Venice, ITALY
Airing Date: Apr 12th, 2004
The city's reputation for romance is well earned. Renowned for its beautiful architecture, gondolas and canals, Venice also offers fine cuisine and fine culture.
Venice is literally built on a cluster of small islands connected by 400 bridges, so most travel is by gondola. A gondola can be as long as 11 metres and 600 kilograms in weight, and yet it can be rowed with apparent ease by a single man with a single oar - all passengers have to do is sit back, take in the sights and relax.
If you can't afford $120 per gondola for a 50 minute ride, a cheaper alternative is the ferry. An $8 all-stops ferry ride will take you down Venice's main street, the Grand Canal.
One of the essential tourist destinations in Venice is St Mark's Square. This is the heart of the city and all the main attractions are less than a few minutes from here.
Venice is also a great place for a delicious meal, although prices can be sky-high. If you've worked up an appetite checking out the beautiful paintings in the Palace, head to the nearby De Leoni Restaurant for meal of pasta and salad at around $35.
However, if you're looking for luxury, try The Bauer, a five star hotel located right on the Grand Canal. The hotel has gorgeous views and very regal dcor to make visitors feel like royalty. A standard room with views will set you back $1,220 a night and the Royal Suite will cost a whopping $6,495 a night.
The facts:
Qantas flies to Venice via Singapore with connections on Air France. Prices start at $2359 from the east coast and $2326 dollars from the west coast.
Qantas
Tel: 13 13 13
Travel World
Tel: 13 14 35
Italian Government Tourist Office
Tel: 02 9262 1666
The Bauer Hotel from The Leading Hotels of the World
Tel: 02 9377 8444
