During our week in Bologna, Jeremy and I wanted to take a day trip. Bologna is super central, and pretty much all trains going through the region stop there. Florence is only about an hour away, the coast is a couple hours, Venice is two hours, Parma is only thirty minutes (if I recall correctly), and more. I was hoping we’d make it to Florence and Parma, but we were having such a good time in Bologna, we only made it to Venice. We took a train around 10am and arrived around noon.
We were starving, so the first thing we did was look for a place to have lunch. We wanted something with a nice view, but away from the tourist areas (which are known to be more expensive). We walked a bit but got to a point where we needed to eat immediately, and stopped at a place right on a canal. The view was exactly what I was hoping, the Aperol Spritzes were refreshing, and the food was just okay. But it was a quiet area and it suited us just fine.
After lunch, we started walking. We didn’t have a map, as per usual, so we just wandered around, sometimes hitting the huge tourists spots, sometimes walking down tiny alleyways with no one else in sight. Man, those tourist areas were packed. Venice in the summer is obviously going to be very crowded, but we didn’t really anticipate just how crowded it would be. And it was real hot. But Venice is a beautiful city, and it was fun to get lost. We asked a gondolier how much a ride would be, and it was 80 euro for 45 minutes, so unfortunately it wasn’t in our budget. I took a ride in a gondola the last time I was in Venice as a teenager with my grandma, and I remember it was really enjoyable.
After we had our fill for the afternoon, we hopped back on the train and arrived back in Bologna in the evening. A successful day trip, indeed!
Lily Runs the World 
Beautiful city, 1 of my dream destination…
It really is a beautiful place!
So pretty! I’d heard more than once that Venice was dirty, so I never had the greatest desire to go, but now I definitely do!
Weird! I didn’t find that at all. I would definitely recommend going during off-peak months, like fall maybe. My parents, some people we randomly met in Bologna, and Jeremy and I all had the same reaction after visiting this summer – just waaay too many people. The weather would be nicer too!
That’s when we’re planning to head over there so that will be perfect 🙂
Great photos once again. When I went to Venice, I was an impoverished college student. I’d like to return and take a gondola ride, although it sounds like I need to start saving now.
On another note, is it just me or is your husband’s beard getting bigger?
It would be nice to go and be able to spend money on that kind of stuff, like a sunset gondola cruise during a time of year there weren’t as many people and canal traffic… ahh sounds magical. Hah and yes, the beard is getting much bigger!
All of the water is so beautiful! On the travel channel, most of their show hosts say that Venice has the best hotel views…kind of crazy but not surprising! xo
I believe it! My parents stayed in a hotel right on a canal, it sounded so nice!
Helloooo destination of my dreams!! One day hopefully. These pictures are tremendous as always!
Thanks! It’s definitely one of those places that everybody should see at least once in their lifetime, I think 🙂