Hi Folks, Anyone have any suggestions for a good, but inexpensive (under $150 US) hotel in Mestre? I understand Mestre is a good base to see Venice without the high cost. Also, it is accessible by car. Thanks

I'm sure you're about to hear a chorus of "No! Don't stay in Mestre." I won't get into that discussion but I stayed once at Hotel Bologna, right across from the train station(you can't drive to Venice but the train is about 5 minutes to Venice proper). It was a very nice hotel with the best included breakfast I've had anywhere in Italy.

Chorusing, chorusing, chorusing here...

Although I have never stayed in Mestre, I have stayed at the Meadowlands, when going to NYC. They're both about equally bad ideas, IMO. I have also stayed on the Lido - - and there ARE some situations for which you might choose to do that (or Mestre - - roughly interchangeable as bad ideas, I think).

My circumstances were SEVER budget limitations (a trip for five high school kids, and I was under a challenge to do the entire seven night trip, lodging, meals and airfare from Columbus for only $750 - - in the year 2000 - - and Lido was the NLY way to make TWO nights in Venice affordable, and I didn't want to give them anything less; nights 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 were one-night stays in Germany and Austria).

I don't know any reason to say that Venice (Piazzale Roma) can't be accessed by car if you are staying in a hotel in Mestre. But why pay to have a car that you cannot use - - except to pay exorbitant parking fees, to move it across a 4 mile causeway?

Best wishes,

Rex

I would highly recommend the Hotel Bologna which is under the Best Western European chain(see it on the internet?). It was wonderful-fabulous breakfast,big rooms and bath AND all you have to do is walk across the street and hop on the train(8 minutes across the lagoon with unbelievable views) for under a dollar.Everyone that I have ever recommended the hotel to has said that it was one of the best kept secrets in the Venice area and were not disappointed-prices were so much more reasonable than some of the "dumps" located in Venice and the hotel is really great for those early morning departures for the airport. Its less than 15 minutes by taxi to the airport so you don't have to deal with trying to line up a water taxi at 5am!

That's it!!!!!! Hotel Bologna...I was trying to remember the name. I stayed there in 1999 on a (here comes the dreaded word) TOUR!!!!! LOL Anyway, the fact is, if you can do it and there are a lot of people who should be able to suggest possible hotel choices..staying IN Venice is certainly the nicest way to go. However, IF you can't find something to meet your budget, check out the Bologna..as posted, it was very nice, very clean, excellent breakfast, and right across the street from the train. If it means the difference from seeing Venice for a few days vs. having to skip it because its too expensive, then I say Mestre is fine.

I have been to Venice 4 times and always stay in Mestre. Quick train ride into Santa Lucia station and half price hotels. We have stayed at Hotel Giovannina a couple of times. It's a couple of minutes walk down street almost directly in front of traint station past an interesting collection of abandoned bicycles.

cc48, I'd discourage you from staying in Mestere. I wouldn't stay there but I did feel sorry for all the people who were leaving to catch trains at night. venice is beautiful after dark. I don't know when you are travelling, but you can find rooms in your price range, if you plan in advance. I had a 3 bedroom apartment for 120Euros in campo san stefano (under 10 minutes from san marco). Granted, that was at end of october, which isn't high season. But do search and you will find budget accomodations even in Venice. Yes, you can't get there by car, but you won't need a car in Venice anyway.

I do hope you change your mind.

Just for another perspective, I don't think it would be the end of the world if you stayed in Mestre. It's still Italy!

No, Mestre is not a good base to see Venice. But it doesn't cost as much as staying in Venice--for good reasons.

If you are willing to spend $149.99 for a room in Mestre, why not spend $149.99 for a room in historic Venice?

Also, don't stay in Gary, Indiana if you ever visit Chicago.

Hi cc,

>I understand Mestre is a good base to see Venice without the high cost. <

I fear that you have been misinformed. You can find many hotels/B&Bs in Venice for 125E/nite.

A few examples:

http://www.veniceby.com/campaniel/pages/booking06.htm

http://www.hotelbernardi.com/en/hotel.html

http://www.guestinitaly.com/hotels/venice/v023.htm

http://www.veniceby.com/caangeli/pages/booking06.htm

http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/capri-venice/

Also see www.venere.com

You can stay in Mestre and still enjoy Venezia. The last train from Venezia Santa Lucia to Mestre seems to be at 0037 and there are buses throughout the night.
The fact that it is accessible by car is surely a disadvantage. One of the features that makes the old city of Venezia so special is that there is no road traffic.

Not even bicycles.

While staying in Mestre is definitely not the same as staying in Venice, neither is it the same as staying in Gary, Indiana or the Meadowlands.

I have a friend who comes from a long line of Venetians, works in Venice and lives in Mestre, as do so many of the "real" Venetians, who have been squeezed out of the islands due to the housing situation: many of the nice apartments are bought for ridiculous prices by foreigners, and many of the not-nice places languish in disrepair. On one of my trips to Venice, I stayed with her and still managed to be in Venice proper until late and then hop a bus at Piazzale Roma and be at her place in about 15 minutes. Her neighborhood was perfectly residential, not an industrial hell-hole. There were plenty of amenities in town, including good restaurants and food shops at prices far more reasonable than on the island. In fact, many of the islanders go there for "normal" shopping (clothes, furniture, etc.) as well as for things like movies and nightlife.

So, while I agree that there's nothing like staying on insular Venice, I do think that Mestre is far from the vile place that some people think it is.

There are nice neighborhoods in Gary, too. But I still wouldn't stay there if I wanted to visit Chicago. But it is a matter of personal taste.

" have a friend who comes from a long line of Venetians, works in Venice and lives in Mestre, as do so many of the "real" Venetians ..."

A lot of new york city workers live in new jersey, but I wouldn't stay in new jersey when I'm visiting new york city.

Okay, okay, I'm not saying that Mestre is a great place to say. I've had five stays in Venice proper and of course it's a different and better experience than staying on the mainland. I'm just saying that if you do stay in Mestre, you don't have to expect being in hell or at the end of the world.

BTW, my point about a lot of Venice workers living in Mestre was just that the majority of them do not live on the islands and that central Mestre, which houses many of them, is bland, residential, and business-oriented, not stinky and industrial. (If you want stinky and industrial, check out Marghera.) Very few locals, comparatively speaking, actually live in Venice anymore. Much of the housing in Venice is given over to absentee landlords who use it as holiday homes, or to tourist rentals.

There is this intrinsic problem with making geographic analogies. In Mestre, you can essentially see Venice; that's why I compared it to the Meadowlands (which I don't consider "vile" at all) - - you can see Manhattan (obviously easier since the skyscrapers are tall!)

Gary is a much less apt comparison; it's nearly an hour away.

Hi cc48

Here is the name of a reasonably priced and good B&B in Venice itself, if you want to stay there instead of Mestre (I'm with the chorus of "stay in Venice" but hey, it's your choice...):

Ca' Turelli -- it is in the Dorsoduro neighborhood. We booked it through the veniceby.com website. Look for it either by name or under B&B's.

In late May, a triple room was 120 euros and a double was 110 euros. Good price, excellent location.

One reason why it is nice to stay in Venice itself is that it is so atmospheric and magical in the early morning and late night hours, the times of day that are hard to catch if you are staying elsewhere.

A friend w/us on this last trip had a bad memory of a crowded and touristy Venice. Turns out she didn't stay overnight. On this trip, after we arrived late and walked down quiet, narrow, moon-lit alley-like streets along little rios (mini-canals) to our B&B, she was hooked!

True--Mestre isn't nearly as bad a choice as Marghera would be. And I do understand your point, KT. There were times many years ago when I had to compromise on location in order to afford a trip.

Gary is about 45 minutes from Chicago for most drivers--shorter for some of us. But we can substitute Robertsdale, Indiana for Gary.

When are you going? La Forcola hotel, which I highly recommend, is in Venice and is having a special winter offer for some dates that is well under your maximum.
http://www.venice-hotel.laforcolahotel.com/