Are you planning a trip to Italy and having a hard time choosing between Venice or Florence? Read this post to find what suits your style better in terms of sightseeing, crowds, value for money, ease of transportation, possibilities for day trips and more.

I recently visited both Venice and Florence, both possibly in the top 3 of the most famous Italian cities, along with Rome. Did they really live up to the expectations? To be honest, in different ways, they were very different from what I had expected.

Between both cities, I had an absolute winner for myself, which I will mention at the end. But according to what you are looking for, yours could totally be the other one.

Let’s take a look at what each city has to offer and what might make you fall in love with either of them.

Venice or Florence: Quick Overview about Each City

Let’s start our comparison of Venice vs. Florence taking a look at what makes each one unique.

Venice: Canals and Gondolas

Venice is famous worldwide because of its canals. You might not know it, but Venice is a group of islands separated by canals. The turquoise water of the canals runs all throughout the city, making it a city of almost 400 bridges!

Gondolas and other kinds of boats transport people and are typical ways of doing sightseeing around the city.

Venice is famous that some countries and cities are named or nicknamed after it.

This is the case, for example, of Venezuela, which means “little Venice” because they used to have an area with houses built over pillars on a lake, resembling Venice’s vibe.

Florence: Art

Florence, on the other hand, is known as the city of art. The city where the Renaissance took place, and with that, the darkness of the Middle Ages went away. Florence saw art and science be born again, and it reflects on their architecture and fine arts.

Some of the greatest representative people of that era spent a big part of their lives in Florence, like Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s also where you will see some of the most famous Western artworks, like the famous David sculpture.

Interestingly, even though both cities are so famous world-wide, most people will know why Venice is famous for (its canals), but not why Florence is so (its art). Canals immediately come to mind when people talk about Venice, but, the average person might not immediately associate Florence with art.

Venice or Florence?: Sightseeing

Florence or Venice, which is better in terms of sightseeing? I personally found Venice better, but it will depend on what you like.

Venice sightseeing

Venice is surrounded by bridges and canals, which are its main attraction. Which is great! Because they are everywhere, meaning that you don’t actually have to go anywhere. You can just walk around and enjoy the city.

I was actually shocked by how clean and clear the water of the canals looked. Depending on the canal and the time of the day, some were even turquoise green. It was expecting darker water in the canals, maybe like the ones in Amsterdam or Bruges. But the water in some parts had the color of the Mediterranean. Venice is surrounded by sea, so that explains why!

Like I mentioned, there around 400 bridges, so you will cross dozens of them in a day. They are generally very short. What is great about them is that you can see Venice in different levels and perspectives.

The most famous bridge in Venice is the Rialto Bridge, famous for its row of shops on top.

Riding a gondola is also something very typical to do in Venice as well. It’s expensive though, but a dream for many couples! From the gondolas, you can admire the architecture of the buildings and houses, and the combination with the canals is dreamlike.

Another landmark in Venice is the St. Mark’s Basilica, one of Venice’s gems, built several centuries ago to keep the remains of St Mark. the patron saint of Venice.

It’s located in the equally famous St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), which is the most famous square in Venice and one of the busiest areas in the city. The square has a couple of big cafes where you will see most people drinking an Apperol Spritz, like in the rest of Venice.

The other outstanding landmark is the Palazzo Ducale, a beautiful big building where the rulers of Venice used to live, also on the St. Mark’s Square.

Florence sightseeing

Florence’s historic center is big, and has squares, impressive buildings and churches everywhere.

Its most important landmark is the Duomo. Its a huge cathedral (actually the fourth biggest one of Europe) with a marble facade. It’s located in the Duomo square (Piazza del Duomo), the busiest square of Florence, full of people lining up to enter the cathedral.

Another very popular square that you’ll undoubtedly pass many times when walking around Florence is Piazza della Signoria. People here are just walking around or chilling in front the sculptures in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (the Old Palace), which include works by Donatello and a copy of the David of Michelangelo.

But probably the most iconic landmark of Florence is the Ponte Vecchio (the Old Bridge), which you will see in most Florence pictures. In a way, this Florence bridge is similar to the Rialto Bridge of Venice, since they both have this unique characteristic of housing shops on top! In this case, they are jewelry shops.

If you are going to visit just one art gallery or museum, make sure it’s the Uffizi Gallery. It has words from Boticcelli, Raphael, Giotto, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Leonardo Da Vinci, and others. Among other masterpieces, it houses The Birth of Venus and La Primavera by Botticelli.

Another very popular gallery is the Galleria dell’Accademia, though much smaller than the Uffizi Gallery. It’s well worth a visit for its many pieces of art, but it’s best-known for housing the famous David sculpture by Michelangelo.

A beautiful square that you shouldn’s miss is Piazza della Signoria, famous for its beautiful statues and the grand Palazzo Vecchio. It’s a hub of art and history.

You can also visit Piazza della Repubblica, a square that marks the ancient center of the city, standing where the Roman forum once stood. Now, you’ll find there a charming carousel and elegant cafes.

There are also off-the-beaten-path attractions in Florence that you shouldn’t miss. These were actually my favorites!

For example, visiting one of the oldest pharmacies in the world was probably the highlight of my time in Florence. They have the most exquisite perfumes on display you can imagine, including one made from their own centuries-old recipe.

Venice or Florence?: Value For Money

Both being such famous cities, which so many people in the world dream of visiting once in their lifes, accounts for very expensive prices, as you can imagine.

But do you get high quality and value in return for your money? Let’s take a look at which was the best place for value for money in me experience: Florence or Venice?

Venice: Value for Money – 5 out of 10

Besides crowds, another reason why I hadn’t considered including Venice in my previous trips to Italy was because of its reputation for being a very expensive city.

Countries and cities I usually travel to offer very good value for money, and I was thinking Venice wouldn’t be one of them.

I wasn’t wrong.

It couldn’t actually be otherwise, considering the high demand and very limited space, as it’s an island.

What I did find surprisingly cheap, though, were souvenirs that they would sell at street stands. For example, you could get Venice magnets from around 1 euro.

Venice: Value for Money in Accommodation

I usually stay at Airbnbs, but finding an affordable one in Venice was impossible. There were just maybe 3 places that were less than 120 euros a night, and they didn’t seem good value for money.

In the end, we found this one hotel that wasn’t outrageously expensive; it was very basic, but it was okay. Every other hotel that we checked seemed really overpriced.

By the way, you can check out the prices at Hotel Adua here, the hotel that we stayed in, if you are looking for an affordable place (basic but great location).

Venice: Value for Money in Food

Food was also more expensive than in other Italian cities. For example, dishes are generally 15 euros in the average Italian city, or even 8 or 10 euros in the South of Italy. For the same dishes, expect to pay 25+ euros in most places in Venice.

Additionally, it was very expensive to sit down and have a coffee. Perhaps the coffee would cost 4 euros, but just to sit down at a cafe, you had to pay a coperto of an extra 3 euros (per person). You can just have an espresso standing at the bar, though, and don’t pay a cover.

I guess restaurants and cafes are so expensive partly because the transportation system is so different and things have to be delivered by boat. And of course rentals must be so high. But all of that means you end up paying more for the same.

Florence: Value For Money: 6 out of 10

In terms of value for money, Florence was a bit better than Venice.

Florence: Value for Money in Accommodation

Especially in regards to accommodation. I don’t mean that accommodation is cheap in Florence. But because it’s a bigger city with more available space (it’s not an island) there are more options.

Also, there were much more Airbnbs in a lower price range than in Venice. We ended up paying less for our own mini studio in Florence than for our room with a shared bathroom in Venice. The place was perfect and in the historic center.

Value for Money in Food

Food was also less expensive than in Venice. Or at least it felt that the value was better. Because restaurants in Florence are more spread around the city, there were lots of options in different price ranges.

Especially if you go a bit away from the center, you can find very good value meals of excellent quality. Not necessarily cheap, but you are paying for quality. But the coperto charge was still high.

Around the main touristy areas though, expect to eat a terrible and soggy small sandwich to-go for around 8 euros. Anything better will be much more.

Speaking about food, there was also more variety in Florence. Just as an example, we are vegetarians, and it was way easier to find vegetarian pasta or other kind of food in Florence than in Venice.

Venice or Florence?: Crowds

I have visited both Venice and Florence in June. June is part of the high season in Italy, which goes from June to August. And both being such famous cities, you can expect them to be very crowded.

Honestly, crowds are the reason I had not included them in my Italy itineraries in my previous trips to Italy. I usually prefer to travel to smaller and more calm cities.

But in this trip I was planning to visit mostly the Emilia Romagna Region, which is in between Venice and Florence. Being so close to both cities, it was time to include them in my plans.

So which one was more crowded: Venice or Florence?

Venice: Crowds – Very Crowded But not Claustrophobically

Whenever I thought of Venice, before visiting it, I imagined a city completely full of tourists that I would want to avoid.

The first part proved to be true. Venice is really absolutely filled with tourists in the main historic areas, which are the big majority. The island is big, and basically wherever you walk you will be surrounded by many tourists, everywhere.

You will notice this immediately, especially if you arrive by bus from the airport. As soon as you enter the historic center (after 2-minute walk), there will be a crowd of tourists going here and there with their suitcases, and people just wandering around, from one bridge to the next.

From the parts that I visited, there was just one area where I actually saw locals sitting down in cafes, children playing in the streets after school, and local families. That was the area near the hospital.

In all the rest of Venice, there were lots of tourists.

BUT it didn’t bother me.

Even though it was so crowded, it didn’t feel the way it would have felt in any other city with the same amout of people. This was mainly because the whole island is pedestrian-only (except for the boats in the canals).

So while in other cities you would have cars, scooters or bicycles in the middle, and the sidewalks full of people, this wasn’t the case there. Some of the streets were wider than others, but you never felt like you had to be aware not to bump against other people.

This is what I meant when I wrote that they didn’t feel claustrophobic (even though the term doesn’t really apply since it’s an open space).

If you are staying just for a couple of days, crowds are totally manageable.

Florence: Crowds – Very Crowded, Way Too Much

Florence was another city that I thought would be very crowded. Though, for some reason, probably because Venice is more famous, I though it would be less crowded than Venice.

In reality, both cities were equally crowded. Florence is absolutely full of tourists, everywhere in the historic center, which is big.

Everywhere you go, besides couples, groups of friends and families, there would be big tourist groups everywhere. Some were big groups of people either from high school or university, plus other walking tours.

But what made it feel way more crowded, is that sidewalks are really narrow for the amount of tourists that there are. Sidewalks were always full, so it felt like an obstacle game where you have to constantly walk in zig zag to be able to actually walk and to avoid cars.

That made what should be a normal experience of walking in the streets, very tiring. For me, it personally felt overwhelming. To the point that instead of exploring the city the whole day, I chose to stay at the hotel for several hours on most days.

Take into account that my experience of Florence was during June. Crowds will be bigger in July and August.

So ideally try to visit Florence during the low season, and you will get to enjoy much more this beautiful city, being able to appreciate what it has to offer instead of feeling stressed because of the huge amount of people surrounding you.

Venice or Florence: Ease of Transportation

Both cities differ a lot in terms of ease of transportation. Let’s start with Venice.

Venice: Transportation: Difficult

Like I mentioned before, Venice is composed of several tiny islands, all linked to each other by small bridges. The landscape of the bridges and canals is like a dream.

That means that there are no cars or bicycles on the island. The roads are only for pedestrians. For many travelers, this is ideal.

You can go everywhere by foot. You don’t need to worry about traffic and there’s no pollution. For me, for example, this was a great advantage instead of a disadvantage.

But unfortunately, if you have mobility problems, if you are not used to walking, if you can’t easily walk up or down (the bridges have steps), if you are in a wheelchair or have to carry a stroller, Venice is not for you. Its bridges will make it almost impossible for you to get around with easiness.

Nevertheless, that shouldn’t be an impediment, since you could potentially admire the city on a gondola ride.

There are also vaportettos, or water buses, that have several stops around the island. But they don’t enter small canals, which make up the majority.

And there are water taxis, private boats that can take you anywhere. They are expensive, though, but if money is not an issue, that’s the solution.

Florence: Transport -Easy

In contrast to Venice, Florence is very well connected by buses, and there are even a couple of tram lines running through the city. You can easily get anywhere without much of a hassle.

You just pre-buy your bus ticket beforehand at any tobacco shop or pay a bit more and buy it on the bus itself. And if you take the tram, you can get one at the machines in the tram stops.

Otherwise, of course you can reach any place by taxi.

There is a lot of traffic in the city center, though, since roads are narrow.

But traffic shouldn’t be much of a problem because you can reach all of the important attractions on foot. Personally, the only time I took a bus and a tram was to get back to the airport.

In any case, the city is well-connected, allowing you to easily access taxis, trams, or buses. This makes it an excellent destination for group travel, especially for those who may not be accustomed to extensive walking. For example, it can be a nice destination for a bachelorette trip or family vacations.

Venice or Florence: Base for Day Trips

If you are going to spend time in either Florence or Venice, you might want to them as a base from where to explore other nearby cities or towns.

Let’s see what good options you have in both of these places, so that you take them into account at the moment of deciding.

Venice: Day Trips from Venice – great options around, but not ideal to do them

If you are staying in Venice, you have some great options for towns you could visit from there.

The only drawback is that it might not be so easy to get to the train station if you are not staying close by or if you don’t stay near a vaporetto (water bus) stop. That might mean a lot of walking, which can be tiring when you come back at the end of the day.

That means that Venice might not be the best base for planning day trips. The other reason is that Venice is pretty expensive and it’s absolutely beautiful, that I would suggest you make the most of your time there by staying there.

But if you have enough time in Venice and money is not an issue, here are some towns near Venice that I visited and recommend. They are in order of what I consider to be the best options.

Verona (1 and a half hour train ride from Venice)

Verona is a very famous Italian city because it’s where the Romeo and Juliet love story took place. That means you can visit the (of course, fictional) Juliet balcony and tomb, plus the house of Romeo. But beyond these romantic but overly marketed spots, Verona is a really beautiful city.

And unlike Venice, it’s not mainly a city for tourists (even though there are lots of them) but for locals.

Treviso (a 35-minute train ride from Venice)

Treviso is a cute small town which is also called the “mini Venice”, because it also has a few canals. I think the nickname “mini Venice” is a bit exaggerated since it’s such a different place.

But if you are looking for a beautiful quiet town, this is a great option. I personally loved it. And it’s really close to Venice. Plus you can get to eat the original tiramisu, which comes from Treviso!

Vicenza (a 45-minute train ride from Venice)

If you like architecture, Vicenza is the place for you. Andrea Palladio, a famous Italian architect, built several impressive buildings in Vicenza that have become important Italian landmarks.

Especially, make sure to visit the Olympic Theatre, which has the oldest scenography of a theatre in the world. I had no idea of what to expect, and even though it’s of course just one room, it’s nothing like you have seen before! It’s an ancient sculpted scenogaphy in 3D. Just go and check it for yourself.

Padua (Padova) – A Quick 30-Minute Train Ride from Venice

Padua is a hidden gem not far from Venice. If you’re intrigued by history and art, it’s the perfect day trip, just a half-hour by train.

The city’s star attraction is the Scrovegni Chapel, with its stunning frescoes by Giotto. It’s a masterpiece of early Renaissance art that you simply can’t miss. But remember, you need to book ahead to see it!

Don’t forget to wander through the University of Padua, one of the world’s oldest, and take a peek at the historic Anatomy Theatre.

Padua gives you a more authentic taste of Italy, away from the tourist crowds. With great food and a relaxed atmosphere, Padua is totally worth visiting.

Florence: Day Trips from Florence: great options and easy to get around

Florence is very well connected by buses, so you won’t have a problem easily reaching the train station.

In contrast to my thoughts about day trips from Venice, I do think that going on day or even weekend trips from Florence can be a good idea.

On one hand, Florence is slightly cheaper than Venice, or at least you get better value for your money, so you won’t be overspending in Florence just to get away.

On the other hand, Florence can feel really crowded during the daytime. However, at night it’s gorgeous. It’s still fully alive with people walking in the streets, sitting in a square or listening to street musicians.

It has a more relaxed vibe, instead of groups going from one sightseeing spot to the next. The illumination of the buildings is really beautiful. And of course, there are way less people out than during the day.

So you can enjoy your day out on a trip and return in the evening to savor Florence at night.

There are several interesting options for day trips, some way more touristy than other ones. Let’s take a look at what these options are.

Siena (1 hour train ride from Florence)

Siena is generally the first choice for travelers that want to do a day trip from Florence. The feeling that you get when you visit it as that you are transported back to the Middle Age as you walk among its terracotta-colored houses. For most people, it’s one of the top places to visit in Tuscany. Take a look at this post for some ideas of what you can do in one day in Siena.

Chianti (a 35-minute drive from Florence)

Chianti is also a very popular day trip from Florence, ideal if you want to go through the picturesque Tuscany countryside to stop at vineyards for Chianti wine tasting. Because of how appealing it sounds, of course, it will be a very touristy destination as well.

The drawback is that you can’t get there by train. It’s possible to get there by bus, though of course the easiest option would be driving or going on a wine tour.

Pistoia (40-minute train ride from Florence)

Looking for a much less touristy day trip from Florence? Then visit Pistoia, a beautiful small town, rich in Medieval architecture, with a very local vibe. Make sure to visit their daily market (except on Sundays) at Piazza della Sala, which has been going on since the Middle Ages.

So Florence or Venice, Which is Better?

Who is the winner, Florence or Venice? Of course, we can’t really say that one city is objectively “better” than the other one, since it all depends on your preferences.

But, I can tell you, that based on my own experience and preferences, Venice came out as the winner. I had not imagined that I would like Venice so much. I have traveled to 30+ countries and Venice has become one of my favorite cities.

In terms of the comparison against Florence, Venice won in sightseeing and crowds. This was mainly because I found it incredibly beautiful (sightseeing) and crowds were less annoying because there were not cars or bicycles (even though it was very crowded).

On the other hand, Florence outperfromed Venice in terms of value for money, ease of transportation and as a base for day trips.

I do find value for money very important, but in absolute terms, Florence is very expensive too. It’s just that one is more expensive than the other one; it’s not that Florence was a good value for money objectively speaking. Still, you get more for what you pay.

Also, there’s no doubt that it was easier to get around by public transport in Florence than in Venice. This might be a drawback for you if you are not used to walking so much.

And even though Florence is more convenient than Venice as a base for day trips, for me personally, that factor is not determinative. You don’t really need to do a day trip if it’s it inconvenient, but you can just change base if you want to visit another town.

But whatever city you decide on, be it Florence or Venice, be sure you will be visiting a gem of an Italian city. And why not, you can even go on a day trip from Florence to Venice or viceversa and that way you get to see both cities!