Although we suggest spending much of your time in Venice due to its uniqeness, we will provide a few places to visit just off the island. Start by going west on the mainland to Padova, where there is plenty of history to be seen. The Botanical garden not only offers a good source of pictures but a good landscape view of the buildings that surround the area. We suggest following the small roads that can lead you across many islands to the small town of Albaroni, here you will find that not much of a city lies, but the beach scene is magnificent. A little further down this strip you will find a small town called Chioggia, which is basically a miny Venice. The difference here is that there are not nearly as many tourists. If you want to enjoy Venice but with less commotion head on into Chioggia. Here you will see that they too offer Gondola rides as well as several medieval churches to be explored.

Venice is well known because the main means of transportation is via boat. There are canals that run the city like roads in most cities. There is one bridge into the island, and one airport, the only other mean of transportation is swimming back to land or taking a boat. While this might be inconveinent for travel, it makes for a gorgeuos setting. But don't let this fool you, Venice has landmarks and monumnets that make it an exciting trip for all. 21 islands surround the city and offer getaways for the day. 400 bridges make for easy transportation from one side of a canal to another. Some of the buildings you should visit include the Accademia, the arsenal, The Fenice opera house, and the Torre dell'Orologio. Be sure to stop in on St. Mark's square and see how many pigeons actually call this place home. Their are palaces strewn across the city as well as churches. We suggest hoping on a gondola and enjoying the scene. Remember to wear your walking shoes, as venice is practically a no car zone, it does offer two parking lots, and we suggest walking from place to place. (Suggested 5 days)

 

While we doubt that once you reach Venice you will ever want to leave, we are going to suggest a few cities that might be a bit further out but would be worth the journey. Just west of Padova is a large city called Verona, while Verona tried to preserve alot of its buildings many were destroyed in the earthquake in 1117. There is still much to be seen as a river runs right through the heart of this city and some monuments still stand to this day. If your really in the driving mood, head about 2 and a half hours west to Milan. This is the second largest city in the country, and is littered with history. See some of the grandest buildings ever made including the Milan Cathedral. Milan also offers one of the most diverse atmospheres with residence coming from 26 different countries. Which also makes to offer some exquisite foods.