This is the view from the Guidecca, which is across the canal from Venice.  The Guidecca is an island itself, where many people live and work.  It's not loaded with tourists all day, so coming back here after a full day of sightseeing is an excellent way to stay close to Venice.  Just like in Venice, there are no cars.  It's only a quick vaporetto ride away from Piazza San Marco and all Venice has to offer!

When you travel to another country, where you stay is one of the most important choices you will make.  Being close to the area you want to visit really adds enjoyment to your trip.  We chose to stay in an apartment in Venice that offered an excellent view of the beautiful city and easy access to everywhere we wanted to go. The apartment was highly recommended by other travelers, and it seemed a great way to position ourselves to live in the local community.

We also wanted to have more space and convenience than a typical hotel offers.  So choosing a rental apartment was easy.  It provides us with a bedroom, a kitchen, a nice bathroom with shower, and a nice living area.  We are tired of cramped hotel rooms that charge up to double or even more for fewer amenities.

The apartment in La Guidecca lived up to the comments made by other travelers.  We just loved the area and the people.  The bars and restaurants were easy to get to and many of them were right out on the fondamenta.  Sitting on the edge of the water with a glass of wine and enjoying the spectacular view.  Worth every penny and more!

There was a grocery store nearby.  We purchased everything we needed to cook some of our own meals and have food on hand to make a lunch or enjoy fresh fruit in the afternoon while resting.  And we tried a new wine every day!  That's living!

The apartment had a little coffee maker that I used every morning to make cappuccino.  We enjoyed proscuitto and melon in the evening as an appetizer and prepared pasta dishes that were very good.  And we definitely enjoyed the restaurants!

We rented the apartment through an online service called HomeAway.com.  It was a great choice and we'll want to rent this apartment again if we are fortunate enough to return to Venice.  A link to the apartment we stayed in is here.  You'll have a fabulous time, live like a local and experience much more by staying in an actual residential area.  Don't miss it!