lfingerman

Our family of 4 adults will be in Venice in December. We have never been there. We like to stay in typical neighborhoods filled with small shops and restaurants where Venetians go. We don't want to be in a totally tourist area but near enough to the sights to get to them easily. Is it better to stay in Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello, or San Palo? Also any recommendations for B&B's, apartments, and neighborhood restaurants would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks you.

gard

Hi

Venice itself is pretty small so it doesn't really matter where you stay as it is easy to get around town either by foot or by boat. My wife and I stayed near the train station when we were there and I have written more about it in this trip report with pictures and links: http://gardkarlsen.com/italy_venice.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there

Regards
Gard
gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

worldinabag

Hi

Just some queries re accommodation - what's your budget (in euros). How long for i.e what dates? And that's one apartment for all 4? So 2 bedrooms.

Cheers

zizz

Hotel American Dinesen. I'm pretty picky about hotels and spend hours researching the net. Of course, I've learned the hard way that no amount of reviews read is sufficient to ensure that you get the best hotel. Last year, hubby and I did a whirlwind trip to Europe and I spend 3 months reading.

Hotel American Dinesen ended up to be my "best-researched hotel". Nice rooms and in a very nice area. I couldn't have asked for more - if you don't mind the fact that there are no elevators. Short walk to Rialto and very close to San Marco. There is a gondola station by the waterbus station. And at the back is another canal by La Calcina. As well, somewhere near the place are bars where locals hang-out and eat those Venetian "tapas" I've read so much about in various posts here.

toni_g_b

By happenstance, we had two extra nights in Venice during a recent trip. We already had hotel reservations near San Marco, but when they couldn't extend our stay, we looked for another place. Somehow I found Hotel Palazzo Abadessa http://www.abadessa.com/en/ All I can say is Wow! To this point Albergo del Senato in Rome would have easily been my favorite hotel in Italy. Palazzo Abadessa is now on the top of the list. The location in Cannaregio is perfect. Easy walks to most everywhere without the hordes of tourists - until you get closer to the Rialto. It's just a block off the Strada Nuova which seems to be more locals than tourists with lots of shops and restaurants. And then another block to the Ca' D'Oro water bus stop. Getting to the hotel from the airport is just the second stop on the Alilaguna line and then a 10-15 mins walk to the hotel if your so inclined. (Or you can stay on the bus and take the long way around.) As for the hotel itself, they currently (8/07) find themselves next to a canal under repair so if you want to sleep in after 8:00 (I can't imagine staying in bed while in Venice) you might want to ask for a room on the other side of the hotel. Our room was of ample size and elegant. The breakfast was amazing. And the garden was breathtaking! The hotel has complementary aperitivi that were such a pleasure to enjoy in the garden at night after a long day touring. Would I return? In a heartbeat!

suze

I really enjoy the Dorsoduro. I stay at Pensione La Calcina, which also has some family apartments the rent.
www.lacalcina.com

sfotraveler

My family of 16 was in Venice from
July 30 through Aug 4, and I highly recommend the Ca' del Campo. Website: cadelcampo.it. It's in San Marco, a quick 5 minutes from Piazza San Marco, but far enough way to be in a nice quiet but well-traveled street. You're next to a canal.

Staff was courteous, friendly, fluent in English and probably many other languages. Our rooms ranged from quite spacious to cozy, but always in excellent condition. Photos on the web are accurate.

There's plenty of local shops nearby, like a hardware store and small department-type store. But there are also plenty of restaurants and shops. The location near Piazza San Marco means you can easily step there when you want to, but can quickly get to the Rialto Bridge and other points from there.

The hotel's location allows you to get to swanky shopping areas quickly, but there's enough smaller streets (alleys?) with places to poke around in. For instance, I found a used bookstore within 5 minutes walk that had English, French, and Italian books and comic books (!) along with a selection of items that tourists might buy.

Some stationary stores nearby had lithographed bookmarks signed and numbered for only a few USD. But my adult children had all they could handle with European and Italian clothing and the always-present glass stores.

We thoroughly enjoyed Ca' del Campo!

hlocke1

Hello there --

I especially like Dorsoduro. It is super close to a lot of great sights, but is very quiet and sweet. The Hotel American (despite its cheesy name) is very nice--right on a canal with views from some rooms and decorated in lavish textiles. Here is a link: http://www.hotelamerican.com/.

If you are on a budget, try the Pensione Guerrato near the Rialto Bridge. Decor-wise, it's nothing special, but the location is pretty great too. Here is a link: http://www.pensioneguerrato.it/.

Good luck and enjoy!
h.