How to spend a day in Venice on a budget with kids

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Venice is a really unique place to spend a day with the kids – full of history, culture and canals – and it’s actually a pretty easy place to visit with a small budget. So, if you’re visiting Northern Italy, make sure you take a trip to Venice – the kids will love watching the gondolas, water taxis and police boats. It’s definitely a place everyone should visit once in a lifetime. Pack up a picnic, and here are five fantastic, budget-friendly things to see and do in Venice that the whole family will love. Here’s how to spend a day in Venice on a budget with kids:

1. Wander the Venetian streets

One of the best ways to experience Venice is simply by wandering its narrow streets and crossing its countless bridges. The lack of cars makes it a safe and stress-free adventure for families. Let the kids lead the way as you explore hidden corners, stumble upon charming squares and marvel at the intricate canals. A stroll along the Grand Canal is an enchanting way to take in Venice’s unique charm. Venice is one of those places that you’ll find yourself happily wandering around aimlessly, enjoying gelato, the shops, the general vibe and the quaint little streets.

2. Cross the Grand Canal on a Traghetto

Skip the expensive gondola rides and instead take a Traghetto ride – these are simple gondola ferries that cost just €2 per person for a few minutes on the canal. It’s a quick ride, but it still gives the kids the fun of being on a gondola without the hefty price tag. The main gondola rides are really expensive so this is a budget friendly alternative for an affordable day in Venice with the kids. There’s a Traghetto stop near the Rialto Bridge, one of Venice’s most famous landmarks, so make sure you wander along there whilst you’re nearby too.

3. Explore St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)

Next, head to the iconic Piazza San Marco, a must-visit for any trip to Venice. It’s quite a trek to Piazza / Basilica di San Marco from the train station (about a 40 minute walk) but if you have little ones there’s a water bus station nearby – so you can get there and back across the water if need be. The kids will love spotting the pigeons, admiring the ornate St. Mark’s Basilica and gazing at the grandeur of the Doge’s Palace. For those keen to step inside St. Mark’s Basilica, entry is free for the main area (though there are small fees for optional extras like the museum) – so it’s a great budget-friendly activity for your day in Venice with the kids.

Avoid peak times to dodge queues – they can be long so if you’re visiting in peak season, or at a weekend, a ‘skip the line’ ticket can be worth pre-buying online. There are steep stairs to climb to the viewing area over St Mark’s Square, so that’s something to be aware of if you have young children. And, make sure that you wear appropriate clothing – nothing too revealing (no short-shorts) and no exposed shoulders – it’s a religious building so respectful clothing is required.

4. Relax with a picnic lunch

Head away from the main tourist areas to find a quieter spot to enjoy a picnic lunch – we love to sit by the canals to watch the boats pass. There’s also a park called the Giardini della Biennale which is another great option if the kids need somewhere to let off some steam and a break from the crowds – bring a picnic blanket and enjoy some downtime here. Venice’s parks are few and far between, so this green space is a real treat for families. And, no trip to Venice would be complete without gelato – you can try some delicious flavours for just a few euros per scoop at many of the ice-creams parlours across the city.

5. Island hop to Murano and Burano

If you’re going to spend money on anything in Venice, check out the gorgeous islands of Murano and Burano. It’s one of our favourite parts of visiting Venice – they’re really gorgeous islands. Murano is famous for its glass blowing, and you can watch it being made when you visit. Some boat tours include entry to this, but otherwise it’s only €5pp and children are free. You’ll see beautiful Murano glass ornaments being sold all over Venice. You can reach the islands from the boating area near St Mark’s Square (picture below), and can get ‘hop on and off’ tickets for the boat services.

Burano is famous for it’s colourful streets, and it’s a lovely place for a wander – you’ll want to try a Burano biscuit too, they’re so good. (Luckily I had one years ago before I had to go gluten free and I still remember how tasty it was now! 😂) You can get a 24 / 48 hour ticket and hop on and off as you like – so if you’re travelling to / around Venice by boat, and visiting the islands too, then that’s likely to be the most cost effective way to do so. Or purchase a Venice Pass which includes fast-track entrance tickets to the main attractions in Venice and the Murano / Burano boat trip.

How do I get to Venice?

By plane: If you’re arriving by plane you’ll want to fly into the Venice Marco Polo airport, it’s the closest to the city centre and you can be there in just 20 minutes.
By train: If you’re travelling to Venice by train then you’ll want a route that takes you to the Venezia S Lucia central train station. From there you can explore on foot, or use the water taxis to get around.
By boat: If you’re staying in the Venetian Riviera then you can boat into Venice from Punta Sabbioni in around 30 minutes. As I mentioned before, the hop on and off passes can be the best value for money if you’re using the boat routes multiple times or visiting Burano and Murano too.
By car: For our last two visits we’ve visited Venice by car – by driving to Mestre train station. From there, the train tickets from Mestre into Central Venice (Venezia S Lucia) cost just under €6 for a family of four (€1.45pp) so it can be a really cheap way to get into the city.
By transfer: There are plenty of places within easy reach for a day trip to Venice – so you can also check out the available tours to Venice for a stress free way for a trip to the city.

When’s the best time to visit Venice?

If you want to visit Venice without the crowds then avoid the peak summer season. Even in the shoulder seasons (we visited in September this year) it can be insanely busy – we made the mistake of visiting on a weekend and it was absolutely manic. If you do have to visit in peak times, or on weekend dates, then it’s definitely worth buying some fast-track tickets to avoid spending all of your time waiting in queues – especially if you only have one day in the city. It’s also worth heading to the main attractions either first thing in the morning or late afternoon, to avoid the crowds that collect in the middle of the day and scheduled tours.

Can I see Venice in a day?

If you’re wondering if you can see Venice in a day then yes you definitely can – it’s more compact than some other cities and easy to navigate on foot or by boat. In fact, if you have children, it’s probably the perfect amount of time to explore. Venice doesn’t come with a jam packed itinerary, like you may have for somewhere larger like Rome, so it’s totally doable in a day.

Venice, Florence or Rome?

If you’re wondering whether to do a trip to Venice, Florence or Rome this is actually a tricky one to answer because they’re all so different! Florence is my favourite of the three – we adored the chilled out vibe and it’s just so stunning and interesting. However, I do think everyone should visit Venice at least once in their life because it’s utterly unique and there’s something magical about travelling by boat. And, for historical landmarks Rome is so different from other cities, and again somewhere everyone should explore at least once. For more info on visiting Italian cities with the kids, check out my guides:

Where is the best place to stay on a budget near Venice?

If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation that won’t break the bank then consider staying at a nearby holiday park and travelling into Venice from there. We’ve done this for our last two visits – for our 2020 visit we stayed at Lake Garda at Camping Cisano San Vito. Lake Garda is a fantastic family holiday spot and you can head to both Verona and Venice from there. The Venetian Riviera also has loads of great holiday parks (which are closer than those in Lake Garda) – we stayed at Union Lido this year and the water park was incredible. By travelling into Venice for the day, you can have a well-rounded family holiday with the kids and enjoy a city visit without needing a massive budget. The Venetian Riviera is home to loads of incredible resorts – for more information on these, as well as the best Lake Garda Eurocamp holiday parks, and my reviews of the places we’ve stayed check out these articles too: