We chose to visit Venice, Italy for a weekend quick since our primary vacation spot was Milan, Italy. Let's just say that Venice was one of the best trips I've ever done! We stayed in the San Marco neighborhood and took the bus to Central Venice every day. There are no rental cars or taxis allowed in Venice, so please make sure you bring comfortable shoes to change into because you'll be walking A LOT! Unlike Milan, you cannot use U.S bank/credit cards, so make sure you have enough euros before you arrive. I definitely recommend visiting the San Marco square, the top of San Marco Tower, and Palazzo Ducale. Of course, you have to do the boat ride in the canal to wrap up your Venice experience, which is about 80 euros. I highly recommend spending at least 2 full days in Venice because the experience is absolutely beautiful!
Havana was amazing! We stayed in Old Havana at an Airbnb, which was walking distance to everything, especially to the main taxi street. The Cuban locals were the sweetest and they welcomed us with open arms. If you're not fluent in Spanish, it's fine...locals would go out their way to help us understand. The historic architecture was beautiful along with the food and overall culture. We did not have a tour guide for the entire trip, so we pretty much navigated everywhere on our own (which was great). I recommend going on the vintage car tour, Rum Factory Tour, and enjoying the local shops in Old Havana. If you're looking to escape to a beautiful beach, we took a taxi to Vedado Beach (1hr away) and the water was crystal clear! My biggest suggestion would be to have an explicit daily plan for every day prior to arrival, including maps of each place you wish to visit (the internet is VERY limited). We spent most of our time in Old Havana surrounded by local restaurants, salsa dance classes, and mojito bars. Again, there is limited WIFI, so make sure you have planned EVERYTHING you want to see. If you're interested in staying at the Airbnb for your trip, here's the link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14027947?s=51
Milan is absolutely beautiful! It’s very attractive and charming with romantic and urban balanced vibes. From the architecture to the food, the city is breathtaking. Many people choose to visit Rome, Venice, and Florence because of the “limited” attractions in Milan BUT please do not follow the hype. A few of my favorite things to do in Milan was visiting the Duomo di Milano, Galleria Vittorio, and indulging in authentic Italian cuisine. Italy is a huge fashion capital, so of course, I enjoyed visiting shops around the Duomo as well! I definitely recommend using the city’s metro to navigate through the city to alleviate high priced/limited taxi services. Also, most businesses close from 3-6 p.m. in Milan, but they reopen for happy hour at 6 p.m. (the wait is definitely worth it). If you choose to go out for happy hour, please check out the restaurants near the Navigli District.
We chose to visit Venice, Italy for a weekend quick since our primary vacation spot was Milan, Italy. Let's just say that Venice was one of the best trips I've ever done! We stayed in the San Marco neighborhood and took the bus to Central Venice every day. There are no rental cars or taxis allowed in Venice, so please make sure you bring comfortable shoes to change into because you'll be walking A LOT! Unlike Milan, you cannot use U.S bank/credit cards, so make sure you have enough euros before you arrive. I definitely recommend visiting the San Marco square, the top of San Marco Tower, and Palazzo Ducale. Of course, you have to do the boat ride in the canal to wrap up your Venice experience, which is about 80 euros. I highly recommend spending at least 2 full days in Venice because the experience is absolutely beautiful!
Havana was amazing! We stayed in Old Havana at an Airbnb, which was walking distance to everything, especially to the main taxi street. The Cuban locals were the sweetest and they welcomed us with open arms. If you're not fluent in Spanish, it's fine...locals would go out their way to help us understand. The historic architecture was beautiful along with the food and overall culture. We did not have a tour guide for the entire trip, so we pretty much navigated everywhere on our own (which was great). I recommend going on the vintage car tour, Rum Factory Tour, and enjoying the local shops in Old Havana. If you're looking to escape to a beautiful beach, we took a taxi to Vedado Beach (1hr away) and the water was crystal clear! My biggest suggestion would be to have an explicit daily plan for every day prior to arrival, including maps of each place you wish to visit (the internet is VERY limited). We spent most of our time in Old Havana surrounded by local restaurants, salsa dance classes, and mojito bars. Again, there is limited WIFI, so make sure you have planned EVERYTHING you want to see. If you're interested in staying at the Airbnb for your trip, here's the link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14027947?s=51
Milan is absolutely beautiful! It’s very attractive and charming with romantic and urban balanced vibes. From the architecture to the food, the city is breathtaking. Many people choose to visit Rome, Venice, and Florence because of the “limited” attractions in Milan BUT please do not follow the hype. A few of my favorite things to do in Milan was visiting the Duomo di Milano, Galleria Vittorio, and indulging in authentic Italian cuisine. Italy is a huge fashion capital, so of course, I enjoyed visiting shops around the Duomo as well! I definitely recommend using the city’s metro to navigate through the city to alleviate high priced/limited taxi services. Also, most businesses close from 3-6 p.m. in Milan, but they reopen for happy hour at 6 p.m. (the wait is definitely worth it). If you choose to go out for happy hour, please check out the restaurants near the Navigli District.