Interpreti Veneziani in San Vidal Church - photo by Rob McFarland

Venice’s premier concert venue is the Teatro La Fenice, a spectacular theatre whose interior is a decadent ensemble of frescoed ceilings, plush red velvet and gilded artwork. Over its tumultuous 218-year history, it’s been the site of many famous operatic premieres as well as twice being burnt to the ground and completely rebuilt.

Unfortunately, even if you’re lucky enough to be in the city when something is playing here, tickets can be expensive and devilishly difficult to come by. It’s still worth taking a tour of the theatre but if you’d like to give your visit a musical accompaniment, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Thankfully, there are a good range of options. Tucked away among the city’s maze-like network of alleyways, bridges and canals are some delightful venues in which orchestras and opera singers perform on a regular basis. Here are some of the best:

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Grand Canal in Venice - photo by Rob McFarland

Mention rail travel in Europe and most people think of France’s TGV.

What’s less well known is that Europe’s high-speed rail network extends north into Germany and south into Spain and Italy. Taking the train is not only kinder to the environment than flying, but you also get to see some of the scenery you’re hurtling through at 300km/h.

So, on a first trip to Italy with my girlfriend, we decided to let the train take the strain. We’d take the overnight train from London to Venice via Paris and then use the train to get between Venice, Florence and Rome.

We also chose to stay in properties from the same chain, in this case boutique hotel operator Baglioni. It turns out to be an inspired decision. The hotels all have access to the same reservation system, so they can easily make arrangements and check bookings.

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