Happy New Year, and welcome back to Danielle Oteri’s Italy—we’re starting 2026 in Venice, the Italian city everyone rushes through, with no idea of how much they’re missing. This episode is your invitation to slow down, understand how Venice really works, and get ready for the Venice Destination Deep Dive premiering for paid subscribers on January 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
In this episode
Why most popular Venice advice is shallow, and how “hit‑and‑run” tourism (20–30 million visitors a year, most of them day‑trippers) is reshaping the city.
What changed when large cruise ships were banned, and how the new €5 day‑tripper fee on peak days actually works.
Why Venice is not an ancient city like Rome or Naples, but a preposterous “upside‑down forest” built on millions of submerged wooden piles in a lagoon.
How to experience Venice without the crush
Why a day trip to Venice is “the worst way to see it,” and why staying at least three nights changes everything about your sensory memory of the city.
Practical timing advice: understanding when day‑trippers flood in (roughly 11 a.m.–4 p.m.) so you can have quiet mornings and atmospheric evenings.
Trip‑planning strategy: skipping the Rome–Florence–Venice conveyor belt in favor of flying in and out of Milan and pairing Venice with a few days in Turin.
A local lens with Gillian Longworth‑McGuire
Meet writer Gillian Longworth McGuire, author of the Substack Gillian Knows Best, who spent many years in Rome before making the unexpected decision to settle in Venice.
What drew her to the “real life” of Venice: garbage boats, the total absence of wheels, and the pleasure of living in a city where everything happens on foot or by boat.
How she navigates living near the Arsenale in one of the last streets with mostly Venetian neighbors, and what it means when only 13 longtime residents remain on a street that once held hundreds.
Why her wish for Venice is simple: slow down, stay in Venice proper (not on the mainland), and stay longer than you think you “have time” for.
Glass, budgets, and where to stay
How to experience Murano glass without the timeshare‑style hard sell: asking your hotel to connect you with a trusted furnace, or booking with Wave, a younger collective of master glassmakers and students.
Honest talk about Venice pricing: why Venetians have always been merchants, why Venice is less forgiving than Rome or Florence, and why you need to research carefully and budget more here than elsewhere.
Hotel strategy: why it often pays to spend more for a well‑located, non‑damp, genuinely comfortable room.
About the Destination Deep Dives
What you get as a paid subscriber: a live Zoom premiere, with Q&A, then 50% off the beautifully produced, MasterClass‑style course with video lessons and a fully detailed 5‑day itinerary.
What each Deep Dive covers: what makes the city special and challenging, how to tackle the “must‑sees,” and thoughtful alternatives that help you avoid lines and TikTok‑driven FOMO.
Existing and upcoming Deep Dives: Florence (being migrated to the new platform), Naples (available now), Rome (landing shortly), with Matera, Cilento, and Venice all in the queue.
