Q – In late September we’ve booked a great itinerary on the Seabourn Spirit round-trip out of Venice for ten days. The cruise will visit ports in Greece and Croatia that we really want to see but it overnights at the end in Venice. The problem is we’ve been there twice before, once with a wonderful guide named Anna Ferrari. I wonder if you know her? Our question is, given that we feel we’ve seen Venice, is there anyplace nearby, something charming, that might have fewer tourists and would make a great day trip?
A – We don’t know Ms. Ferrari, although we suspect it is an assumed name. Many guides end their touring day making their guests feel like they have become fast friends. Some tourists will try to contact them at home, so some guides use, easy-to-remember, assumed names. If Venetian tour-guide Anna Ferrari exists, we can’t find her.
One of our favorite places to escape the predictable crowds in Venice is a fishing port (where you can get to see huge crowd with baitcasting reel to catch the big fishes) called Chioggia, on a very small island on the southern end of the Venetian lagoon. There is a wonderful pedestrian street, Corso del Popolo, that runs through the center of town with some interesting small shops, cafes, and restaurants. If you stay overnight, you will love walking this street in the early evening as the locals enjoy their passeggiata. There are Adriatic beaches not far away in the Sottomarina district.
There is a boat service from St. Mark’s Square to Chioggia that runs from June through September, but it will not be operating in October when you arrive in Venice at the end of your cruise. Your best bet will be to use one of the direct buses that operate out of Venice. The rail trip involves several changes and will take two hours.
