Our Opinion

There is so much to see and do in Venice that it is hard to come up with a concise list of where to go.
St. Mark's Square is a good place to start sightseeing in Venice. However, if you need to ask the price of the goods in the shops (and cafes) there, then you probably can't afford them anyway! Other must do's include a vaporetto (water bus) ride down the Grand Canal and a walk over the Rialto Bridge but, really, the best thing to do is to buy a map, you'll need one, and take a walk around the many small alleyways and squares that make up the island. Another good trip by vaporetto is to visit the other islands in the Venetian lagoon.
Food and drink is certainly not cheap in Venice however, if you get away from the tourist hot spots there are numerous small cafes and restaurants where a good meal can be found at a reasonable price. As with most places in Italy the quality of the food is excellent, as is the local beer and wine.
We cannot remember the names of precise restaurants visited but the picture above shows one, not far from the Rialto Bridge, where we enjoyed a particularly good lunch. It's the one with the green canopy in the foreground, please contact us if you can help in identifying it.

Further Details

Travel
Manchester - Venice with British Airways
One of the best Jolly Boys flights so far. As both flights were serviced by a smaller regional jet, its configuration allowed us extra leg room compared with the larger aircraft and better service from the attentive BA crew. A pre-booked transfer, arranged with our hotel, was reasonably priced and comfortable (when it eventually turned up) but we chose to make the return journey to the airport by bus as the service was frequent and cheap.
Due to the amount of time spent seeing the sights of Venice we didn't take a trip anywhere else. However, as we were staying some way out side of Venice itself we used the bus (both road and water varieties) and ferries regularly. Amazingly this is the only Jolly Boys Outing so far where we have not used rail transport!
Within Venice
There is a large, and generally efficient, public bus network outside of Venice itself. As is usually the case in Italy, you need to buy your bus ticket prior to boarding, usually from a newsagent or tobacconist close to the bus stop.
Ferry services to the island from surrounding areas are frequent and are served by good bus connections. Once in Venice itself, the quickest and easiest way to get around is by vaporetto. Day tickets covering both ferry and travel are available and represent excellent value for money. Gondolas and water taxis are also available for hire but are expensive.

Accommodation
Hotel Marco Polo, Lido di Jesolo
Situated right in the heart of Lido di Jesolo this hotel we imagine this hotel could be extremely lively at the height of the summer season but as we stayed here out of this time we found it to be a clean, well run place with adequate facilities for our needs. 
The hotel is situated about 10 miles from the centre of Venice but is only a few minutes walk from the bus station where you can catch the bus to the ferry terminal at Punta Sabbioni. From here the boats to the city depart at a regular frequency.
Being centrally located, there are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby although many close once the tourist season is over. The sandy beach is also just a short walk away.