To the uninitiated, Venice is Piazza San Marco, crammed with foreigners reenacting scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," a gaggle of pigeons feeding on their heads. Of all towns in Europe, Venice has the highest tourist-to-inhabitant ratio. Restaurants are pricey; hotel rates can be astronomical. But Venice is a parallel universe. There are two worlds that co-exist in the same place - the world of the tourists, and that of the Venetians. Behind the heavy wooden doors of the palazzi, or tucked into the calli of working-class neighborhoods, everyday Venetian life goes on.One way to get behind the scenes is to rent an apartment. Wake up to the sound of laundry flapping across the corte, and brew your own coffee right on the stove. Wander over to the Rialto market and purchase a fish caught just that morning. Buy fresh vegetables grown on one of the local islands, then bring home your haul and try your hand in the kitchen. Have a glass of wine and eavesdrop on conversations in the neighborhood campo, where the undulating rhythm of the Venetian dialect echoes the ebb and flow of the water lapping in the lagoon. Apartment choices vary widely, with everything from small, one-room studios equipped with a pull-out sofa bed, to an entire piano nobile furnished with antiques. Prices are generally lower than staying in a hotel, and even the smallest apartment is often larger than a hotel room - perfect for the independent traveler, or for families or groups traveling together.

There are tradeoffs, however. Due to the city's unique infrastructure and the difficulties of getting around, maid service is more likely to be once a week than every day, sometimes with an extra charge for sheets and towels. Some agencies will meet you and take you to your apartment, while others simply give you a key and map, then send you off into the labyrinth of Venetian streets and canals.