{"id":87844,"date":"2012-02-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:50:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:50:36","slug":"travel-notes-from-venice-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>When you fly into Venice<\/strong> on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon between the Adriatic Sea and the Italian mainland, Venice is an elaborate stage set on water \u2013 an architectural dreamscape.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22726\" title=\"Venice Italy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\" alt=\"Venice Italy\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Proper\u2019 Venice is not so far from the <em>Aeroporto Marco Polo di Venezia <\/em>and it takes about 30-40 minutes water taxi transfer to get to the Grand Canal. Having arrived in Venice shortly after <em>Carnevale<\/em> 2012 ended, the city was quiet; the only evidence of the party that had been was the traditional masks on sale and the festival confetti still stuck in the centuries old grouting.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting around in Venice<\/h2>\n<p>411 bridges connect 120 islands and how much walking you do largely depends on the tide. Extreme lows render the water taxis and gondolas impractical as it becomes increasingly difficult to get on\/off them. In addition, once you\u2019re on the island, you won\u2019t see any bicycles, Vespa\u2019s or cars making Venice a dream walking destination.<\/p>\n<p>Since you\u2019ll be doing most of your sightseeing on foot, the chance of getting lost in Venice is highly likely, although this isn\u2019t always a bad thing. There\u2019s nothing like getting lost down <em>calles <\/em>so narrow they never see the sun, and happening upon the most gorgeous bakery or caf\u00e9. It\u2019s easy enough to get lost in Venice if you\u2019re not carrying a map \u2013 the Grand Canal snakes its way through the floating city, making navigation a challenge if you\u2019re planning on using the famous waterway as a landmark. That said, the city is well signposted and it won\u2019t take you long to find your bearings if you\u2019re staying for longer than a few days.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venetian-Gondola.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22723\" title=\"Venetian Gondola\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venetian-Gondola.jpg\" alt=\"Venetian Gondola\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Transport Options<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Actv Water bus ferries or <em>Vaporetto<\/em>. These are the big ferries that you see cruising up and down the Grand Canal. They\u2019re slower than the speedboats but are your best bet if you\u2019re on a budget.<\/li>\n<li>Water Taxis are the private and more expensive Venice transport option. Expect to pay up to \u20ac110 (for up to 4 people) for a ride from the airport to Venice\u2019s historical centre.<\/li>\n<li>Gondolas are the typical way to see Venice. If you really want to get into the spirit, hire one that comes complete with an opera singer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Islands close to Venice<\/h2>\n<h3>Lido<\/h3>\n<p>Lido means \u2018beach\u2019 in Italian and as such you\u2019ll find a lot of Lido\u2019s throughout Italy. <em>Lido di Venezia <\/em>is the island specific to the Venice region \u2013 it\u2019s an 11km long sandbar and primarily the home of upmarket houses, an 18 hole golf course and the Venice Convention which hosts the annual <strong>Venice Film Festival<\/strong> at the <em>Palazzo del Cinema<\/em>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22718\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22718\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Lido-Venice.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22718 \" title=\"Lido Venice\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Lido-Venice.jpg\" alt=\"Lido Venice\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entering Lido di Venezia - Location of the Venice Film Festival<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Murano<\/h3>\n<p>Murano is famous for its glass and you can easily hop on a water taxi\/<em>vaporetto<\/em> (large water bus or ferry) and visit the glass factories just 20-30 minutes from Venice.<\/p>\n<p>In 1291, in the face of the growing threat of fire hazard, the Venetian authorities ordered all glass factories to be transferred from Venice to the nearby island of Murano. Thus began the legendary Murano glassblowing industry, and ever since the glassblowing art has been synonymous with the island of Murano.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Murano-Glass-Factory.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22721\" title=\"Murano Glass Factory\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Murano-Glass-Factory.jpg\" alt=\"Murano Glass Factory\" width=\"570\" height=\"210\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The family owned factory I visited specialises in handmade glass chandeliers, however, the showroom that\u2019s attached to the factory sold everything from glass jewelry to elaborate sculptures, ornaments and vases. Don\u2019t miss out on a glass blowing demonstration at the furnace and the chance to buy some genuine <strong>Murano glass<\/strong>. Most of the factories will organise shipping all over the world.<\/p>\n<h3>Burano<\/h3>\n<p>With the Church of San Martino and its leaning <em>Campanile <\/em>(bell tower) visible on approach, Burano is quaint and charming. Spread out over four individual islands which are separated by narrow, 10 metre wide canals, the island is adorned with charming colourful houses reminiscent of Cape Town\u2019s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Bo Kaap\" href=\"https:\/\/travelstartstg.wpenginepowered.com\/bo-kaap\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bo Kaap<\/a><\/span> area.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Burano-Venice.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22720\" title=\"Burano Venice\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Burano-Venice.jpg\" alt=\"Burano Venice\" width=\"570\" height=\"210\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Burano<\/strong> is about 40 minutes from Venice on the water and is known for its lacework. Check out <em>Emilia Burano<\/em> on the main square by the Church of San Martino.<\/p>\n<h2>Sights in Venice<\/h2>\n<p>Most of Venice is a sight to behold and just seeing how the locals manage to live on water is pretty amazing. <strong>Piazza San Marco<\/strong> (known in English as <strong>St Marks Square<\/strong>) should be your first port of call in Venice. You can see it from the Grand Canal \u2013 it\u2019ll be on your right when you\u2019re coming from the airport. In the San Marco Square area you\u2019ll find St Marks Basilica, the Doge\u2019s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs as well as the <em>Torre dell&#8217;Orologio<\/em> (Clock Tower) built in 1499.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22722\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22722\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Piazza-San-Marco.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22722 \" title=\"Piazza San Marco\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Piazza-San-Marco.jpg\" alt=\"Piazza San Marco\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22722\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piazza San Marco seen from the Grand Canal in Venice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Piazza has been described as one of the few great urban spaces in Europe where human voices prevail over the sounds of motorized traffic. Visit early in the morning for great photo opportunities and to avoid the crowds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Saint-Marks-Basilica.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22724\" title=\"Saint Marks Basilica\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Saint-Marks-Basilica.jpg\" alt=\"Saint Marks Basilica\" width=\"570\" height=\"210\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Further down the Grand Canal is the Rialto Bridge. Completed in 1591, for me the <strong>Rialto Bridge<\/strong> is the focal point of <strong>Venice sightseeing<\/strong>. It consists mainly of steps so it\u2019ll be a challenge for elderly or disabled tourists. If you&#8217;re walking to Rialto from Piazza San Marco head for the clock tower, cut through the arched passage, and follow the ritzy shopping streets known as the <em>Mercerie<\/em> until you reach the Grand Canal, then turn right and walk two blocks to the bridge.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Rialto-Bridge.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22728\" title=\"Rialto Bridge\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Rialto-Bridge.jpg\" alt=\"Rialto Bridge\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Dusk-Rialto.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22729\" title=\"Venice Dusk Rialto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Dusk-Rialto.jpg\" alt=\"Venice Dusk Rialto\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Shopping<\/h2>\n<p>There are two sides to <strong>Venice shopping<\/strong> and not much in between. Firstly, all your high end brands including Burberry, Cartier and the like are widely available with high end prices to match. On the flipside of your \u20ac coin is the souvenirs \u2013 many of which you\u2019ll find in the Rialto and San Marco precincts. If you\u2019re looking for gifts to bring home then find a local deli and buy some genuine Italian pasta or coffee. There is some authentic Italian leatherwork that you can buy in the shops near <strong>Rialto Bridge<\/strong>; and Venetian masks and glass from nearby Murano is available everywhere.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22725\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22725\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Masks.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22725 \" title=\"Venice Masks\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Masks.jpg\" alt=\"Venetian Masks\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Traditional Venetian Masks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Where have all the supermarkets gone?<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ll probably wonder where all the supermarkets have gone when you\u2019re in Venice. Luckily I managed to find what I think is the only supermarket in Venice when I got lost. It\u2019s called <em>Punto <\/em>and it\u2019s around the corner from the west end of the Campo Santa Margherita in Santa Croce.<\/p>\n<h2>Eating &amp; Drinking<\/h2>\n<p>You won\u2019t go hungry in Venice and I could probably dedicate an entire blog to this aspect of the old city. Each meal I had was plated for me and you don\u2019t order food off a menu as you would in South Africa \u2013 menus are simply there to let you know what you\u2019ll be eating. The only thing I ordered per se was an espresso after my meal (anytime) or a grappa (usually after dinner). Each meal consisted of 4 \u2013 5 courses with food typical of the Veneto region \u2013 boiled meats, pasta, <em>pesce<\/em> (fish), tiramisu and genuine Italian <em>gelato<\/em> for desert to name a few.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Genuine-Italian-Pizza.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22719\" title=\"Genuine Italian Pizza\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Genuine-Italian-Pizza.jpg\" alt=\"Genuine Italian Pizza\" width=\"570\" height=\"420\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For dinner check out <a title=\"Osteria ai Assassini\" href=\"http:\/\/www.osteriaaiassassini.it\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">Osteria ai Assassini<\/a> in San Marco. It\u2019s a typical Venetian <em>Bacaro <\/em>(informal restaurant) where the menu is changed on a daily basis. Chef <strong>Giuseppi Galardi<\/strong> is accommodating and friendly, and his food outstanding.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vin Brul\u00e9 \u2013 hot wine \u2013 expect to pay about \u20ac1.50 at Rialto Bridge.<\/li>\n<li>An espresso on Piazza San Marco cost \u20ac8.30; however, this is to be expected in such a tourist centric area. Head to a more out of the way caf\u00e9 and you\u2019ll pay more reasonable prices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With Cortina, Padua and Treviso in the Veneto region, the time you invest in exquisite Venice is up to you. Whether you choose to experience The Floating City through its food, its people or its history; you will soon realise it really is a once in a lifetime destination.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gondoliers-Venice.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22732\" title=\"Gondoliers Venice\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gondoliers-Venice.jpg\" alt=\"Gondoliers Venice\" width=\"570\" height=\"280\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Venice from South Africa<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Qatar Airways<\/strong> flies 7 days a week from Johannesburg and 4 days a week from Cape Town to Doha, Qatar Airways\u2019 hub, allowing you to connect to any one of the over 100 destinations on its network.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8211; Read the <a title=\"Qatar Airways Business Class Review\" href=\"https:\/\/travelstartstg.wpenginepowered.com\/review-qatar-airways-business-class\/\" target=\"_self\">Qatar Airways Business Class review<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Flights from Doha to Venice<\/strong> depart daily and connect best with the Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday flights from South Africa giving you a quick 2 hour stop in Doha. You&#8217;ll arrive in Venice by ten past two in the afternoon. Returning on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday means you get your quickest change in Doha of 1 hour 55 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Organise your own <a title=\"Flights\" href=\"http:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\" target=\"_self\">Venetian trip<\/a> now or chat to our consultants about a <a title=\"Venice holiday package\" href=\"http:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/travelbar-holiday-packages.jsp\" target=\"_self\">package<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"425\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/maps.google.co.za\/maps?f=d&amp;source=s_d&amp;saddr=Venice,+Italy&amp;daddr=Murano,+Venice,+Italy+to:Burano,+Venezia,+Italia&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=FeBFtQIdYEa8ACkfb1JTCq9-RzGwX5EVhwkHBA%3BFSCgtQIdU4W8ACnNkJPdAa5-RzGFEoRsFI4HaA%3BFR0OtgId02-9ACl1coT3Uqx-RzHAvfKLiQkHCg&amp;aq=1&amp;oq=Buran&amp;sll=45.434336,12.338784&amp;sspn=0.577238,1.234589&amp;t=h&amp;gl=za&amp;g=Venice,+Italy&amp;mra=ls&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=45.4477,12.399445&amp;spn=0.04682,0.11505&amp;output=embed\"><\/iframe><br \/><small><a href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.co.za\/maps?f=d&amp;source=embed&amp;saddr=Venice,+Italy&amp;daddr=Murano,+Venice,+Italy+to:Burano,+Venezia,+Italia&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=FeBFtQIdYEa8ACkfb1JTCq9-RzGwX5EVhwkHBA%3BFSCgtQIdU4W8ACnNkJPdAa5-RzGFEoRsFI4HaA%3BFR0OtgId02-9ACl1coT3Uqx-RzHAvfKLiQkHCg&amp;aq=1&amp;oq=Buran&amp;sll=45.434336,12.338784&amp;sspn=0.577238,1.234589&amp;t=h&amp;gl=za&amp;g=Venice,+Italy&amp;mra=ls&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=45.4477,12.399445&amp;spn=0.04682,0.11505\" style=\"color:#0000FF;text-align:left\">View Larger Map<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon between the Adriatic Sea and the Italian mainland, Venice is an elaborate stage set on water \u2013 an architectural dreamscape. \u2018Proper\u2019 Venice is not so far from the Aeroporto Marco Polo di Venezia and it takes about &#8230; <a title=\"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Travel Notes from Venice, Italy\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":87845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,445],"tags":[40,225],"class_list":["post-87844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","category-destinations-travel","tag-italy","tag-qatar-airways","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Travel Notes from Venice, Italy | Travelstart Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy | Travelstart Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Travelstart Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Travelstart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-02-29T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-04T13:50:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brandon Mlilo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Travelstart\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Travelstart\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brandon Mlilo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brandon Mlilo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/607405fa1eb10609e1f0966851769710\"},\"headline\":\"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-02-29T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-04T13:50:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1492,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"italy\",\"qatar airways\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Travel\",\"Travel Destinations\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/\",\"name\":\"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy | Travelstart Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-02-29T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-04T13:50:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":480},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Travelstart Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Travelstart ZA\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Travelstart ZA\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Travelstart\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/Travelstart\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/travelstart\\\/?hl=en\",\"https:\\\/\\\/za.pinterest.com\\\/travelstartza\\\/?etslf=6584&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;eq=travelstart\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/TRAVELSTARTchannel\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/607405fa1eb10609e1f0966851769710\",\"name\":\"Brandon Mlilo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brandon Mlilo\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy | Travelstart Blog","description":"When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy | Travelstart Blog","og_description":"When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon","og_url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/","og_site_name":"Travelstart Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Travelstart\/","article_published_time":"2012-02-29T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-04T13:50:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Brandon Mlilo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Travelstart","twitter_site":"@Travelstart","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brandon Mlilo","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/"},"author":{"name":"Brandon Mlilo","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/607405fa1eb10609e1f0966851769710"},"headline":"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy","datePublished":"2012-02-29T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-04T13:50:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/"},"wordCount":1492,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg","keywords":["italy","qatar airways"],"articleSection":["Travel","Travel Destinations"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/","name":"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy | Travelstart Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg","datePublished":"2012-02-29T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-04T13:50:36+00:00","description":"When you fly into Venice on a clear day you\u2019ll already get a feeling for this sprawling old city from the window seat. Nestled in the Venetian lagoon","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Venice-Italy-1.jpg","width":640,"height":480},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/travel-notes-from-venice-italy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Travel Notes from Venice, Italy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/","name":"Travelstart Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#organization","name":"Travelstart ZA","url":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Travelstart ZA"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Travelstart\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Travelstart","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/travelstart\/?hl=en","https:\/\/za.pinterest.com\/travelstartza\/?etslf=6584&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;eq=travelstart","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/TRAVELSTARTchannel"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/607405fa1eb10609e1f0966851769710","name":"Brandon Mlilo","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85747dfa7c29be6c5eab5afe41b9a4d31b3db20961febcb45650400a9bc94a62?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brandon Mlilo"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87844"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87844\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}