Venice is often thought of as the be all and end all of Italy. Yes: the Amalfi Coast might be pretty, Positano might be photogenic, and Rome might be home to some famous old dude. But Venice is iconic. For that reason, it has been its own worst enemy, with its attraction proving fatal to any hopes you might have had of a laid-back holiday.

Some argue the whole city now feels like a glorified museum, what with all the new entry fees and turnstiles. On top of that, it has had problems with cruise ship tourism for some time, is (still) sinking, and gets hideously overcrowded every summer.