Water or Taxi

Travelling around the lagoons by water taxi or water bus may feel complicated at first – but it’s easy to get the hang of once you familiarise yourself with the water routes. Outside of Venice, the Veneto region as a whole is well served with trains and local buses which connect the towns, cities and villages. And another popular way to travel is by private cab hire.

Airports

Treviso-Sant’Angelo Airport and Venice Marco Polo Airport are well serviced by various budget airlines such as RyanAir and EasyJet; travelling to Veneto from the UK is extremely convenient and if you book in advance, you can find a good deal. Verona also has its own airport (Verona Villafranca Airport) and this is the closest airport to Lake Garda.

Venice Vaporetto

One of the most (seemingly) complicated modes of transport in Veneto is the Vaporetto water bus in Venice. But once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s very simple. You can purchase one way tickets, 24 hour tickets, 48 hour tickets, 72 hour tickets or week long tickets that give you the hop-on / hop-off travel option. Alternatively, you can travel by private water taxi or shared taxi schemes.

Weather

With its assortment of landscapes comes an assortment of weather. Like its eclectic terrain, Veneto offers every kind of climate you can think of. The snow-capped Dolomites can bring arctic winters and cool summers, whilst coastal regions are much warmer and steady all year round. The hills and plains of the region have a typically continental climate which brings hot summers and cold winters.

Venice gets very hot and humid during summer and high temperatures can be 28°C and above; milder temperatures can be expected in spring or autumn. Winter in Venice is cold, with temperatures as low as 1°C.

Lake Garda can be visited any time of year due to its all year round sun. In the peak of summer, you can expect it to be hotter than 30°C. Even in spring and autumn, you can expect beautiful mild weather (average temperatures of around 18°C, 19°C or 20°C).

Regional Food & Wine

Venetian food is unique because it is very different to the rest of Northern Italy. Taking influences from international cuisines, Venetian cooking can be described, just like its landscape and its weather, as somewhat eclectic.

Using exotic spices and flavours makes Veneto a culinary oddity to the rest of the country, but its most notable distinction is delivering extremely light, elegant dishes; the perfect food to soothe the soul in a region of romance.

Typical Dishes to Try

Fresh seafood is a huge part of Venetian cooking and you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to selection. Dishes are often made with juicy prawns, mussels, clams, large scallops, sea snails, octopus and crab. Risotto and polenta are also popular if you don’t want to eat pasta, and you will also find a number of restaurants serving meat specialities.

Must-try dishes include Risotto Nero made with squid ink, Sarde in Saor (Venetian style sardines), Bigoi in Salsa made with sardines and anchovies, Carpaccio (a delicious raw meat dish), and Scampetti con Polenta (shrimps on polenta).

Wine in Veneto

Veneto is no different to its neighbouring regions when it comes to boasting excellent wines; the whole of Italy carries that accolade. Even the lesser known wine regions such as Veneto have some surprising vinos to tantalise the connoisseurs. Traditional reds include Valpolicella and Bardolino, and regional whites are from the Soave vineyards.

And of course, we can’t forget the world’s most loved sparkling wine, Prosecco, which is produced in the province of Treviso. Be sure to try the Venetian specialities when browsing the cocktail menu – Bellini, Rossini and Mimosa, all made with local Prosecco.

Annual Events

As the most romantic region of Italy, there’s much to celebrate. Here are some of the fantastic annual events and festivals not to be missed.

Carnevale (Feb)

Perhaps one of the region’s most famous events; the world’s largest masked ball, taking place in the Piazza San Marco, Venice. An electric atmosphere and colourful display of Venetian masks.

Verona In Love (Feb)

A 5 day affair to celebrate the romance of the region. Held around St. Valentine’s Day, this extensive week of love is an ode to the famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Exhibitions, concerts and shows are held across the city.

Vogalonga (May)

This colourful day in Venice protests against the use of motorboats on its waters with hundreds of traditional boats setting off from Doge’s Palace in the morning. It’s a spectacular sight not to be missed, so get up early to watch.

River Film Festival (May)

Padua is one of the most cultured cities in the region. With its young and intellectual student crowd, it’s the perfect place to host the River Film Festival (screened every May). The screenings are dedicated to one genre only – short films – and awards are given out to the newbie film-makers who take part.

Schermi d’Amore (May)

Just to prove that love really is in the air in Verona, the city provides a fantastic festival in May which celebrates its romantic past through the power of film. The Cinema Filarmonico screens a selection of romantic movies.

Medieval Festival of Soave White Wine (Sept)

The wine festival takes place in the walled city’s castle every year and features a succession of medieval games, shows, and processions. You can also taste a variety of DOC and DOCG wines of the region.