We take a look at weekend breaks in the romantic city of Venice

The city stretches across 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in north eastern Italy and is known for its glassware, fashion and amazing history and architecture in the main. It is a very popular destination for domestic and international tourists particularly in the summer months.

The flight time from London to Venice is approximately two and a quarter hours and the time difference is just one hour ahead of GMT, making this a perfect weekend break destination. Easyjet, KLM and bmibaby all offer competitively priced flights from the UK to Venice. You may find a better deal by consulting a price comparison website such as cheapflights, especially if your travel dates are flexible. The best deal we have found is for £80 return including taxes from London Gatwick to Venice departing on 1st January 2012 and returning on 15th January 2012.

If you prefer the idea of booking an entire weekend break rather than flights and accommodation separately, why not check out lastminute.com or teletext holidays for a great deal. The best deal we can find with lastminute.com is for £275 for three nights at the end of September including flights from Manchester and staying at the three star Residenze Sinfonia Veneziana in a superior one bedroom apartment.