Venice

Venice is in north-eastern Italy, which sits between the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west.

Venice is a walking city, full of labyrinthian streets and lots of bridges so comfortable shoes are a must.

If using a vaporetto (canal buses), make sure you have your ticket stamped at the first station you visit.

The Piazza San Marco, the Bell Tower, St Mark's Basilica and the Grand Canal are all very popular attractions here. There are also lots of art galleries and cathedrals/churches to visit, such as San Zaccaria, St Mary of the Friars and Santa Maria dei Miracoli, as well as shops, bars and restaurants. It can get very busy in high season.

Other places of interest include the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Ca' Rezzonico Palace and Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

Glassware, Burano lace table linen and carnival masks are all popular buys.

Apart from the usual pasta and pizzas on offer, seafood features highly on menus. Other local dishes include polenta, 'sepe al nero' (cuttlefish cooked with their ink lagoon), 'fegato ała venesiana' (liver and onions) and 'bigołi in salsa' (bigoli pasta with an anchovy and onion sauce).

The nearer you are to the Piazza San Marco, the higher the prices!

Venice Cruise Terminal is located in the west area of the city, between Tronchetto Island and Piazzale Roma. In this area there are 3 terminals (cruises, ferries and hydrofoils).

Some cruise lines offer a complimentary water shuttle between the port facility of Venezia Terminal Passeggeri and San Marco. Alternatively, Alilaguna offers water bus service from Stationze Marittima, direct from the end of the port (in front of the terminal) to San Marco or take the
People Mover (about a 15 minute hike) that's adjacent to the port. It will take you to Piazzle Roma, where you can get an ACTV water bus.