Hello, My family is renting a 2 bedroom apartment in the Dorsoduro district of Venice for 5 nights in early June. I think it is a pretty good buy at $160/night for this time period.<BR>The closest Vaporetto stop is the Salute. This is our first time to Venice so I would like to know if this is a good area to stay in. <BR><BR>Also, are there any inexpensive restaurants with decent food nearby? Are there any small grocery shops close? Thank you for your help. Laurie<BR><BR>

You are staying in a great neighborhood! There is a grocery store near by on the Zattere. ALthough, I am sorry to say, I cannot remember the name. You will do well to venture into Campo Santa Margherita and you will find<BR>many outdoor stands selling fish and vegetables. You will get many responses,no doubt, including those that tell you to simply follow &quot;the old women with the rolling shopping carts&quot;. Hop on the vaporetto in the am and venture to the Rialto Market for vegetables. The fish market is there as well however, closed on Mondays. You got a great price!!! Who did you book through?

PamSF, Thank you for your reply. I am glad to hear that there is a grocery store and markets nearby.<BR><BR>I booked this apartment through a private individual. The website is www.palazzettodaschio.it. It was highly recommended on the Slowtrav.com site.<BR>We are paying 800Euro for 5 nights plus utilities. The owner said utilities can run around 10Euro a day.<BR><BR>We will also have access to a small motorboat for a fee. That sounded that so much fun to toodle around in the small canals! Thanks again for your help. Laurie

You are in a fantastic location and a great apartment. There are some wonderful local cafes close by and some great restaurants as well as some terrific local stores that sell the basics like bread, butter, milk and wine(!) etc. It is a really quick vaporetto trip across to San Marco as well. The grocery store (supermarket) is at the far end of the zattere from you - but still only a 5 or so minute walk.

Hello Laurie - Small world! We are also staying in Anna da Schio's Palazzetto the second week in June! It does seem a good buy, she is a very pleasant person, and as you say, the motorboat is a clincher. I think we may have to take turns! We will be with our two teenagers, and this is also our first time in Venice. I wrote her about grocery shops in the area and she said &quot;We are quite lucky as far as shops go - some areas have nothing but glass and Carnival masks - and you shall find a list and the location of them in the apartment.&quot; Also, the messages I'v seen here say the cafe in the Guggenheim is very good and reasonable, and looks on my map to be only a short walk from us. Also, Rick Steves writes &quot;'The Dorsoduro Riviera,' the long promenade along the south side of the Dorsoduro is lined with canalside restaurants away from the crush&quot; and &quot;At the west end (near the S. Basilio vaporetto stop) Trattoria B. Basilio and Pizzeria Riviera (a local fave for pizza), both come with local crowds and wet views.&quot; I hope this helps. Francamente, Carolanna

The name of the grocery store on the Zattere is the Billa Club. You will see folks coming out with the bright yellow bags.

Hi Laurie. Looks like a wonderful set of apartments and that neighborhood is great. In fact, when we were there last year, I believe I read that the triangular section of Dorsoduro -- from the Accademia to the Zattere to the point near the Salute -- is the most desirable neighborhood for many foreigners who have apartments in Venice.<BR><BR>Aside from the grocery store on the Zattere, there is a super(in Venetian terms)market on the southeast corner of Campo Santa Margherita in Venice, and., as Pam mentioned, that campo is well worth a visit. <BR><BR>Two inexpensive trattorias we really enjoyed were the Trattoria San Basilio, on the Zattere near the San Basilio vaporetto stop, and Trattoria Al Cugnai, near the Accademia. The Trattoria San Basilio is a very small place with a very charming owner who loves music and speaks very good English, and the Trattoria Al Cugnai is run by three sisters who are rather gruff in a funny sort of way.

Thanks so much for all your replies and the great information about location, restaurants and grocery stores!<BR>Carolanne, We will be there the 1st week in June. This is also our first trip to Venice with our 2 teenagers.<BR><BR>With all the wonderful feedback on this board, we are very excited about staying in this area of Venice. Hope you have a great time in Venice! <BR><BR>Thanks again to everyone who replied! Laurie

Hi Laurie-Thanks for the info on the apartment. I second the recommendation for Al Cugnai. It's a fun way to start in Venice. I'd also like to recommend Ae Oche. This is not in your neighborhood but a vaporetto ride and pretty easy to find. It's a student type place that has pizzas served probably about 60 ways.1 pizza is big enough for two. I had a declicious arugala,speck and brie pizza there. I think one pizza (this was a fancier one) ran about 6 euros. We used &quot;Good Eats in Italy&quot; as recommended by friends. They found the book flawless we thought it was hit and miss but did get some good tips. If you go to Burano(and I suggest you do) Eat outside at Da Romano. The grilled shrimp are divine!

Thanks for the lunch suggestion in Burano, PamSF. I was looking in my Rick Steve's guidebook for a Burano restaurant and I couldn't find anything. We will definately try Da Romano.<BR>Shannon, from the SlowTrav.com website, has many good suggestions for restaurants in Venice, so we are anxious to try those, also. Thanks again! Laurie

St Marks Square in the evening (after all the day visitors have gone) is wonderful. When I was there in August 2000, three orchestras were playing - wonderful atmosphere to stand and listen (although a cup of coffee or a drink costs a fortune if you sit in one of the cafes). If you have time a sail to the islands of Murano or Burano is rather nice although dont be tempted to go on any of the tours of the glass factories - total waste of time and just a tourist trap.<BR>A great way to see the grand canal is to take the vaporetti (local boat) from St Marks to the Railway Station and you can see the whole of the grand canal. Takes about 30 minutes. My husband and I spent a week in Venice and thought it might be too long - it wasnt long enough.<BR>Have a wonderful time and just wander - dont worry if you get lost in the many streets and alleyways - its all part of a visit to Venice. Also I found it a very safe place to wander - even late at night. Isobel

Thank you for the good tips, Isobel<BR>We can't wait to be in Venice! Laurie