We went to Venice in late October and it seems we may have picked the perfect time of year.

  • The weather was warm enough to sit outside during dinner in the evenings
  • The weather was cool enough that walking around the city was pleasant and comfortable
  • There weren’t an overwhelming amount tourists
  • There was some acqua alta (high tide/water) but not too much.

I’ll elaborate.

Sitting outside for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner is incredible. Venetians love to sit outside in the early evening and have an aperitif. They mostly have an aperol spritz or beer. Almost all restaurants, bistros, and cafes have an outdoor space. The food in Venice is awesome and best enjoyed outside.

Venice is both a walkable city and also a city that requires walking. Walking around the city is much more pleasant when it is not too hot. Yes, you will do a lot of walking.

There were crowds of tourists in the main areas, that is the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. It was also crowded on the thoroughfares between these two main sites of Venice. But it was manageable. We couldn’t imagine how it would be possible to visit in the height of tourist season. It seems to us that it would be impossible.

Fall is the season for acqua alta. The amount of high water was just enough to experience the flooding but not so much that it was a problem. I had always wondered what the “wooden walkways” put in place during high floods were like. Now I know!