Venice Vacation Rentals @ Home in Venice

Venezia! La Serenissima… She doesn’t just call to you; she grabs you by the heart and says, "Vieni qui (come here)!" And listen to me on this: if you want to know her true heart, you must live there, even if for a few days only, not just visit.

How do you do that? Ditch the hotel! What do you need with a boring hotel when you can have your own little apartment?

My family always says I’m a little crazy; maybe it’s the madness I like, but I tell you… there is no magic in the world like the magic of the morning market. You go, you feel the figs, you pick the perfect tomato, and you argue with the fishmonger—this is living! Then you take your treasures back to your own kitchen, you put on a little opera or listen to songs like these (click to listen), and you make pasta for your family. A simple spaghetti. A little wine from the Veneto… Mamma mia, che bello! This is a pleasure you cannot buy in any restaurant.

This? This is life! You cannot have this in a hotel room! In an apartment, you are the artist, and Venice is your beautiful, delicious canvas.

So for me, in Venice, it’s always an apartment if I am staying more than a day or two, no question. But—attenzione!—not just any apartment. Some are… how do you say… not so good. But I know a few, the real gems. Let me tell you about the places you can stay where you taste the true soul of Venice.

Appartamenti Al'Campanile

Cannaregio! This is the real Venice, my dear! Not like that circus near San Marco. Here, the shops are filled with beautiful, curious things, not just those cheap little magnets.

And the people in the squares? They are Veneziani! You will see the nonni gossiping on their doorsteps and hear the real sound of the city: laughter and conversation, not just rolling suitcases.

If you want to live like you belong here, even for just a week,  stay in Cannaregio. And let me tell you, the very best place to put your heart is Al' Campanile Apartments.

Why? Because it is life! It’s where you will taste your morning espresso at the bar like everyone else, where you will find the little trattoria that makes the best sarde in saor, and where you can find a shop that has been making beautiful paper for a hundred years. It is peaceful, it is magic.

And these apartments? They are your home. Cozy, with everything you need. You can walk to the Jewish Ghetto, to the market... or you can just get wonderfully lost in the tiny calli. It is your secret place in the heart of it all.

Now listen to your Zia Maria: this is not a secret just for us. This beautiful place gets booked! Subito! If you even think you want to go, you book it. Don't wait, or you will be very sad. Trust me on this.

Here is everything you need to know and other reviews. Like I said, this apartment goes quickly, so book early. 

Corte Grimani

The location? Perfetto! You can almost smell the overpriced coffee from the Piazza San Marco! And the Rialto Bridge? Right there! The apartments are very clean and so spacious. The people who work there? Angels! They are so friendly, and they speak beautiful English, so no problems for anyone.

But... I have to be honest. There is one thing, and for me, it is a very big problem. There is no proper kitchen! What am I, a rabbit, to eat only salad? How can I make a proper sauce for my pasta? A tragedy!

Now, some of the apartments, they have these views... che bello! Right over the canal, so beautiful it will break your heart. You must, you must ask for one of these. It makes up for a little, at least, for the kitchen. But still... to not cook in Italy... mah.  For a map, more reviews, photos, and booking details, please click here.

Ca' della Scimmia -Apartments

You step outside your door, and Venezia is at your feet! Everything you dreamed of seeing is just a stroll away.

But remember what I told you? About the magic of the market? Mamma mia, the best part! The Rialto Market, the most famous and the most beautiful in Venice, is just five minutes away with your shopping basket! You can go, you can touch the fish so fresh it’s still dreaming of the sea, you can pick the perfect zucchini flowers... and in ten minutes, you are back in your own kitchen making a feast!

It is the dream, I tell you. The real Venetian life. For more details and photos, please click here.