Our Extreme Day Trip to Venice (Cheaper Than a Day Out in London!)

I’d never even heard the term “extreme day trip” until a couple of weeks ago, but that’s essentially what we ended up doing last week. Flying from Stansted to Venice and back in a single day, and honestly it was amazing. It felt like we’d gone on a mini break, yet were home to sleep in our own beds!

It all came about because we were trying to plan something nice for my friend’s special birthday. The original idea was a day in London, get the train up, maybe see a show, have a nice dinner somewhere. But when we actually sat down and worked it all out, between train tickets, theatre tickets and a meal out, it was adding up to a lot. And somewhere in that conversation someone said “I wonder if we could actually fly somewhere for the same money?” So we had a look, and it turns out you absolutely can.

A Venice day trip from the UK is genuinely a thing you can do, and what started as a throwaway comment became an extreme day trip from Stansted to Venice that we all loved (and being busy mums, who mostly spend our time juggling the mental load, it felt amazing to do something spontaneous that was just for us, for once!)

Because the whole thing worked out so well and felt like such a fun, doable adventure, I wanted to share all the details in case you’re thinking of doing something similar or just wondering whether a day trip to Europe is actually worth it too...

How We Planned our Extreme Day Trip to Venice from Stansted

When going away or on days out, I’m someone who likes to have a couple of things booked before going, enough that the day has a bit of shape to it, but not so much that you’re rushing between reservations and ticking things off a list. I want the freedom to wander too and decide where we eat or do something in the moment as well.

So for Venice, we booked just two things in advance and left everything else open. Both were through Viator, which I’d come across loads during 2025 when my husband was living in Geneva for work. We were out visiting him all the time, and whenever we wanted to book a day trip or an experience somewhere in Europe, Viator always had so much to choose from, tours, activities, skip-the-line tickets, day trips, all sorts of things in places all over Europe. so It’s now become my go-to for booking bits and pieces when we travel.

For Venice, we booked a water taxi from the airport and a gondola ride. Everything else, we figured out as we went.

Flying from Stansted to Venice

We had a look around online and found Ryanair return flights from Stansted to Venice for £100 each. Then once we confirmed we were def going to do it, the day we were all free was more, so ended up paying £150, but still not bad for a trip to Europe – especially in the Easter Holidays too.

The outbound flight was at 6:30am, so yes it was an early start to get to Stansted, but the return was at 11:30pm which meant we had a full day in Venice from morning right through to late evening.

I think that’s the thing that surprised me most, I’d assumed a day trip to Italy would feel rushed and frantic, but with those flight times we had so much time there. It genuinely felt like a proper day away, not like we were clock-watching the whole time.

Arriving by Water Taxi, A Gorgeous First Glimpse of Venice

One of the things we’d booked through Viator was a water taxi from the airport into Venice, and I’d absolutely recommend doing this if you go. You get these gorgeous first glimpses of Venice appearing across the lagoon as you approach, the buildings slowly coming into view and it immediately felt like we’d stepped into another world. It was such a lovely way to arrive and it really set the tone for the whole day.

One thing worth flagging though, although it’s a lovely (and affordable) way to arrive, do be aware that you might have a bit of a wait at the airport. We essentially joined a queue at the terminal and were let onto the boat in batches once it filled up, and the boats only leave every half an hour or so. For us as three adults it was absolutely fine, but if you’re travelling with little ones, it’s worth being prepared: save some snacks for after the flight, and pop to the loo before you join the queue, as once you’re in line you’ll want to stay put.

The Gondola Ride, Our Extreme Day Trip Venice Highlight

If I had to pick one thing from the whole trip, the gondola ride was it. We’d booked a 30-minute ride and I have to say, it felt like being in a fairytale. Gliding through those narrow canals, under the little bridges, past all these beautiful old buildings, it was genuinely magical and one of those experiences where you just sit there thinking “is this really happening?”

There were three of us and we didn’t go for a private gondola as it was quite a bit more money. The gondolas seat five people, so we were in with another couple, and there’s enough space, that it didn’t impact the experience at all.

If you’re wondering whether a gondola ride is worth it, I’d say do it. I know it sounds like one of those touristy things, but it’s genuinely as wonderful as you’d hope and was easily the highlight of our whole Venice day trip.

Where to Eat in Venice, What We Learned the Hard Way

Food and drink was the one bit of the day we deliberately hadn’t planned. With the water taxi and gondola already booked, we felt like we had enough structure, and wanted the rest of the day to just unfold. My friend had read online before we went that it’s worth avoiding the restaurants in the main squares because they’re notoriously overpriced tourist traps, but when we actually arrived, our very early start was catching up with us, and all we wanted was something small to eat and a strong coffee. So, despite knowing better, we plonked ourselves down at one of the cafés in the square.

And the advice online was right. It was pricy, the food in the display didn’t even look that appetising, and after ten minutes of sitting there (with the place nowhere near busy) nobody had come over to take our order. So we left.

We ended up grabbing a quick panini from a little place down a side street instead, which was so much better and a fraction of the price, and we took it back into the square to eat. (Just be wary of the huge seagulls, my friend had her entire sandwich swiped straight out of her hand before she’d even taken a bite, which was equal parts annoying, startling and absolutely hilarious.)

That said, it is worth spending some time in St Mark’s Square even if you don’t eat there, just to soak up the atmosphere, listen to the bands playing outside the restaurants and take in the stunning architecture.

Getting Lost in the Backstreets (In the Best Way) on our Extreme Day Trip to Venice

From there we wandered into the maze of little lanes and pretty bridges that wind all through Venice, and this is where Venice really came alive for us. There were gorgeous bakeries on every corner, takeaway pasta shops with queues down the road, and the most incredible little delis. We got cannoli to eat then and there (and a box to bring home for our families), and my tiramisu one was absolute heaven, washed down with the strongest, most delicious coffee.

A Hidden Oasis for a Cocktail at The Gritti Palace

It was actually only halfway through the afternoon, when we started talking about how we’d get back to the airport later, that it dawned on us, we hadn’t seen a single car since arriving. Cars aren’t actually allowed in Venice city, which meant we’d need to get ourselves back to the mainland to catch a taxi. So we gave our afternoon wandering a bit of purpose and started making our way in that direction.

After hours on our feet winding through the busy lanes and over the bridges, we stumbled across a tucked-away oasis that ended up being one of the loveliest moments of the day. We were just looking for somewhere to sit and have a drink, and had no idea what was behind the doors on this particular side street. A glamorous five-star hotel with a garden looking straight out onto the water. It was exactly the calming (yet still special) pit stop we needed for an Aperol spritz and a proper sit down to rest our legs.

We didn’t have a reservation, but it wasn’t busy and we got a table straight away. The hotel was the Gritti Palace and I’d absolutely recommend popping in if you find yourself nearby and in need of a breather.

Dinner and Murano Glass Shopping

After our drink we had a wander through a few shops, and I had no idea until this trip that the region is known for its beautiful coloured Murano glass. It really is stunning, and we enjoyed looking at all the varieties in the shops, as well as drinking from it, when in the restaurants and cafes.

For dinner, we headed to one of the little restaurants down a side street (again, exactly the spot you want to be eating in rather than on a main square). We genuinely couldn’t get over how reasonable it was, pizzas, a bottle of wine and a few sides came to just 88 euros for all three of us! I was too busy enjoying my pizza to remember to take a picture, so the only snap I got is of us enjoying the complimentary limoncello they brought us at the end of the meal.

We then had one last stroll, saving the best till last with a gelato in hand, walking along the river as all the lights twinkled on the water in the dark. A perfect final memory of the day.

Getting Back to the Airport in Venice, Taxi Rank vs Uber

When it came to heading back to Stansted, we’d looked up Ubers on the app and it was suggesting very minimal wait times with cars available within a few minutes. But when we got to the area where the roads start again, there was a taxi rank right there with prices clearly displayed in the window and the flat fare to the airport was only 40 euros. So we went with that instead as the Uber rides were between 60-70 euro’s, so it worked out really well.

We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare (our 11:30pm flight ended up delayed by about half an hour), so we had a proper wander round the duty free cosmetics, and then promptly fell fast asleep as soon as we took off. We were so happy to fall into our own beds after clocking up 22,000 steps around Venice, proof, if any were needed, that an extreme day trip to Venice really does feel like a proper mini break.

Because the whole thing worked out so well and felt like such a fun, doable adventure, I wanted to share all the details in case you’re thinking of doing an extreme day trip yourself to Venice or your just wondering whether a day trip to Europe is actually worth it.