How to survive the Venice Biennale: 10 travel tips you’ll actually use
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1. Plan more time for the Giardini than the Arsenale
There are guides out claiming that the Arsenale exhibitions will take longer to get through than the Giardini ones. I have no idea what they’re going on about – plan more time for the Giardini instead. It’s bigger, it’s busier, and the national pavilions are standalone buildings instead of adjacent rooms in an old warehouse. Because of this, there’s also a higher chance of queues forming to get inside certain pavilions and the main exhibition – something to note if you’re going on a rainy day, since the Giardini involved a lot of walking outdoors. At a leisurely pace, each of the two sites should keep you busy for around 5-6 hours.
2. Skip the vaporetto and walk to the Arsenale and Giardini
The 4.1/4.2 vaporetto goes straight to the Arsenale and the 5.1/5.2 goes to the Giardini. Both boat trips last about half an hour. Honestly, neither are good options; just walk. The walk from Piazzale Roma also only takes about 30 minutes and that’s from the western tip of the main islands, the furthest you can get from the Biennale by foot. It’s a nice walk too – follow the signs to St Mark’s Square, then just wander down the coast.
You’re saving time because you don’t have to worry about the water bus schedule, or having to miss a boat because the first one didn’t have any room left (this happens more often than not). You’re also saving money because the vaporetto is 9,50€ (!!) for one trip on a rocky boat – that’s at least 7 scoops of gelato, or a cup of overpriced hot chocolate from Caffè Florian and you’d still have 2,50€ to spare.
It’s also worth noting that between October and March, vaporetto services are sometimes suspended due to acqua alta.
3. Stay in Mestre instead of the main island
Leave the historical lagoon for the daytime, and enjoy some modernity in the evening – the wheels on your suitcase will thank you (so will your bank balance!) Unless you’ve booked a fancy hotel with a canal entrance, staying on the main island means taking an expensive water taxi from the airport with your luggage and There are some lovely and well-priced Airbnbs, hotels, and hostels on the mainland in Mestre, located a convenient 20-minute bus ride to/from both Marco Polo Airport and Piazzale Roma, the main transport terminal in Venice proper. It’s a much easier travel option with flat ground,
Tourists staying overnight in Mestre are exempt from the Venice entry fee; this is arranged by your host/hotel.
4. Get the AVM Venezia app for public transport
Especially if you’re staying in Mestre and will be taking the bus to the main island each day. The AVM app allows you to purchase, load, and activate e-tickets and passes directly onto your phone. There are also physical ticket machines at Marco Polo Airport as well as Piazzale Roma and most vaporetto (water bus) stops on the main island, but you may find that there are long queues of confused tourists and you’re on a tight schedule. The app’s main catch is that it requires you to register and verify your account via text message – so if you’re planning to use a data-only eSIM, you’ll want to have everything set up ahead of time. The main ticket fares as of May 2024 are listed below:
1x single bus ticket: 1,50eur
1x airport return bus ticket: 18,00eur
1x vaporetto ticket: 9,50eur
1x day pass (unlimited bus and vaporetto trips for 24h after activation): 25,00eur
Download the app on Apple Store
5. Re: Biennale food stands (pizze, sandwiches, salads, gelato, etc.)
The food is okay and reasonably-priced (I’m looking at you, Art Basel in Basel). If you’re looking for something light on carbs though, consider bringing your own snack. A bag of sweets is not a bad idea. As far as the pizza stall goes, a slice of margherita is the best deal. Get the farcita with mushrooms and ham if you’re looking to splurge. Avoid: the calzone, which is 90% dough and 10% filling, and the ____ – a glorified Gregg’s sausage roll.
6. Beware the seagulls
For some reason, coastal seagulls always seem to be freakishly large. These Venetian seagulls fear no one and nothing, and they will swoop down at eye-level and grab your food. Also beware swarming pigeons. You have been warned.
7. Don’t rely on your GPS location
Google Maps and Apple Maps go beserk in Venice because the streets are too narrow and closely-packed. One minute you’re in an alley and the restaurant is right across the bridge, then the next minute you’re standing at the edge of the canal because the bridge is actually connected to the alley parallel to yours and now you have to loop back and walk another 7 minutes. Instead, you’ll have to use maps the old-fashioned way – by identifying the street name and walking manually.
8. Take the Accademia, not the Rialto
You won’t have to make an effort to visit these two famed bridges because they’re the only bridges connecting the two largest islands together. That said, when you have a choice, choose the Accademia over the Rialto.
9. Map out your “to-visit” sites and have a plan
Adding from the long list of museums that populate the island city, 30 official Collateral Exhibitions and countless more independent exhibitions run concurrently with the Biennale and will be of interest to any art-loving visitor. These are scattered across Venice’s main islands