By: Margyle

Venice is one of the craziest places on Earth. Situated in the north-east of Italy and with a history of independence at times more aligned with Eastern Europe than with the country it’s a part of, Venice feels like it’s in its own little world. It doesn’t seem real.

Indeed, it doesn’t seem like there would be locals let alone apartments for rent in Venice because the whole place more closely resembles a film set than a living, breathing city.

You can drive to Venice but you can’t drive around it. Making your way from the train station to any of the landmarks has you trusting some scrawled signs down sketchy alleys that never seem to end and you’d be convinced you were lost were it not for the throngs of sweaty travellers also stumbling along. Gondoliers harass you at every turn in the overcrowded canals that destroy your fantasy of the experience, while street vendors stalk you with their crappily terrible merchandise. You want to take the water taxi? That will be infinity euros. What? Oh yeah – and what the hell is up with all the masks!?!?

Okay… breathe. It is a real place, I swear – just recognize two facts about Venice:

1. Venice, being in the middle of the water is quite literally a tourist trap

but most importantly,

2. The tourists leave just before sundown.

With this in mind, suddenly all the craziness levels off. The main tourist areas, the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square, die down considerably once the day comes to a close because most people treat Venice as a day trip, either a cruise stop or as their point of entry/exit from Italy, and move on once night falls – which I believe is unfair. Venice has its charm, you just can’t be one of the impatient douches who try to cram it all in to one mid-day, because guess what? So is everyone else.

Picture this: Wake up at 8am, grab a quick bite to eat and make your way to St. Mark’s Cathedral for opening. Get in line if there is one – you’ve got the time – and don’t be a cheap bastard and pay the 5 or 6 euros to check out the upstairs and the real St. Mark’s horse statues. Head for your accommodation (particularly if it’s the summer and it’s air conditioned) and have some down time until 4pm, when you should return and spend the rest of your day here minus the pushy crowds. Directly across from St. Mark’s Cathedral is a restaurant that is known to have live music at night and possibly the best way to end your day. You’re welcome.

I know plenty of people that complain about Venice or say it smells or it’s not worth the time and I couldn’t disagree more – only the visitors smell (I know I did – I was backpacking!). Particularly because there isn’t as much to do and see here, it is the perfect place to relax, unwind and take in the obligatory sites at your own pace. On a budget? You can ‘see’ Venice without spending anything, which is more than you can say for most other locales.

No, I would not want to live there, but Venice is an incredible place to visit.

By: Margyle

Planning a trip to Italy is no easy feat as there is no time period ample enough or itinerary vast enough to encapsulate all that it has to offer. Veteran travellers have their favourite spots scouted out, but what about first timers? Where do you start?

Rome is an obvious stop with the ancient and religious sites; Venice is so crazy and unique that it has to be at least stopped over in. Florence is the tricky part – of course people have heard of it, but ask anyone what they like about it and you get some vaguely romantic response that compels you to visit but leaves you unsure what to expect. Some stay in hostels, chic hotels and others in Florence apartments. Art aficionados flock to the art galleries, marvel at the architecture or simply bask in the birthplace of the Renaissance, but the rest of us who, well, don’t care, may be stunned to find it still can blow you away.

That is the beauty of Florence.

I was travelling with a group that all but decided prior to arriving there that they were going to look for day trips outside of Florence because it seemed boring. Not five minutes after departing our train at 10pm, they declared it their favourite part of Italy. Say what you want about their decision making process (it’s unlikely you’ll say something I haven’t already… many times), Florence has that power to transform with little more than the aura it gives off.

Getting lost down the streets is one of its greatest attractions – great for the budget traveller on a time crunch. Spend your days wandering into the famous leather shops, checking out markets, stuffing yourself with gelato and continuing from the top. Venture inside the cathedral, master its hundreds of stairs to check out the second best view of the city or simply walk around its outside – Florence’s cathedral looks like a giant 3-D puzzle and cannot be missed. I will say this – the paintings inside the dome, particularly of Lucifer himself, continue to haunt my dreams to this day.

The best view and attraction in the city without hyperbole is at Piazzele Michelangelo. Walking there costs you nothing and from here you can watch the sun go down on this Tuscan gem, made all the better with a bottle of wine between friends. Whether it’s your first day here or your last, only one thought will come to mind: life is good.

Of course there are tons of other attractions depending on your taste, but you won’t feel like you missed out if all you did was walk the streets. Lose yourself in Florence and all that it has to offer. You’ll be glad you did.