first trip to Venice Italy and Hotel Flora
 

I will be travelling alone to Venice for the first time from Sept 28 through October 2. This is part of my first trip to Italy and I am a little nervous about my arrival in Venice. I will be arriving by <BR>train from Milan on the day my flight from New York <BR>lands. I will be staying at the Hotel Flora in <BR>Venice and will have a suitcase that I'm sure will <BR>be heavier than it should be. Any suggestions about my getting from the train station to the Hotel Flora by Vaporetto and then of course by foot? Thanks.

From the airport you take a vaparetto (water bus) to one of the stops near your hotel (an expensive alternative is to take a water taxi, which is faster and will take you as close as possible to the hotel). Last summer we stayed in Hotel Do Pozzi, which is on the same street as Hotel Flora (I know, because I tried to get into the Flora but it was booked). The nearest vaparetto stop is Santa Maria del Giglio...from there, go through the alley in front of the stop, make the first right, then left, then right on Calle Larga XXII Marzo (which is your street, and is a very large shopping street). The walk probably takes 5 minutes. The next nearest vaparetto stop is San Marco (in front of St. Mark's Square)...I can't remember specific directions, but your street will be up a few blocks and to the left of this stop. The best thing to do is to get a street map, because it's easy to get lost in Venice...and this way you'll find your way to the hotel faster. I'm sure you can pick one up in the airport somewhere. I also recommend the book "Venice and the Veneto" by Eyewitness Travel Guides...I took it on my trip to Venice last summer (my 3rd trip) and loved it...it has great street maps, info on the history of Venice and certain landmarks, info on restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. Go to our travelogue to see our photos of Venice at http://www.lunadesigns.com/travels/. If you have a specific question for me, feel free to email me. <BR> <BR>Message: I will be travelling alone to Venice for the first time from Sept 28 through <BR> October 2. This is part of my first trip to Italy and I am a little nervous about my <BR> arrival in Venice. I will be arriving by <BR> train from Milan on the day my flight from New York <BR> lands. I will be staying at the Hotel Flora in <BR> Venice and will have a suitcase that I'm sure will <BR> be heavier than it should be. Any suggestions about my getting from the train station <BR> to the Hotel Flora by Vaporetto and then of course by foot? Thanks. <BR>

From the airport you take a vaparetto (water bus) to one of the stops near your hotel (an expensive alternative is to take a water taxi, which is faster and will take you as close as possible to the hotel). Last summer we stayed in Hotel Do Pozzi, which is on the same street as Hotel Flora (I know, because I tried to get into the Flora but it was booked). The nearest vaparetto stop is Santa Maria del Giglio...from there, go through the alley in front of the stop, make the first right, then left, then right on Calle Larga XXII Marzo (which is your street, and is a very large shopping street). The walk probably takes 5 minutes. The next nearest vaparetto stop is San Marco (in front of St. Mark's Square)...I can't remember specific directions, but your street will be up a few blocks and to the left of this stop. The best thing to do is to get a street map, because it's easy to get lost in Venice...and this way you'll find your way to the hotel faster. I'm sure you can pick one up in the airport somewhere. I also recommend the book "Venice and the Veneto" by Eyewitness Travel Guides...I took it on my trip to Venice last summer (my 3rd trip) and loved it...it has great street maps, info on the history of Venice and certain landmarks, info on restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. Go to our travelogue to see our photos of Venice at http://www.lunadesigns.com/travels/. If you have a specific question for me, feel free to email me. <BR>

ttt

We are going to be carrying a few heavy suitcases, so I guess walking on foot is out of the question. Do you know approximately how much would the water taxi be?

Igor-you might consider hiring a porter to help you carry your bags. It'll probably be a lot cheaper than the water taxi. The other thing to consider is how close to a canal your hotel is. If it's not near a canal, the water taxi won't offer that much more in terms of convenience.

If the porters will have to walk about 4-5 minutes to our hotel, will they still do it?

Igor--<BR><BR>You won't have any problem getting porters to walk to the Hotel Flora--your problem may arise when you try to find a porter--just be patient and one will turn up.

We stay at Flora and walk with our suitcases. It's a short walk but not that easy, and finding you way can be a bit hard. Try to keep the wieght reasonable. Get a porter, but check the price first - it's expensive. Just take the boat from the station stop 2 to San Marco, about 15, and the direction you want to go is back toward the Gritte Palace. Flora is down an alley to the left - it's not far from the AmEx office - you must ask someone, or you'll walk right past it. Ask Flora RIGHT NOW to get you a reservation for dinner or lunch at Da Fiore, Venice's finest.