Frugal City Guide: Venice {Part Two}

Blazer, £52.99, Gap. Jumper, £80, Hush. Jeans, £220, MiH Jeans. ‘Clerkenwell’ bag, £199, Radley. Nails, ‘Pillar Box’, Topshop. Bracelet, £65, Daisy London

And amidst Christmas Gift Guide madness, we take a short break for the last instalment of my Venice City Guide. This time, what to do…again, i can’t recommend going off season enough – flights are super cheap and there were hardly any queues (I’ve heard it can be quite stifling in the summer).

1. GET LOST

Albeit not on purpose, we got lost a fair few times in the backstreets of Venice. It’s all the canals, and the fact you can’t really do a direct route to anywhere…but, this is how you stumble upon the most beautiful little bars, the cutest little houses and the tiniest shops selling trinkets (and sometimes Marvis toothpaste for under €5, which I stocked up on).

‘Clerkenwell’ bag, £199, Radley.

2. St Mark’s Square

You can’t not do St Mark’s…we had friends staying nearby so walked through most days, it has such a buzz of atmosphere – Cafe Florian, The Doge’s Palace, The Bridge of Sighs…and if you get the chance to walk through at night it really is spectacular. Avoid buying coffee (or anything) in the main square (unless of course, it’s from Florian for the experience), there are plenty of great places just a few streets behind.

Puffa jacket, £59.95, Uniqlo. Skirt, Asos (sold out). ‘Portman’ bag, £179, Radley. Glasses, £98 with prescription lenses, Bailey Nelson

3. Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Set in an unfinished palace (where Peggy Guggenheim also lived), the Guggenheim is a wonderful space filled with great modern works by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Picasso and Francis Bacon. On a rainy Saturday, this was probably the busiest place we went but not unmanageable – €15 well spent (closed Tuesdays).

Jumper, Hush. Skirt, Asos (sold out). ‘Portman’ bag, £179, Radley.

4. Pescheria (fish market)

Just by The Rialto Bridge, this is where the local restaurant chefs buy their fish. It’s fascinating walking through, right by the Grand canal and there are lots of fruit, vegetables and pasta to buy as well (even premixed fish risotto kits etc – great for gifts!).

5. Scuola Grande Di San Rocco

Just wow. For €10 euros entry, this place is just unmissable. We went at the end of the day just before close and we were the only people inside – the ceiling is a masterpiece by Tintoretto and the building itself is filled with works by other artists including Titian. This photo can’t really do the colours justice, it’s possibly the most gold I’ve ever seen in one place and is truly stunning. An absolute highlight.

6. Burano

Bag: £99, Radley

I really didn’t know what to expect from Burano – I was told it was a less touristy version of Venice but we really weren’t prepared for the candy coloured gorgeousness that awaited us. Just €15 return trip by boat, it really is a hidden gem and a great opportunity to get out of the bustling chaos of Venice.

Our Homestay host recommended two restaurants on Burano where all the locals go – Al Gatto Negro or Romano. The first was closed so we headed to Romano, we were told to try the fish risotto (their famous dish) – it was delicious. We got a table really easily and ate outside in November – such a treat!

‘Floral Street’ bag, £99, Radley. iPhone case, £30, Radley. Aperol spritz, my own

‘Floral Street’ bag: £99, Radley

I hope you found these tips useful, any others let me know as I’m pretty sure we’ll be back soon.

This Frugal City Guide was in collaboration with Radley, whose bags were so useful for travelling around (even my husband was impressed that I could store all my wares for once!).