David

Hi,<BR><BR>I am trying to find a Venice Hotel with car access for a short stay as we will have been travelling for a day and a half by the time we reach Venice and don't want the hassell of the parking station, lugage etc for two nights.<BR><BR>Any suggestions appreciated.<BR><BR>Regards,<BR><BR>David

Kay

David,<BR>there are no hotels in Venice with car access - there are simply no cars in Venice period.<BR>You would have to stay in Mestre on the mainland and commute. The other alternative is to park in the large carpark near the train station in Venice and stay at a hotel very close by - there are heaps near the station. That would be my choice rather than Mestre (tour groups stay here sometimes as it's cheaper than Venice)<BR>Kay

Rex

I'm trying to understand the comment "we will have been travelling for a day and a half by the time we reach Venice". I assume that you mean you are in the car all day the day before you arrive in Venice, and half the day on the day you arrive. When is this relative to your flight from Australia to Europe? Is your night before Venice in Rome? Milan? Salzburg? each of these is about a half day away from Venice. Why not simply turn in the car at the city the night before Venice and take the train in.<BR><BR>There IS always a certain intrinsic hassle getting into and out of Venice. But that hassle is usually absorbed by the awe you experience traveling the length of the grand canal to the stop closest to you hotel. I'd recommend you choose your hotel on the basis if features, price, and/or location withIN Venice - - not on ease of getting there as you arrive and depart.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

pat

If you want a hotel near the car park Hotel Marin is close. I personally would not want to stay in Mestre just for the convenience of parking car at hotel. I thought it looked rather sleazy and you would miss the magic of Venice at night.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Venice has many hotels with car access. They are all at the Lido--a good option.

Rex

I quite disagree that the Lido is a "good option" - - in light of David's objective of saving time and "hassle" upon arriving. I tried it once with the idea of saving on the cost of (two) overnight(s) parking at Tronchetto; the cost of the ferry to get you to Lido eats up much of the parking savings, and adds a "time cost" - - upon arrival, upon departure - - and worst of all, every time you travel back and forth from Lido to "main" Venice.<BR><BR>It's true that Lido is not "icky" like Mestre - - but it is not Venice either.<BR><BR>There are plenty of hotels for which you can have a water taxi take you literally right to the entrance (sometimes a special "back" water taxi entrance - - at Bonvecchiati, for example).<BR><BR>Understanding David's itinerary before and after Venice will help better judge whether the car ought to be simply turned in the day before and train in - - as I suggested in a post above - - but I do not agree that Lido is the answer.<BR>

Dean

If you choose a canalside hotel, here is what I suggest. Drive to P. Roma and unload your luggage near the water taxi stand, leaving one of your family to stand guard. Then park your car. Finally walk back and hop on a water taxi. They will load you luggage on and off the boat. Many hotels have their own docks and will take care of your luggage from the water taxi.<BR><BR>Personally, I would not want to stay in the area of the train station as it is so lacking in charm compared to the rest of Venice.<BR><BR>As to Lido, it is a long boat ride away from Venice proper. And the best part of Venice is being somewhere away from cars. You would miss that on Lido<BR>

David

Just to clarify, we will have been travelling from Sydney Australia via London on to Milan at which point we will be picking up our car (Citroen eurolease) and driving through to Venice for a 2 night stay prior to driving on to Cortina d' Ampezzo and points North for a month.<BR><BR>By the time we reach Venice we will have been traveling for about 30 hours.<BR><BR>We will be travelling with 3 year old and 6 month old children.<BR><BR>Our other choice is to forgo Venice and just stay in Milan. However on previous business vists I have found it a relativly unattractive city and certainly no bargain for shopping.<BR><BR>So in convicing my wife to travel on to Venice then change to a water taxi then most probibly drag volumes of luggage plus small child and baby around the laneways of Venice looking for our hotel may be stretching her good humour somewhat.<BR><BR>It is to minimise the risk of a family meltdown at the Venice end that I am looking for a solution.<BR><BR>Regards,<BR><BR>David<BR>

Rex

A month? Well, then I recommend that you NOT stick this 48 hours in Venice at the front end. I have never traveled with children the age of yours, but i recommend that you do some or all of the following:<BR><BR>1. Try to get your flight changed (if you haven't already purchased) to an airport closer to Cortina. There are flights non-stop from London to Verona or Venice (Marco Polo or Treviso). <BR><BR>2. Consider having a driver meet you at the airport and take you directly to the most convenient place to rent your car. I see that Citroen Eurolease does not offer pickup anywhere in Italy other than Milan and Rome (and even Milan is costing you 500 $AUD surcharge) - - are you sure that you wouldn't do better with another company? Have you asked for a quote from www.europebycar.com - - I don't know what pickup cities they offer.<BR><BR>3. If you MUST fly into Milan and pick up the car, consider a destination as close to Milan as interests you. In any case, I would try to add additional days to your stay in the Cortina area (do you have a self-catering rental?) - - and work through your landlord to find someone to keep your kids for an overnight get away. Whether this is possible or not (or you are comfortable with or not), I think you will enjoy Venice MUCH more leaving your "base" in Cortina, and making a pack-light 36 hr trip to Venice.<BR>

Chet

Hi David:<BR><BR>Having been to Venice several times, most recently in October, 2001, I tend to agree most with Rex. I don't think its a smart idea to head for Venice from Milan airport after traveling from Sydney with two small children. Why not adjust you schedule to go to Cortina first, recuperate, then head for Venice. Park at the Tronchetto (33,000 lire per day). Pack light for your stay in Venice proper. Leave the rest of your luggage locked in your trunk-out of sight. (We've done this several times with no problem). Take vaporetto line 82 from the Tronchetto to the San Zaccaria (St. Mark's) stop. I recommend highly a hotel: Pensione Wildner, Riva degli Schiavoni 4161, 30122 Venice, Italy. Tel 39-41-5227463; Fax 39-41-526615. It is located about 30 meters from the San Zaccaria stop (no steps), and a short walk to St. Mark's and the Uffizi. It has some large rooms (two twin beds and a sofa bed) that would be ideal for your family. Our two daughters and their families have stayed there in the past. We stayed there the first of October, 2001, and the rate for a double room for two with lagoon view<BR>was 380,000 lire, including breakfast, taxes and service. Hard to beat for its location. The larger room for your family will be slightly higher.<BR><BR>Happy traveling, Chet<BR>ps We were in Sydney just before the Olympics, and thought it was a great city. Reminded us a lot of San Francisco.

Chet

David: Hi again.<BR><BR>Typo in my previous post: Fax No. for Pensione Wildner in Venice is 041-526-5615. Sorry.<BR><BR>Chet

richard j viek

Good morning, David There is a hotel<BR>near the Pza Roma which has parking<BR>facilities and advertises as the onlyu<BR>hotel in Venice with parking, would<BR>suggest surfing into www.veniceinfo.it/<BR>I will try to recall its name and get<BR>back to you if I can find that file.<BR>Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..