Insider's Guide - The Venice Carnival on a Budget

When Europe is facing its coldest months of the year, there's something very brightening, lightening and even glittering coming up!

The Venice Carnival is the biggest internationally known event held in Venice, Italy. The carnival tradition with decorative masks and costumes began hundreds of years ago in the 15th century and has spread today as a worldwide famous known celebration. Our insider's guide will reveal you all the secrets of what, where, when and how to get all the best out of the glorious Venice Carnival!

When to Go

The Carnival related events take place already in the late January and last for a couple of weeks - in 2015 from 31st January until 17th of February. However, we would advice to go during weekends and especially on the final weekend of the festive season, since that's when the most fascinating events and atmosphere can be experienced. Or if you have a chance, on the last evening of the carnival - in 2015 on Tuesday the 17th - the whole city of Venice gets crazy and goes totally nuts with the very final celebrations of the Carnival!

What to Do

If you haven't got your mask on yet and don't really feel like buying one on the spot, another alternative is to have it painted on your face. There are many types of artistic face paintings available throughout the streets of Venice in all the different colours of the rainbow, from metallic glow to sparkling glitter. Choose which one seems like your type of a mask and get the party on with this washable decoration!

Several activities during the carnival, such as attending a fancy costume ball at a top hotel might be yet pricey. Instead of this, we recommend the best activity for getting to the carnival spirit of Venice is people watching and spotting in their unique, imaginative and romantic costumes. This can be enjoyed for free everywhere on the public places, especially around St. Marks's Square and the harbour area surrounding it with its several, picturesque bridges – including the famous Bridge of Sighs.

What to Eat and Drink

If you get hungry during the day, don't worry! Venice is known for it's delicious cicchetti, a Venetian version of tapas, which are served along with a glass of wine in small, local side-street bars. This can be anything from deep-fried cheese to rice balls stuffed with meat or vegetables, and it's a great and affordable way to experience the several flavours of Venice. In addition, there's also a very special delicacy "officially" available only during Carnival time - Frittelle, which consist of fried egg-base pastry filled with several delicious different fillings. To read more about this special treat, please click here.

A typical Venetian drink for an aperitif is called Spritz, which is a mixture of white wine, Aperol or Campari (more bitter) and carbonated water. Small and cosy bars sell this usually for 2-3 euros a glass. You may also want to dry the popular, Italian sparkling white wine called prosecco – or to make it even more fancy, order a Bellini which is a delicious drink consisting of prosecco mixed with peach juice.

Where to Stay

Venice will be rather crowded during the carnival season, so we highly recommend you to book your accommodation well beforehand! The prices may also rise tremendously due to the festive high demand season, but if you take a little effort you might be lucky enough to find some affordable deals from accommodation providers. Venice may not be known as a destination for budget travelers, yet this doesn't mean there isn't affordable alternatives for visitors travelling on a budget! For example, take a look at our splendid selection of hostels, low cost hotels, B&B's and many more in Venice at HostelsClub.com!

So along with these essential insider's tips, get your Carnival Groove on and head your way to the magical city of Venice!

Photos:Flickr/ Creative Commons; Stefano Montagner, gnuckx, Giorgio Minguzzi