we picked our eating place on the main street in Burano by watching where the workmen were going - it was pretty good, but unfortunately I can't remember which of the many restaurants it was! but if you see workmen going somewhere to eat, anywhere in Italy, that's a good recommendation.

> I think you should get a multiday pass -- you will likely ride it more than you think. I rode at least 15 times and only had to stand once and then only part of the journey. <

Riding the vaporetto several times is a waste of time because it's incredibly slow and not very pleasurable...try to aim for only 4-8 rides, the necessary 2 for arrival and departure and the rest for a morning ride down the Grand Canal and a night ride, though I would only recommend the latter and go for a morning one if it doesn't happen to be crowded and if you want to explore other places that are too far to walk to. You will have to do a lot of walking to get to your destinations anyway, but it's not actually that much.

I beg to differ with DJVMM. using the vaporetti can get you to bits of Venice that you wouldn't necessarily see otherwise, and is good way of resting in between sightseeing. Also, if you were for example wanting to visit the the Naval museum at the Arsenale, you can catch the boat there and walk back so you aren't exhausted by the time you get there.

alternatively [and we've done this several times] if you have walked so far that you are both tired and lost, you can get on a vaporetto and just stay on it until you get back to "civilisation". a great way of exploring Venice!

even if you only use it once or twice a day it will pay for itself in time and convenience and if you take a trip out to the lagoon, it will more than cover its cost.

No one can predict how often YOU will use the vaporetto. Simply put, it's the only form of public transportation in the city. It is slow, it isn't glamorous, but it does the job it's designed to do.

Simply do the math. A one-way single ticket is 7 euros. A 3-day pass for unlimited rides is 40 euros. Six one-way trips will make it a good investment.

As for me, I have always bought the 3-day and have always gotten my money's worth.

Do get the Vaporetto pass--you'll use it a lot, save money, and not have to worry about buying a ticket every time.

In the "Great Torcello Controversy" above, I vote for Torcello. It's the only island we returned to. The best thing about it is that (at least when we were there), it was fairly uncrowded, unlike the other islands and the rest of Venice.