TOP TIP Avoid the gondola rides. They're naff, touristy and expensive.
When you arrive at Marco Polo airport, it's well worth splashing out and hiring a water taxi to take you to central Venice. It's extortionately priced - about 130,000 lira [HK$468] so agree on a price before boarding - but as you bump along in the speedboat you'll feel like a film star. And the sight of Venice coming into view is breathtaking.
Make sure you visit during Carnevale, Venice's answer to Mardi Gras. It's held during the fortnight before Lent [next year from February 1-12] and Venetians dress up in elaborate costumes and masks for the many balls, concerts and parties or simply to parade through the streets. Hotels are bursting at the seams, however, so booking months in advance is essential.
Avoid visiting in summer when Venice heaves with tourists and the canals smell terrible. Easter and the first half of August are unbearably busy too. We visited in November and although cold, it was wonderfully romantic and you could snuggle up and wander through the narrow cobbled streets without being jostled by the hordes.
It's such a cliche, but you can't visit Venice without sampling a Bellini at Harry's Bar. The fresh peach juice and Prosecco cocktail was invented here and though the bar's nothing special, and cramped, it's an institution. Marcel Proust, Lord Byron, Charlie Chaplin, Truman Capote, Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway were all patrons [Calle Vallaresso 1323, San Marco. Tel: 3904 1528 5777].