- Yes, Venice can be crowded. For some reason, I felt like the big tourist areas were more crowded than ever. Only 60,000 Venetians live in Venice but one of my guides told me that in the middle of summer as many as 80,000 tourists can fill the city on any given day. More and more of them are day trippers from large cruise ships.
- That said, you can still get away from the crowds here and get lost in the maze of calle (alleyways) especially in the more residential neighborhoods. I spent my time in search of new and different experiences (especially those that get you away from crowds) and have written about the photography tour I took for the September print issue.
- This was the first time I stayed in an apartment rental instead of a hotel. I went absolutely bonkers over the amazing views this apartment had – I could watch (and hear) the gondolas go by from three windows facing the canal. See photo above and definitely see this VIDEO.
- When I booked my stay, I didn’t even realize the Venetian Film Festival was going on! Perhaps I should have checked our own site’s events calendar earlier (we’re updating if for fall and winter now). When I found out, I got a ticket for a movie screening. See our YouTube Channel for a series of videos on the film festival venues.
- I still think one of the coolest things to do in Venice is to sit at one of the cafes in St. Mark’s Square at night and listen to the orchestras play. See VIDEO.