Can anyone recommend a hotel or hostel for us and our three kids (15, 14 and 5)? Also budget restaurants?

Thanks
Cathy

www.checkin2.com have some great price hotels, may be worth trying

have you tried out at the lido? it's a boat ride away but much cheaper to live, also when in venive if you stand on the rialto bridge and look down so you have lines of restaurants on either side (you only get this view from one side) go to the restaurants on the right, for some reason they're 1/4 the price for exactly the same view!