Let me start by saying: I don’t know what I was thinking when I booked our travel day out of Riomaggiore. Our apartment check-out was at 10:00 a.m., and our train wasn’t until 11:00. I think I was anticipating getting breakfast or something but honestly, I’m not sure. We had some time to waste so after we packed, we walked out for cappuccino and to check out the fort at the top of the hill. Right around 10am we walked back to grab our packs and head out. With packs loaded we took the long way down to the train station—catching glimpses of Riomaggiore we hadn’t seen before.
Our Route: Riomaggiore to Venice (via all the trains)
Today was one of our longest travel days of the trip. Our itinerary looked like this:
Riomaggiore → La Spezia → Parma → Bologna → Venice Santa Lucia. It would have been more expensive for fewer stops so we were tryin to balance time, cost, and stops.
We started off on regional trains (which are slower but frequent), then switched to a high-speed Frecciarossa for the last leg from Bologna to Venice. The Trainline app was a lifesaver—it was quick to book once you had everyone’s information in and kept us up to date on where our train was and what platform it would arrive on.
All was smooth until we reached Bologna, where we discovered that our train to Venice was delayed—first by 60 minutes, then ultimately by 90 due to an electrical issue on the tracks. Our only major travel hiccup of the trip, but still… ugh. Bright side? We learned a new Italian word…ritardo which was actually useful later.
With unexpected time to kill, we found a pizzeria inside the station, and to our surprise, Mark declared it the best pizza of his life. (Lesson: Good pizza is literally everywhere in Italy.)
We tried to order tap water to try to save money (acqua di rubinetto) and the server looked at us like we had just requested to wash our feet in the soda fountain. In Italy, tap water at restaurants isn’t typically served—not because it’s unsafe, but because it can taste different due to the mineral content. When you ask for water you’re offered bottled still or fizzy and it’s typically a few euro a bottle so just FYI. In some places, it’s the same cost as a soda (speaking of sodas…we made acquaintances with Limonata soda and holy cow…that was our go to for the remainder of the trip!)
Once our train finally arrived, we found our assigned seats were already taken—a not-uncommon thing in Italy. Instead of making a big deal about it, we just grabbed the open 4 pack near by figuring we’ll move if we have to. I wasn’t about to get into an argument with an older Italian man in a language I barely know. A few minutes into the ride, we struck up a conversation with a family next to us who turned out to be from our hometown in Virginia. Their kids go to a neighboring high school but play similar sports. The chances that we’ve passed on the sports field was high! Small world moments like that always blow my mind.
The trip passed quickly as we chatted with them until the final surprise: due to delays, our train cancelled the final stop at Venice Santa Lucia, opting to just dropping everyone off at Venice Mestre—on the mainland. Cue a scramble to buy another ticket for the short train ride over the lagoon to get to Venice Island proper but at that point, it just felt like par for the course and if this is the worst of it, we can handle. Again, Trainline made it quick and easy to purchase tickets and we were on the next train into S. Lucia.
That First View of Venice 😍
Exiting the Venice Santa Lucia station is a moment. You go from modern train station… to 600-year-old grandeur in a few steps. Walk out the front door, and boom—the Grand Canal is right there. Vaporettos glide past. Gondolas bob. Tourists look around like they’ve just entered a painting. It’s pure magic.
We opted to walk to our apartment through the winding alleys and quiet canals although the vaporetto stop is right outside the train station. It is a great option if you’re carrying luggage or kids. For multiple rides, a day or multi-day vaporetto pass is worth it—it pays off after about 3 uses and it’s an easy to navigate system. Even Google Maps includes vap lines – they run every 15 to 20 min so it’s quick to pick one up to get where you like along the grand canal.
When In Doubt… Ask ChatGPT 😅
Once we arrived at our Venice apartment in a quieter, more residential part of the city, we followed the host’s instructions… until we hit the door lock. After sweating and struggling for 30 minutes, with no answer from the host, I pulled out my phone and asked ChatGPT what kind of lock we were looking at and how to open it. It worked! It provided clear instructions on how to work the lock and within a few seconds, we were basking in the AC of the apartment. That wasn’t the last time we used ChatGPT on the trip but that probably needs a post of it’s own – it blows google out of the water for answers!
Once we cooled off we headed back out to the streets of Venice in search of food! We scored our first gelato, some small cicchetti, and a terrible cannoli (lesson learned, if they speak perfect English, keep looking). After that it was back to the apt for showers and laundry!!
Venice Travel Tips:
- 🎫 There’s a new city access fee for day visitors to Venice. If you’re staying overnight, your host should collect a tourism tax and provide a waiver. We were never asked for ours, but it’s smart to have it.
- 🚆 Be flexible on train days—delays, skipped stops, and strikes happen. Padding your itinerary is essential.
- 🚤 Consider a vaporetto pass if you’ll be on the boats more than twice in 24 hours.
- 🔐 European locks can be tricky—don’t be afraid to ask for help… or use ChatGPT 😉
From Cinque Terre cliffs to Venetian canals, Day 4 was full of movement, minor chaos, unexpected beauty—and one seriously good pizza.
Our accommodation was an AirBnB which is a great option but here are another few options in that area:
- Ca’ Venexiana
- Canal Dreams
- Golden Suite (our friends stayed here -it’s right next to the Rialto bridge)
Comments are closed