Stay Overnight:  Venice is crowded with tourists.  However, a good percentage of those touring Venice are those from cruise ships or day trippers.   Venice changes it's face after about 4 pm as the crowds subside.   Surprisingly, hotels are not overly expensive and good, family owned hotels can be found at reasonable prices.  My favorites: Hotel al Piave and Hotel Flora.

Go Ahead, Take a Gondola Ride:  It will be expensive (about 130 euros) but the more people riding with you, the less expensive it will be on a per-person basis.  As an alternative take a water taxi with a detour down the Grand Canal when going to your hotel.

Don't Have Money for a Gondola Ride, Take the Vaporetto Along the Grand Canal:  A vaporetto is like a public water taxi.  For about 7 1/2 euros, a 30-50 ride from St. Mark's Square back to the train station is a pleasure, filled with plenty of photo-ops.

Pack Light:  There are NO cars in the historic area of Venice.   Streets are narrow, uneven, and there are frequent small bridges that need to be walked over.   Don't get caught dragging heavy luggage around.

Eat Away from the Main Drag:  Dining does not need to be an expensive option, but stay away from eating where everyone else is eating.  Check the menus before sitting down.  Don't be afraid to window-shop to see what is on other diner plates.

Hotel Recommendations:  We like the family-owned al Piave.  The price is right and the location is close to St. Mark's.   For a treat, try the Hotel American Dinesen in the quite Dorsoduro area.   The water taxi pulls right up to the hotel, so there is no dragging of luggage through the streets.  It is away from it all, yet close enough to everything.