My sister and I will be traveling to Italy May 2012 and plan to spend a couple of days in Venice. We both enjoy good food and wine, and discovering the sights and smells of a new place. What would be your recommendations for what we need to be sure and see, where to eat and a lovely place to stay? We like the smaller, boutique-type hotels that have character. We also love to dine outdoors. Any suggestions will be very helpful!

What is your hotel budget?

I would prefer to keep it no more than $200 a night.

Eat fish and shellfish. It won't be cheap. Venetians tend to eat rice and polenta rather than pasta, a nice break from the routine.

Any competent guidebook will give you one, two, or three day walking tours. In addition to the standard stuff, go to the fish market early in the morning, and get yourself lost in back streets and alleys as much as possible.

Everythomg in Venice is known but everything remains for you to discover.

When you come to an intersection, take the way less traveled.

<i>When you come to an intersection, take the way less traveled</i>

This is the best piece of advice you'll receive, even if you wind up in a few dead-ends.

I'd also suggest staying nowhere near San Marco. You need to visit San Marco, of course, but do that once and get it out of the way, then explore the nice parts of town. San Polo is my favorite area to stay, but many other quiet areas are pleasant as well.

There's also a small and active Jewish quarter of the city that's a lively part of town with far more locals than tourists, in Cannaregio. Cannaregio can also be a great place to stay (convenient to vaporetti and the station), as long as you keep a bit of distance from the too-well-trodden path that goes from Station-->Rialto-->San Marco.

Don
Owner ... Don Topaz Travel

We loved staying at the Hotel Galleria, in the Dorsodura district right next to the Accademia Bridge on the Grand Canal. It was so cool watching the morning traffic on the canal while we ate our breakfact, which was delivered to our room each morning on a silver tray. We had their largest room (#10) and it was $150 per night 4 years ago.

Not sure what you mean by a "lovely" place to stay. If you mean upscale you will have to at least triple your budget. If you mean modest and quaint - then you can search below for recos.

We stayed at La Calcina in the Dorsodura district on the Grand Canal. We had a room that faced the canal, and it was lovely. I think it was about 220 euros in mid-September. They have a lovely patio restaurant right on the water for breakfasts,included in the price of the room, and they serve lunch and dinner as well. It's a small pensione, very charming, great reputation.

In March I returned to my favorite for the third time, Hotel al Ponte Mocenigo. The website says they have 10 rooms, but now they have 23. Very popular here and on Trip Advisor.
http://www.alpontemocenigo.com/

> La Calcina in the Dorsodura district on the Grand Canal..

La Calcina is not on the Grand Canal. That's Giudecca Canal.

but i do agree it is a nice hotel in a location i like.

but i do agree it is a nice hotel in a location i like.

Thank you for all the helpful replies. My sister and I will both heed your advice to "take the road less traveled"-that is how we like to explore a new city.

I will be in Venice beginning on August 26. I will be sure and post any fabulous food finds I make while I'm there.

A friend who travels frequently to Venice highly recommended Ristoranted da Rafaelle to me, and we have a reservation there canalside on the outside terrace. It is located on a back canal not too far from the Gritti Palace Hotel, Giglio Vaporetto stop.

I would also recommend having at least drinks and a snack at either or both Cafe Florian and Cafe Quadri outside on Piazza San Marco.

Are reservations also needed during the off season? We are going in March.

We almost always asked our concierge or the desk person to make a recommendation and to call ahead for us. It was appreciated by the resto owners.

If you are walking around and happen upon something, just ask if they have room-it's highly unlikely you'll get turned away in March, but it's always a courtesy to call ahead. I'm talking about regular restaurants here-not informal places.