Hi myself and the girlfriend are spending 4 nights in venice in march, we're planning on spending 2 nights near san marco and 2 on lido (lido for the budget, unless we can find an apartment for the 4 days at a relatively reasonable price help on this would be great too)
We've been to venice before (but stayed on the mainland) and have seen a few of the "must see's" so would like to know if anybody has any suggestions about places of the beaten track to see. At the minute plan on going to the San Michele Cemetery island, possibly some of the museums and Campo di Ghetto Nuovo.
On the subject on nightlife when we visited Venice before we found a cheap wineseller on Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa (love Preseco), an irish bar with pricey pints of harp and some cheap restaurants on the lido that served reasonably priced alcohol is there any bars/squares/cafe's/restaurants that can be recomended from internet searching going to check out Campo Santa Margherita at night
ps in terms of nightlife don't like paying 7 euro for a small bottle of beer (get ripped of enough in Dublin ) cheap and cheerfull

thanks for any advice and should we bring wellies in early
march

I'd suggest you not to stay at the Lido, it's far from the world! you could try finding some B&B or apartments; as for the nightlife, near Rialto bridge (on San Polo side, not San Marco) there are many "osterie" and little restaurant. then, Campo Santa Margherita (and near there) is always a good place to go! - like ai do draghi in campo s. margherita, café noir just behind it.

Thanks for the suggestions, we're actually renting an apartment so will be staying close enough to the Rialto anyway which is handy

Venice is one of my favorite places on earth...

I know it's a top sight, but I can't imagine going to Venice without setting foot in the Basilica di San Marco every single time. After that, and after getting as thoroughly lost as possible as many times as possible, I'd say a visit out to Torcello island is among my favorite things to do in Venice. It's so quiet and mostly nature reserve, but there's a gorgeous little church out there with the same kind of lovely mosaics as St. Mark's (on a much smaller scale).

I'm not a nightlife person, so I can't help you there, but when I was last in Venice (late February 2008) the area around St. Mark's Square was absolutely dead quiet after about 10pm. It was also seriously cold & foggy, but there was no flooding.

If you've got other questions, let me know. I could talk about Venice all day...

WOW, you're a real Venice lover, JessieS! Well, I am too, and I'm lucky enough to live near it and to have studied there Venice is just magical, with any weather: sun, fog, snow - just the rain makes it a bit annoying
Anyway, manktelr, you'll love it; I think that renting an apartment is the best way to stay there and to live the city. Remember that another good thing when in Venice is to get lost in its labyrinth, stopping here and there to have a spritz (it's the most famous drink in Venice, usually drank before dinner!)

Where to stay in Venice?
I just booked Nuova Locanda Belvedere, €35 single room with shared bathroom. It's Marghera, on the mainland.
The reviews are very mixed, to say the least, but it's about the cheapest I could get.

I still need to book some place for two nights, a weel later, after my skiing trip.
Can anyone suggest location and a decent place, max €50 for a single?

I agree with Jessie -- heading out to the islands in the lagoon is a wonderful way to spend the day. It wasn't as crowded as I expected it to be in June -- both Murano and Burano were fairly quiet. After waiting in long lines in Venice, it was lovely to head out to the other islands.

While in Burano, which is a must see, IMO, -- the colors on that island are so fabulous, take the time to walk the bridge that links Burano to the tiny island of Mazzorbo. I imagine that Mazzorbo is, today, what Burano used to be before it was rediscovered by tourists. There is an interesting modern housing development built on the island, along with a crumbling grand-dame of a church, Chiesa di Santa Caterina, which, adjacent, is a cemetery that is worth the visit. You could spend less than an hour in Mazzorbo and really see it all.

Also highly worth the time is a stop in Murano. The glass, obviously, is the main attraction there. I visited the Formia Factory and had a great time watching the artists shape the glass. If you like glass, you may be interested in seeing the Barovier & Toso Museum. This particular factory has a very long history and is quite fascinating. Most of the factories tend to close up for lunch, so keep that in mind as you are walking around.

Also great about Murano are the huge glass sculptures that dot the island -- all are quite modern, which makes for an interesting contrast between the very old churches and bridges. I found some really great bargains on beads, too, so if you have an interest in buying real Murano glass, do so while you are there. You'll see big mark-ups in Venice for the same stuff.

This might sound kind of cheesy, but you don't necessarily have to go to a bar to find good night life. I've had many fun evenings sitting in a piazza with a bottle of beer or two, just watching the locals and the other tourists. This can be especially fun if you find a spot where there is a game going on. Often, bars/restaurants that face a piazza will bring out their tv's to watch a soccer game (the waiters spend as much time watching as do the patrons, probably even more, actually). No one seems to frown upon public drinking, either. I just stopped in a local deli to buy beer -- I think I spent about 6 Euros for two big bottles of beer.

quote:

No one seems to frown upon public drinking, either. I just stopped in a local deli to buy beer

Wow! Would you expect people to drink beer out of paper bags?