Venice in September

George:
We liked this B&B http://www.aitagliapietra.com/homepage.htm. Rick Steves has a great guide to planning your time here: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/venice3.htm. That said, I am not big on museums. Did a lot of churches with in situ art (Frari is amazing!) and we just walked and enjoyed the city. There's a book you might like if you are a walkr, "24 Geat Walks in Venice." I am using to plan our next adventure in Venice. Murano is a stretch with only 2 full days, IMHO. It's a bit commercial, but if the weather is clear do go out there if only for the vaporetto ride and a good walk. Also, go to San Giorgio Maggiore, a 5 minute ride from San Zaccaria. The tower is not as crowded as the Campanile, and you can see an amzing view of the Laguna, almost like looking at a map.

This will be the last leg of my trip thru Croatia and than Slovenia and into Venice. I have heard others talk about Venice and was interested in what people liked so much about this city. Just out of curiosity.

Venice itself is the attraction. It's hard to explain, but my favorite "parts" of the trip act in all of Italy e the things that happened along the way. We just loved walking in Venice, seeing people, getting away from Piazza San Marco (although that was beautiful too!). That's why I recommend the "24 Walks" book. Walk thru Cannareggio, the Dorsoduro, San Polo. Just BE in Venice. Sit too long for an apperitif, linger on the Zattere with a gelato, ride the Vaporetto around the island. The architecture is so unique, as is the way the city works. For inspiration, see http://venicedailyphoto.blogspot.com/.

Ride the vaporetto at night around the island, or just find a spot to sit on the canal and dangle your feet in the water. Those are some of the best memories I have with friends in Venice last summer. Personally, I really really enjoyed Murano and Burano, so if you desire to go there and can fit it in, you should. I stayed in Albergo Doge. It is close to the train station and comfortable. I wasn't alone so it made it cheaper, but it's 70euro right now for one bedroom with a shared bathroom. You'll have to do breakfast on your own but there are plenty of lovely cafes etc to visit.

I wouldn't dangle my feet in that water unless you were up to date on all your shots, didn't have any cuts or scratches, and knew where to get antibiotics for an infection. Venice is absolutely beautiful, but the lagoon is not known for having clean water. George, buy the RS Venice 2011 book. It'll be the smartest money you'll spend on your vacation.

The previous poster might be exaggerating a bit about keeping your feet out of the water. The water on our North American beaches is probably just as risky!
Murano can be a bit of a tourist trap. You are probably better off staying in Venice. If you do have a strong desire to see another island, Burano is worth visiting if you enjoy photography and want to see lots of amazing colours (rows of houses side by side, with contrasting colours), but the vaporetto ride can be quite long. In Venice, the Palazzo Ducale (reserve in advance) is a must see. Take a vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal at sunset, then go to Saint Mark's square to listen to the outdoor orchestras. As a previous post suggested, Rick has good suggestions in his book. I think he mentions a glass-blowing demonstration in VEnice so no need to go to Murano. Buon viaggio!

Hi George, In October we stayed at Hotel Riva (http://www.hotelriva.it/ENG/location.html) 'blocks' from St Mark's Square. I loved that at the start and end of every day i had to walk through the square. The difference between morning and night was astounding. Venice is the attraction. Get away from St Marks & Rialto and you see the real Venice and the Venetians. Something new around every corner. Loved it. We had 3 full days and I wish we'd had at least 1 more. Cin Cin!
-Libby

I would suggest that Michael was not exaggerating at all about dangling your feet in the water. While the canals in Venice may be romantic and fairytale-like, the water is nothing sort of disgusting. I wouldn't let it touch any part of my body.

I wasn't exaggerating. Here's a quote from an article I found online from the Marine Organic Geochemistry Laboratory of the University of South Florida, dating from sometime after 2004: In addition, although sewage treatment plants have been built fairly recently for the nearby costal cities, Venice itself still has no sewage treatment facilities. Pathogenic and toxic components of untreated municipal waste are still being discharged directly into Venice's canals and coastal waters. http://www.marine.usf.edu/vanvleetlab/Venice%20Project.htm

I didn't see that you were also looking for a place to stay. We've stayed twice at Pensione Guerrato (near the Rialto and the market), and loved it. Extremely helpful staff and excellent location. Check it out: http://www.pensioneguerrato.it/ On our last trip, I took more photos in Venice than in Rome, Bologna, Lucca and Assisi combined. Here are some, if you're interested, from that trip: http://tinyurl.com/VenicePics (Flickr has a slideshow option that works well, if you select it.)