Venice is enchanting and fabulous. There is no other word for it. Exploring the small canals and walking round the little streets and piazzas are another world. We did not notice any of the smells and aromas they say Venice is also famous for. St Marks square had been flooded on the high tides a fortnight or so before so the canal system would have been flushed.
The Michelin Green Guide to Venice is a must and reading the ecological story of the city and why modern Venice is literally sinking and destroying itself is very sad.

There are hundreds of places to eat, but stay away from the main tourist squares where it can be expensive.
We bought the "Biglietto turistico" [Tourist tickets] for the "Vaporetto" [water buses.] these give unlimited travel on any routes for twenty-four hours from purchase. They cost €9.30 apiece and were well worth it. We went up the main Grand Canal and just kept getting on and off as we wished.
St Marks Square at night is another must. It is all lit up with the bars and cafes providing musical accompaniment. The other essential is a Gondola ride. Extortionate in price - but what are holidays for and you are only there once.
We had a very full but satisfying day. The hotel Locanda "Al Leon" was very centrally situated and was air-conditioned which we appreciated as the temperature was 38C.

The following morning we took the waterbus to the Lido. This is the beach side of the lagoon. This is another different part of Venice. There are cars buses and bicycles on this side! We spent a relaxing morning on the beach in the sun writing postcards. We returned on another different waterbus to find somewhere for lunch before taking our gondola ride. Using our tickets for the last time we returned to the Tronchetto car park the long way round and then drove back to San Felice.

Travel tip 1
Beware the spiffs in the car park. They will try to direct you to the unauthorised water taxis to take you over to the main part of Venice. They charge €10 a head that seems reasonable till you find out later that you can get 24 hours for that! Also they tell you it is quicker but it is not by the time they wait to catch enough people to fill their boat.

Travel tip 2
Do NOT use the water taxis [as opposed to the bus] unless cash is no object. They look very sleek and inviting but cost a fortune and they even charge extra for a case or a bag.

David Cuff. CLIC. September 2002