Welcome to the beautiful and colorful Carnival!
Now, there are many Carnivals around the world, so I’m only sharing about one in particular, the OG, in Venice, Italy.
What You Need To Know:
BOOK EARLY! If I were to give one piece of advice to travelers wanting to go to Carnival in Venice, is to book early. The hotels book up early, so if you want to have a hotel that WON’T cost you an arm and a leg while also being decently situated around the city – you need to book early.
Going with Kids?
The most stressful aspect of my trip to Venice during Carnival was the weekends and crossing over the bridges. Sounds strange, but BECAUSE there are so many people crossing at once and many in costumes, OR people are p posing in costumes on the bridges, it created huge bottlenecks. Because my daughter was below eye level, I had to be more vigilant about her and our surroundings to ensure she wasn’t trampled. Outside of the bridges, I didn’t have many concerns regarding my daughter while at Carnival. She LOVED all the costumes, with bright colors and accessories. I am sure your children will also love this experience.
Weekends vs. Weekdays:
We stayed in Venice for five days, and this was perfect! We enjoyed a full weekend in the city, packed with Carnival attendees from morning to night. Then during the week, the city was almost like a ghost town, and people would dress up at night in their costumes after work. The balance between the two was absolutely perfect!
What to do While You’re In Venice:
Take it all in!!! I would have been happy just wandering around the city and taking it all in, the sights, sounds, smells (yes, good and bad), and of course, eating our way through the city as well. But also don’t miss out on all the Carnival activities! The full schedule can be found here. There are a TON of events throughout the two weeks of Carnival. Also, the city is always brimming with tours and concerts happening as well! I recommend visiting the Church of the Pietà – Saint Mary of the Visitation and attending a Vivaldi concert there… since Vivaldi once worked in that church. It was a very special experience for me, highly recommend it.
Wine in Venice:
Yes, you read that correctly! There is wine in Venice! On a little hidden island near Saint Mark’s Square, you can hop off the water bus at Venissa! Venice’s only winery that makes Golden Wine! This is an amazing and unique experience that, if you’re a wine lover like myself, you’ll want to schedule a tasting.
Eat All The Food!
Italy is renowned for its food, and Venice is no exception to that rule. My husband, who doesn’t usually drink wine, knew that the food in Italy was worth pairing the wine with and gave up his usual gin and tonic (that and the wine was cheaper too). When we came to Italy for our honeymoon (many moons ago) we ate our way through the county, he ate all the pizza, and I ate all the Gelato! Worry about counting calories later, “when in Rome… or just Italy… do as the Romans did!”
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