12 Money-Saving Tips for Venice
VENICE ON A BUDGET
Venice is known as being one of the most romantic, yet expensive cities in Europe. We’ve all heard the horror stories of tourists being ripped off with extra fees or buying a coffee in St. Marks Square for €25.
But we wouldn’t want these experiences to put you off from visiting for yourself. Venice is one of the most picturesque and incredible destinations we have ever visited and we can’t wait to go back one day.
We’re always up for saving money and finding deals when travelling so we thought we’d put together a list of money-saving tips for your trip to this beautiful Italian city.
Below is a list of ways to save money on transport and attractions, a warning about unexpected fees and tips for eating out.
TRAVEL
Gondola rides
When it comes to gondola rides they can be very expensive. Prices are set at €80 for 30 minutes or €100 for 35 minutes after sunset or 7 p.m. There are different packages that increase in price, so you’d pay more for a serenade, drinks, private photo shoot or for an audio tour to be included. You can find the official price list here. You can book online or in person when you’re there. This is the website we used to book our tour.
Gondola rides are priced by the ride itself, not by the number of passengers. So if you share a gondola (max of 6 people) and split the cost it will be a lot more budget-friendly than having a gondola between just one couple for example.
You can download the app Kishare which allows you to find others who want to save money and share a ride. This allows you to save up to 85% on a gondola or water taxi ride.
2. TRAGHETTOS
If you can’t afford a gondola ride then you can take a traghetti (translated as “ferry” in English). Traghettos are cheaper and used by the locals so less touristy. They look very similar to Gondolas but they have a more businesslike purpose. There are seven traghetti stops on the Grand Canal which you can take to go from one side to the other. The price for a single crossing is €2.
3. UNEXPECTED FEES
If you’re travelling by water taxi be aware of the “difficulty fee” which some apply if your hotel/pick-up point is in a small or congested canal. Maybe change your location to nearby but in a less busy canal.
4. PASSES
Depending on your itinerary, it might be worth getting an ACTV Public Transport Services pass for unlimited use of the transport system. There’s a 1, 2, 3 or 7-day pass. Check the prices to see if you’d save money by buying a pass rather than single tickets for each journey. There’s also a 3-day youth card (for people between 18-29 years old).
With these passes, you can hop on and off any Vaporetto including those on the islands of Burano, Murano and Torvello.
You can buy these passes at newspaper stands, sales booths or any Vaporetto stop before getting on. You can buy them on board but they may be higher in price. If you don’t have a ticket when you get on a Vaporetto then declare this straight away to staff. If you don’t declare this you can pay a hefty fine as well as the cost of the ticket price.
Before you buy any type of transport pass though, plan your itinerary and see if you need it. A lot of the charm of Venice is getting lost in the many canals and walking through the narrow streets.
5. THE CITY PASS
The Venezia Unica City Pass offers all in one passes used to save money on public transport, admission to tourist attractions and cultural events in Venice.
There are lots of different passes to choose from. The Gold Pass includes transport for 3 days, admission to 4 of St. Marks Square Museums, 9 other museums, public wifi and a discount book covering entry fees to other attractions all for €58.90. If you’re visiting Venice for a while and want to hit a lot of the museums and attractions along with transport then it might be worth getting a pass.
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When you see “junior” tickets and admissions this is for ages 6-29. In many countries, you’d assume the age limit was 18 or less. So you may actually be a junior rather than an adult to make things cheaper.
FOOD & DRINK
6. STAND UP
When eating out you’re likely to pay double the price for sitting down rather than standing. Sometimes a service charge AND table charge is added to your bill and this doesn’t even include the tip. Many eateries have a fixed seating charge and this may be shown as "pane e coperto” or "bread and cover charge”. This isn’t a scam, it’s just tradition.
So stand up, interact with the locals and indulge in the good food. This might seem odd to us to stand up but it’s very common in Venice.
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If you’re going to order the “meal of the day” ask for the price before assuming it will be a similar price to everything else on the menu.
7. TOURIST TRAPS
Avoid eating meals near the touristy areas if you don’t want to pay a hefty price. After reading this article about how two tourists were charged €43 for two coffees and water it’s obvious that some people simply don’t check the prices before ordering. So if you’re on a budget stay clear from places like St. Marks Square and check the prices before you sit down or order anything.
8. local produce
If your budget is tight then take a visit to the Rialto market and grab some local produce to cook yourself a meal. Or get something cheap to take away and sit by the canal and watch the gondolas bob along the water.
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There are many “pizza by the slice” vendors or bars that serve cicchetti. Cicchetti are small snacks and side dishes, usually eaten standing up in a wine bar and cost €1- €3 each so a cheaper alternative to a meal in a restaurant sitting down.
Our favourite cheap eats are: Pako's Pizza & Pasta, Pizzeria L’Angelo and Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi.
9. WATER
When in an eatery ask for “acqua da rubinetto” to get tap water. Some places can charge as much as €5 just for a bottle of water.
THINGS TO DO
10. MUSEUM PASS
If you’re planning on visiting lots of museums it might be worth purchasing the Museum Pass for €41. This pass includes entry to 11 museums such as Doge’s Palace and Ca ‘Rezzonico and also the glass and lace museums on Murano and Burano too.
You can purchase the pass at any of the museums included in the offer and it's valid for 6 months.
11. FREE THINGs TO DO
Many of the things we did in the city were actually free. If you’re put off by Venice for being known as a very expensive place to visit then read our article “Our Top 10 Free Things to do in Venice” for some great suggestions of activities and places to visit which are completely free!
MISCELLANEOUS
12. LOOS
Many public toilets in Venice charge a hefty fee of €1.50. So sometimes it would actually be cheaper to go to a cafe and order an espresso or pastry and use their toilet while you’re there.
We’re always up for saving money and finding deals when travelling. Do you have any travel tips for saving money while in Venice? If you do then please let us know below in the comments!
