The lowest round-trip air fare between Boston and Venice at press time was $455 on Northwest Airlines. The lowest fare between Boston and Milan was $439 on Delta Air Lines.

Venice

Operas at La Fenice this season include ''La Traviata" (Nov. 12-20), Jules Massenet's ''The King of Lahore" (Dec. 18 -- Jan. 5), Gioachino Rossini's ''Maometto Secondo" (Jan 28-Feb. 6), Richard Wagner's ''Parsifal" (March 12-23), Gaetano Donizetti's ''Pia de' Tolomei" (April 15-24), and Richard Strauss's ''Daphne" (June 9-21).

Buy tickets in advance at www.teatrolafenice.it. For last-minute availability, go to www.hellovenezia.it, 011-39-041-2424, or go to the theater box office one hour before performance. Ticket prices can range from $24 to $720.

Daily guided tours of the theater are by reservation only. Call 011-39-041-786575. Adults $7.50, students and seniors $5

Milan

Milan's opera season begins with Antonio Salieri's ''Europa Riconosciuta" (Dec. 7-Jan. 15), the same opera that inaugurated the theater in 1778. The company then moves to Teatro degli Arcimboldi in the Milan suburb of Bicocca, which has been serving as its temporary home during the restoration, for Richard Wagner's ''Tannhauser" (Feb. 5-23) while La Scala is fine-tuned. The company returns to La Scale for Giacomo Puccini's ''La Boheme" (Jun 13-Jul 19), Giaochino Rossini's ''Cinderella" (June 27-July 21) and ''The Barber of Seville" (Sept. 19-Oct. 16), and Claude Debussy's ''Pellas and Mlisande" (Nov. 2--17). Buy tickets at www.teatroallascala.it or at the La Scala box officeacross the street from the theater in the Galleria.

Where to Stay

Venice

Hotel La Fenice et Des Artistes

San Marco 1936

011-39-047-798-259

E-mail: fenicedesartistes@veniceby.com

A comfortable three-star hotel next to La Fenice and a three-minute walk to Piazza San Marco. Rooms $103-$321.

MilanHotel Manzoni

Via Santo Spirito 20

011-39-02-7600-5700

This small, three-star hotel is close to La Scala and shopping. Rooms $230-$300.