While planning our honeymoon, I did a lot of research in order to decide whether we should do a day trip to Venice or spend a couple of nights there. Friends that I have spoken to mostly opted for a day trip as hotels in Venice are quite expensive and you can cover most of the attractions in one day if you plan wisely. I had a long list of cities to visit so even though we had 2.5 months in Europe, our schedule was quite packed and a day trip seemed like a more attractive option. In the end, we decided to stay for 2 nights Venice so we can enjoy and explore the city at our own pace.
Stepping out of Venice train station (Venezia Santa Lucia) to the view of the Grand Canal was such a surreal experience. We took a water taxi to our hotel which was fairly expensive for two but if you travel in a bigger group it works out much cheaper and for a first time visitor like me, totally worth it!
Transport: Train from Florence to Venice. Water taxi or vaporetto (public ferry) while in Venice.
Accommodation: We stayed at Hotel Colombina which is located in the heart of Venice, only a few steps from St Mark's Square and has its own private water jetty. Our room had view of the canal which was great, I highly recommend the upgrade if you are not on a tight budget.
Sightseeing:
Day 1 - Old Venice, St Mark's Basilica, Piazza San Marco, Doge's Palace
Day 2 - Murano & Burano
Day 3 - Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs, Gondola ride
