When it comes to accommodation, Venice is pricey and, sometimes, fully booked. Even in the low season, which seems to get shorter as each year goes by, it is wise to book ahead. If you need to find accommodation try calling the hotel information bureau Veneziasi (199 173309 from Italy, 041 522 2264 from abroad, www.veneziasi.it) or visit one of the AVA (Venetian Hoteliers’ Association) information points that can be found at the station (via Santa Lucia, 041 715 016), the jetty (041 522 8004) or the public garage in piazzale Roma (041 522 8640).

Regarded by many as the finest hotel in the world, and a honeymoon first choice, the Hotel Cipriani (Giudecca 10, 041 520 7744, www.hotelcipriani.com, €625-€815) doesn’t come cheap. For hip, designer hotels head for Dorsoduro and San Marco. Ca’ Pisani (rio Terrà Antonio Foscarini 979A, Dorsoduro, 041 240 1411, www.capisanihotel.it, €219-€368) occupies a 16th-century palazzo, with designer-chic rooms in 1930s and ’40s style. Hotel Agli Alboretti (Accademia 884, 041 523 0058, €150-€190, www.aglialboretti.com) is an intimate and cosy option located in Dorsoduro, with a reliable restaurant. For reasonably priced plush, Accademia Villa Maravege (fondamenta Bollani, Dorsoduro, 041 521 0188, www.pensioneaccademia.it, €130-€245) is a 17th-century villa in a lovely garden. The closer to piazza San Marco you get, the swisher, brasher and more cramped the accommodation becomes. The Metropole (riva degli Schiavoni, Castello, 041 520 5044, www.hotelmetropole.com, €200-€650) is luxurious in a decadent way, with a gorgeous garden and views over the lagoon to San Giorgio. La Calcina (fondamenta Zattere ai Gesuiti, Dorsoduro, 041 520 6466, www.lacalcina.com, €99-€186) is as charming as it was when essayist and art critic John Ruskin stayed here in 1877. Visitors looking to spend less than €100 could do worse than the Rossi (calle delle Procuratie, 041 715 164, €77-€92), a quiet and spacious one-star near the train station. Alternatively, the Ca’ Foscari (calle della Frescada, Dorsoduro, 041 710 401, www.locandacafoscari.com, €75-€95) is another affordable option. For an absolute bargain try Venice’s youth hostel (fondamenta Zitelle 86, 041 523 8211, €19.50 per bed per night), located in an ancient, refurbished grain store on Giudecca Island. Although basic the hostel is clean, friendly and central.

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