Itinerary: 2 days exploring Venice

Arrival at Santa Lucia station. As you emerge from this modern building, the spectacle is right in front of you: Venice, palpable, with the Grand Canal, palaces, gondolas, numerous visitors and a church in front of you, as if to welcome you: the church of San Simeon Piccolo. Make sure you travel light, because the visit can already begin!

Without further ado, it's time to hop aboard the vaporetto for your first trip: line 1 is a must. In fact, it's like taking a cruise along the Grand Canal, for the price of a ticket: the constant churning of boats on the water rivals the interest of the succession of magnificent palaces lining Venice's main thoroughfare.

The silhouette of the Ca d'Oro, or that of the Rialto Bridge, stand out from the crowd, so well known are they. The cruise continues for a memorable summary of Venice, until the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute appears on the right bank, announcing an imminent disembarkation, this time on the left bank: here the Grand Canal widens and merges with the Venetian lagoon.

At the San Marco-Vallaresso stop, it's time to get off, to reach the unmissable Piazza San Marco. The next few hours will be devoted to visiting the Basilica of San Marco, whose mosaics are an invitation to travel back in time to ancient Byzantium, and the Doge's Palace, whose ceremonial rooms help you to understand the past grandeur of the Serenissima and its original institutions. Between two visits, a break at the legendary Caffè Florian is a must: no matter how high the bill (always high), enjoy the setting!

Weather permitting, the climb to the Campanile in Piazza San Marco is a must: the highest point in the city, its summit offers a panoramic view of Venice and its lagoon. In the fading sunshine at the end of the day, it's simply magnificent.

In the evening, before dinner, there's still time for a gondola ride: however touristy (and expensive) it may be, letting yourself be carried along the small canals on calm waters is a unique sensation.

Later still, don't hesitate to return to the illuminated piazza San Marco, cleared of most of its visitors, and to the edge of the Grand Canal, for a calmer retrospective of the day: a moment apart.

While the first day was devoted to the major Venetian tourist highlights, the second aims to blend into a more authentic Venice, sometimes even completely removed from the tourist flows in the centre.

Get there early in the morning, at the Rialto markets: a festival of colours and flavours to whet your appetite for the day ahead. From 7am onwards, this is how you really get the most out of Venice.

To convince yourself of this, head off into the pleasant San Polo district, navigating at sight: the setting is 100% Venetian, here a campo surrounded by palaces, there a small bridge spanning a canal with silent waters. We take our first break at the Campo San Polo, for an espresso ristretto to get things moving again: Venice is a city where you walk a lot!

Some will take the opportunity to push on to the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the largest in Venice, before making a loop around to the Rialto Bridge: you can cross the Grand Canal in traghetto, Venetian style!

Then head up the very commercial Strada Nova into the Cannaregio district: a short shopping session is in order. Then, the further north you go, the quieter the area becomes, sheltered from too many visitors.

Pay homage to one of the great masters of Venetian painting, Tintoretto, by walking past his Gothic-style house(Casa del Tintoretto, Fondamenta dei Mori, 3399), then admiring his work in the pretty church of the Madonna dell'Orto... before enjoying the view of the lagoon from the quayside.

In this popular Venice, off the beaten track, stroll along the canals to reach the lively quayside bars and restaurants of the district in the evening: on the Fondamenta de la Misericordia or the Fondamenta dei Ormesini, you'll find what you're looking for as soon as it's time forAperitivo...