Venice → Florence Walking Day on 11.17: Luggage Storage Disaster + Moving Breakdown

Venice → Florence Walking Day｜11.17 Luggage Storage Disaster + Moving Luggage to the Point of Collapse, but the Beautiful Scenery Heals Everything! 🚂 Who understands! On November 17th, rushing from Milan to Venice and then to Florence, I was driven to collapse by "overdue luggage storage" and "carrying luggage up stairs," but seeing St. Mark's Basilica and the Bridge of Sighs made it all worth it! 🚤 Venice Chapter: Must-visit spots, but hit a big snag with luggage storage! 1. Transportation & Storage: Direct train + extra charge for 2 minutes overtime! Took the train from Milan Central Station to Venice Central Station, and stored luggage right after exiting the station—warning for a big pitfall! Inside the station, it’s 6 euros for 4 hours, with 1 euro extra per hour overtime; outside the station, it’s 8 euros per day. We didn’t calculate the time well, and with four pieces of luggage 2 minutes overdue, the Italian staff were ruthless, and we ended up paying over 32 euros. Everyone must keep track of time precisely! 2. Walking Tour: From Ponte dei Bareteri to the Bridge of Sighs, with a funny mix-up! - First stop was rushing to Ponte dei Bareteri, then walking to Rialto Bridge, enjoying the vibe of Venice’s water alleys along the way; passed by the famous sunken ship hotel, every snap felt like a cinematic shot. - Checked in at St. Mark’s Basilica: the interior was stunning! But there was no on-site ticket counter, only online booking. Not knowing English or Italian, I struggled a lot to get the ticket. - Visited the Doge’s Palace: 30 euros for the ticket was a bit pricey. I was the only one inside, spent 2 hours and even saw the prison, which was so eerie I hurried out; at the Bridge of Sighs, a mix-up happened—I took photos through the window inside the Doge’s Palace thinking the bridge outside was the Bridge of Sighs, but when I went around to the bridge, I realized “I was already inside the Bridge of Sighs,” so I quickly took the proper check-in photos~ - On the way back, I walked the Ponte dei Bareteri again and unexpectedly found a hidden photo spot on the bridge, every shot was a masterpiece! 🚂 Florence Chapter: Carrying luggage up stairs for half an hour, Chinese restaurant heals everything! 1. Train + Accommodation: Four flights of stairs with four pieces of luggage, exhausted to the point of questioning life! Took the train from Venice Central Station to Florence Santa Maria Novella Station, then walked with four pieces of luggage to the Airbnb. Although the Airbnb was about 6000 RMB for four days, with a 200 sqm room and less than 500 meters from the Florence Cathedral, I got stuck on the “no elevator old building” — it was said to be three floors, but actually had countless corners, and carrying four pieces of luggage upstairs took half an hour! Most old Italian Airbnbs are over a hundred years old and basically have no elevators, so be sure to ask in advance when booking! 2. Food: Chinese restaurant saves the tired soul! After the luggage ordeal, I found a grandma-style Chinese restaurant to eat. One bite of the warm hometown flavor wiped away all the fatigue and frustration, and at that moment, I felt truly satisfied! This day was a journey from the beautiful water alleys of Venice to the old buildings of Florence. Although I hit many pitfalls, looking back at the photos still makes me super happy~ Tomorrow I’m preparing to continue the trip to Pisa + Marmo Castle, looking forward to it! 🙏