Venice, Italy – 48 Hours in Venice with Kids

wanderlustplusone

8 years ago

Birthday Weekend in Venice

Never knowing what to give to your husband for his birthday, we had agreed ages ago that we would go away for his birthday weekend. Neither of us had ever been to Venice and we didn’t want to go in the summer as it can get very hot and smelly, therefor we decided his birthday weekend would be perfect.

I had chosen to book a room at the Hilton Molino Stucky, which looked very promising with it’s roof top pool and it’s location in an old flour mill. Unfortunately it proved to be a very disappointing choice, pretty much everything seemed to go wrong during our stay there.
When we arrived at the airport we got a taxi to the closest water bus stop, just in time for the boat which took us to Guidecca island where Hilton Molino Stucky is located.

No Dinner at the Hilton Mulino Stucky

Not having had anything for dinner we headed straight up to the rooftop bar for a drink and a bite to eat, meaning something decent to eat but no, the bar doesn’t have any food apart from pieces of pineapple and biscuits. You’d think that a five star hotel with room service would make it possible to get you some food in their own bar.Anyway we went to bed hungry having enjoyed the view over Venice by night and feeling a bit happier thanks to the alcohol…

Downside to Guidecca

Getting up the next morning we had breakfast and headed straight out to explore.

The downside to being on Guidecca is that you have to get a boat to the other side but I guess that’s no diffent to Venicians than to jump onto the tube and go from east to west London.
The upside is the amazing view over to Venice and the local atmosphere.

Taking the Boat to San Marco Square

It took about fifteen minutes to get across to San Marco by boat, we passed some beautiful old buildings and many other boats and gondolieri. Jerome seemed to be excited to travel around like this.

Once we got close to San Marco Square we could spot the masses of people…

The Busy San Marco Square

We headed straight to the busy San Marco, unfortunately we didn’t book any tickets for either Palazzo Ducal or Basilica de San Marco and the queues were so long that we decided to move on and explore the canals and enjoy the sunny weather instead.

People and Pigeon Watching

The obligatory walk over Piazza San Marco surrounded by pigeons. It was a great place to watch the Viennese quartet play outside Cafe Florian while drinking one of their thick hot chocolate.

Wandering Along the Canals

We loved wandering through the mesmerising maze of alleys, past crumbling palazzos, crossing over little bridges. We got lost in the sheer beauty of the architecture and the canals.

Italian Lunch

We found a perfect lunch spot beside one of the canals, enjoyed an Aperol spritz and some yummy pasta.

Gelato is a Must

When in Italy and Venice one must have gelato as a treat.

Returning to Guidecca

Waiting for our boat ride back to Guidecca.

Exploring the Residential Area

We got off at the far end off the island to explore the surrounding area a bit more. It was very different to see how the less fortunate population of Venice live, away from all the Pallazzos.

Sunset Dinner

Trattoria Ai Cacciatori was the perfect place to watch the sunset accompanied by a glass of fizz and some delicious local food. We sat right by the canal, watched the boats go by and the people going out for dinner or coming back after a long day exploring the city.

Sundays at the Lido

Our original plan for Sunday was to go to Lido and spend the day on the beach as we were blessed with amazing weather. Unfortunately we tried to get onto one of the boats and found it impossible. We already were on at Zattere and decided to stay this side of Venice and do some sightseeing here instead. First we headed along Fondamente Zattera to Punta Della Dogana, where we had a great view over to San Marco and on from there we strolled to Ponte della Academia.

The Famous Ponte Dell’Academuia

We stood on the famous Ponte Dell’Academia, watching the water taxis and gondolas go by underneath.

Religious Venice

It being a Sunday lots of people and some nuns are heading to the many churches. It is visible everywhere how religious these parts of the world still are.

Lunch on the Terrace

There’s no better place to stop for some food than being outside on the terrace by the water. We had a lunch break at Ristorante Alle Zattere enjoying some Pizza but there are plenty of other options close by.

Cruise Ships in Venice

While having lunch one of the huge cruise liners passed, steered by two guide boats one at the front, one at the back . I think I will never understand what makes people go on these ships, it’s our worst nightmare. Also I wonder if the cruisers know how damaging these ships are going though Venice.

Souvenir Shopping

Do you want to take some souvenirs back with you, there are plenty of opportunities, most of them unfortunately are overpriced and of poor quality.

See You Next Time in Venice…

We definitely had a great time here in Venice and would love to come back sometime a bit earlier in the year when it’s less busy, as there were places we didn’t manage to see, like Lido and Burano. Having stayed at Hilton Molino Stucky and being so disappointed we would consider somewhere in San Marco or Dorsuduro. Jerome loved it, I can understand why some parents might not want to go with small children as it is very difficult if one needs a push chair, also there aren’t many parks or playgrounds and one has to watch little ones the whole time when being near the water.