kpd21880 Posted January 31, 2020 #1 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Thinking through some options for one night pre-cruise stay in Venice this July. Plan is to fly in, arriving Saturday morning, overnight @ a hotel, board ship on Sunday, ship overnight on Sunday, depart Venice on ship on Monday (so we have 2.5 days in Venice, but split between hotel and ship). We have a bunch of Hyatt points that would make a stay at the Hyatt Centric in Murano free, which is always enticing on an expensive trip. I see that they offer an included, private water taxi ride from the airport to the hotel on Murano, and that the hotel is located very near the Museo Vaporetto stop, connecting us to Venice proper (the hotel also has a limited private water taxi shuttle). I've been reading and trying my best to look at Vaporetto maps and it also looks like there is a line from Murano to the cruise ship terminal (Marittima?). We are young-ish and travel light, so walking and luggage are not a concern. Without ever having been there, it's difficult for me to understand how much of a hassle all of that is. Knowing that we don't actually plan to spend time on Murano - we would spend the day we arrive, after dropping off luggage, wandering around Venice, does it make sense to stay at the Hyatt? Or will we regret that cost savings because the Vaporetto between Venice and Murano is more of a hassle than it looks? Also - if I am missing that we SHOULD spend time on Murano, clue me into that too! We do not have any desire to visit a glass blowing demonstration with a pushy sales pitch, though. Thanks for any experience and advice you can provide, -Katie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted January 31, 2020 #2 Share Posted January 31, 2020 You have done a good job with your homework. Taking the vaporetto over to Venice will be a minor hassle and might involve some extra time. You certainly would want to take advantage of your location to walk around Murano where you will also find a decent number of cafes/restaurants and plenty of shops. You can purchase a Vaporetto Pass which will get you unlimited use of the entire vaporetto system. Another island worth exploring is Burano which is also linked to Murano via the Vaporettos. Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpd21880 Posted February 1, 2020 Author #3 Share Posted February 1, 2020 19 hours ago, Hlitner said: You have done a good job with your homework. Taking the vaporetto over to Venice will be a minor hassle and might involve some extra time. You certainly would want to take advantage of your location to walk around Murano where you will also find a decent number of cafes/restaurants and plenty of shops. You can purchase a Vaporetto Pass which will get you unlimited use of the entire vaporetto system. Another island worth exploring is Burano which is also linked to Murano via the Vaporettos. Hank Thank you Hank. Is there a way to get to/from Venice/ Murano in the evenings that I am missing? Maybe I am reading the Vaporetto maps incorrectly? It seems they stop that route after 8:30pm? We’d love to have dinner and walk around Venice at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted February 1, 2020 #4 Share Posted February 1, 2020 I'm not sure I'd advise staying on Murano unless the budget aspect is critical....at least, not for a first visit. It does take considerable time to get around the lagoon from place to place, and given your already limited time, I would suggest staying in Venice proper just to make it easier to "be" where you want to be. If it was a third or fourth visit, it might be an attractive option. (Not for me, but for some. I like to be in the midst of things.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted February 1, 2020 #5 Share Posted February 1, 2020 5 hours ago, kpd21880 said: Thank you Hank. Is there a way to get to/from Venice/ Murano in the evenings that I am missing? Maybe I am reading the Vaporetto maps incorrectly? It seems they stop that route after 8:30pm? We’d love to have dinner and walk around Venice at night. The vaporettos do have a "night" schedule and there is a route that connects Murano to Venice. But night boats run with less frequency so it takes a little more planning. We agree with CruiseMom that staying on Venice is the most convenient and you should balance your budget against some of the time inconvenience of being on Murano. I would be OK staying on Murano but would plan our days/nights to minimize the number of times we would go back and forth to Venice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slidergirl Posted February 1, 2020 #6 Share Posted February 1, 2020 I can see why that Hyatt Centric caught your eye - 1/2 the points or 1/3 the price of the other Hyatt-associated hotels. But, I don't believe I would pick that one. I love ceramics and glasswork and personally would love to spend time on Murano exploring the glass shops and watching beadwork being produced. But, that wouldn't be enough for me to have to take the vaporetto to/from Venice proper. I think it takes close to an hour each way (it's been awhile, but it sure seemed a long time). Those other hotels aren't Hyatt properties, but an affiliated product for membership/points purposes. Hyatt doesn't have the biggest footprint in Europe, so choices can be limited. I've done cash&points on occasion, but they don't seem to be available at any Venice property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpd21880 Posted February 2, 2020 Author #7 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Thank you, everyone. Your insight is so helpful. An hour ferry ride and shortened evening schedule sways me to forego the cost savings of a points stay and we’ll look for something on Venice proper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted February 2, 2020 #8 Share Posted February 2, 2020 While not commenting on the pros/cons of staying on Murano I do want to correct another post. The vaporettos between Murano and Venice take as little as 10 minutes! It is a matter of choosing the proper vaporetto and direct routing. What does take a much longer time is taking the Vaporetto out to Burano. Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpd21880 Posted February 3, 2020 Author #9 Share Posted February 3, 2020 16 hours ago, Hlitner said: While not commenting on the pros/cons of staying on Murano I do want to correct another post. The vaporettos between Murano and Venice take as little as 10 minutes! It is a matter of choosing the proper vaporetto and direct routing. What does take a much longer time is taking the Vaporetto out to Burano. Hank 11 minutes? Wow! That's not bad at all. Hmmm... rethinking again now :) Thank you for all the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted February 3, 2020 #10 Share Posted February 3, 2020 56 minutes ago, kpd21880 said: 11 minutes? Wow! That's not bad at all. Hmmm... rethinking again now 🙂 Thank you for all the information. It comes down to which boat. The shortest and fastest is the 4.2 from Murano Centro over to the Fondamente Nove stop and also the 12 boat. Some of them actually make the crossing in 9 minutes. But you still would need to transfer at Fondamente Nove to get to the most popular Venice stops. But here is a link to the current schedule so you can explore the options: http://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/orari-servizio-di-navigazione-0 I will be honest in saying that DW and I always stay in Venice. But we would certainly consider Murano or Lido for the right price. Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancycat Posted February 21, 2020 #11 Share Posted February 21, 2020 We stayed in Venice and our hotel had a complimentary water taxi to Murano, we watched glass blowing and did some shopping, no one was pushing us to buy anything. The glass was amazing. We then took the Vapparoto to Burano, it was absolutely beautiful, but a long trip. we had a great lunch, and opted for a private water taxi back to Venice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PelicanLvr Posted February 22, 2020 #12 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Another Thought: Use your points and stay on Murano. Arrive and get there and drop your luggage. Use that day (your arrival day) for "island hopping". Ask your hotel staff on arrival to map it out for you. Besides seeing Murano, I suggest going out to Burano and also over to the Lido. Enjoy Venice's outer islands... Next day: Leave early and drop your luggage off at the pier. You will be stuck with your valuables, but leave luggage and carry- ons for porters to deliver to your stateroom. We have done this after an early flight arrival. We dropped off around 9am. Check in when the desks first open but do not get on the ship. Go into town. Take the vaperatto from P Roma (port Vaporetto stop) down the Grand Canal - try to sit outside in the front of the boat (that's your only way to see the Grand Canal since the ships do not use it to get to the sea) to St. marks and spend the day (and night) in Venice. DONT run back to the ship for dinner, have it in Venice and enjoy St. Marks at night. Have coffee after dinner at Cafe Florian and listen to the orchestra play. Unforgettable....you will have lots of ship dinners. Next day (ship departure day) walk from the ship in the general direction of St. Marks (lots of signs to San Marco) and see the less crowded, less tourist Venice. That is a great experience too. This uses your hotel points to your advantage and you see the islands...which you would skip if you stayed on the mainland. Just a thought. See as much as you can. Venice is a wonderful place!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpd21880 Posted February 22, 2020 Author #13 Share Posted February 22, 2020 On 2/21/2020 at 11:07 AM, Nancycat said: Beautiful pictures! Are they from Burano? Any chance you remember where you had lunch? Food is our favorite part of travel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpd21880 Posted February 22, 2020 Author #14 Share Posted February 22, 2020 7 hours ago, PelicanLvr said: Another Thought: Use your points and stay on Murano. Arrive and get there and drop your luggage. Use that day (your arrival day) for "island hopping". Ask your hotel staff on arrival to map it out for you. Besides seeing Murano, I suggest going out to Burano and also over to the Lido. Enjoy Venice's outer islands... Thank you! I love this plan, actually. Especially if our flights get in early enough to enjoy a full day island hopping. Still trying to figure out flights from the US and routes that will help us maximize our time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancycat Posted February 23, 2020 #15 Share Posted February 23, 2020 13 hours ago, kpd21880 said: Beautiful pictures! Are they from Burano? Any chance you remember where you had lunch? 13 hours ago, kpd21880 said: Yes, Trattoria da Primo..it was a great meal and the waiter arranged for our private water taxi back to Venice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeHeartCruising Posted February 23, 2020 #16 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Like others have said, staying in Murano probably wouldn't be my first choice. However, if it's free and I wanted to be economical, I would stay there with no regrets. I could make it work. Murano is worth an hour or two walking around even if you ignore the glass works -- and you can often see them at work without going fully inside. As Hank said, just learn how to read the vaporetto map and figure out where you want to go. "N" routes are nighttime routes. As I rode the vaporetto boats around the lagoon (even on longer trips), I found that fascinating. The views of the city and islands around you are full of things to look at and enjoy. So time on them goes quickly. IF you have an interest in visiting a couple of the secondary islands, the suggestion to do that on your first day is probably a good one. Although, I'd probably be keen to see some of the primary sites on the main islands too. I'd probably split my time doing outer islands during the first part of the day and then get off a vaporetto near San Marco to explore the rest of the day -- perhaps saving indoor sightseeing until your next day. Eventually, I'd probably walk across the bridges and islands back to the Fondamente Nove stop and catch the "N" night vaporetto back from there. Or ride one of the Grand Canal vaporettos after dark (well worth the trip to see it all lit up at night) part of the way toward home and then walk over to Fondamente stop for the "N" boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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