A city built on water, Venice is a labyrinth of canals interrupted by winding cobbled streets, beautiful bridges and picturesque city squares. Considered by many as the most romantic city in the world, Venice is a city full of charm and brimming with culture. So, if you like your city break served with a side of beach, then Venice is perfect for you.
Located on the north-west coast of Italy, Venice is a small city that is comprised of 118 islands. The main island is connected entirely by canals and pedestrian footpaths with cars being strictly forbidden here, making for a completely unique holiday experience. Whilst this may sound like it could be hard to get around, it couldn’t be easier - with waterbuses and gondolas readily available.
Take in the gorgeous Basilica de Marco in the main square before wandering through the many art galleries. Stop for a delicious Italian coffee in one of the piazzas or head to a local bacaro for a refreshing cold drink. Then, take a moonlit gondola ride through the winding canals before tucking into a gorgeous Italian meal. The choices are endless in this gorgeous city. So, whether you’re a loved-up couple on a romantic getaway, a group of friends who love to explore a new city or a family heading out on an adventure, Venice is just the destination for you.
Beach holidays in Venice
Known for a bustling city and postcard-worthy waterways, you’d be forgiven for thinking Venice wasn’t a beach destination. But, Venice is keeping a big secret - it’s actually brimming with beautiful sandy stretches and stunning coastal views. Accessible by vaporetto from the main island, some of Venice’s best beaches are found a short journey away.
The most popular beaches are Venice Lido Beach and Lido di Jesolo. Venice Lido Beach is the closest to the main island and features plenty of facilities such as sunbeds and toilets - ideal for a family beach day out. Lido di Jesolo is slightly further out and offers a lively and exciting beach atmosphere. Here, you’ll find all of the facilities needed for a perfect beach day including plenty of restaurants and bars to grab a spot of lunch or a few drinks throughout the day.
Food and drink in Venice
When you think of Italy, you conjure up images of delicious fresh pasta and to-die-for pizzas. Well, Venice certainly rises to the occasion on this one. With pizzerias at every turn and a perfect pasta dish on almost every menu, you’ll be in foodie heaven if Italian cuisine is your thing.
Looking for a true taste of Venice? Then look no further. Chichetti is the Italian answer to tapas - plenty of small dishes designed to share. From fresh fish to offal, risotto to pasta, the list of delicious chichetti dishes is endless. Read on for a few of our favourites. With such close proximity to the sea, it’s easy to see why seafood features heavily on the majority of menus here. Must-try Venetian seafood dishes include; baccala mantecato - a smooth mousse-like cod mixture served on fresh bread, sarde in saor - fried sardine fillets marinated in vinegar, onion, raisins and pine nuts, and risotto al nero di seppia - a seafood and squid ink risotto characterised for its jet-black appearance.
Seafood not your thing? Not to worry there’s still plenty on offer in gorgeous Venice. We recommend trying fegato alla Veneziana - the Venetian version of liver and onions, risi e bisi - a fresh spring pea rice dish similar to a risotto in broth, or fritole - tasty small bits of dough that are fried and dusted with icing sugar. And, of course, no trip to Venice would be complete without sampling the local wine!
Venice Nightlife
From chic water-front bacaros to hidden wine cellars and bars that will have you dancing ‘till dawn, a night in Venice is really as varied as you want it to be. Whether you’re heading out for a few after-dinner drinks, looking for somewhere to get your dancing shoes on or making your way around the city’s bacaros (bars specifically designed for standing with a glass of wine and enjoying tasty chichetti), you’re sure to find something to suit you here.
The main area of Venice is home to countless small taverna-like venues offering a range of drinks with a truly Venetian atmosphere. Looking for the perfect cocktail? Famously known as the birthplace of the bellini, stopping by Harry’s Bar is a must for any cocktail connoisseur. Don’t forget to take in the sunset at one of the city’s gorgeous rooftop bars - because the only thing better than enjoying a glass of your favourite tipple in this gorgeous city is enjoying a glass of your favourite tipple whilst watching the sunset over the Venice skyline.
With plenty of beach bars and a handful of lively late-night venues, Lido di Jesolo is a great spot to watch the sunset over a cocktail in happy hour and then dance the night away by the water. Popular with the young generation and the young-at-heart generation, Lido di Jesolo is the place to be for a memorable night in Venice.
Useful information for travelling to Venice
All this talk of delicious pizza, sandy beaches and romantic gondola rides convinced you to jet off to Venice? Well, before you take off, here are a couple of handy bits of information. The average flight time from the UK is just two hours and 20 minutes, making this beautiful city perfect for a long weekend, taking the kids or simply for those who wish to leave after breakfast and arrive before lunch. The official language spoken is Italian and the currency used is the euro - make sure to get your euros before you head to the airport for the best deals.
To make sure you get off to a great start, here are a few useful phrases in Italian; ‘buon giorno’ - good morning, ‘grazie’ - thank you, ‘ciao’ - hello/goodbye, and ‘salute’ - cheers!
All that’s left is to book your perfect Venice break - It’s time to create your own Venetian love story.