We are spending one week in Marabella, Spain and then are going on to Venice, Italy for an additional week. Is a week too long to stay in Venice? My husband says no. What are some not to be missed attractions? Where do you suggest staying? Eating?

Hi,<BR> Lucky, lucky you. <BR> No. One week is not too long to stay in Venice. Your only problem is that you will start saying things like, &quot;Well that Caravaggio is Ok, bit I think that Titian did it better&quot;.<BR> Do a text search on &quot;Venice&quot;. There are dozens of threads.<BR> Also look at the Fodor's mini guide on the Home Page.<BR> Have a great time.

I'll dissent, only because hte cost of lodging is so high in venice. I would personally never choose more than 3 or 4 days there. Then I would select one or more other destinations - - and they might well be in the Veneto as well.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>[email protected]<BR>

Hi Rex,<BR> Your dissent is duly noted. In my defense, I submit that I have found a number of small, clean, slightly Spartan B&amp;B's for about 90E/night.<BR> Try www.venere.com.

~<BR>Sites:<BR>St Mark's Sq. &amp; Basilica<BR>Sit, relax, hang out w/your capuccino at one of the cafes in San Marco square<BR>Ride down the Grand Canal on the vaparetto<BR>Palazzo Ducale (the 'Doges Palace') --- take the &quot;secret tour&quot; (do a search on this forum)<BR>Peggy Guggeheim museum ~ also has a cafe that affords a good view &amp; people watching experience<BR>Tour Jewish Ghetto (in Cannaregio district)<BR>Island of Murano <BR><BR>Suggestions on where to stay? I think it's less frenetic to stay in the Dorsoduro district; it's a convenient stroll across the Accademia bridge to get to San Marco square. Venice is a very compact city. A significant factor in hotel choice for most is the cost; what price range are you seeking?

My point was not to ciriticize anyone who wants a week there. Only that &quot;small, clean, slightly Spartan B&amp;B's&quot; will cost 30-50% less, elsewhere.<BR><BR>Or any other kind of lodging, when comparing apples to apples.<BR>

To get specific hotel selection, run a search on this forum. I'll direct you to at least one recent discussion,<BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...rchText=secret --- titled &quot;Hotels in Venice--Are there any amazing finds out there??&quot;<BR><BR>There's quite a few Venice fans here; and they'll wax poetic about how magnificent and romantic it is. I'm one of the minority that LIKED Venice, however was not swept away by it. For me, a week in Venice would be too long. Plus, it's a pricey place for what you get. As I've said, my perception of 'Venice World' is not a prevailing one --- I do think taking a week does give you a better opportunity to relax and explore, rather than making a mad dash from one 'must see' site to the next.

-<BR>Okay, ok, so even though Venice is not my favorite Italian city I know way too much .... for further talk about the secret itinerary tour of Doges Palace,<BR>&quot;Making reservations for the Secret Itin. tour - Doge's Palace&quot; --- http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessages.jsp?fid=2&amp;tid=1373084&amp;numrespon ses=7&amp;start=0&amp;searchText=secret+itinerary< BR>

Hi. There are people who don't even like a few days in Venice much less a week. I don't understand it, but we all have different feelings about places. <BR><BR>Anyway, I'm not one of those people. I found Venice fascinating on my first visit, in 1987 for two days, and found it fascinating all over again last April, on a seven day visit. <BR><BR>Venice is unique. If there is another city of this size in the world that has canals, such wonderful architecture and art, and -- pedestrian heaven! -- no cars or motorcycles, I've yet to hear of it. Simply wandering around Venice, getting &quot;lost&quot;, is a favorite activity of many, if not all, people who love the city.<BR><BR>But the specific attractions are impressive too. I missed seeing the Basilica on my '87 trip and, now that I've seen it, I'd put it #1 on the list. The interior is stunning, and the view from the upper level outside looking toward the famous columns fronting the lagoon, is classic.<BR><BR>We also loved the sweeping view from the nearby Campanile. <BR><BR>We never made it to the Doge's Palace, right next to the Basilica, but it seems this makes the list of a lot of people's favorites. <BR><BR>Gondolas are pricey but, in my opinion, worth it for a one-time experience. Silently gliding through the smaller canals, the rios, is a soothing experience. <BR><BR>Speaking of gondolas and rios, on Rio San Trovaso, in the Dorsoduro district, you will find a very picturesque squero, a gondola workshop. From there it's a short walk to the Zattere, Venice's southernmost promenade. <BR><BR>We LOVED riding the traghettos, older gondolas that make short trips across the Grand Canal at about six or seven points. You can sit in them if you want but, traditionally, you stand, which we thought was the most fun part (we never saw anyone fall in.) <BR><BR>The Accademia is the most famous museum. If you love older art, I'd certainly consider it a must-see. For modern art, there's the Peggy Guggenheim museum very close by.<BR><BR>Some people enjoy visiting the island of Murano for the glass factories. We chose, instead, to visit the somewhat-further island of Burano to see the famous painted houses and loved seeing the explosion of color lining the canals. If you enjoy color, definitely put Burano on your list. <BR><BR>No specific hotel suggestions for you but, when it comes to location, you might want to think about what you value more: staying in the San Marco district, close to the main tourist draw, Piazza San Marco (where the Basilica, Doge's Palace, and Campanile are), or staying further away from it, in a district like Cannareggio or Dorsoduro. We stayed further away, in Dorsoduro, and for us it was a great choice. <BR><BR>An amazing place. I hope you love it. <BR>

Venice is one of my favourite places in the world. However, I do agree that one only really needs about 4 days there. <BR><BR>I found that just wandering the city, taking in all the sights and sounds and getting lost in all the side streets was the best thing to do. If you can afford it and you don't think it's too tacky, take a gondola ride. I thought it was great and I don't regret spending the money (although if you do so, settle on a price before you get in - you can haggle a bit).<BR><BR>Have a great time!

Hey, rex, if inexpensive is your criterion, then I know some places in the sandhills of Nebraska and the panhandle of Oklahoma that you'll be thrilled with! Motels for $25 a night! Har, har.<BR><BR>kahplayground--it all depends on your interests. I could happily spend a week in Venice, but just try to make me spend more than a daytrip in Florence and you'll have a fight on your hands. Our first trip to Venice we spent 4-1/2 days and didn't get to see more than half of what we wanted to see--things we weren't able to see in 4-1/2 days included Murano/Burano/Torcello, the Accademia museum, the Guggengeim collection; the Arsenale area and Naval Museum; the Correr museum, Ca' d' Oro, and others. These are all major sights, and we had to wait three years before we could go back to see them.<BR><BR>But some people don't like Venice at all, often because they let themselves get caught up in the infamous &quot;daytrippers' alley&quot;--that part of Venice that roughly runs along the Grand Canal from S. Lucia Station, to the Rialto, and on to P. San Marco. While there are a lot of must see sights along that route, in summer it's also terribly crowded with daytrippers and short stayers who either don't know that there's a lot to see in the rest of Venice or are too timid to venture away from the crowds. Of course, this area also has most of the city's tacky souvenir stands with their Made in China &quot;Venetian&quot; glass and &quot;I Swam in the Grand Canal&quot; t-shirts; crummy, overpriced restaurants; and hucksters. See the sights along the route, but don't be afraid to venture away and explore.

I think a week is about perfect. We did just that last Oct. and had a ball. I suggest you stay in an apt., as we did, and live like a local. Shopping at the market was part of the fun. Go to slowtrav.com for my trip report and some good reviews of rental apts. and reviews of places to eat.

I just stayed a week in Venice last October and thought it was a good amount of time. I also liked the Dorsoduro district as a place to stay. It provided close access to San Marco without the high prices and the crowds.<BR>We had the opportunity to explore several of the neighborhoods and venture to both Murano and Burano. Some of the things I'd recommend:<BR>The Guggenheim<BR>The Jewish Museum in the ghetto<BR>Lunch(coffee and toast) just once at the Florian(inside)<BR>Walking around and even getting a bit lost in areas like San Polo,the Castello.<BR>The Santa Margherita area(this has a real neighborhood feel and seems to have some of the &quot;hip&quot; establshments like herbalists,coffee houses etc. There are also some very good mask shops in that area.<BR>Go in the morning to the Rialto Market.<BR>Try to get seats in the front of the number 1 vaporetto and ride up or down the grand canal.<BR><BR>Folks have mixed feeelings about the other islands particularly Murano. My recommendation would be not to try and see them all in a day. We took a quick <BR>ride one afternoon over to Murano and went to the Glass Museum. We found it very interesting.<BR><BR>I loved Burano.Perhaps it was because it was a glorious clear fall day after rains and high water. We sat outside at Da Romano and ate delicious grilled shrimp. We also went to the Lace Museum there. (You can get a pass that enables you to visit both museums at either one) We also just walked around Burano with all its colored houses and statues to the saints taking many pictures. These pictures still look like something from the movies!<BR><BR>Go to the terrace bar at the top of the Danieli. Drinks are ridiculous($16 euros for a negroni) but the view of Venice is grand.<BR><BR>The food I thought was the only low point of oour time there. However, once we stopped trying to find really good food and gave ourselves over to the possibility of pizza it went better. I think the food at both Al Covo and Alla Madonna was very good. We also had really good pizza at Alle Oche in San Polo. We wandered all over San Polo one afternoon trying to find Da Fiore and could not. However, people on this site have really liked it. Friends of ours have used &quot;Guide to Good Eats in Italy&quot; and swear by it. While we found it hit or miss in Rome, it actually gave some good recommendations for Venice. That being said The Gondoleri was written up in that book, we tried it and were immensely underwhelmed. <BR>We are among the many who stayed at La Calchina in Dursoduro and think it's a great find. They have a website.<BR>Enjoy...I think it's a great place.

Staying in an apartment is the best way to go if you want to keep costs down while staying in Venice. And comparing Venice to any other place in the Veneto, say, Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza, Verona, Treviso, wherever, is Not comparing apples to apples.

Mestre is a town a few km away from Venice. Comfortable/cheap buses will shuttle you to Venice (facing vaporetto station) and back. You may pick up a hotel in Mestre, so saving lots of money.

Only problem with Mestre (besides being a pretty dumpy place) is that it isn't THE Venice. Waking up in Venice is very special, especially if you're an early riser.

I'd love to spend a week in Venice!!! I've been only twice and stayed 4-5 days each time after visiting friends in Switzerland.<BR><BR>My hotel of choice is Pensione La Calcina situated on the Guidecca canal. Lovely 3-star clean, quiet, good service, nice rooms, breakfast included. Out of the hussle and bussle yet only a 10-15 mins. walk in to San Marcos. www.lacalcina.com