Gondolas are possibly the most recognisable ‘face’ of Venice, and are associated with romance, style and a touch of the classic Italian way of life. You’ll notice them on the bustling canals of Venice plying their trade,  or  gliding up and down the bustling Grand Canal and along the the quieter side canals.

The origins of the name ‘gondola’ remains an enigma that has tickled the imagination of many a poet and writer. Its history is clsoely interwoven with the development of Venice as a city, and stems from the days when rowing and sail boats were a major form of transport around the island.

The manufacture of a true Venice gondola is an intricate art involving eight different types of wood, almost three hundred individual parts, and special paintwork done by qualified artisans. You’ll recognise them by the golden ‘blade’  capping the prow, and of course the shiny black finishing, which is regulatory. The seating of a gondola can accommodate up to four people (although I’ve seen many more cram into one) and the seating area is a rich decoration of red velvet and gold ornamentation.

The gondoliers vary from ‘true blue’ ones that wear the customary black and white shirt with yellow straw hat, to informal ones that don’t particularly dress up for the job. It’s a good idea to look around before you book your gondola ride for a gondolier that looks like he takes his job seriously. Many of them row (or ‘plug’, as it’s called) very nonchalantly and pass by the vaporetti surprisingly close, causing the gondola to rock to and fro, while all the time maintaining a cell phone conversation and smoking a cigarette! Not the most romantic image, as you can imagine.

While you can customise the length and route of your gondola ride, they generally last about fifty minutes. The cost of a gondola ride is about $80, although this varies considerably according to the time of day and whether it’s peak season or not. Expect to pay extra for things like serenading.

If you’re on a tight budget, you can club together with friends and share a gondola, which makes it considerably cheaper. And if you’re really cash strapped but would still like to get the feel of a gondola, you can settle for a traghetto ride across the Grand Canal. A traghetto is a stripped-down version of a true, full-blown Venice gondola that is commonly used by both tourists and locals to get from one side of the canal to the other, at less than one Euro a ride. While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of a traditional gondola, it’s still fun, and you’ll have spare cash for dinner and a gelato later on!

I hope the first thing you unpack when you reach Venice will be a map of the city, because believe me, you’re going to need it!

Venice is an ancient city without much discernable structure in its layout and design, since it developed more or less organically and hasn’t changed all that much. It’s made up of seemingly countless alleyways, courtyards, and canals that intersect sometimes at odd angles with lots of cul-de-sacs thrown into the mix. If you intend exploring Venice on foot – and that’s certainly the best way to do it – you’ll need a good map to guide you around the city if you want to avoid getting hopeless lost (getting lost once or twice is fine and adds to the adventure, but after that it gets a bit frustrating…). The other reason for packing a well-designed and informative Venice map before leaving home is that it’ll make your travelling around Venice by Vaporetto (water bus) much easier if yoiu have a map of the different routes at hand, especially as these can be a bit confusing at first.

What to look for in a good Venice map

Does it have a street index? There aren’t many of them, but if you can locate a street map of Venice that also has a street index, that’s an added bonus. The dense streets of Venice making finding a particular street difficult – ask me, I’ve spent ages looking for the street in which my hotel is just after arriving. And it’s not fun doing that at 10pm!

Is it the latest issue? Though the streets in venice won’t change much – if at all – the water bus routes sometimes change, so you need to have a map with up-to-date information on.

Does it identify sightseeing highlights? Having particular museums or monuments that you want to visit on the map makes planning your day trip or sightseeing route much easier. Having them on the map makes locating them so much easier, and could well save you much time and effort.

Don’t skimp, go for a LARGE one. The streets and alleys of venice are incredibly narrow and wind their way around. This means that on many maps the street names are printed extreme small and at weird angles. Walk around Venice early evening and at night and you’ll see countless tourists standing under street lights trying to decipher their maps. This is especially true if you wear glasses or have impaired vision. Rather spend more on a decent size map than skimping and having a hard time trying to read maps.

You’ve heard about the beautiful city of Venice in nothern Italy, and probably seen photos that feature a few of the city’s most outstanding characteristics such as its canals, the gondolas that sail on them, and the romantic palaces from the Renaissance era that line the banks of the Grand Canal. So now you’re decided to visit, and have started planning! That’s great, rest assured Venice will be one of the highlights of your life and you’ll always have fond memories once you return from your Venice holiday.

It’s small wonder that the 1 500-year-old Venice is one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions – more than 15 million tourists visit the city each year. The island city simply is one of the world’s most enduring wonders. Painters, poets and writers have praised the city throught the centuries, with many of them residing in it for at least part of their lives.

The fish-shaped Venice island of about 400sq kilometers is situated in a lagoon  about 5 miles off the coast of Italy, and is connected to the mainland via a vehicle and rail bridge. The city itself is made up of 118 ‘islands’ – this being a slight misnomer as it is only the city canals that separate these islands, and there are more than 400 bridges connecting the. So you’ll never feel that you’re on an island.

Venice is a city with a rich history, with almost all the buildings dating from the previous century or before, and you’ll be forgiven for thinking on arrival that it’s one big film set. Even though most of them have been renovated and modernised inside, it gives the whole island an air of mystery, especially when the seasonal mist drifts in over the city.

The best holidays are the most well-planned and balanced ones. When starting to plan your vacation in Venice you need to consider the following:

Getting to Venice: You have a choice of arriving by air at the nearby Marco Polo Airport, or Treviso Airport about 30km away; driving to Venice and parking your car in the (expensive) parking garage at the entrance to the city (no cars are allowed in Venice); arriving on one of the cruise ships that dock in Venice harbour; or arriving by train at the Venice rail station. The city is well-connected with other parts of Italy and is on many international airlines’ schedules, so making a decision how to arrive is easy and straightforward, and will easily slot in with the rest of your italy holiday plans.

Venice accommodation: You can choose between the literally hundreds of hotels, B&Bs, guest houses and apartments for rent all over the city. There are many luxury hotels in Venice such as the Hotel Danieli Venice, and the fabulous award winning Al Ponte Antico Hotel. Midrange and 3 star hotels in Venice also abound, but the real value for money are to be found in the burgeoning number of guest houses that most often feature typical Venitian decor, friendly, personal service, and a good price. A self-contained apartment is a good choice if you’re traveling in a group of four or more, and as these often overlook a quiet canal you’ll be able to see the gondolas glide by. Price vary tremendously even within a certain type and standard of accommodation, being depedent also how close it is located to the main attractions within Venice.

Hotel reservation in Venice is easy these days since you can do it online, but remember to book well in advance as hotels fill up quickly during peak seasons.

Plan your sightseeing: Your decision to visit Venice probably means you’re interested in history, art, culture, and Italian food. Venice is filled to the brim with historical buildings, art galleries, museums, churches and craft shops. There are about twelve or so must-see buildings and museums in the city itself that will take you about three full days to visit. After that you can go on two or three trips to visit the islands around Venice, in particular Murano, known for its world famous art glassware, and Burano, known for its intricate lacework. Even if you stayed for several months you’d still be discovering exquisite sights, but I’d say anyone visiting Venice for less than three days is missing out on the soul of this great city.

Get ready for shopping! Venice packs a bewildering range of shops in a surprisingly small area. Along the tourist streets of Rialto bridge and St Marks Square you’ll find international brand names, while four streets away you’ll see mask making studios, and quaint art shops. Wander around the lesser-known sestiere (areas) of Venice and look out for treasures at second hand and collector’s book shops before stopping off for an ice cream at a sidewalk cafe. While Venice is not a bargain hunter’s dream destination, it’s definitely the place to find unique and beautiful items found nowhere else in the world.

Eating out: You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing where to eat during your stay in Venice. The city has dozens of top restaurants offering culinary delights unique to Italy in general and Venice in particular. The city has a history as a fishing port and this is reflected in its excellent sea food dishes. But don’t leave without tasting the local gelati (ice cream) which compares with the best in the whole of Italy.

Remember, Venice is an expensive city and unless you have money to burn you need to do early planning and a bit of research to get good value for your money. Try to make your bookings as early as possible – preferably  at least 3-6 months in advance. Once you’re there, you’ll be much grateful that you’ve planned your Venice holiday in order to make it the most memorable experience of your life.