Italy in the summer? Seriously?

So far my travels have been a bit more off the beaten path and western Europe in summer has never made the list. However, I found myself in a situation where it had to be July within a 10 day period. But as soon as I heard ‘glass’ in Venice, and heading to the Dolomites to hike I was in.

As Venice (Part I) and the Dolomites (Part II) are wildly different, they deserve separate focus and therefore separate posts.

PART I – Venice

A few bits about Venice in the summer.

-It’s VERY people-ey and can be extremely hot. Most hotels will forewarn there will be no A/C. Be mentally prepared to be hot-wear the right clothes, have a handheld fan that can be recharged, take a siesta like everyone else does in the heat of the day, etc.

-Location, location, location. To get out of the crowds we stayed on Murano. Primarily because it is the undisputed center of all things glass AND it is WAY less crowded than Venice.

The best place to stay is the Hyatt Murano. https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-centric/vcect-hyatt-centric-murano-venice It is the site of an old glass factory and has much on display. One of the other perks is that they offer a free water taxi service so 24 hours before landing you email your arrival information, stand outside on a numbered dock and they retrieve you. The ride takes about 20 minutes and it drops you about 30 feet in front of the hotel entrance. Could not have been more perfect.

-While you can certainly pay 100 EU for a private water taxi to Venice/St. Mark’s Square you can also take a free water bus (vaportetti) and get there just the same.

Bites.

While there are many food options available you may find yourself a bit lost locating your restaurant of choice in Venice. Google maps does not work well (probably because of the dense buildings) and almost every person you ask say the same thing, “Make your next left and cross over the bridge.” However when everyone says this it becomes suspicious and eventually maddening. Therefore, look around, see where the locals are eating and join them. Can’t beat fresh pasta, amazingly inexpensive wine and blissful tiramisu as it’s meant to be.

Beyond

-If I had to do it over again I would opt for a half day private Viator tour to get a lay of the land and see the highlights without wasting hours getting lost amongst the throngs.

-If you are a glass fan Murano is the holy grail and you will not be disappointed!