3 Nights in Venice

Venice is a city that says adventure and sailing to distant lands. From the 13th-15th centuries it was one of the most luxurious cities in Europe and a great trading empire with the Orient. Today it is a city like no other - intriguing, disorienting and exhilarating. As Henry James said "a visit to Venice becomes a perpetual love affair."

Venice works on so many levels and makes you feel as if you have escaped the everyday. It is a strange, alluring city of gently crumbling grandeur. A place for fantasy and forgetting - there is nowhere better to get away from it all.

Central Venice is divided by the 2.5 mile long Grand Canal. Its 118 islands are separated by approximately 170 canals and connected by 430 footbridges. Only 3 bridges cross the Grand Canal - the Ponte dei Scalzi outside the train station, the Ponte Rialto - made of elegant white marble and by far the most recognisable and the wooden Ponte Accademia.

We brought our 4 year old son along to Venice. The city is magical not just for adults, but also for children. Where else can you cross 20 bridges in one day? Ride a water bus or catch a taxi that is actually a speedboat? Our son had such a great time exploring the labryinth of streets, squares, shimmering canals and endless bridges.

We adored this city but our main highlights were:

* Arriving by water taxi - not the cheapest way to get to your destination, but without doubt the most stylish and the most fun. We got a water taxi from the train station to our hotel on the lagoon - it was the most amazing introduction to this fabulous city and I highly recommend it.

* Standing on the terrace of St Marks Basilica by the famous horses and looking down on St Marks Square below - one of the most beautiful squares in the world.

* Taking a waterbus and travelling the full length of the Grand Canal - drinking in the marvellous views of the faded palazzi, the gondolas, the Rialto bridge and more....

* Taking a gondola ride along the more quiet canals at dusk - touristy and overpriced but unforgettable.

* Wandering along the streets and getting lost, coming upon the beautiful squares by chance, browsing in the shop windows and losing track of time.

* Watching the boats and comings and goings on the lagoon and the other canals and marvelling at how everything in this city arrives, leaves and travels by water - suitcases, laundry, rubbish and even a bride!!

* The patron saint of Venice is St Mark and his body is buried in the Basilica of San Marco. St Mark is represented as a winged lion with his paw on an open book - the Gospel. Everywhere you go in the city, look for the winged lion in all sorts of places - on the red and gold flag of Venice, statues, fountains, door handles, even gondolas. This is great fun for children.

* There are hundreds of bridges over the canals and steps up and down each side. If you have young children, avoid bringing a buggy, as this will involve a significant amount of lugging it up and down and over each bridge.

* The ice cream is delicious and available in lots of different flavours. Also try the pastries - the traditional zaletti (large cookies in plain, chocolate or pistachio) made with cornflour are excellent.

* Venice is a fun place to shop - the opulent windows are filled with colours and textures. There are models of gondolas in all shapes and sizes. Also look out for glass items, mosiacs, masks and gondolier hats.

* If you have a coffee and sit at St Marks Square, be aware of the hidden charges. It may say 8 Euros for a coffee, but do not be shocked if you get a bill for 3 times that. The places on the square charge you for sitting on their chairs and listening to the orchestras. Try one of the other squares for a more reasonably priced drink. There will not be an orchestra, but they are still lovely places to watch the world go by.

* Watch the sun rise on the lagoon (we were lucky as we could see this from our hotel window) - the panorama as the city awakens is one of the greatest spectacles. Also walk the streets late at night when the lights twinkle on the water. Take your camera out at sunset for stunning pictures.

* Be aware of the Aqua Alta - during the notorious tidal high water floods the lagoon backwashes into the city leaving up to 5 or 6 feet of water in the lowest lying streets. St Marks Square, as the lowest point in the city goes first. Floods can start late September but are normally between November and March. The waters recede after a few hours and are virtually gone by noon. There are walkways, but you will get wet feet.

* When you go down the Grand Canal, especially with children, look out fo the ambulance boat, the fire boat, the funeral boat and even the Coca Cola delivery boat. We were especially lucky and even saw a gondola filled with flowers and a bride and groom.

* By and large Venice is considered one of the safest cities in Europe. Violent crime is rare here, although pick pocketing can occur.

* Although Venice is not an obvious choice for children, do not be discouraged as it is surprisingly easy to navigate and children love the boat travel. Food and people are child friendly and most of the important sights are outside. The best way to see the treasures of this city is to wander aimlessy stopping for ice creams en route. The lack of traffic means children can play in the squares or meander in the streets without fear. However none of the canals are properly fenced so beware!

* Although summer is not necessarily the best time to visit Venice, there is never really a bad time. In summer remember to bring mosquito repellent (I got bitten a lot!) and a sunhat. Also bring flat and comfortable shoes.

* Give children a flavour of the city without overwhelming them with culture. Trying to see too much is an easy mistake to make in a city like this. Balance is crucial.

We flew with the low cost airline Ryanair from the UK to Venice Treviso Airport. Apart from their luggage policy of 15kg per person, which cannot be pooled, we were impressed with the airline. The plane landed and took off on time, the aircraft was modern, clean and comfortable and the crew were helpful and friendly.

Treviso Airport though is 30km north of Venice. It is a tiny little airport - we queued outside, close to the runway to go through passport control. Although small, it has everything you need and is fine. When you are leaving, do not go through security until as late as possible, as there is not much to do - no restaurant etc.. There is a nice place to eat before securit - spend your time here.

When we arrived in Venice we picked up a hire car as we travelled on to Verona and the lakes. There is however a regular coach service linking Treviso airport to Venice - Piazzale Roma. We took this coach back to the airport on our departure. It was excellent. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs 6 Euros in a big, comfy, air-conditioned coach.

Venice is really hundreds of islands in a lagoon connected by bridges. No cars are allowed in the city proper - this is a real pedestrian city.

We left our hire car at Mestre station and caught the train over the water to the city. We took a water taxi from outside the station - what an introduction to this watery place! It cost us 60 Euros to get to our hotel on the lagoon - it was fantastic. Like having your own private speedboat - we loved it so much we splashed out when leaving Venice and got a water taxi to Piazzale Roma.

The Grand Canal is Venice's 2 mile main street. Water buses (vaporetto) go up and down the Grand Canal and to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Lines 1 and 82 go up and down the Grand Canal with great views of the palazzos. The circle lines go all around Venice, with stops along the way. Take a vaporetto at least once - you will dodge gondolas and delivery boats and cruise through 1,000 years of history.

We bought 24 hour passes for the vaporettos - I thought they were definitely value for money. We used line 1 and also went to and from Murano.

A tip if you do go on the vaporetto - always try and get a seat at the front - if you sit in the main section, you don't get a great view. We rode the full length of the Grand Canal, then when everyone got off at the last stop, got straight back on for front row seats.

Gondola rides last about 35 minutes. Night time or just before sunset is the most magical time to go. They hold 6 people plus the gondolier. This is a must do. Gondolas are touristy and over priced, but also a fabulous way to see the hidden corners of this unique city.

We took a gondola ride around the smaller canals - the Grand Canal is the same view as the vaporetto. Our gondolier was chatty and friendly and told us all sorts of interesting snippets about his unusal and fascinating job. We went after 7pm and paid 100 Euros for 35 minutes. It is cheaper in the day time - the same ride costs about 80 Euros.

Aside from boats the only way to explore Venice is by walking and losing yourself repeatedly. The city wasn't built to make sense to those on foot, but rather to those plying the canals. We navigated many twisting streets whose names changed constantly and did not appear on any map. Getting lost though is part of the fun.

We stayed 3 nights in this hotel. It had the most perfect location - overlooking the lagoon and less than 5 minutes walk from St Marks Square.

The views from the hotel are stunning - over St Mark's Basin to the island of San Giorgio. It is on the main transportation route - San Zaccaria (number 16) waterbus stop. We had numerous pieces of luggage though, so arrived and departed on a water taxi. The stop for the water-taxi is also just outside the hotel.

We booked the room directly with the hotel - it cost about £300 per night - so not cheap, but nothing comes at a bargain price in Venice. We needed a room suitable for us and our 4 year old son, so opted for a junior suite. We also wanted a water view, and were unable to get all of these requirements confirmed, other than booking directly with the hotel itself.

The room was fairly large - it had a double bed and huge sofa bed for our son. The furnishings were grand and ornate - lots of Murano glass light fixtures and old paintings, dark wooden furniture and opulent wallpaper. There was a mini-bar, hairdryer and flat screen television. The bathroom was also fairly large with a shower.

By far the best thing about our hotel room though was the view. We had 2 full length floor to ceiling windows, each opened out onto a little balcony and a picture perfect scene beyond. The lagoon, with gondolas, cruise ships and other boat traffic coming and going at all hours was just fascinating. When we arrived in the room, we sat for about 2 hours just watching everything. It was wonderful.

The hotel had a restaurant, but we did not have dinner there during our stay. We preferred instead to go a little further afield and try other local restaurants. We did have breakfast though - very nice, but not really luxury standard. You can eat outside on the pavement part of the restaurant or indoors.

The hotel is so convenient - steps away from St Marks Square and with a water bus stop just outside. I would definitely recommend it most highly. It is not cheap, but for a real once in a lifetime treat it is amazing.

This is the heart of Venice and one of the world's most beautiful public squares. It is full of cafes, shops, tourists and pigeons. Since the founding of the Doge's (ducal leader's) house, the Church of St Mark and the bell tower (Campanile) have been landmarks of the square.

The bell tower is the tallest structure on the Venice skyline. It is a 20th century replica of the 8th century original, which collapsed without warning in 1902. You get a bird's eye view of Venice and the square below from the top. It is a great way to get a feel for the shape of the city and front this vantage point there are rooftops galore, but the network of canals is not visible.

The Basilica is the final resting place of St Mark. Venice has 2 patron saints - St Teodoro and St Mark. St Teodoro was there first, but in the 9th century two Venetian merchants stole St Mark's body from Alexandria. St Mark found a permanent resting place in the church on this site.

The church is Byzantine and one of the world's most embellished and distinctive Roman Catholic churches. The sarcophagus of St Mark sits beneath 4 columns in the presbytery. In the shadows of the Basilica, look out for exquisite mosiacs adorned with gold and the altar panel of the Archangel Michael, decorated with garnets, rubies, pearls and sapphires. The floor is also incredible - geometric patterns and exuberant mosiacs.

The terrace area is a good place to visit - it costs 4 Euros to go up there, but you get a lovely view of the square down below and can get close to the 4 bronze horses of St Mark. There is also a little museum with numerous interesting artefacts.

Get to the Basilica early or the queues will be horrendous - whatever the time of year. Also be aware on Sundays you can only enter the church between 2 and 5pm. Do not aim to see everything, just try and get a feel for the oriental extravagance of the place.

The Doge's Palace was once the centre of government. Here dukes ruled for 1,000 years. Each duke was elected for life. The structure is pink and white marble - the work of many architects over the centuries. Inside it is filled with paintings by the greatest Venetian artists. The Scala d'Oro is a grand staircase with frescoes embellished with real gold. The armoury is filled with antique weapons. As you pass through the Scala del Senato, look up at the ceiling for the Triumph of Venice - all prancing horses and puffy clouds. The Bridge of Sighs links the palace with the Palazzo delle Prigoni where prisoners were held after being judged.

We just had a look into the Caffe Florian - the oldest cafe in Italy founded in 1720. It has red velvet banquettes, gilded walls and painted ceilings. You can sit inside or out, but everything costs a fortune!

Our son liked looking out for the lions all around the square. There are lions everywhere - on the clock tower, the entrance to the Doge's Palace, the bronze gate in front of the Campanile, on the Basilica and more.

We also enjoyed going to St Marks several times at different times of the day. In the morning early, you feel as if you have it all to yourself; in the afternoon there is the spectacle of the crowds but best of all after dark it is intensely romantic with its lights and wonderful atmosphere.

After exploring St Marks Square, it is nice to have a stroll down the Riva degli Schiavoni. Our hotel was on this street, but it is a good place to have a wander. The pavement is wide, bustling and busy and it is a great place to watch the boats go by - large car ferries, vaporetti, water taxis, tugs, gondolas, huge cruise ships and pleasure motor boats. The area close to St Marks Square is busy and has lots of souvenir sellers, but if you carry on in the opposite direction to St Marks, it gradually becomes almost empty and is a nice place to sit and look back at the skyline of this fabulous city.

Get to the Basilica early or the queues will be horrendous - whatever the time of year. Also be aware on Sundays you can only go into the church between 2 and 5pm. Do not aim to see everything - we thought it was enough to get a feel for the oriental extravagance of the place.

Right by the Rialto Bridge, along with all the souvenir shops is a wonderful open-air market - the Mercato di Rialto.

This market was once the largest and most important in the Mediterranean. The atmosphere is lively and it feels almost as if you have been transported back through the centuries. Barges arrive throughout the day loaded with fresh produce. Blood red oranges, fresh peas and colourful chillis all look amazing here. There are also little "holes in the walls" where you can buy delicious pastries.

The Cantina do Mori is somewhere to enjoy a glass of wine. It is the vendor's favourite place aparently. There has been a tavern at this spot since 1462. It is pretension free and brimming with bonhomie. There was a crowd of regulars about 4 deep at the bar. The setting is wonderful.

The fish market is also great fun - though it is closed on Mondays. It bustles with all shapes and sizes of fish, crustaceans and exotic creatures that do not resemble anything we had ever seen before.

While you are in this area, also walk over the Rialto Bridge and browse around some of the many souvenir shops. The whole area is very crowded, but worth being jostled a little.

We took a trip to the neighbouring island of Murano. It is most famous for its glass making factories and tourists stroll along the main canalsides which have glass shops and showrooms.

In 1291 Venice's glass furnaces were all moved to this island to protect the city from outbreaks of fire.

Glass is still Murano's trade, although it is a tourist attraction and lots of the glass on sale comes from China! It is a good place to buy gifts though and when we went on a Monday morning, the shops were all uncrowded.

A lot of the stuff for sale is hideous - the small novelty items, horses and chandeliers were, I thought quite tacky, however if you look around, you can find some minimal and stylish pieces.

We were given a "free" boat ride to Murano on check-in at our hotel, but I had read not to do this, so we avoided it. Apparently if you take up this offer, you are expected to buy and pressurised very heavily. We did not fancy experiencing this, so made our own way to the island on the 41 waterbus.

We got off at Faro landing stage and actually walked around the island three times before we actually found a working furnace. They are not very clearly signposted. We wanted to see a glass blowing demonstration.

We paid 1 Euro each to enter a small factory and 50 cents for our son. A guide gave a very brief overview of the art and we watched a craftsman blow one vase and make a glass horse. It was skillful and interesting, but very speedy. Before we knew it we were bustled quickly into their shop and showroom.

We didn't like anything for sale there, but fortunately there was no pressure to buy.

We quite enjoyed our trip to the island, but unless you have lots of time and really feel your trip to Venice would be lacking unless you saw some glass blowing, I would give Murano a miss. Perhaps in the past when most of the glass was not imported, it would have been an impressive place to go. Now, although scenic and very pretty, the glass blowing is really a thing of the past.