Venice City Town Guide Having already seen so many images of Venice, everybody feels that it is familiar. But although images on a TV screen show the inexpressible beauty, they cannot reproduce the timeless charm of the city on the lagoon. Winding streets, canals, palaces, squares - every facet of Venice works together to produce a living expression of passion, a passion that is very human, offering a new face with every visit. Five ideas for discovering another side to the city -  Arrive in a more leisurely fashion, on the Orient Express train. There are faster means of conveyance, but none more magical. -  Go for a walk without a map. You are sure to become lost, but Venice will no longer hold any secrets for you. -  For a 360-degree panorama, climb to the top of the bell tower in Saint Mark's square. -  It's sometimes easy to forget that Venice is also a city of lights. Take a night-time journey in a vaporetto (taxi-boat) along the Grand Canal and be entranced by the architectural lighting of the palaces. -  Visit Torcello: just the right size for a sunny walk, this isolated and mysterious island will transport you out of time. Time difference Venice is one hour ahead of GMT. To call Venice Dial the international code followed by 39 for Italy then 041 for Venice and the 2 to 10 digits of the person you are calling. Climate Average temperatures by season: - Spring: 14° C - Summer: 23° C - Autumn: 15° C - Winter: 5° C Holidays - 1 January: New Year - Epiphany (1st Sunday in January) - Easter Monday (date varies) - 25 April: Liberation (1945) - 1 May: Labour Day - 15 August: Assumption - 1 November: All Saints Day - 8 December: Immaculate Conception - 25 December: Christmas - 26 December: St. Stephen's Day Getting around Visiting Venice is something to be accomplished on foot, but take a vaporetto to visit neighbouring islands. Venice Tourism Office Venice Tourist Office Castello, 421 30122 Venice, Italy Tel : (international n° +39) 041 52 98 711 Fax: (international n° +39) 041 52 30 399 Venice on the Web http://www.veniceworld.com http://www.venetia.it See our Cultural calendar Back