Hello,
We are 4 people (2 adults and 2kids of 4.5 and 9 years of age) travelling to Venice from Florence on the 8th May. We then head to MXP(Malpensa airport) on the 9th evening as we have a flight on the 10th morning.
Someone suggested that we stay outside Venice and go to see Venice on the 8th and then on the 9th. Does it make sense and if yes, where can we stay from where we can reach Venice easily and economically.
THanks
Options of staying closer outside Venice and coming to Venice
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As you are going to have very little time IN Venice (and yes, I realize it is one of THE most expensive cities in Europe but you actually CAN find decently-priced accommodations inside the city if you look carefully) I would NOT stay outside. In fact with so little time I would stay as far inside as I could possibly get. Why? because you are going to be spending precious time getting to and from if you stay outside. Spend that time ONCE when going in.
We have stayed outside Venice in a rental apartment and taken the train in and out several days, but we were there for 10 days. With only two days, I don't know why you wouldn't want to be right there and make the most of your limited time.
Trains coming in and out of Venice can be unpleasantly packed in the "rush hours" when thousands of people like you are piling into Venice for a day. It is also not always easy to find your way around Venice as a newcomer, so getting back to the train station at a specific time to catch a train (or else wait an hour), especially if you are steering a smaller child, can really cut into your day.
Think too how you will feel if you get a mid-day downpour but are nowhere near your hotel.
But if you are traveling May 8, you need to make a reservation as quickly as possible. Use venere.com or booking.com to see what's available in your price range.
Agree with other comments above, plus would add that the railway station (along with the bus station & car parking areas) is at the least attractive end of Venice, being (obviously) the end nearest the bridges and so the only part with road/rail transport. Apart from battling the crowds from & to the station, you also don't want to be spending a high proportion of your very limited time in the least Venice-like part of Venice, do you?
I would add that Venice is a magical place early in the morning and in the evening when the crowds are gone. I would sacrifice some other aspect of the trip in order to experience this.
One caution about staying in Venice and your friends' advice:
Did your friends advise you to book a hotel outside of Venice because they had a bad experience being in a part of Venice where the crowds were so enormous that it was hard on their children and them to move around in the narrow alleys?
If so, that is a real problem and you will want a hotel away from the mobs if you are going in peak season. The problem is worst in the San Marco area or right around the Rialto bridge, so avoid booking a hotel there.
Sometimes people think that families with children will want to be near a beach, but the beaches near Venice are pretty dreary and you miss out on why some people enjoy Venice if you aren't there before 9am or after 8pm.