Arriving at VCE at 11:25 pm...chances of getting our car?
Feb 15th, 2019 | 06:33 AM
#1
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Arriving at VCE at 11:25 pm...chances of getting our car?
Hey everyone! So as my titles says, we have an 11:25 pm arrival in Venice on May 1st. We have a rental booked with Europcar (through Auto Europe), and they close at 11:59. I put in a call to Auto Europe to discuss the situation and they are making a note that our flight is coming in late, with the hopes that perhaps others from our flight will also need a car and Europcar will wait in the event of a late arrival. Auto Europe is going to reach out to their Europcar contact and get back to me.
In the meantime I'm seeking opinions. We have never been to VCE. What do you think our chances are of picking up our rental before they close? I'm thinking we would separate and I would stay with my girls (9) to get our luggage while he ran to the Europcar desk. And before anyone asks, we are staying in Mestre because after one day in Venice we are heading north.
Thanks!
Tracy
In the meantime I'm seeking opinions. We have never been to VCE. What do you think our chances are of picking up our rental before they close? I'm thinking we would separate and I would stay with my girls (9) to get our luggage while he ran to the Europcar desk. And before anyone asks, we are staying in Mestre because after one day in Venice we are heading north.
Thanks!
Tracy
Last edited by tcreath; Feb 15th, 2019 at 06:36 AM.
Feb 15th, 2019 | 07:05 AM
#3
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It seems to me unlikely you'll get a car that night. Though I have twice arrived when my rental agency in Italy was closed (once on a Sunday and once after hours). knew this ahead of time, though, and worked with AutoEurope to try to find a solution. Both times they arranged for someone to come and open the office for me, get the paperwork straightened out, etc. For this I paid about 25-30 euros each time (it was about 10 years ago, though, so prices have no doubt increased). It will all come down to what AutoEurope's affiliate will agree to. But I honestly wouldn't want to be chancing it at that time of night, especially if I weren't familiar with the territory. So I agree with Jean. Get an airport hotel and pick up the car the next day.
Feb 15th, 2019 | 07:55 AM
#6
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I think the car rental agency might stay open until you pick up the car. They are used to getting rental bookings for the last BA flight arriving into VCE. The main thing is telling the rental agency the flight number and arrival time when you make the booking otherwise they won't know how/when you are arriving.
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Feb 15th, 2019 | 09:03 AM
#8
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I don't know about Italy but that isn't true at all about the Best Westerns I've stayed at in other countries in Europe. Yes, they are small independent hotels, BW is just a marketing or branding name, that's why they join them, for the marketing. In fact, the ones I've stayed in have been very nice. Such as the Best Western Mornington Lancaster in London. I don't get the comment about how they are basically "private hotels." a lot of people like that, they aren't cookie-cutter modern chain business hotels/motels like they often are in the US. Although even in the US, I don't think BW owns them, not sure.
Feb 15th, 2019 | 10:51 AM
#9
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Based on info in your other thread, Lounges/Showers at Heathrow it looks like you are taking BA598 to VCE. There are quite many flights arriving around that time adding chances for delayed disembarkment.
The way it looks, it is a choice between giving up any hope of getting car on arrival or taking a risk with a clearly identified backup plan - finding out before flying to VCE which acceptable hotels (more than one) have potential to accomodate you at the last minutes so you know who to call knowing if they do have a room, you have already done the research.
Also a side note. It seems you are now realizing a downstream impact on having a long layover in London. Have you stepped through the remainder of your itinerary for additional potential snags?
The way it looks, it is a choice between giving up any hope of getting car on arrival or taking a risk with a clearly identified backup plan - finding out before flying to VCE which acceptable hotels (more than one) have potential to accomodate you at the last minutes so you know who to call knowing if they do have a room, you have already done the research.
Also a side note. It seems you are now realizing a downstream impact on having a long layover in London. Have you stepped through the remainder of your itinerary for additional potential snags?
Feb 15th, 2019 | 02:38 PM
#10
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Based on info in your other thread, Lounges/Showers at Heathrow it looks like you are taking BA598 to VCE. There are quite many flights arriving around that time adding chances for delayed disembarkment.
The way it looks, it is a choice between giving up any hope of getting car on arrival or taking a risk with a clearly identified backup plan - finding out before flying to VCE which acceptable hotels (more than one) have potential to accomodate you at the last minutes so you know who to call knowing if they do have a room, you have already done the research.
Also a side note. It seems you are now realizing a downstream impact on having a long layover in London. Have you stepped through the remainder of your itinerary for additional potential snags?
The way it looks, it is a choice between giving up any hope of getting car on arrival or taking a risk with a clearly identified backup plan - finding out before flying to VCE which acceptable hotels (more than one) have potential to accomodate you at the last minutes so you know who to call knowing if they do have a room, you have already done the research.
Also a side note. It seems you are now realizing a downstream impact on having a long layover in London. Have you stepped through the remainder of your itinerary for additional potential snags?
Last edited by tcreath; Feb 15th, 2019 at 02:41 PM.
Feb 15th, 2019 | 03:02 PM
#11
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If you already plan to stay over anyway, consider going with an hotel closer to the airport with shuttle service. Then you don't have to pay for a taxi both ways if you can't get your car when you arrive. The Best Western is fine, but I am not sure if they have 24 hour shuttle service.
Taxis in Venice/Mestre are kind of a rip off. It could be 35 euros to go to the Mestre train station in the daytime, probably at midnight it is more.
Taxis in Venice/Mestre are kind of a rip off. It could be 35 euros to go to the Mestre train station in the daytime, probably at midnight it is more.
Feb 15th, 2019 | 03:06 PM
#12
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If you call Europcar and explain you are arriving on BA598, they will tell you whether they will wait for you or not. Likelihood is they will, you are not going to be the only ones wanting a rental car slightly outside of the location opening hours. I had to dropoff a Europcar rental at 4am once, the location was open 24/7, in reality they were only open out of hours if they were expecting a dropoff or pickup. Sounds like the conversation with AE was only to ask for their opinion on whether it was possible rather than making a specific request that EP wait for you to pickup the car from BA 598. The arrival flight number should always be included in the car rental reservation details.
Feb 16th, 2019 | 06:13 AM
#13
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If you call Europcar and explain you are arriving on BA598, they will tell you whether they will wait for you or not. Likelihood is they will, you are not going to be the only ones wanting a rental car slightly outside of the location opening hours. I had to dropoff a Europcar rental at 4am once, the location was open 24/7, in reality they were only open out of hours if they were expecting a dropoff or pickup. Sounds like the conversation with AE was only to ask for their opinion on whether it was possible rather than making a specific request that EP wait for you to pickup the car from BA 598. The arrival flight number should always be included in the car rental reservation details.
Feb 16th, 2019 | 06:17 AM
#14
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If you already plan to stay over anyway, consider going with an hotel closer to the airport with shuttle service. Then you don't have to pay for a taxi both ways if you can't get your car when you arrive. The Best Western is fine, but I am not sure if they have 24 hour shuttle service.
Taxis in Venice/Mestre are kind of a rip off. It could be 35 euros to go to the Mestre train station in the daytime, probably at midnight it is more.
Taxis in Venice/Mestre are kind of a rip off. It could be 35 euros to go to the Mestre train station in the daytime, probably at midnight it is more.
Feb 17th, 2019 | 02:35 AM
#17
Joined: Apr 2016
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We usually arrive earlier but last year one of our flights was delayed and we ended up arriving around midnight. So I called the Europcar office in VCE before boarding and told them we were arriving late and asked them to please wait for us as we were driving on to Cortina. Maybe it helped that we usually rent from Europcar (or Hertz) and had pre-paid a fairly expensive SUV, but if this was the case I got no indication of it, they made it sound as "of course we´ll wait a few more minutes". There were other rentals from our plane as this was peak skiing season so that may also have played a part. We got off the plane around 23:30 and my husband rushed to Europcar while I got our bags so we didn't really test them as he was at their offices before 23:59.
About hotels. I like Venice a lot, especially at late at night and early in the morning so I'd take a taxi to San Basilio (some 45 EUR) and stay in a hotel in the fondamenta Zattere (you'll have to walk some 200 meters), and pick up the car from Piazzale Roma the next day if it can be arranged. You can also take a taxi from San Basilio to Piazzale Roma, hotels usually ask drivers to help you with your bags.
About hotels. I like Venice a lot, especially at late at night and early in the morning so I'd take a taxi to San Basilio (some 45 EUR) and stay in a hotel in the fondamenta Zattere (you'll have to walk some 200 meters), and pick up the car from Piazzale Roma the next day if it can be arranged. You can also take a taxi from San Basilio to Piazzale Roma, hotels usually ask drivers to help you with your bags.
Feb 18th, 2019 | 04:34 AM
#18
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Thank you all so much for your help!
Update: I contacted Europcar directly via their online chat and they were able to change the opening hours to 1 am at their airport location and we paid a 30 euro after hours fee so we are good to go. I cancelled with Auto Europe and booked directly through Europcar instead.
I would prefer to stay in Venice itself, obviously, but with such a late arrival (after a 12 hour layover in London) with luggage and two 9 year olds I didn't want to traipse around looking for our hotel. So we are sticking with our hotel in Mestre, across from the train station, so we will have easy access to Venice the next day before departing.
Thanks again!
Tracy
Update: I contacted Europcar directly via their online chat and they were able to change the opening hours to 1 am at their airport location and we paid a 30 euro after hours fee so we are good to go. I cancelled with Auto Europe and booked directly through Europcar instead.
I would prefer to stay in Venice itself, obviously, but with such a late arrival (after a 12 hour layover in London) with luggage and two 9 year olds I didn't want to traipse around looking for our hotel. So we are sticking with our hotel in Mestre, across from the train station, so we will have easy access to Venice the next day before departing.
Thanks again!
Tracy
Feb 18th, 2019 | 05:25 AM
#19
Joined: Jul 2006
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The road outside Maestre station (east side) is pretty busy in a chaotic italian way, so don't let go of anything and use the crossing points. There are guys in the station who pretend to be official to help you onto the trains (the real guys wear proper uniforms not just shirt sleeves). Ignore them, use the overhead signs and catch the nex train into Venice.
Are you leaving your luggage at this hotel?
Are you leaving your luggage at this hotel?
Feb 18th, 2019 | 06:15 AM
#20
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The road outside Maestre station (east side) is pretty busy in a chaotic italian way, so don't let go of anything and use the crossing points. There are guys in the station who pretend to be official to help you onto the trains (the real guys wear proper uniforms not just shirt sleeves). Ignore them, use the overhead signs and catch the nex train into Venice.
Are you leaving your luggage at this hotel?
Are you leaving your luggage at this hotel?
