If you are going to Venice but don’t want to live in a tourist heap then stay on the nearby island called the Lido. It is well connected to Venice and other islands by vaporettos (waterbuses) that a cheap to hop onto and have hot boatmen.

The Lido is a long beautiful island with one coast of serene beaches and the other, a quiet but busy port. I estimate that it takes about 20 minutes to walk from one coast to the other. The island is green and luscious, with kind locals who are glad to house foreigners who are smart enough to avoid staying and overpaying in Venice- pretty much the opposite of the Venice vibe.

The vibe on the Lido is calm and family-oriented. The weather is sick nasty and the best way to see the whole island is to rent bikes from any of the local shops and ride through the neighborhoods. The houses are all unique and very charming with beautiful landscaping.

The best places to stay are in the side streets in the center of the island. The prices are half of the prices in Venice and the neighborhoods are beautiful and quiet. Personally, I found it a necessity to be able to get lost in crazy Venice during the days and come home to a more relaxed environment.

Murano is another island that is a "must" for tourists but actually sucks. This is supposed to be the island to go to for blown glass- but in my opinion it just blows. It has been ruined by tourism. The town has no character of its own and you can catch real glass blowers in Venice just by peeking through doorways. It's easy to go to Murano, but don't expect to be wowed- expect to be pissed.