Useful tips to visit Venice low cost

I often receive some requests about useful tips to visit Venice low cost, both from Italy and from abroard, so I decided to publish some useful tips: besides being suggestions to save, they are a bit particular and unusual things to do, above all if it’s not the first time you go to Venice.

Useful tips to visit Venice low cost

My first tip is always the same: go there out of season.

Venice is a charming city in all seasons, not only in Summer or on the occasion of the Carnival or other particular events.

Carnival in Venice low cost

As regards Carnival, I want to give you a little cue low cost.

As you know, the fancy dress parties in Venice are really expensive, even if they are an absolutely unforgettable experience.

To this you have to add also the amount of dress you are obliged to go there with.

If all these events are unaffordable for you, my tip is to spend the night on board the Jolly Roger, the Venetian galleon.

It’s not right low cost, but it offers a unique candle light dinner experience, besides other proposals, for example on the occasion of Carnival, sailing calmly among the sights of Venice.

We experienced it some years ago, right on the occasion of Carnival, and it was unforgettable, besides having a more definitely low cost amount compared to the usual fancy dress parties and offering an alternative way to admire Venice at night from the sea in every season.

Venice markets

To enter the life of the city and meet the Venice people, the easiest way is to adventure into one among the really many markets, some daily, other ones weekly.

Among the many ones, I recommend the Rialto Fish Market taking place 7 days a week 7am-2pm. And the market located in Via Garibaldi which besides fish, sells fruit and vegetables and takes place 7 days a week, 7am-2pm.

Then there are many weekly markets where it’s possible to do particular purchases at low cost prices. We recommend also the farm markets, the fair-trade ones and the Giudecca Women’s Prison Market selling the products cultivated inside the prison.

Venice low cost at night

Speaking of Venice at night.

It’s getting dark and the magic of one among the most beautiful cities in the world envelops everything.

There’s nothing better than walking at night in this city which tourists seems not to give respite to, discovering it deserted and on man scale.

Above all if you are out of season there’s nothing better than admiring the city at night and taking wonderful photos – if you are lovers.

It’s beautiful to be able to appreciate it like that!

Bacaro tour or spritz

The aperitif in Venice has become a tradition, by now: to taste strictly in the most hidden taverns in comparison with the town centre for the best aperitifs with all sorts of chopping boards and local specialties.

Transport in Venice

Also from the transports point of view Venice is not certainly a low cost city, but there are several ways to save.

Arriving to Venice by car

Here there are my useful tips to visit Venice low cost by car. You can leave your mean in Mestre and arrive to Venice by train.

However, keep in mind that parking and garages in Piazzale Roma (the last place where you can arrive to by car), after the long Liberty Bridge, have daily amounts starting from 26€.

So, expensive amounts, but that however could be cheap if you are 4 or 5 in a car. Many parking in Milan town centre cost much more for only 5-6 hours!

From here you arrive to Venice town centre in few minutes on foot.

Parking, trains and People Mover to reach Venice

People Mover allows to arrive to the town centre from Tronchetto (before the Liberty Bridge) by only 4 minutes at 1,50€ one way – this time definitely low cost. 

The same ticket can be used again on buses and trams, too.

Anyway parking in Tronchetto starts from about 20€ a day.

You have to reckon them if you reach Venice in the high season, since parking in Piazzale Roma could be all full.

Then another cheap option are the parking in Mestre and Marghera, which allow to arrive to Venice by train. They starts from 10€ a day.

Ferryboat in Venice

The ferryboat offers a convenient service to move quickly by car throughout Venice lagoon.

Also bicycles are boarded (1€).

You can purchase the ticket both in advance online – recommended in the high season – and directly at the boarding. Convenient, isn’t it?

Barchéta “da traghetto” and “da parada”

At the amount of 2€ for the non-residents it’s possible to have a small route by boat using the most used means by residents to cross quickly the Canal Grande.

For the residents the fare is lower, of course, and it is paid going on board.

Bike sharing and car sharing in Venice

Right to quote their existence, I indicate also the Bike sharing and Car sharing services, even if they are both difficult to use for tourists.

Unfortunately the Bike sharing isn’t convenient at all since it reckons on a subscription of contract, as well the car sharing service for which even several days are needed. Furthermore, there’s an annual enrolment to pay that at the moment is 50€ for private people, besides the amount of the effective use of service.

The advantages are the chance to transit and stop in the limited traffic zones, in the free parking with blue lines and the possibility to circulate during the limited traffic days.

The service cannot be compared to the ones through app, quick and cheap, for the great cities.

Waterbus

Then to move through Venice there’s the option waterbus.

It’s not certainly cheap, but it’s the most low cost solution to move through Venice and admire lagoon, city, monuments, islands and all the rest from the sea.

The single fare costs 7.50€ for 24h.

Then there are several solutions for more days and discounted fares for the young people, including the use of Wi-Fi, too. It’s a municipal service.

The waterbus ticket allows also to reach the islands and do alone the excursions to Burano, Murano, Torcello and Chioggia.

The lagoon islands

Burano

It’s famous for its wonderful laces and its fabrics which make re-live the splendours of once when the island was famous for the precious fabrics’ trade.

We recommend also in Venice town centre the haberdasheries area, famous for shopping.

Murano

It’s very famous for the blown glass working: it will be enough to enter its alleys once got off the waterbus to find oneself swallowed up by art galleries, very particular shops and open glass workings with free admittance.

Actually Murano is made of 7 islands, whose two of them have artificial origin.

Besides all sorts of glass, you’ll find really many Murrine. Do you remember we found some really beautiful ones during our on the road in Ghana?

Torcello 

The northernmost island, one among the first ones to be inhabited and it’s still today with 14 residents about. 

An island to admire calmly, far from Venice crowd.

Several restaurants, taverns and bacari to spend a few hours peacefully after have walked among the many shops.

Chioggia

In Chioggia, as well in Burano, the bright colours of the houses explode.

The legend tells that they served to fishermen coming back to sight their own house in the thick fog of the lagoon.

Today they’ve become a very characteristic peculiar symbol and they are very photographed.

Tourist fishing in Venice

An interesting initiative by Tourist Fishing in Venice lagoon is that one who sees Burano fishermen as protagonists. It’s a downright open sky museum which reckons on two different itineraries: one by sea to visit the farming site of mussels and one by lagoon where to admire the clams farming.

Visit Venice low cost: where to sleep

Unfortunately, it is known, Venice isn’t cheap, but I’d like to indicate you this website which certainly help to visit Venice low cost.

The website offers Venice apartments with a really wide choice right in the old town, in the most characteristic places and with really breathtaking views of amazing corners.

Booking is safe and granted, prices are really cheap and you’ll find also dream apartments at higher prices. Very few data required for the enrolment and it’s also possible to add a travel insurance, besides being present the free cancellation on really many apartments.

Entering the description of the single apartments you can find photos, plant, precise list of the included services and a video which allows you to realize by a precise way how the apartment is organized and what are you choosing.

They are furnished with taste and functionally, fit for people who travel with friends or kids, when hotels and restaurants can be not the best choice.

A curious issue: when you book, if the last numbers are 00…you will be given a tour by gondola! You must try!

Houseboat

A wonderful alternative to visit Venice low cost and enjoy peacefully the lagoon with one’s own times can be to rent the houseboat.

As you know, we did it in the Netherlands and we liked it really a lot. It’s fit for groups of friends and families with children not too little.

Venice lagoon offers wonderful solutions and exploring it from this particular point of view can be extremely funny.

Practical info to visit Venice low cost

For people who stops a lot or for who wants to visit many attractions, the Venice city pass can be very cheap.

It can be made of according to the interests and allows to skip the line. I’d say almost essentials in the high season!

If you have the chance to visit Venice low cost in Winter you will be able probably to admire the acqua alta phenomenon (high water).

The tourist tax serves to fund right the pedestrian ways and the piers for the high water.

It’s a phenomenon that usually lasts a few hours: an acoustic notice warns tourists and people are warned via SMS, too.

Certainly uncomfortable for people who live there and have to do with this phenomenon, but absolutely fascinating for people like us who admire it as tourists.