Is This Venice?
Cruising from or to Venice? You may end up in Trieste. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Venice is a victim of severe over-tourism and visiting or cruising there can be a crowded challenge. So some cruise lines have opted out of iconic Venice and now base themselves in the small port city of Trieste.
A Grand Canal. But Not In Venice.
About a hundred miles from Venice, Trieste is squeezed into the furthest eastern point in Italy. Any further and you’re in Slovenia. But Trieste’s port is super convenient for cruising the Adriatic and beyond. How convenient? We stayed at the lovely Savoia Excelsior Palace hotel, and walked across the street to our Cunard cruise ship docked less than 300 feet away.
Now that’s close. The Trieste cruise terminal seen from our hotel balcony.
The only logistical downside? You still have to fly to Venice since few airlines serve Trieste directly. That means a 90 mile drive from Marco Polo airport, along the Adriatic shoreline, to Trieste. Our hotel arranged a shuttle ride, but there are bus and rail options—longer and more complicated..
The Romans were here…along with seemingly everyone else.
Jumping on a cruise ship is not the only reason to travel to Trieste. The city is an interesting blend reflecting its history. You will find Roman ruins and Austro-Hungarian gastronomy here. But today’s Trieste is undeniably Italian despite its turbulent past. All of which makes Trieste a fascinating small city to visit before, after, or separate from a cruise.
Sunset at the Piazza Unità d’Italia
Deb Hosey White is an executive management consultant with over thirty years experience working for Fortune 1000 companies. She is the author of Pink Slips and Parting Gifts, a workplace novel based upon those experiences. With English ancestors on both sides of her family, Deb is a serious Anglophile and an avid traveler.
David Stewart White began his adventures in family travel as a child when he lived in Paris and traveled throughout Europe. He is the author of Let's Take the Kids to London His travel articles have appeared in the Washington Post, the Charlotte Observer, Examiner.com, AAA World Magazine, and in numerous travel websites and online magazines.
Beyond Downton Abbey — A Guide to 25 Great Houses was their first collaborative travel writing effort. They followed up with Beyond Downton Abbey Volume 2 to tell the stories of another group of great homes in Britain.
www.beyonddowntonabbey.com/
What this doesn’t discuss is the time, expense, and trouble needed if one actually wants to visit Venice.
I’m sure Trieste is an undiscovered gem. To miss spending time in Venice, is tragic.