Advantages: Superb Architectures, Gondola experiance
Disadvantages: Watch the expenses, and pidgeons

...of the prisoners as they crossed over the bridge Turning right in to St Marks Square, Surrounded by arched arcades and unique monumental buildings, and of course St. Marks Cathedral. It was just a pity that there was so much restoration work being carried out, that a lot of my, view was obscured. Making your way around the town there is 100's of small shops selling everything your heart desires from tacky trinkets to top brand items, Beware though, no cheap knockoff goods here, be prepared to pay top dollar. A real must, is to visit is the Murano Glass factory, and see glass blowing and glass art form at it's best. And perhaps treat yourself to a holiday souvenir Murano glass clown, just pack it well. And of course who could visit Venice without taking a ride in a Gondola .Be warned it can be very expensive, try a bit of friendly haggling over... Read review

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Advantages: Wonderful colour, sights and sounds.
Disadvantages: Never known one.

...their photo taken and are very pleased to let you if you stop them and ask. We spoke to people from Canada, Germany, U.S.A. and Japan. How they came through customs or how much baggage allowance they had is unknown as the costumes where large. The Carnival is early this year, the end of January as it coincides with Shrove Tuesday. Our only draw back in visiting this year is that the restaurant that we visit was sold last year. It was the "Tre Spiedi" and it had been owned by two brothers married to two sisters and they had owned it for 25 years. Our visit to Venice was never complete without visiting there. Whilst in Venice if it is your only trip then we would advise you to visit the island of Murano and Burano, both enjoyable and so different to each other, one for glass and one for lace. We tend to go to Murano (glass) first and then onto... Read review

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Advantages: unique city complete with canals, cheap water taxis, good food, great history!
Disadvantages: can get overcrowded with tourists, canals can be smelly in summer, St Marks Sq quite expensive!

...- this way you can brag that you have been in a Gondola!!!! Places to visit in Venice: Basilica di San Marco (St Marks Basilica) Ponte di Rialto (Rialto bridge) Palazzo Ducale (The Doge's Palace) - beautiful arcitechure! Ponte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs) Ghetto (The Jewish Quarters)- very moving! Also hop on a boat to the Islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is famous for its gorgeous Venetian-point lace, whereas Murano is dedicated to glass-blowing. Both Islands are fascinating and great for little souveniers at a great price! On the Rialto you can find a huge market place full to the brim of hand made glass, lace, jewellery....well almost anything! Its worth a nosy if you have an hour or 2 to spare! The Doge's Palace is the most beautiful Palace in Italy even though it dates from the 15th Century!!! Within the Palace you will find... Read review

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Advantages: Good characters, good descriptions of Venice
Disadvantages: not too thrilling

...Commissario Brunetti and his colleague Vianello "play hooky" on a fine spring day in Venice and leave the Questura to help Vianello's friend Marco, an engineer and ardent ecologist, who's protested in front of a factory on the mainland that poisons the lagoon with its waste and has been arrested. Brunetti succeeds in getting him released, but when they leave the station, Marco's father-in-law, Signor De Cal, appears, the owner of a glass factory on Murano, an island in the lagoon off Venice, all rage and fury. Later Marco's wife confides in Brunetti that she's afraid her father who's repeatedly threatened to kill her husband may indeed do it. When a man is killed in De Cal's glass factory some time later, it isn't Marco, though, but the night-watchman who, as Brunetti has already learnt, is convinced he's being poisoned by the owner... Read review

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Advantages: see text
Disadvantages: I never found any

...and again by small bridges over the canals, are filled with old and interesting buildings. It must have the highest concentration of churches I’ve seen anywhere in the world. It is a photographer’s paradise with eye-catching views around every corner. Buy a weeklong travel pass, which is excellent value and allows unlimited use of waterbuses to and from the main sites and travel to neighbouring islands. I visited both Murano and Burano and personally found Burano to be the better of the two and a wonderfully quiet place to take a stroll. It depends however on what you are after, Murano being excellent for its Venetian glass products but in my view having less character than Burano. The streets in Burano take you past people’s homes and you can see how the real Venetians live, I saw people cooking on small stoves outside... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful city
Disadvantages: Can be expensive

...This is a beautiful city. Even if you can only manage to spend one day there (you really need one for the main Island and one to visit Murano, Burano and Torcello) that day will be well worth it. Ignore all those things that may be putting you off. Before I visited Venice I was told it was expensive, the canals stunk, and it was falling apart. I have to admit that the canals did stink in places but only where they had drained them to repair the sides. And the place is expensive but you can eat cheaply and buy souvenirs just as cheap as anywhere else along the adriatic coast, you just have to look. I spent a day there while I was based further along the coast in a town called Caorle. I took €50 and the cost of the boat there was €27. I managed to come back with at least €5. One hint I give you is to take a large 1.5L or 2L... Read review

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Advantages: No cars no traffic
Disadvantages: expensive

...confiscated my handbag in case I did any damage to the paintings, but I did take to the Café situated on the terrace overlooking the sculpture garden, which is a very pleasant cool waitress serviced place to eat or drink. A not to be missed view is the front terrace steps overlooking the Grand Canal with the rather rude statue of a rider. Apparently Peggy Guggenheim would unscrew the vital part of this statue and press it against any young men that she fancied, I think a clear case of stating her intentions! Burano and Murano are not to be missed. Murano Island is famous for its glass blowing and a 30-minute ride from San Marco. As you walk around the island you get glimpses through open doors of men actually blowing the glass and you get a taster of the immense heat these men work under. Meander round and you will find lots of shops... Read review

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Advantages: It's a really romantic city that's just beautiful.
Disadvantages: Pigeons. Lots of pigeons.

..., there is a slight smell. I was unlucky enough to get 'blessed' by one of the pigeons, and as a result I'd definitely recommend taking a parasol with you when walking through the square. As well as protecting you from flying pigeons, it'll also keep the heat off. The most striking feature of the square is St Mark's Basilica. It's constructed in a beautiful Byzantine style and was originally built in 829 AD. The queues to get in however were quite lengthy so I decided to avoid going into that church. When I first visited the Piazza, I'd already seen a lot of the churches and cathedrals of Italy anyway. Nearby you'll find the Galleria San Marco. It's a Murano Factory where they sell some beautiful Venetian glass. (BTW Murano glass and Venetian glass are exactly the same thing.) There are some truly gorgeous items decorated with 24-carat gold and tiny... Read review

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Advantages: Lively, interesting and different.
Disadvantages: A bit expensive

...came from. This is the only island where there are roads and bicycles can be hired. Fur coats and leather boots are a common sight in Venice the funniest moment I had on Lido was an elderly lady wearing a huge fur coat (which I detest) as she rode her bicycle - I found the sight ironic, sad but so funny as a caricature. We walked along the main road in Lido- most of the hotels were closed as the season does not begin until June and finishes in September; I should imagine it is crowded then. Our third day - Murano. Glass has been made on this island since the 13th century. The pieces we saw were magnificent although we did have to be careful as there are many cheap imports but it is possible to recognise the difference in the quality the Murano glass is far superior. We had been given some money to buy a piece for our home... Read review

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Advantages: different, beautiful architecture
Disadvantages: expensive, difficult for people in wheelchairs and parents with buggies

...is the Basilica, which is stunning. The colours are amazing and this should be number one on everybodys list who goes to Venice. Number 2 should be the Rialto bridge. It goes over the grand canal and gives you a great view when you're on it. Talking about San Marco, be careful here, as you can pay on the Plazza 7 Euro for a coffe and if you go only one street further you'd get 2 for this price. The shops here are very expensive as well and you get exactly the same things in the small streets further away for a lot less. Shopping in Venice means mostly glas. In almost every shop they will sell glass made in Murano. Murano is one of the small islands around the main island a worth a quick visit. Here you can see how the glass is made. Another intresting island is Lido. Especially in summer it must be nice, because it has a beach. A lot of my friends... Read review

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