Cheap Flights to Venice

Need to Know About Venice

Venice is one of the most iconic cities in the world and one that everyone should visit at least once. It’s unique to other cities throughout Italy and Europe as it’s located just off the mainland and is built on a series of canals. Venice is full of beautiful architecture and scenic views, which contribute to its reputation as one of the most romantic cities in Europe. Venice is a small city that is easy to explore on foot, and it has so much to offer tourists. In addition to its museums and tourist attractions, Venice has a great cafe, restaurant, and bar scene. Every corner of Venice feels historic, and walking through the city made up of canals and gondolas rather than roads and cars, you’ll feel like you’ve taken a step back in time.

Travelling from New Zealand, you’ll have no trouble booking cheap flights to Venice. Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific are some of the airlines that offer cheap airfares to Venice from New Zealand. Flying from Auckland, you can catch flights to Venice with just one stop, arriving in about 28 hours. Flying from Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown, you can get to Venice in about 30 hours with two stops. If you would prefer to break up the journey, you could plan a long stopover in cities such as Hong Kong, Dubai, or London.

Book some flights to Venice and see for yourself why everyone who visits falls in love with this city. Webjet compares cheap airfares to Venice, so you can plan a trip without breaking the bank. Use Webjet to book your cheap flights to Venice and start planning your trip to the floating city of Venice, Italy.

When is the Best Time to Book Flights to Venice?

Venice is one of the most popular European cities among tourists, so the time of year you visit can really make or break your trip. During high season, the city is extremely busy, and prices go up pretty drastically. High season is in summer between June and August. During this time, tourists take over the city, and temperatures are hot. Prices for hotels and and restaurants increase, and canals are packed with gondolas and water taxis.

Visiting in spring or autumn, the city is quieter and you can have a much better and more authentic experience. Temperatures are pleasant and prices across the city decrease outside of the high season.

Temperatures in winter get chilly, but you can score some great deals on cheap flights to Venice. This season, between December and February, is low season in Venice. Hotel prices are at their lowest, and crowds are small. Prices start to increase toward the end of winter as it is Carnival in Venice. Carnival is busy, but it’s an exciting time to be in Venice. Carnival is a big celebration leading up to Lent. During the festival, the city is extremely lively, and people wear elaborate masks that Venice is known for.

Travelling to Venice Airport

Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)

Marco Polo Airport in Venice is one of the busiest airports in Italy. The airport has one large terminal in which all flights arrive to and depart from. The airport is located only about 12 km from central Venice. The airport is located on the mainland, and Venice is located across the water on an island.

While there are no cars in Venice, it’s possible to get a bus from the airport to the outskirts of the city. The ATVO shuttle bus travels from Marco Polo Airport in about 20 minutes and arrives at Piazzale Roma, which is the city’s bus terminal. From there, you can catch a vaporetto or water taxi, or make the 20-30 minute walk into the city centre. A one-way ticket on the ATVO bus costs €8.

For a direct ride into the centre of Venice, you can catch the Alilaguna water bus from the airport. The water bus makes stops in central Venice and several of the islands surrounding the city. As well as being an efficient way to get into the city, the water bus also gives you some great views on your way into Venice. You can catch either the blue or orange line to central stops, including the cruise terminal, San Marco, and Rialto. The ride into the city takes about an hour, and tickets cost €14.

What to do in Venice

Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square)

Piazza San Marco is the tourist centre of Venice and one of the city’s most famous attractions. The most famous spot to visit in the square is St. Mark’s Basilica. The basilica was built more than 1000 years ago. It’s well-known for its elaborate architecture and gold mosaics and has been Venice’s only cathedral for more than 200 years. Also in the square, you’ll see Doge’s Palace and the St. Mark’s Clocktower (called Torre Dell’Orologio in Italian).

Rialto Bridge

Since Venice is a city built on canals, it has lots of beautiful pedestrian bridges throughout its centre. The most famous bridge in Venice is the Rialto Bridge, which crosses the city’s Grand Canal. It was built in the 1500s and is the oldest of Venice’s major bridges. The Rialto Bridge is covered, and as you are walking through it, you’ll pass by a variety of shops where you can buy Venetian products, including glass, jewellery, and Carnival masks. Walking across the bridge, you’ll also get a great view over the city centre and the Grand Canal.

Island Hop to Murano and Burano

While Venice is the most popular of the islands in its area, there are a number of smaller islands located nearby as well. You can easily catch a vaporetto ferry for the day to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is known for its glass-blowing and is full of shops selling beautiful and unique glass products. Burano produces lace and is possibly the most colourful town you will ever experience. Each of these islands is built on canals and is full of Italian charm.

Doge’s Palace

This palace is located within St. Mark’s Square and was built in the 1300s in a Gothic style. This palace was once the home of the Doge of Venice—the city’s government head. Today it’s a museum where you can learn all about the history of Venice. The architecture of the palace is stunning on both the inside and the outside with elaborate staircases, columns, and stone arches. Another aspect of the palace is the Bridge of Sighs, which connects the palace to the New Prison. Once a prisoner was given their sentence by the Doge, they would walk across the bridge, and people could hear their sighs as they came to terms with their fate.

Explore the Canals

Venice is built on a series of canals, and throughout the city, you can spot great views all over. The largest canal is called the Grand Canal, and the most iconic way to see the canals is on a gondola ride. Head away from the Grand Canal and explore the quieter streets and canals of the city for an authentic look at Venice.

Getting Around Venice

What makes Venice so unique from the other cities of Italy is that instead of roads, it’s made up of canals. There are no cars in Venice, which also means there are no buses or taxis. Instead, everyone gets around on foot or by boat. Venice isn’t a very large city, so it’s very walkable for visitors. You can walk almost anywhere in the city centre in less than 20 minutes.

If you choose to get around on the canals, there are a few options available to you. The most popular is to take a gondola. Gondolas are expensive, but they are the ultimate Venice experience. To avoid tourists getting ripped off, Venice has set city rates for gondolas, and gondola drivers are not allowed to charge more. You may even be able to negotiate a lower rate if you visit in the off-season. A 40-minute gondola ride costs €80 during the day, and €100 after 7PM. You can also take a gondola ride for 20 minutes, which costs €40.

For a more affordable way to get around Venice and its islands, you can take a vaporetto ferry. There are several vaporetto routes, which depart from docks all around Venice. As well as making stops in central Venice, vaporettos make stops in Murano, Burano, Torcello, and several other Venetian islands. Tickets for the vaporetto cost €7.50 and are valid for a period of 75 minutes.

Since regular taxis aren’t available in Venice, you can catch a water taxi instead. Water taxis include a base charge of €13 and then €1.80 for each minute of travel. Water taxis can carry up to five people on this rate and more people for an additional €10 per person.