Venice, the enchanting city of canals and gondolas, has long been a dream destination for travellers from around the globe. While its beauty is undeniable, Venice is also notoriously expensive, making it a daunting prospect for budget-conscious travellers. There are ways to experience the magic of Venice without breaking the bank. By embracing the off-season, you can discover the true essence of this captivating city without emptying your wallet. But it’s “off-season” for a reason - in this blog we’ll take you through the upsides, and downsides, of Venice in mid-January and point out the compromises you’ll have to make when visiting during winter.
Compromise #1:
Quiet streets & stranger-free photos VS. chilly fingers & grey skies
Venice, a city in northeastern Italy, is unique in structure: it is sited on a group of 117 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 435 bridges. The city is full of history. It was a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a staging area for the Crusades, and an important centre for trade in silk, grain, spice, and art from the 13th century to the end of the 17th. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history, which is obvious in the breathtaking architecture that crams the city streets and waterways. There are over 100 noteworthy buildings in Venice and at least half of them you’ll want to feature on your Instagram reel.
Venice's peak season, from June to August, brings throngs of tourists, inflated prices, and an abundance of stalls and street markets. During the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) or the winter low season (Dec to Feb) you'll find lower accommodation rates, smaller crowds, and a more relaxed atmosphere. This is great news for your travel snaps. The sights are more photographable, with less waiting for your turn to take a picture and less strangers to ‘magic erase’ from the background. The compromise is the weather. Unless you’ve got touch-screen gloves, your fingers will freeze each time you use your camera, and the grey skies won’t give you that instagram look of perfection.
Venice's weather can be unpredictable in the offseason, with higher chances of rain and much colder temperatures. We spent two days in Venice in the middle of January. The first day was a little chilly but sunny. We took dozens of snapshots, and the blue skies provided a fabulous backdrop to the stunning architecture. However, the second day was very cold, drizzly, grey and raining. While the views were still magnificent in person, this was our video-recording day, and we were only able to capture the city against a cloudy grey background. We also discovered my Google Pixel Pro was not designed for the cold! Not only did the battery reduce quickly, we could only record for an hour or so because the camera fogged over with condensation. So while our video won’t win any cinematic awards, it does show the full reality of Venice in the off-season.
To see the reality of Venice in the winter check out our video on YouTube
Compromise #2:
Off-Season tranquillity vs. Limited opening-hours
Venice is known for its lively atmosphere, especially during peak tourist seasons. In the off-season, the city feels quieter and less bustling. This makes it more enjoyable for lovers of calm, but can be less attractive for those who love constant energy and activity. There are less market stalls and hawkers, great news if you’re not a big shopper. But there is still good news for shoppers too - when we visited in mid-Jan, the majority of shops were in winter-sale mode with between 30 - 50% discount offered. However, several boutiques had reduced opening times, and some were completely closed. So shopping options are fewer than during the summer months.
There are also fewer social activities during winter. Venice hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year, but many of these occur during the peak tourist seasons. Visiting in the off-season means missing out on some cultural events, exhibitions, and celebrations that add to the city's charm and allure. The first major event, the Venice Carnival, usually takes place in early February, but this too is subject to the unpredictable weather conditions of this time of year. Carnival events may be delayed, suspended, or cancelled, in case of weather conditions, so if you aim to take part be sure to keep an eye on the information and have a plan B just in case.
You’ll also need to check the official websites of each of the attractions you wish to visit. Some attractions and tours have reduced hours or may be closed altogether during the off-season. Others may be open even though they are undergoing construction. The off-season is often when maintenance and renovation work take place in Venice. While this is necessary for preserving the city's historic buildings and infrastructure, it could mean encountering scaffolding or closed-off areas at popular sites.
We experienced this while visiting San Marco Basilica. There was a small amount of scaffolding on the front exterior of the building, but this didn’t detract from the awe of the facade. Inside the frescoes and mosaics were equally breath-taking, but there was a constant din of construction work which did impact the atmosphere. Another main attraction, The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, was completely surrounded by scaffolding (covered by a painted mural of the finished facade) and portions of the building were closed due to maintenance.
Compromise #3:
Budget-friendliness vs. Unpredictability
Venetian accommodation can be a wallet-buster, so off-season prices are definitely more budget-friendly. Hostels offer dorm beds for as little as €20 per night, while Airbnb and homestays provide more privacy and personal touches at a reasonable price. To reduce costs even more, we recommend staying on the mainland, in Marghera, which is a very short and inexpensive bus/train ride onto the island.
We opted for a mid-range budget accommodation, and chose a fabulous AirBnB in Marghera which cost 60 Euro a night (for two people) and included a fantastic breakfast. Our hosts gave us plenty of information on getting to Venice city and we chose the 1.50 Euro, 10 minute, bus trip. In our YouTube video we’ll show you how to buy your bus tickets via vending machine. Other less touristy areas include Cannaregio or Dorsoduro, where you'll find charming apartments and guesthouses at more affordable rates.
Travelling in the off-season also helps reduce the cost of visiting the wealth of cathedrals, museums and historical sites in Venice. Many of the attractions have two entry prices, regular and “skip the queues”, with add-ons to climb to the viewing platforms or to use an audio guide. Venice on a cold day was not completely empty, but we bumped into only one tour group and our waiting time to enter the attractions was very short, meaning there was no need to buy the pricier ‘skip the queue’ tickets. San Marco - a definite must - was a low 3 Euro per person and the queue was very short and moved fast.
These benefits are off-set however, by the unpredictability of Venice in the winter. The water city is highly prone to flooding, especially during the colder months. While the city has systems in place to manage flooding, visiting during the offseason increases the likelihood of encountering high water, which can disrupt your plans and make navigating the city more challenging. Venice's water-based transportation system can also be affected by adverse weather conditions in the offseason. There may be disruptions or cancellations to water buses or water taxis, making it more difficult to get around the city efficiently.
If you are especially keen on a gondola ride, build this into your budget in advance. We were quoted 90 Euros for 30 mins, by an off-season gondolier, in the late afternoon, who had no customers queuing. When we did the research, we discovered that actually there is an official tariff of 80 Euros for 30 minutes in the off-season. The price goes up to €100 from 7 pm onwards, and if you want the gondolier to sing or to play an instrument during the ride, you will have to pay extra.
As our budget didn’t stretch to that, we opted to take the Waterbus (ACTV). The waterbus will give you a superb view of the main waterway and take you to all the main attractions. A one-way ticket (75 min) costs 9,50 Euro, and they also sell day or week packs that are great value for money. As it was off-season and the crowds are low, we were lucky to be able to grab the front outdoor seats of the waterbus, which gave us an excellent view of incredible Venetian buildings such as Chiesa di San Simeon Piccolo, Museo di Storia Naturale Giancarlo Ligabue, Ponte di Rialto and the Piazza San Marco. The compromise for the beautiful view was shivering in the cold - even in our hats, gloves and thermals we were freezing!
To warm ourselves up after the boat trip, we decided to walk back through the narrow, winding back streets. Exploring any city by foot really provides a genuinely authentic experience. Venice is a very pedestrian-friendly city. You can wander through narrow alleyways, cross picturesque bridges, and discover hidden squares, which feature charming cafes, local artisan shops, and lesser-known landmarks. Plus, the further you go into the backstreets, the better for your budget. We noted that the restaurant menu prices got smaller. In particular the “menu of the day” decreased from around 20 Euro per person to under 12 Euro per person the further away from the centre we wandered.
Be aware, however, that Venice is a maze! We ditched Google Maps and decided to wander freely, which meant we looped and backtracked around the labyrinth of canals, streets, and alleys. But as we had time on our hands, we actually loved the experience of getting lost. We stumbled upon hidden treasures that we would have missed if we’d stuck to the main routes or had limited ourselves to travelling by water. And when it came time to find our way back to the main bus station, we found many yellow signs on the street corners pointing us back to the central waterway.
So is it worth the compromise?
Absolutely! We were both spell-bound by Venice and would return in a heartbeat, regardless of the season. Dull skies and frigid weather couldn’t dampen the beauty of Venice, and we really enjoyed being able to wander the streets free of crowds yet full of atmosphere. And as it was better for our budget, we would definitely recommend Venice in the off-season. Just make sure you wrap up warm and keep your eye on the weather conditions and opening times. We walked a lot - something you will want to do if you want to make the most of the fascinating little back streets - and soon my toes were like iceblocks! But with a little bit of planning, and a touch of luck, you’ll be able to enjoy all the splendour of Venice no matter what time of year you visit.
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