one is..NOW.

When you just can’t stomach the thought of eating another supermarket-catered meal, try a sampling of the local cicchetti (chi-KET-ee). While in most of Italy, cicchetti are shots (also an OTP-encouraged use of your cash), in Venice, they’re actually little finger sandwiches found in most bars and cafés and prices range from 1€ – 3€. Check out the student-oriented neighborhoods of Academia and Guggenheim in Dorsoduro for more bang for your Euro-buck or pester the gondolieri for their favorite munchie joints.

Arguably the best part of Venice is good, old-fashioned wandering around. If global climate change gets its way, Venice (and California) is probably going to be under water by the end of the century. Take advantage of this completely pedestrian city while you can still admire the gorgeous labyrinth of canals, bridges and alleyways. It’s far too easy to get good and lost so use the Grand Canal for a pretty solid landmark. Just don’t fall in.

Treat your bridge-crossing feet to some relaxation in the form of a boat ride. The network of vaporetti replaces buses or a metro in waterlogged Venice. The number 1 vaporetto goes all the way down the Grand Canal with stops near the railway station and Piazza San Marco, making it a perfect way to see all the sweet palaces and facades. To kick it up to booze cruise status, bring your own liter of Moretti aboard.

Instead of throwing your loose change at every busker on the canal, use those coins to create Venetian backpacking bliss. Spare a euro for a caffé and hit the waterways; Venice just got backpacker-friendly, bitches.

 

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