All month: Biennale di Venezia 2003. The 50th edition of Venice's famous art festival. A huge range of events at various venues across the city. Runs until 2nd November.
Tel. +39 (0) 41 2728397.

Legend has it that you have to be rich to eat well in Venice. It's not true, but perhaps more than in other Italian cities you need to know where to go. Bacari are old-fashioned bars serving wine and food and several have been revived recently as part of a minor revolution in Venetian cuisine. Why not start the day with breakfast at Rosa Salva (Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello 6779). This is one of the best cake shops where you sample local delicacies like zaleti (sultana cakes) while sitting at a table in the square. Sora al Ponte (Ponte delle Beccarie, San Polo 1588) is one of the best of the bacari, where you can sit at the bar and try the cicheti, tasty snacks. You can also have a sit-down meal too. Osteria all'Arco (Calle de L'Ochialer 436, San Polo) is a great place to try the Venetian specialty of sarde in saor (sardines cooked in vinegar with pine nuts). Even in the centre of town you can find good quality and value. Osteria San Marco (San Marco 1610) is a new arrival, pricier than most (around € 45 a head) but worth the money. Go for the bizarre rana pescatrice (angler fish cooked with a sauce of sweet peppers).

No matter how many times you have seen it on postcards or in films, the first sight of Venice in real life can be breathtaking. The important sights - the Basilica of San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale - are heady mixtures of styles ranging from the Byzantine and Gothic to the Renaissance. From the Piazza San Marco wander up the Salizzada San Moisè and Calle Larga XXII Marzo and you pass Venice’s smartest shops. Of the many churches in Venice, the Baroque Santa Maria della Salute is one of the most impressive and has several paintings by Titian in the sacristy. If you just want a walk in the sunset, stretch your legs after the crowds have gone on the Riva degli Schiavoni, the famous promenade. Despite the number of visitors, Venice is a quiet city. Rock bands don’t come nearer than mainland Padova and there are practically no nightclubs in the historic centre. It’s best to find a restaurant or wine bar and while away the evening. You can still check out Campo Santa Margherita though, a large elongated square in the Dorsoduro district that in recent years has become as trendy as Venice gets. Try Margaret Duchamp (Dorsoduro, 3019 Campo Santa Margherita) with its outside tables and a grungy buzz. Vitae (San Marco 4118, Vaporetto Rialto) is a great little bar, down a side street that few tourists find.

Bus: Two buses leave from outside the airport terminal and go to Piazzale Roma: the Blue Bus (30 minutes - buy a ticket from the driver) or the slower and cheaper No 5 (50 minutes - buy a ticket from the newsagent in the terminal). Validate your ticket in the machine on the bus.

Taxi: From outside the airport terminal to Piazzale Roma (30 minutes, € 25).
Water-bus: Hourly service from the airport to Piazza San Marco. Buy a ticket from the booth to the left of customs at the airport (60 minutes, € 10).

Water-taxi: From the airport to Piazza San Marco (40 minutes, around € 70). You may be charged extra depending on luggage, time of travel and the number of people in the party. www.veniceairport.it

Road: Venice Marco Polo airport is 13km kilometers from the city centre. There are no vehicles in Venice itself - instead park at Piazzale Roma or the Tronchetto, Europe's largest car park, and take a water-bus into town; journey time 30 minutes.