One of Europe's vacation hot spots is Venice. Travel guides say it's no surprise, given the floating Italian city is home to 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 409 bridges.

Venice Travel Guide
Venice's historic center is divided into six quarters: San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio and Castello. The city's "main street" is the Grand Canal, which passes each of the districts as it twists along the length of Venice from the railway station to San Marco. The city is busiest in spring and early fall, and like Italy's other vacation hot spots, Venice travel guides say it's at its worst in summer when there are endless crowds and hot, humid weather.

Vacation Guides to Arts and History
Venice is an enchanting city full of beautiful architecture and history, so if you're a fan of either, exploring Venice will be a treat. The Ca' d'Oro is a magnificent Gothic structure that houses the Galleria Franchetti, an impressive collection of bronzes, tapestries and paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Gallerie dell'Accademia houses Venice's single most important art collection that illustrates the progression of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries. The highlights there include Paolo Veneziano's Madonna and Child with Two Donors and Carpaccio's altarpiece Crucifixion and Apotheosis. The Doge's Palace is a rare example of civil Venetian Gothic and was home to the doge and to all arms of government, including prisons. The palace's two Gothic facades in white Istrian stone and pink Veronese marble face the water and Piazzetta San Marco. Finally, St Mark's Basilica is one of the most spectacular houses of worship in the world. Adorned with an incredible array of plundered treasures, it is an astounding mass of domes and arches.
Vacation tip No. 1:
The dress code at the Basilica requires knees, shoulders and upper arms be covered, so be sure to come dressed properly.

Getting Around Venice Vacation tip No. 2:
Don't bring a rental car to Venice. Be prepared, instead, to pound the pavement. Vaporetto is the other essential method of getting around; for a memorable tour of the city, take vaporetto No 1's trip along the Grand Canal. Taking a ride in a gondola is touristy and expensive, and but if you really want to, try a water taxi instead. The pilots don't wear striped shirts and sing O Sole Mio.