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.

You may think, given Venice’s reputation as one of the most expensive vacation destinations in Europe, that finding cheap Venice hotels will be difficult. It can well be, if you’re not aware of a few tricks and inside information that you’ll need in order to ensure that you don’t pay a premium price when your booking your Venice accommodation.

Granted, Venice isn’t a package holiday resort destination. That means you’re not going to find discounted vacation packages that aim to fill planes and hotels with family sunseekers and weekend revellers. The simple logistics and image that Venice projects doesn’t allow that (thank goodness!). Venice is quite simply an expensive place to be, whether you’re a citizen or a tourist. When you’re living in a centuries-old building surrounded by water where everything has to be transported to your home by boat, things are bound to be expensive.

At the same time, like everything else in life, if you research things a little, you find bargains. By ‘bargain’ I mean a good, clean hotel that’ not miles away from sightseeing hotspots, with friendly service at a below-average price.

Here are five tips on balancing your budget when you’re staying over during your holiday in Venice.

Venice hotels overlooking a canal will always be more expensive.

Don’t stay near Rialto Bridge or St Mark’s Square. These are the main tourist areas where most of the sightsteeing attrations are situated. It’s also the shopping district of Venice. All that means that it’s the area where you’d expect the most expensive hotels to be, and I don’t mean only five star establishments. You’re going to pay a premium either way, no matter what the star rating of the accomodation establishment in that area is. The nice thing about Venice is that getting anywhere by vaporetto is easy and quick, so that you’re never far from everything. I’ve stayed in places all over Venice, and have never felt like I was ‘out of the way’. You’ll find the best priced, good quality hotels in places like Canoreggio, which is off the tourist circuit of Venice.
Stay on Lido island. Lido is only a ten minute vaporetto ride away from Venice, but you’ll get a large room (by European standards) and much more facilities than you would in Venice itself. Lido has much of the vibe of Venice, even though it doesn’t have Venice’s labyrinth of canals and alleyways.
Consider an apartment rather than a Venice hotel. You can often get twice the square meterage for the same price that you’ll pay for an en-suite bedroom if you book yourself a Venice apartment. I’d only stay in a hotel in Venice if I’m staying at a top class establishment, or a place with a view over a canal. Venice apartments offer much, much better value than hotels in the bottom range of the market. And you can treat yourself to a home cooked Italian meal, and coffee in bed!
Consider a stay at a convent. There are a number of convents in Venice that you can stay over at. These are religious institutions run by nuns, but who take in visitors for a reasonable fee. The accommodation there is normally quite spartan, but expect it to be very clean and neat. Don’t mistake the glumness of the nuns for bad service – it’s simply their way of going about things. One convent that comes highly recommended is Casa Caburlotto, about fifteen minutes from the Venice train station, or about 5 minutes’ walk from the Piazzale Roma vaporetto station.
Limit your eating out. Unless you’re a total foodie, is it really necessary to eat in restaurants ALL the time? Have one memorable evening out where you pick a good restaurant for a candle lit dinner. If you have extra cash or the budget for it, combine it with a gondola ride. The rest of the time in Venice shop at xxx, Venice’s best supermarket chain, for fresh breads and cheeses, some tasty condiments and bottle of good red wine, and make that your standard meal. You’ll be saving yourself a fortune, as restaurants in Venice are priced on the high side, even if the food is generally special.
Pick your season carefully. While Venice’s tourism season has been spreading out in recent years, holiday times are still a signal for hotels to up their prices by as much as 30%. Sometimes making your vacation a week earlier or later (especially in March and October) can make a hefty difference in the cost of your accommodation. The cheapest season in Venice is mid-January to mid-March.

If you’re young and adventurous, Venice and its surrounding islands also have a number of youth hostels and camping grounds to consider.

You may have heard people say that it’s much cheaper to stay over in Mestre, the mainland town just across the sea from Venice island. Cheaper yes, but believe me, you haven’t been to Venice if you haven’t stayed over at least one night on the island. The atmosphere at night, with lights glimmering and reflecting in the canals, is the best time to experience the true Venice – mythical, magic, and superbly romantic.