A ticket to Venice is a chance to explore a unique city, built on water. St Mark's Square is home to its greatest monuments, Dorsoduro hosts top art galleries and the maze of San Polo bristles with shops and eateries.

Things to do

Book airline tickets to Venice to explore the main sights, including St Mark's Basilica. With art galleries and churches cropping up around every corner, Venice is best covered on foot. Head for Venice's islands to see a different side to the city.

Shopping

Airline tickets to Venice mean hours of shopping in the endless boutiques. San Marco is laden with Italian fashion stores, souvenir shops and local crafts, such as Murano glass and Carnevale masks.

Restaurants

Dining out is an essential part of holidays in Venice. San Marco is sprinkled with traditional osterie serving up an array of local seafood, anything from sarde in soar (marinated sardines) to granseole (lagoon spider crabs). San Marco offers more upmarket spots.

Nightlife

Evenings start with a spritz cocktail. Most bars cluster around Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro and the Rialto Markets in San Polo. Opera lovers pick up a ticket for Venice's Teatro La Fenice.

When to go

KLM has frequent flights to Venice. A city break is best spent here in January/February when Carnevale comes to town. Book Venice flights to coincide with the midnight fireworks at July's Il Redentore.