Like a right of passage, a visit to Venice should be on your to-do list.

There are a lot of reasons why Venice is a special place to visit, and there are also a lot of reasons why you’ll probably only go once. Love it or hate it, it’s a very special city that is in rapidly escalating danger of disappearing due to climate change, so better go see it before it’s gone.

The final train stop on our tour around northern Italy, Venice was one of my most favorite arrivals in all of my European travels. Arriving via high-speed train, we emerged from the Venezia-Santa Lucia station, and were met with immediate views of the magic that is Venice. As campy as that may sound, it’s how I felt. There’s no place like Venice, and it’s evident from the very first glimpse at it.

Venice, feels “reality adjacent.”

The island of Venice, is plagued by tourists arriving on large cruise ships, which drop anchor just off shore each day. Throngs of tour groups invade each morning, creating multi hour long lines to get into attractions like St Mark’s Basilica, the Campanile bell tower, and the Rialto Bridge. If you hope to see either of those attractions, which are also both located in the heavily congested St. Marks Square, I recommend that you reserve tickets in advance.

That said, around five o’clock, the sea of tourists begins to recede, as they return to the massive ships from which they arrived, as well the tourists that chose to stay on the mainland side of Venice, in the chain hotels. The world quiets down considerably, and the city takes on an heir of romance.

Speaking of the mainland vs. the island, there are pluses and minuses to each option, in terms of where you choose to stay during your time in Venice. Staying on the island itself is much more expensive than on the mainland, and the possibility of your stay turning soggy, is very high. Additionally, the island is NOT for night owls, as everything shuts down around 10pm.

However, the mainland is just a short water taxi ride away from the island, and there are more entertainment and accommodation options available at more affordable prices.

We were of the mindset that we were there to experience the famous floating city, and set aside the more familiar amenities for the few days that we would have the option of doing so. Always on the hunt for ways to stretch our dollars while still achieving our authenticity goals, however, we found a charming little (and I stress “little”) hotel just a short distance from St. Mark’s Square, called Hotel Lisbona that fit the brief.

It’s packed with tourists, the lines are super long, and everything shuts down early, so what do you do?

The good news, is that there’s still a ton of stuff to do, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Navigating the island of Venice is like being a marble in one of those puzzle games that you roll around, and you just have to be comfortable with being “lost” most of the time. However, wandering around the tiny winding paths is where you’ll discover the shops, craftsmen, and galleries that you’ll remember about your time spent there.

So try not to over plan your days.

If a tour is still on your to-do list, I recommend visiting the Doge’s Palace, which despite being located immediately next to St Mark’s Basilica, is not nearly the tourist destination that its neighbor is, and is also fascinating and beautiful. In fact, we were able to get tickets and enter within fifteen minutes of arriving at the entrance.

But wait, there’s more!?

Did you know that there are other islands neighboring Venice? I know I sure didn’t, but just a short water taxi ride away are the islands of Murano and Burano. *Tip: Water taxi drivers frequently go on strike, which can have a crippling affect on your plans while in Venice. However, the strikes are usually semi-scheduled. Be sure to ask the staff at your hotel or a local shop about any known dates regarding strikes so that you can plan your visit to these islands accordingly.

Unfortunately for us, the day we had set aside to visit both of these islands, the water taxi’s were on strike, which was a real kink in our slinky. But we were able to visit one of them the following day, prior to another previously scheduled event.

With only the option to visit one island, we chose Burano due to the transportation time it takes to get from Venice. Burano is a quaint little place with brightly painted homes, and is known for it's fishermen and lace makers. It won’t take you much time at all to see the entirety of Burano and while it was great, I would recommend visiting Murano to anyone that has the extra time.

If you still need something more, consider the Opera.

On our final night in Venice, we attended a performance of La Traviata, at Teatro la Fenice (Venice Opera House). The theater is stunning, tickets were reasonable due to having booked well in advance, and was truly one of the highlights of our time in Italy as a whole. I would encourage you to plan a special activity on every trip.