Print-and-go: Venice on a budget: iVillage

Best bargains
Buy your hand-blown Murano glass from factory showrooms on Murano Island, and handmade lace on Burano Island - not on mainland Venice. Back in Venice, pick up tourist nick-nacks on the cheap along the Rialto Bridge. And don't buy Venetian masks on tourist-trod St Mark's Square - instead head for Mondonovo, on the Rio Terra Canal in the Dorsoduro quarter. Get ready to dress up for Carnival.

Free fun
Lose yourself on canal-side paths, explore the atmospheric Ghetto in the Cannaregio district, flirt with gondola boatmen and see Venetian art in the Castello district's churches. Be dazzled by the glittering interior of St Mark's basilica.

Best view
Take the No1 Vaparetto boat for a tour along Venice's main thoroughfare, the Grand Canal, lined with gilded palaces and merchant villas. For a couple of euros, climb the staircase in St Mark's Basilica to stand beneath the four horses and gaze out from the loggia over the Byzantine interior and the square that starred in Brideshead Revisited and sixties horror Don't Look Now.

Cheap eats
Venice dining costs around ten per cent more than mainland Italian dining - follow our top tips to save. Avoid wining and dining around St Mark's Square. Instead, satisfy your appetite with the Italian take on tapas - cicchetti - buy these tasty morsels along with fresh fruit at the food markets around the Rialto Bridge. Live off cafe panini in the studenty Cannaregio and San Polo districts or nip into supermarkets for picnic fare and enjoy your food by the canal.

Cheap travel
Avoid the gondolas - unless you want to spend your money like water - and don't take a river-taxi. Instead, put your best foot forward and walk - what's more romantic than getting lost with your loved one? More prosaically, Vaporetti (public river buses) are cheap and cheerful.

Splash out
Arrive in style aboard a river-taxi, by gliding across the Lagoon, down the Grand Canal and straight to your hotel. Take in a coffee and the glory of St Mark's Square at Florian's or Quadri's - Shelley and Napoleon both took a tipple here. Sip a Bellini (Champagne and peach juice) and enjoy impeccable service at Harry's Bar. Dine at the Cipriani on peaceful Torcello Island.

Disclaimer: Although we've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities before you travel. This includes information on visa requirements, health and safety, customs, and transportation.