It has always been a dream of both mine and my mums to travel to Italy but never had the option to go . Until I decided to have a nose to see if there was any cheap flights using the Easy Jet website. I was lucky enough to bag return flights for two people for a week to Italy, flying to Venice Marco Polo Airport for an amazing ..£148 for 2. Therefore after I booked the flights we had a couple of months to sit down together and plan a mini back packing style trip so we could see as much as we could in one week, so as follows I will break down my trip to offer you a good idea or example of what you could do if you only have one week in Italy.
Day 1: Becoming friendly with our accommodation and surroundings.
Normally when I travel I always book the first hotel/guest house or hostel from home just because after travelling the last thing you want to be doing is marching around a new town/city, you have no clue about looking for a decent room with a decent price to match. I luckily found an amazing camping village just outside of Venice called Plus Camping Jolly- I must say this was one of the best places I have ever stayed at, I booked a 2 bedroom for £11 per person. It was basically a tent big enough to have two single beds inside and secure flooring and lock on the door. It was very clean, comfortable and warm.
See the following photographs:
(Inside and outside the tent)
http://plushostels.com/pluscampingjolly < This is the direct link to the website
The website offers all the information you may need or any questions you might have reading this blog.
Here are some photos of Camp Jolly-
(Food and drink available daily at a cheap price)
Camp Jolly is about 15 minutes by bus away from Venice, in busy periods over the summer the camp offers free sechudled lifts into Venice, 3 times a day. Unfortunately we didn't have the luxury of this service because the camp was not so busy. We had to ask where to get the bus from, which proved to be quite easy as the receptionist spoke good English. The bus stop was within walking distance and was about €1.30 return, but remember they drive on the right side of the road, so the bus stops are on opposite side which was quite confusing but we just asked somebody. The only down side travelling by bus is that you need to purchase your bus ticket from a local shop because the buses do not except any cash. So therefore everyday we had to make travelling to a shop part of our routine which was quite time consuming. TOP TIP-try to avoid purchasing your tickets in the afternoon because most shops close for a siesta an this will you leave you stranded at the bus stop with no ticket, so I would always check the times so you can plan around it.
( Example of public transport)
The only down fall to Camp Jolly is the fact there is not much in the area, so if you are like me and wish to find the cheaper option by finding a supermarket for supplies then listen up. There is a supermarket which is a bus ride about 10 minutes from Camp Jolly (my apologies I can't remember the name but I do have a photo- see below) If you do plan to go here just ask at camp jolly reception for info. (Please note- There is a shop on site at Camp Jolly but closes about 17:00)
Moving on .. If you see this you have come to the right place, don't be shocked by area and it's lack of life, to me the area looked like it used to be thriving but because of Venice being so popular , I think it has sucked the life out of the surrounding areas and this being an example, leaving them looking ghost town like, closed down and derelict but I'm sure many locals would use this store.
( Even though me and my mum decided to travel to Italy I must add that we are not fans of Italian food at all... And the funny thing is; it never crossed ours minds until we arrived and got hungry . I will eat Italian food cause I would eat anything but I would NOT choose to......It's all just so carby, bland and just mehhhh, it always reminds me of the type of food you always have left in the cupboard so that when the end of the month comes and you have no money .. There is always PASTA left over . So this is how me and my mum found this supermarket.. We was so hungry and I was imagining a rotisserie chicken section some potatoes, and vegetables... Well wasn't I wrong , nothing left cause they was due to close and we ended up with pizza and fries ... My worst nightmare.!
Day 2: Venice, not just a city of Romance
First of all don't get me wrong I can see why Venice can be seen as really really romantic, cause it is soo beautiful to look at, every inch of it is so interesting-with the light blue crystal waters and it's narrow walk ways you can get lost down, lovely flowers/plants, amazing buildings, outstanding architecture and church's- but you know what you can do so much more here and it really doesn't matter who you go with.
If you are reading this and you are thinking ... Why Venice? It is so expensive ) get that thought out of your head right away . I think that sentence should be band from being said if it is about travel destinations. Don't get me wrong of course there is expensive places within Venice, but out of 10 I would say 5 were expensive and 5 were reasonable/cheap. In this climate today businesses can't afford to charge extortionate prices because most holiday makers travel and they want a bargain, I know my self .. As soon as I leave the UK I want cheaper everything. It's a known fact , just like when you go to the beach on holiday you pee in the sea end of.
(The famous Gondolas)
Before I left to visit Venice I had the same outlook , because somebody had told me also ... "It's so expensive" but you know what ... I found a Gorgeous Moroccan (my fave) style restaurant very local and busy , where you could select what you wanted at least 4 items each, all freshly made with a drink and it came to about €20 for 2 people and I enjoyed every bit of it (my mum found €10 on the floor at an art exhibition- which I will briefly mention later). I also found a €1 shop which I was really shocked about, what sold pretty much everything so I managed to buy some souvenirs.
Most days when I was out about In Venice, I would look at the prices of some things and I noticed that some places were ridiculously expensive but most of them you would be paying for the location and view which is ok, however the little shops on the street selling drinks and other stuff depending on which part of Venice you was at the prices would be higher for example ... St Marks square a can of coke would be about €6 .. But the down the road it would be €2 so really it's just common sense and of course how thirsty you are.
-One fine evening-Left for local
I would recommend staying no more than 3 nights, this will give you enough time to see the famous sights such as :
-Piazza San Marco
-Staint Marks Place
-Grand canal
-Rialto Bridge
Also....
-Take a trip on a gondola
-Cool down with some famous gelato
-Down a glass (or two) of Venetian vino
This is just a few of many things to see and do in Venice - I would do come research before you visit just so you have more of an idea of what to expect. I didn't do this is because I wanted to create my own experience and find things off the beaten tourist track. However do what ever floats your boat.
I will now end the blog with some photos of Venice - Enjoy.
Untill next time...
"Godere il vostro viaggio"
