Question regarding accommodations when visiting Venice

We will be staying one or two nights before our cruise departs Venice. I am starting to research places to stay.

While staying on Venice sounds wonderful, prices are rather expensive, and I have read that most places travelers will find themselves dragging their luggage around the walkways and up and down many bridges, to get from wherever the water taxi or vaporetto drops them off, to their hotel or AirBnB apartment.

On the other hand, it appears that there are hotels and AirBnB's on the mainland (Marghera area?) at more reasonable rates, but it means catching a bus or train (I'm not certain which) to Venice and then taking some sort of water transportation to get to specific areas of the island (or walking).

I am not certain how easy it is to get from the various mainland hotels to the bus or train that goes to Venice. I also do not know what hours it runs, so do not know when one would have to be back at the Venice terminal to catch a return trip to the mainland hotel. So, hard to know if one would be able to watch the sunset, and have an evening meal, while in Venice, and still be able to get back to the hotel.

If you have been there, any information you can give me to help us make a decision....pricing of bus (or is it a train?), and if there are passes, etc.

We have stayed at Best Western Hotel Bologna in Mestre a number of times and would stay there again. It's located directly across from the train station and bus stop for travel to and from Venice.

The hotel will arrange transfer from the airport to the hotel and a land taxi (van) to the terminal next to your ship on embarkation day.

It's a modern hotel with a very nice breakfast included. The front desk staff is very helpful and happy to assist you with anything you might require.

We stayed at Hotel Olympia in November. It, too, I think is a Best Western property. The room was huge w windows opening directly on a canal where gondolas were parked. It's a very easy walk from the People Mover. Also, just steps from a vaporetto stop. Breakfast is included and the grounds are so pretty. We were also given a complimentary water taxi ride to Murano, where we saw a wonderful glass blowing demo.

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There are reasonably priced options in Venice. What are your requirements .... do you need an elevator? b'fast provided? private bathroom? a/c ?

And there are options that don't require you to drag your luggage for miles. The Piazzale Roma area is the last point of land travel in Venice so it's where buses and taxis drop off their pax from the airport. It's also close to the cruiseport. There are 2 hotels in PRoma and several more that only require a 5 minute walk and one small bridge. Or, stay at a hotel near an Alilaguna stop. You can ride the Alilaguna from the airport to Venice and to the port.

Another option is to leave your excess luggage at the left luggage facility at PRoma. Pack an overnight bag and then you easily access reasonable lodging ANYWHERE in Venice.

I stayed at a hotel halfway between the airport and Venice for one night prior to a cruise. We had been to Venice before and were staying a few days after , so it was fine. But for a first time visitor, I think Venice proper is a better option. No need to spend a fortune though. Depends on your requirements and if you're willing to store excess luggage.

ie Last yr there were 4 of us sharing an apt near Rialto ... 2 bed/2bath/laundry for $300 a nite. Previously stayed in their smaller unit for $175 a nite. I checked out the Hotel Santa Lucia by the train station for a future budget choice, $100 a nite w/bfast, but 3 others decided to join me.

From the venice for visitors web site, a listing of Piazzale Roma hotels: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/bridges/piazzale-roma.htm

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/venice-warning.htm

There are hotels in Venice located on canals with their own docks. No dragging of luggage necessary. Of course you do need a water taxi, which some consider expensive. I consider it part of the entire Venice experience. Just putting it out there so folks know it's possible to find a place without dragging luggage.

We stayed at the Santa Chiara hotel in Venice. After leaving the airport we found the bus that went to piazzale Roma. When we got off the bus the hotel was across the parking lot. Short walk, no bridges to cross. Quaint hotel with elevator. We were offered a breakfast buffet. The staff was very helpful with questions and there is a grocery store a short walk from the hotel for wine, cheese or anything you might have forgotten. Venice was one of my favorite Italy stops.

I urge you to look for a hotel in Venice. I stayed in Mestre (mainland) on my first visit to Venice, and I found it very disappointing to have to leave the "ambience" that's more present in Venice proper than most places to go to my hotel -- especially in the evening when most of the other tourists are gone. Early mornings are also magical.

Piazzale Roma, where several of the hotels mentioned above are located, is easy from the standpoint of getting around with luggage. You can take a taxi or an express from the airport that drops you off in the Piazzale, and there are a handful of hotels there that don't require a lot of hauling.

The vaporetti (the basic water transport around Venice) operate until fairly late, and then a night route is available that covers the most common stops. Trains also run late and frequently (if not all night?). BUT there's nothing better than staying Venice!

I agree with cruisemom... stay in Venice..we are staying at Hotel Becher, has a private dock..it's mid range in price. It's always location that counts, to make your trip more memorable.

We will be staying one or two nights before our cruise departs Venice. I am starting to research places to stay.

 

While staying on Venice sounds wonderful, prices are rather expensive, and I have read that most places travelers will find themselves dragging their luggage around the walkways and up and down many bridges, to get from wherever the water taxi or vaporetto drops them off, to their hotel or AirBnB apartment.

 

On the other hand, it appears that there are hotels and AirBnB's on the mainland (Marghera area?) at more reasonable rates, but it means catching a bus or train (I'm not certain which) to Venice and then taking some sort of water transportation to get to specific areas of the island (or walking).

 

I am not certain how easy it is to get from the various mainland hotels to the bus or train that goes to Venice. I also do not know what hours it runs, so do not know when one would have to be back at the Venice terminal to catch a return trip to the mainland hotel. So, hard to know if one would be able to watch the sunset, and have an evening meal, while in Venice, and still be able to get back to the hotel.

 

If you have been there, any information you can give me to help us make a decision....pricing of bus (or is it a train?), and if there are passes, etc.

We stayed in B&B Cannaregio . Beautiful neighbourhood , good restaurants and only 15 min walk to St.Marco .Taxi dropped us right beside it Alilaguna would be 7 min easy walk and only one small bridge. I am so happy we did not book hotel in St.Marco its crazy there .

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2503104

Buy / download yourself the Lonely Planet guide for Venice! A treasure trove of information.

And google "Tom's port guides" for Venice. That genius cruiser has worked very hard to produce a very good guide for cruise ship passengers. It is an excellent resource to find your way around the port area in particular.

We loved our room with private bath in Hotel Antica Locanda Montin i located in the Dorsoduro district of Venice. It is a restaurant with 7 or 8 rooms above. Our room overlooked a small canal and was very quiet. Their restaurant is reasonable and tasty also. Just take the vaporetti from the rail station and get off at Ca Rezzonico stop. The hotel is only a few blocks walk from there. None of the crowds that you find in the main tourist areas but there is a pedestrian bridge nearby that will take you to the San Marco part of the city. I just checked Trivago and prices for July are around $153/night with breakfast included.

We stayed at Hotel Columbina and loved it. Our friends just returned from Venice and stayed there also, and also loved it. Great location, on a quiet canal but close enough to San Marco. Delicious breakfast buffet. Attentive staff. A moderate priced property

Once in a while I like to post some thoughts about staying in Mestre vs in Venice. I think it might help some to do a simple comparison. Say you fly into Newark for the purpose of seeing some of New York City. You have the option of staying somewhere in the Newark area or going over the NYC and staying in a more expensive hotel. If you stay in Newark you can get to NYC on the PATH trains or even by ferry from some places on the New Jersey side. Venice is similar. One can stay in the Mestre area and often save money versus staying in Venice. The transportation connections to Venice (from Mestre) are pretty good. It is similar with Newark.

So, we wonder how many folks visiting NYC....elect to stay in the Newark area? There are some good reasons to choose Mestre over Venice. Budget is one good reason,....although there are some reasonably priced accommodations in Venice. Mestre allows one to use land taxis to get to/from the airport as well as the cruise port....where most parts of Venice involve using more complex transportation mediums/routes.

So why stay in Venice? Its like saying "why stay in NYC," "Paris," "Rome," etc. Nearly every major city in the world offers lower priced accommodations if one stays outside the city. Venice is no different.

Hank

Venice is beautiful. It's a feast for your eyes. Mestre is ugly, unattractive. Don't you want to surround yourself with beauty albeit a bit more expensive? Enjoy your trip. You can be practical and pragmatic at home. When you're old and no longer able to travel you'll regret being miserly with yourself.

We stayed in Cannaregio at the Hotel Palazzo Abadessa. It isn't far from the Ca d' Oro Vaporetto stop (no bridges), but if you're hauling luggage it has its own dock for water taxis. The hotel was exactly what I wanted in Venice...beautiful, historic, small, and very quiet but an easy walk to the action. I highly recommend this hotel.

Yes, it was more expensive than staying on the mainland, but it was worth every penny. To me, staying in a beautifully maintained hotel that was a palace dating back hundreds of years really enhanced our experience.

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I agree with cruisemom... stay in Venice..we are staying at Hotel Becher, has a private dock..it's mid range in price. It's always location that counts, to make your trip more memorable.

We're gonna stay there too in November! Are you planning on taking a private water taxi to the hotel?

We stayed in Cannaregio at the Hotel Palazzo Abadessa. It isn't far from the Ca d' Oro Vaporetto stop (no bridges), but if you're hauling luggage it has its own dock for water taxis. The hotel was exactly what I wanted in Venice...beautiful, historic, small, and very quiet but an easy walk to the action. I highly recommend this hotel.

 

Yes, it was more expensive than staying on the mainland, but it was worth every penny. To me, staying in a beautifully maintained hotel that was a palace dating back hundreds of years really enhanced our experience.

 

 

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I had not heard of this hotel but now I'm intrigued. It looks lovely. In which type of room did you stay on your visit there? How far on foot to St. Marks?

I had not heard of this hotel but now I'm intrigued. It looks lovely. In which type of room did you stay on your visit there? How far on foot to St. Marks?

We stayed in a deluxe room on the "Piano Nobile" floor. It was lovely. Here's a link to my blog post with hotel and room pictures: http://theworldthroughmylens.blog/2017/06/12/quote-part-1-venice-day-2/

It was a 15-20 minute walk to St. Mark's, depending on whether you know where you're going or wander around like we did![emoji23] Here's a Google Map screenshot that shows the location of the hotel:

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Thanks for the info -- the hotel looks lovely and historic; just the kind of place I like.

Your photos are wonderful, by the way.

I can highly recommend hotel Fontana, from the San Zaccaria stop 5 min walk with no bridges and no stairs to cross.

I've used the Alilaguna blue line from the airport to hotel Fontana, 5 min walk from San Marco, and from there to the cruise terminal.

Cheaper than other options, leaves you right on the dock. The boats are geared towards passengers with luggage, with a special area for it.

Worth checking out this option:

http://www.alilaguna.it/en/linea-blu/map

Thanks for the info -- the hotel looks lovely and historic; just the kind of place I like.

 

 

 

Your photos are wonderful, by the way.

You're welcome, and thanks![emoji846]

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You're welcome, and thanks![emoji846]

 

 

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Cindy,

Stunning photos, Cindy. You captured the true essence of Venice. Thanks for sharing.

We're gonna stay there too in November! Are you planning on taking a private water taxi to the hotel?

We are going to book a private water taxi from the pier to the hotel. We are 2 couples and not willing to drag our luggage thru the streets. I contacted one company but they said I need to wait until November to make our reservations for April.

We stayed in Venice in July of 2013 for two nights before embarking on the 12 nt Grand Med cruise on the Spirit. At the time I was not sure if we would ever return to the city and I wanted to be sure to stay on the island rather than in Mestre, even if it cost extra. After much research we chose the B&B Gio & Gio and we absolutely loved it. There are only 3 bedrooms in this apartment, each with private bath, which is about a 5 min walk to St Marks Sq. We took the Alilaguna transport boat from the airport and it dropped us off at a dock that was mere minutes walk from the b&b with no bridges to cross with our luggage. The rooms are beautiful, with high ceilings and lovely furnishings. We stayed in the biggest bedroom (a family of four) and had room to spare and two beautiful little balconies with french doors that opened onto a canal. What a treat it was to experience staying in Venice like that. We will never regret the cost! As luck would have it we are going back only this time Venice will be a port stop for us but luckily an overnight port so we should have ample time to explore some more. If you can swing it stay on the island and not on the mainland. There is something magical about doing so. Enjoy your time there!

We just came back from our 10 night cruise on Constellation out of Venice which also returned to Venice. There were 8 of us and we needed four hotel rooms both before and after the cruise. We had 16 pieces of luggage including our carry on bags. We could not find any good options in Venice for the complexity of our group and everything was very expensive there in early June. We booked the Crowne Plaza on the main land in Quarto D'Altino. They have a cruise package there with very reasonable rates. It includes free transportation from the airport to the hotel, and free transportation to the cruise port. They do this on both ends of the cruise if returning to Venice. Rooms are pretty nice and modern. A very nice buffet breakfast with hot and cold items is included in the rate. The Train Station is literally behind the hotel. You can take a train running every 30 to 60 min to St Lucia Station in Venice and back (runs until midnight). It was 3.40 euro each way. About 25 min ride. Walking out of the train station you are on the Grand Canal and have access to every mode of transportation there. We took the Hop On Hop Off boat for 20 euro (24 hr) or there is an option for 27 euro (48 hr). The public water buses or private water taxis are also right there. We were glad we did this. A lot of people were in Venice dragging their luggage up and down steps and over bridges.