Venice, one of the most beautiful and singular cities in the world. Miles and miles of canals, some of the finest art work you'll find anywhere - and the most delicious ice cream too. Unsurprisingly, it isn't cheap- it's too popular with tourists everywhere to be that.
But don't worry, you don't have to spend a fortune. We've crunched the numbers and looked at our own spending data can now reveal how many Euros you'll need to budget.
This reflects what everyday travellers tend to spend in Venice. Think mid-range - most of the major attractions, a few cab rides, maybe a big night out, and a bit of shopping on the side. It doesn’t include the cost of hotels or car hire as these are often booked in advance.
Want to see where it all goes? Read on!
Before we get any further, it's worth noting that not everyone speaks English in Madrid - don't expect it like you would in other parts of Spain - so take a phrase book and do a bit of swatting-up before you go...
Real Traveller Average Daily Spend: €41
WeSwapper favourite: Palazzo Ducale or Doge's Palace is the city's most popular attraction with WeSwap travellers. Be sure to buy a pass online before your trip and you'll go straight to the front of the queue. We would recommend the "Secret Tour" which shows the prisoner cells (also worth checking out). Be aware it is a medieval building with many uneven surfaces and lots of stairs.
So beutiful it really looks like a painting.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a museum of modern art, once owned by, you guessed it Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy's, an American heiress who died in 1951 was a private collector. Her story is as intriguing as her art collection. The property itself has a perfectly kept garden on one side and a magnificent terrace on the Grand Canal.
St. Mark’s Basilica - which is free to enter - should be on every travellers “ to-do list”. During high season the lines can stretch nearly as far as the Grand Canal, but you can jump the queue by paying €1 online in advance. Would you pay €1 to jump to the front of a massive queue? We would, any day of the week.
Take a quick gondola ride across the Grand Canal for a measly €1-2 by hopping in a traghetto. These are gondolas that ferry passengers back and forth across the canal at points where there’s no nearby footbridge, and Venetians ride them all the time. The journey is short to enough so the locals don't even sit down!
Staff pick: no market in Venice is better than the Rialto Market and arguably no market in the world has a better setting. By 6am - literally that early - the market is in full throttle. Make sure to arrive early for the full experience. Bric-a-brac, art work, leather goods and silk scarves aside - this is also the best market for fresh fish, veg and fruit.
Real Traveller Average Daily Spend: €64
Alfredo Di Dal Moro is situated in a tiny street not far away from St Mark's Square. There's always a massive queue, but it shrinks fast and this place is worth the wait. For under €8 you'll get a big box of seriously fresh pasta. The best thing is, you can go and plonk yourself down next to the canal and watch the world go by as you eat. WeSwap staff tip: Try the squid with blank ink pasta!
World-famous Harry's Bar is the birthplace of the bellini (prosecco with peach puree) so naturally, you get a lot of tourists through the door. To be honest, the prices are ludicrous for okay drinks (€21 bellini, €23 bloody mary). Even if you love a bellini, you need to really love one to justify those prices considering you might well be cramped in and ushered in and out before you can settle. But there are other attractions to this place, namely the fact it's dripping with literary history and romance.
But Harry's Bar is drenched in literary romance too. Truman Capote loved a prawn sandwich here, Orson Wells would come here for two bottles of Dom Perignon on an afternoon and Ernest Hemmingway was a regular through the 1950's.
You'll come across hundreds of places to eat as you pound the streets of Venice, try and stumble across Antico Gatoleto - it's a belter. Great food served by polite staff in a relaxing charming atmosphere. The prosecco is delicious too.
WeSwap Tip 1: Make lunch, not dinner, the big meal of the day. At lunchtime, restaurants, bars and bacaros (traditional wine bars offering snacks and a few basic hot meals) serve a large population of working Venetians who don't want to pay more than €20 a head.
WeSwap Tip No. 2: Don't forget to sample Venice's must-try drink, the spritz, which features prosecco, your choice of Aperol or Campari and a splash of soda.
Real Traveller Average Daily Spend: €39
Walk. Everywhere.
Walk. Everywhere. One thing you'll notice about Venice is that there aren't any cars, buses or taxis threatening to mow you down at every turn. In fact, there are only two ways to get around the city: by boat (vaporetto water buses) or on foot.
Real Traveller Average Daily Spend: €48
Shopping in Venice isn’t as easy as you might think. Many travellers assume they will be surrounded by gorgeous boutiques, cavernous book shops and high-quality art at every street - or rather, canal - corner.
Much more common are tacky souvenir shops selling masks made in countries far away. One place that you will find proper Venetian masks is a little store called Carta Alta. They’re all beautifully handmade right here in the city.
Already in this blog post as a staff pick – markets are a great place to shop in Venice, and not just for delicious food.
Shopping for leather bags in Venice? Every second shop seems to sell them. Most are actually made in China, with final assembly being done in Italy in order that they can stick a Made in Italy label on the bag.
For real Made in Italy bags visit Balducci Borse in Cannaregio 1593. Franco has been making bags by hand for decades in his small studio and selling them in his little shop. The bags are not just bags but works of art and labors of love.
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