Venice's Albergo San Zulian

I highly recommend Albergo San Zulian (San Marco 527, 30124 Venezia, ITALY; phone + 39 041 5225872 or fax 5232265, www.hotelsanzulian.it). Tucked behind the San Zulian Church, the hotel is a short walk from both Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge.

It has only 22 rooms. We paid €130 (near $187) for our overnight stay in January ’07. Breads and rolls made fresh each morning will delight you for breakfast.

If you arrive by train, take a vaporetto, or public transportation boat, to Piazzo San Marco for only €5 ($7). It’s a 40-minute trip down the Grand Canal — a perfect beginning to your Venetian holiday.

We took the Alilaguna boat service from Piazza San Marco to the airport when we left. The one-hour trip cost €10 euros ($14).

C.B. COGSWELL

Overland Park, KS