Venice is a car-free lagoon city of canals, palazzi and Byzantine mosaics. Days are best spent getting lost in quiet backstreets; visit in spring or autumn, and book a night's stay to see it empty of day trippers.
Good to know
- Day visitors pay an entry fee on certain days; check the city's rules before you go.
- Use vaporetto (water bus) passes; they are cheaper than taxis and gondolas.
- Acqua alta flooding can happen in autumn and winter; waterproof boots help.
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Places the planner can use
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Traditional gondola through quiet side canals; agree the price before boarding.
Venetian painting from Bellini to Tintoretto in a former convent.
Modern art in a canalside palazzo, with Picasso, Pollock and Dali.
Golden Byzantine mosaics inside and the grandest piazza in Europe; go first thing to beat queues.
Gothic palace of Venice's rulers with grand halls, the Bridge of Sighs and the prison.
Hop between bacari (wine bars) for small snacks and a spritz, the local way to eat.
The world's original ghetto, with museum, synagogues and quiet campos.
Ride line 1 slowly from the station to St. Mark's for a floating tour of the palaces.
Historic bridge, fish and produce market in the morning, and a maze of wine bars nearby.
Glassblowing demonstrations on Murano and rainbow-colored houses and lace on Burano.
Short ferry to a long sandy beach, good for a quiet half day in summer.