Cheap flights to Venice (Venice Marco Polo Airport) are available from Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney with a connecting flight in Dubai when travelling with Emirates. Carriers Lufthansa and Air France offer multiple stops exiting Brisbane with an example itinerary including cheap flights to Singapore and Frankfurt or flights routing through Singapore and Paris. Departures from Melbourne may include a Doha connection while British Airways offers cheap flights from Sydney transferring through Singapore and London. Travel options from all major Australian airports could include booking separate flights into a South East Asian city before making your way to Europe. The Alilaguna water bus (vaporetto) services Venice over water and takes around 90 minutes. The easiest way to get from the airport is on the ACTV AeroBus (service number 5) which takes approximately half an hour. From here, board an ACTV vaporetto for the final part of your journey.

Venice is a romantic puzzle of narrow streets, winding canals, contrary alleyways and many, many footbridges connecting six main areas. The only way to navigate is on foot and across water. There are three main types of vessels to help you criss-cross the city and the best way to use these services is with a plan you’re comfortable deviating from. Purchase an ACTV Tourist Travel Card at the airport for cheap, convenient and unlimited travel on bus, and water bus (vaporetto) services. Water taxis are great for the time-poor, albeit expensive. Plenty of exploration time and limiting absolute commitments will provide the best platform for a stress-free, enjoyable visit to Venice.

Purchase a Venice Museums Pass for access to 11 attractions including the Correr Museum, Peggy Gugenheim Museum and Galleria dell’Accademia. Take a boat tour of the Grand Canal and visit Palazzo Grassi, Ca’Rezzonico or Palazza Mocenigo exploring the fabric and costumes museum. Dinosaur skeletons are among the exhibitions at the natural history museum, Museo di Storia Naturale. Enjoy the perfected demonstrations of glass-blowers on Murano Island or the colourful housing and lace museum of Burano Island. Waste a day discovering the secrets of Doge’s Palace including the prisons and beautiful limestone architecture of the Bridge of Sighs. Spending time in St Mark’s Square only makes deciding what to do next harder. For a cheap outing, see a stunning collection of old instruments at Museo della Musica and the magical view from St Mark’s Bascilica roof top. A Chorus Pass provides for entry into 16 churches around Venice including Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari whose architecture and beauty are more impressive than the name.

Venissa is a unique Venetian fine-dining experience. Cuisine is seasonal, primarily sourced from the estate’s vegetable garden and the setting is against the luscious backdrop of the vineyards. Osteria Oliva Nera offers local seafood and head to quaint La Zucca for a light, refreshing meal. Sip the peach/champagne creation that is a Bellini at Harry’s Bar. Drink cocktails at trendy Tarnowska’s or at the infectiously-cool Bácaro Jazz. Retail offerings in Venice are concentrated around St Mark’s Square through to Rialto. Calle delle Mercurie houses all the labels donned by the rich and famous in the one street. A 30 minute drive out of the city centre is Noventa Di Piave – name brands such as Calvin Klein, Prada and Armani all lining up for cheap offerings in this lovely outlet centre.