We got engaged in Venice!

When I originally planned to do a blog post on our trip to Venice, I’d of never of expected to be opening my post with a title like this..

From receiving a trip to Venice as my Christmas present, I’d of never of imagined he’d go that one bit better.. but he did!

We got engaged on the grand canal off St Marks Square and it was just surreal and exciting. The perfect start to the trip!

So here you’ll find what we got up to with sightseeing and the things we’d recommend if you ever plan to visit Venice as a couple.

Travelling to Venice

We traveled with Jet2 from Leeds Bradford and arrived at the Marco Polo Airport on Friday afternoon. Once you’re through the passports check, follow the blue signs for Aqua/ water terminal to get a boat to Venice. Its about a 10 minute walk from the airport but you’ll see the sign for the water bus which will save you a heap of money than a water taxi.

We went to the ticket office and paid 27 euro return each which is nowhere near as bad as 140 euro each way with a private boat.

We got off at the first terminal in Venice and headed our way to Hotel Giorgione. We booked the studio apartment and it was in a great location. The room was venetian of course but had a luxury modern bathroom and a cute little kitchenette.

You’d be surprised how small Venice actually is. Of course there’s no cars due to the narrow streets and everywhere is in pretty good walking distance. One thing to bare in mind is how easy it is to get lost though! We used Google maps and even that took us to dead ends, but that’s part of the experience getting lost and discovering hidden gems.

Food and drinks

On the Friday night my *now* fiance took us on a private sunset boat with a bottle of prosecco and they took us round the canals and the Lido island, before proposing to me outside of the most popular tourist attraction. We celebrated with a meal and flowing drinks!

For cheap alcoholic drinks we’d definitely recommend Bra’s bar for their Strawberry Daiquiri’s and other great collection of cocktails. That’s located just off the grand canal. There’s also Bacaro Bar which is more towards the Rialto Bridge. Both bars have bra’s on the ceiling, no idea why?!

If you want the ultimate Instagrammable place, you have to visit the Gritti Palace. Their Riva lounge is the perfect place to unwind with an Aperol Spritz and to take in the idyllic views. Just down from the grand canal too, there’s Harry’s Bar where you can try the place where they invented the Bellini. Both places are expensive but worth the experience..

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In terms of food, we asked around for recommendations but to be honest.. Just wing it! Go with what takes your fancy. There’s lots of restaurants hidden away where you’ll stumble upon Pizza’s and pasta’s under 10 euro. We found the restaurant Osteria Ai Tre Leoni on our last night and it served glasses of prosecco for just 2 euro. We got three courses and it was by far the best during our trip. Even the Gelato ice cream is beautiful too and you’ll find at every corner there’s somewhere selling some!

Oh and if you have a sweet tooth like we do, you have to pay a visit to Captain Candy. The shop is filled with sweets that you could only dream of. Honestly we felt like big kids picking up all the amazing sweets on offer.

Places to visit in Venice

On the Saturday we spent the day visiting all the tourist attractions which are all very close to each other. After having pizza for breakfast (why not?) we headed to the Rialto Bridge. This bridge is full of shops and just like the city, is made out of beautiful marble.

About 5 – 10 minutes from the bridge you’ll find St Marks Square. This huge square includes Doges Palace, the Bell Tower and Bridge of Sighs. A lovely place to visit and take in all the views of the Grand Canal. Some places are expensive around this part so make sure you check menu’s before sitting down.

There’s a Hard Rock cafe just round the corner for a nice bite to eat and this also happens to be where the designer shops are. I bought my first Gucci purchase here so if you fancy indulging there’s plenty to choose from here.

Book things to do in Venice here.

If you fancy a boat trip I’d definitely recommend the Murano and Burano trip. Its a half day trip for about £17 each through the Get the Guide app. We visited the Glass Blowing museum and the Fisherman’s village houses. I made sure my outfit matches the houses of course.

To finish the most amazing holiday we went on a Gondola ride at sunset. Its about 80 euros but you get half an hour to explore the canal’s and we both said it was worth the experience. You can’t visit the city on water without going on right?

Venice is a place I’ve always wanted to visit for its culture and the fact its a man-made city. Did you know no one actually lives on there? Its just a tourist city and will always be a special place for us both. Our engagement in a unique Italian city…

Have you visited? Would you like to? I hope this has helped if you’re planning on going.