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Venice To Chioggia: Another Lagoon Town
An hour south of Venice, Chioggia has canals, bridges, and a fishing fleet that still goes out every morning.
- Venice
- ›Chioggia
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Another option
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Famous places are famous for a reason and we are not going to pretend otherwise. But most of them have a quieter neighbour a short ride away that does something similar, or something completely different, with fewer people in the frame. These five pairs are our favourites.
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Santorini To Naxos: A Calmer Cyclades Option
A few hours by ferry from Santorini, Naxos trades caldera views for beaches, mountains, and a real town center.
- Santorini
- ›Naxos
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Paris To Lille: A Different Kind Of French City
An hour north of Paris by high-speed train, Lille has a different architectural tradition and a much quieter pace.
- Paris
- ›Lille
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Amsterdam To Haarlem: Fifteen Minutes Away
A fifteen-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal, Haarlem has canals and gabled houses without the crowds.
- Amsterdam
- ›Haarlem
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Florence To Lucca: Tuscany At A Slower Pace
Less than 90 minutes from Florence, Lucca is fully walled, largely car-free, and moves at a noticeably slower pace.
- Florence
- ›Lucca
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The honest version: go to Venice. Then take the bus down the lagoon to Chioggia and see what a working version of the same landscape looks like. That is the whole idea of this section.
Your Next Trip Doesn't Have To Be A Straight Line
Pick a city you already know, then find the loop around it. That is usually where the trip gets interesting.