Florence to Venice day trip: The best way to travel and budget tips
If you are considering taking a day trip from Florence to Venice, this guide will provide helpful tips, either way, if you want to go by train, bus, or drive through the scenic route. Florence to Venice day trip is a fantastic route through Italy. Two of the most significant cities of the beautiful country are well-connected, and the trip is only about 2 hours and a half.
Furthermore, thanks to the fast train and the highway, you can explore Venice from Florence in just a day without spending much on accommodation in the lagoon city (which is always crowded and overpriced).
Also, consider staying overnight in Bologna, which is midway. It’s time now to inspire you on the next trip, travelling for a day trip to Venice from Florence. Consider the whole picture and the many alternative routes depending on your travel style and budget.
How to get to Venice from Florence on your own
Among the many ways to reach Venice from Florence for a day trip, the most convenient and budget-friendly is for sure organising the whole journey independently.
If you, like us, love adventure, there is a lot to plan, but it is the proper travel lifestyle. So the easiest and fastest way for this fantastic trip is by train. Even though you might also go for renting a car and driving yourself. We will talk about driving from Florence to Venice later on in this post.
The slow regional or intercity trains are not viable; in fact, these take too long and don’t make much sense to organise a day trip (Usually takes about 4 hours and a half and is often delayed). If you intend to go to Venice and return to Florence within the day, you should take the high-speed train, freccia Rossa or Italo.
Every day several trains depart from the Florence train station toward Venice, reaching the destination in about two hours. Aldo, this option might be the most expensive, but it is also the most convenient and early you book your ticket, the lower should be the price. Check out the route availability and prices on Omio.
Day Trip from Florence to Venice by Train
As said, the train is the fastest and most convenient way to reach Venice for a day trip from Florence. Monday to Friday, there are several trains departing every 10 to 30 minutes from Santa Maria Novella Train Station in Florence toward Venice Mestre.
The slow trains, “Regionale” and “Intercity”, take up to 4 hours and a half and are often delayed. However, the slow train is very affordable, with an average price of €20 even booked on the spot at the train station. The fastest route, instead, is just 2 hours, hopping on Italo Train or Trenitalia. You can purchase the tickets online here.
Check the Florence to Venice timetable.
Florence to Venice day trip by car
If you want to get the best of Italian scenery, driving from Florence to Venice will take you to the best epic imaginary. Even though most of the trip is on the highway, you will still have plenty of scenic landscapes to admire. You will drive for about 2 and a half hours, 252,4 Km from Tuscany to Veneto, a region further north.
Before arriving in Venice from Florence, you will pass by three interesting cities, which we suggest a quick stop.
Bologna is the main city of Emilia Romagna; wonderful and definitely worth a visit, but a few hours are not enough. After Bologna, about 45 minutes away, there is Ferrara, which has a vast cultural heritage, perfect for a quick stop.
The last city on your route is Padova, or often so-called Padua. It’s lovely to roam around Padova for an hour and get a coffee before heading to Venice’s narrow canals and bridges.
You can rent a car in Florence, and it is easy to find a budget car by searching through Rental Cars or Discover Car.
Tips for Driving from Florence to Venice
Driving from Florence to Venice is easy; most of your journey is on a highway. However, be mindful to don’t speed as there are controls everywhere, and often police cars are equipped with a speed-control system that tracks you while driving.
Follow the route to Venice on the A13; this is the fastest way to reach the lagoon city. If you want a longer trip, you should follow the A4/E70, which passes by Bologna and Verona. This second route is suggested chiefly if you want to stop in the two northern cities and enjoy your Italy road trip more.
To refuel, you should look out of the highway, which tends to have higher petrol prices. Keep an eye on the road, and don’t get distracted, drink or watch movies while driving.
Best tours for a day trip from Florence to Venice
GREAT VALUE / MULTI-DAY TRIP
FLORENCE TO VENICE FULL DAY AND TRANSFER ON LUXURY COACH
You’ll get to know the greatest parts of the Floating City in a single day by combining guided tours with free time.
Take a comfortable luxury coach ride
Perfect for first-time travellers
includes a map and a glass blowing demonstration
ALL INCLUDED / ITALY TRIP
10-NIGHT ITALY TRIP: VISIT ROME, FLORENCE, SIENA, BOLOGNA, PISA, VENICE, NAPLES, POMPEII, CAPRI, AND SORRENTO
10-night trip to Italy that includes hotel lodging Stay in Rome, Florence, Venice, and Sorrento. Explore Assisi, Siena, Bologna, Padova, Montepulciano, Naples, Pompeii, and Capri on day trips. Discover famous Italian landmarks, including Venice’s Doge’s Palace.
As an alternative side trip from Florence, visit Pisa. You can either choose between a normal or superior hotel room. The 11 days trip in Italy also include a skip-the-line ticket to the Vatican and a full guided tour in Rome.
Unique experiences to book in Venice
Venice Doge’s Palace & St Mark’s Basilica Skip-the-Line Tour
Romantic Gondola Ride through Venice Canals with Guide
Venice Penny Guggenheim Collection – Likely to sell out
Venice waterbus all inclusive pass for €12
Doge’s Palace in Venice entrance ticket
St. Mark’s Bell Tower – Best view on Venice Canal
Venice Pass with 5 Attractions
What to do on a Day Trip to Venice from Florence
We loved our weekend in Venice since it is one of the most walkable cities in Italy. You can cover most of Venice’s old town and famous highlights in a full day.
It would be best to take it easy on a day trip to Venice from Florence, as the trip itself is tiring. A must-do in Venice is to roam around Piazza San Marco, the city’s symbol, with the beautiful porticos, the Cathedral, Riva degli Schiavoni and Dodge Palace. Behind the lagoon’s most significant landmark, you should snap a few photos of the Bridge of Sights and get lost crossing the channels.
The best view of Venice can be seen from two places, Rialto Bridge and Scala Contarini. However, we suggest you book in advance your access to the rooftop at Fondaco dei Tedeschi, free to enter and with a view over Venice Grand Canal. This and more are below to give you the best advice for visiting Venice on a day trip.
Marvel in Piazza San Marco
Already stated that Piazza San Marco is the most famous landmark of Venice. The famous square is always busy and crowded, especially at the weekend. We found it even busier at night with the high tides and the square underwater. Crazy, isn’t it?
Piazza San Marco has two main attractions: the Cathedral and the Dodge Palace. We invite you to enter the wonderful cathedral, with plenty of Byzantine-style tiles adorning walls and ceilings. The Unesco World Heritage site offers affordable tickets that you can buy here.
If you are in Venice to chill out, the best way is to skip the queue to enter the Cathedral (the add-on ticket price is just an extra €3), and after that, enjoy a coffee at Caffe Florian, one of the oldest in town. In this post, check out more things to do in Piazza San Marco in Venice.
If you have enough time don’t skip the Doge Palace
A full day in Venice might not be enough to visit all the attractions, and you have to choose which appeals to you at most. Definitely, the Doge Palace, between San Marco Square and Riva degli Schiavoni is one of the major sights of Venice.
If you want to get inside the wonderful palace, a set of many movies, we suggest you book in advance a skip-the-line ticket. Especially in summer, the queue is long, and you will end up spending the whole day entering the palace. Check out how convenient is the ticket to Doge Palace with a priority pass.
Look for the best-hidden spots in Venice
While discovering Venice, we spot many hidden places worth a photo of. Just getting lost through the narrow alleys of Venice, crossing from bridge to bridge, you will find hidden gems. The lagoon city might be small, but it has a lot of opportunities for great memories.
One of the most significant, not so much hidden anymore, is Ponte Chiodo, one of the few bridges without bannisters. We had to use the drone to snap the perfect photo from a central position.
Another great spot to include in your list of places to visit in Venice is the Hidden Pier. Walking to the Calle Largo from San Marco Square and stopping in front of the enormous Gucci Store is the quickest and most convenient way to get to this lovely location. After passing through a little alley, turn right when you reach the end. Check out our post about the best photo spots in Venice before your trip starts.
Another spot to look for is the courtyard home of Marco Polo, the famous traveller, which inspired many trips in the past, and still influences new generations.
Enjoy the canal of Venice while sipping an aperitif
The last part of our day trip to Venice was sipping a local aperitif next to the Central Market by the Grand Canal.
This practice is primarily a local thing; in fact, you will be surrounded by locals. The location is easy to find, a few steps away from the Ponte di Rialto – Rialto Bridge.
The local aperitif, after five, is merely about two things Spritz and Cicchetti. Spritz is world famous, but in Venice, you can have an alternative which is a Hugo. The Cicchetti, instead, is a small portion of local dishes to eat while drinking.
Seek Venice views at Scala Contarini del Bovolo and Fondaco dei Tedeschi
We have introduced both spots before, but it is worth a whole paragraph. Scala Contarini del Bovolo is often mentioned for the great view but also for the stunning architecture of the rounded tower.
The entrance is subject to a fee, and you should book your ticket in advance as it tends to be often sold out (Like everything else in Venice). Check out the tickets here.
The Fondaco dei Tedeschi is in the city centre and is the biggest bargain in Venice. The entrance is free, but you should book in advance. Plan it one week earlier, at least. From the best rooftop in Venice, you will have the perfect view of Canal Grande. Secure your spot at sunset for the best memories from Venice.
Pass on Rialto Bridge | Florence to Venice Day trip
The most beautiful bridge in Venice is Rialto Bridge; however, this is just one of the four crosses of Venice’s Grand Canal. You can walk along the bridge, cross the two sides and marvel at the lining boutiques and shops.
We crossed the bridge many times during our stay in Venice, enjoying the view from both sides at various parts of the day.
When passing from this spot, you can’t miss visiting also Rialto Market, one of the most bustling in Venice, open until 3 PM every day. The oldest bridge in Venice is also the place where you can take your water taxi or Vaporetto to reach places easily.
Admire the Bridge of Sighs
Definitely one of the most popular attractions of the city of canals, and crossing in an iconic location, nearby Riva degli Schiavoni, the Bridge of Sighs is your next stop while on a day trip in Venice. The unmissable passage offers one of the best views in Venice. The history behind that gives the name to the passage. Back in time, prisoners were sent to court through this passage, which connect the prisons with the Dodge Palace.
Passing through the bridge meant, in most cases, a sentence of death. From that, the bridge becomes one of the last sighs. The best view of the bridge is from inside the canal, on Ponte de Canonica. However, many admire it also from Ponte della Paglia, which is on the lagoon promenade.
The Bridge of Sighs has inspired many architects to create similar structures all around the world; the most famous copy is in Oxford. Check our itinerary of Oxford in one day.
Visit the Acqua Alta bookstore
The Acqua Alta bookstore is an institution in Venice, one of the oldest libraries that stubbornly persists to the often occurring floating. The beautiful bookstore in Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa is one of the most instagrammable places in Venice.
The nearby canal frequently floods the store, and the owners had the genius idea to put the books above the floor. However, many times, the water level was high, and many books and shelves sank.
You can see the books that were underwater and the ingenious idea to create a sort of staircase to watch the flowing canal at the back of the store.
That place is today known as Acqua Alta bookshop and is a fantastic sight to see in Venice on a day trip from Florence.
Unmissable attractions to book in advance
Tips for your day trip to Venice from Florence
Purchase the skip-the-line-tickets
One day is a very short time to enjoy Venice properly, that’s why we suggest you invest little money in Skip the line tickets. Also, consider that Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy, and you will queue a lot in topic hours.
While exploring Venice in summer, you need to consider that it can be crowded and so hot. Getting inside the buildings for a visit will save you time and help to recover from the hot weather.
The priority tickets are often a bargain, and with a few euros more, you can gain more time to explore the city.
Doge’s Palace and Venice Cathedral
St. Mark Bell Tower
Scala Contarini Bovolo
One day is not enough to visit Venice
As said previously, more than one day is needed to visit Venice. The lagoon city is small and walkable, but there are many attractions to explore. In one day in Venice, you can taste what it looks like and see some main sights, such as San Marco Square, the Bridge of Sighs, Riva degli Schiavoni and the Rialto Bridge.
If so, you have to choose which is the main attraction you want to get inside and might purchase the ticket in advance with the skip-the-line add-on. However, if you only have the chance to spend one day, it is worth the effort to go on a day trip from Florence to Venice.
Use the Vaporetto to get around
No cars are allowed in Venice centre, and most of the transport is through the canals. Up and down the Grand Canal of Venice, the location of the Rialto Bridge, there are many options, from private and picturesque Gondolas to private taxis. However, the budget option is to get a Vaporetto.
Taking the traditional boat is also the best way to explore Venice from the water, and it looks like a waterbus. You can purchase your pass to unlimited trips on the Vaporetto in advance, so once in Venice, you will jump on it.
While in Venice, we used the Vaporetto many times, as it was the best, cheapest and most convenient way to get around. A Vaporetto is going up and down every 5 minutes. Purchase your Venice Transport pass now and save time on your trip.
Wear comfortable shoes
Even though you are just visiting Venice for a day, it means that you will walk a lot. The old town and the canals are traffic-free, so taxis are not allowed to get in. Like many other big European cities, we always suggest wearing comfortable shows.
The streets of Venice are lovely, and many are made of pristine cobblestone windy alleys. However, the surface of the streets, stairs, and passages might be misty and slippery, so choose your shoes properly.
Leave time for cicchetti and a Hugo or a Spritz
No visit to Venice is complete without taking time to relax and enjoy like locals. The aperitif in Venice is an essential part of the day, and it is wonderful to celebrate it in style with cicchetti and a drink.
The cicchetti are little dishes, similar to tapas, made exclusively with locally sourced food and recipes from handed-down traditions.
Accompany your small portions with a cocktail or a drink. Ideally, the Spritz or a Hugo are perfect for an aperitif along the canal. We suggest you get closer to Ponte di Rialto around 5 PM, there are many bars open nearby the Rialto Market, and prices are not exaggerated like in other parts of Venice.
Stay longer to visit Burano and Murano
If you plan to stay in Venice longer, explore the surrounding area. The most popular island nearby Venice are Murano and Burano, famous for producing glass sculptures and pieces.
You can spend time on the beach
There might be other things coming up in your mind to plan a day trip to Venice from Florence. However, Venice does also have a beach; after all, it is a seaside city.
Away from the well-known sightseeing of Venice, there is “Lido di Venezia”, which is on an island facing the Adriatic Sea on the side of the beaches. There are many Italian-style lidos, and you can get an umbrella and a deckchair.
If the beach is your plan for the day, we suggest you drive further north and visit Jesolo. The beaches of this town are fantastic, and there is a promenade perfect for unwinding.
Best tours for a day trip in Venice
More time for your itinerary?
We get you; one day in Venice is not enough to explore everything. Plan ahead a few days more, or even just 24 hours more. The beautiful city in northern Italy is worth a few day trips. We suggest planning ahead a long itinerary if visiting Italy during a shoulder season (Check out our guide about Italy in winter and Italy in Autumn).
Spending more time in Venice will allow you to visit less-known places or further away locations like Burano and Murano. However, also within Venice’s old town, there is endless opportunity to make your trip more enjoyable.
Getting to the top of Fondaco dei Tedeschi at sunset to enjoy the best view over Venice Gran Canal is just one of the best highlights we can suggest while spending at least two days in Venice.
Where to stay in Venice
AFFORDABLE STAY
B&B Allegri
You will love this place, it is one of the best accommodation with a view of Venice. B&B Allegretti offers a pleasant stay at affordable price.
ON A BUDGET
Dimora Dogale
If you are looking for quality time, Dimora Dogale is the best place to stay in Venice. We stayed here two days and had the best photos. The location is also perfect to enjoy the nightlife in Venice, or for day sightseeing, discovering the surrounding narrow alleys and squares.
Wake up in the morning in typical Italian breakfast looking outside your window the gondolas passing by the canals.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR ITALY
Don’t travel anywhere without travel insurance, no matter your journey. We have learned that at our expense while travelling from Dubrovnik to Hvar, our ferry was cancelled because of rough sea weather.
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Q&A Florence to Venice Day trip
Can you take a day trip to Venice from Florence?
Yes. A Florence to Venice day trip is a popular option for a weekend away in Italy. Thanks to the reliable, fast train, you can get from Florence to Venice in just 2 and a half hours.
How much does it cost to visit Venice?
Venice is expensive, maybe one of the most pricey in Italy. From accommodation to restaurants and attractions, you need to plan a budget of about €200 per day per person on average. For experienced travellers, about €150 per day is a reasonable budget too, but anything below that means only staying in hostel dorms and eating local food through markets and bakeries.
How much does it cost to take the train from Florence to Venice?
The price of train tickets for a day trip from Florence to Venice varies depending on the transport of your choice. The fast train to Venice from Florence costs €30 one way, and booking in advance will save you some money. The cheapest option is taking the slow (Regional) train, which takes up to 4.5 hours, and costs €20 on a Standard Class ticket if you book in advance. The booking price might vary depending on the time, route, and class of your choice.
Is the train from Florence to Venice scenic?
Not really, even though on the route from Florence to Venice there is nice scenery, made of meadows, valleys, vineyards and a few mountainous views over the “Appenino” we don’t describe the train route as the most scenic one.
Is it worth driving from Florence to Venice?
Yes. If you like driving, it might be one of the best road trips in Italy. If you plan more days, you can also add a few stops over in Bologna and Padua.
Is Venice or Florence better?
Both Venice and Florence are worth a visit and are totally different. In recent years, the two main Italian cities have suffered from over-tourism, but they are still worth exploring, even for a short time.
How much time should I spend in Venice?
Two to three days in Venice are perfect for experiencing the best sightseeing in Venice. However, one day is definitely not enough, so you should plan a few days more to explore the surrounding islands. If you like slow travel like us, so the perfect combination is to stay in Venice for 5 to 7 days and enjoy a few experiences, like a Gondola Ride, a cooking class or a fine dinner in a historical palace.
Is a day trip to Venice worth it?
Even if you only have a day, it is undoubtedly worth visiting. Venice is a fascinating city with a great history. You can spend a week in Venice and still need to see the whole. However, for a glimpse of the glamorous life on the canals, one day in Venice, well planned, is worth totally the high price and the effort.
WHERE TO GO NEXT?
Every time is good to travel and make new experiences. As London based travel bloggers, it’s easy to find cheap flights and explore new places even just at the weekend. Italy is our home country, and we explored most of it, and here are some of our favourite guides. Travel with us, and get some inspiration through the gorgeous Italian landscape. See more in Italy Travel Guide.
SEASIDE AND BEACHES
Things to do in Positano, Italy
Positano or Sorrento where to stay on the Amalfi Coast
Awesome experiences in Italy in the summer
20 Incredible beaches on Amalfi Coast
ITINERARIES AND GUIDES
How to spend 2 days in Venice
Things to do in Florence in 1 day
Best villages in Emilia Romagna
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