Byron1

Could someone please help? We are planning a trip to Italy. As part of the trip, we are planning to pick up a car in Florence and head to Venice first for two nights. We are wondering what is the best area to stay in the outskirts of Venice so we can leave the car and just travel in accordingly.

We are looking for a clean hotel and are willing to pay 200-300 euro per night.

Any suggestions?

PS - just in case you are wondering, we will then be driving for 5 days after Venice. That's why we are taking the car.

Thanking you in advance.

zeppole

I really liked staying in loft-like spaces of the Hotel Bologna in Mestre. I even liked the food in their hotel restaurant. About the only thing I didn't like was the slow service when it came to coffee in the morning.

There is a public parking garage a short walk from the hotel. The hotel is across the street from the train station. It's about a 10 minute ride into Venezia.

If you've never been to Venezia, you should probably consider staying right in Venezia and parking in the garage. I think it all depends on how far you would need to take your luggage, but you can probably get a good hotel near the garage.

cmenoni

We parked in a garage near the center (not cheap), and were able to walk just a short distance to a vaporetto and took that into the area of our hotel. It was no problem taking luggage on the vaporetto.

zeppole

Parking in Mestre is not "cheap" either. I forget the cost, but it can't be more than a 10e savings under the cost of using the Venetian parking garage. All things considered, if you've never been to Venezia, you might regret a decision to stay outside of it, which will mean you won't be able to enjoy the city later in the evening without keeping one eye on the clock, or very early in the morning -- which is the only time some people enjoy it.

If you've been there before, Mestre is only slightly more convenient or cheap once you use the train in and out.

Nlingenfel

We have had a car on three trips to Venice. We stayed at the Novotel Mestre (booked early and got special weekend rate). They take a shuttle to the area Roma, where you can get on the water bus or walk Venice. They had some free parking and secured paid parking.

The other two times we stayed at the Hotel Plaza, there is a parking garage beside the hotel. We did receive a discount for parking, with a coupon from the Hotel. We liked the Plaza or the Bologna, because it was just across the street from the train station, and we also walked to some nice little restaurants in the area.
Also attended a local church for Mass.