Bologna & Venice
Jun 21st, 2012, 05:57 AM
#1
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Bologna & Venice
Hello,
I'm planning a 2-week trip to Venice and Bologna late Sept/early Oct with my husband, flying in and out of Venice airport. Responses to a recent post of mine urged us to go to Bologna first, then to Venice, since we have a morning flight home from Marco Polo airport.
I just noticed, however, that during the first week of our trip (week of Sept 23), which we had planned to spend in Bologna, the apartments we're interested in are either already booked or are MUCH, MUCH more expensive than they are just one week later (the week we had planned to spend in Venice) or the week before. So now we are planning to reverse the order of our stay--Venice week 1, Bologna week 2.
Questions:
1) Would it be too risky to spend our last night in Bologna, and then the next morning take the train to whatever stop is nearest to Marco Polo Airport (either Mestre or Santa Lucia, I assume), and then bus or taxi to Marco Polo? Or to be safe, should we just leave Bologna the day before our flight and spend the last evening in Venice? (Thereby minimizing the effect of potentially late trains, buses, cabs, etc.) I'd prefer not to do the latter, because instead of making the most of our last full day, we would instead be spending a large chunk of it checking out of the Bologna apt, getting to the Bologna train station, training to Venice, then getting to and checking into our Venice hotel.
2) For the week we are in Venice, we are considering apartments as well as hotels (though of course if we travel from Bologna to Venice on the last day of our trip, we will stay in a hotel that night). One of the apartments we are considering looks lovely, and can be accessed directly from the Grand Canal--it has its own private water door. However, the entire apartment is on the ground floor (canal level). Should I be concerned about flooding (acqua alta) of the apartment at that time of year? Or early a.m. noise?
Thanks everyone!
I'm planning a 2-week trip to Venice and Bologna late Sept/early Oct with my husband, flying in and out of Venice airport. Responses to a recent post of mine urged us to go to Bologna first, then to Venice, since we have a morning flight home from Marco Polo airport.
I just noticed, however, that during the first week of our trip (week of Sept 23), which we had planned to spend in Bologna, the apartments we're interested in are either already booked or are MUCH, MUCH more expensive than they are just one week later (the week we had planned to spend in Venice) or the week before. So now we are planning to reverse the order of our stay--Venice week 1, Bologna week 2.
Questions:
1) Would it be too risky to spend our last night in Bologna, and then the next morning take the train to whatever stop is nearest to Marco Polo Airport (either Mestre or Santa Lucia, I assume), and then bus or taxi to Marco Polo? Or to be safe, should we just leave Bologna the day before our flight and spend the last evening in Venice? (Thereby minimizing the effect of potentially late trains, buses, cabs, etc.) I'd prefer not to do the latter, because instead of making the most of our last full day, we would instead be spending a large chunk of it checking out of the Bologna apt, getting to the Bologna train station, training to Venice, then getting to and checking into our Venice hotel.
2) For the week we are in Venice, we are considering apartments as well as hotels (though of course if we travel from Bologna to Venice on the last day of our trip, we will stay in a hotel that night). One of the apartments we are considering looks lovely, and can be accessed directly from the Grand Canal--it has its own private water door. However, the entire apartment is on the ground floor (canal level). Should I be concerned about flooding (acqua alta) of the apartment at that time of year? Or early a.m. noise?
Thanks everyone!
Jun 21st, 2012, 06:15 AM
#3
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You should definitely get to Venice the day before your flight. There are too many variables that could go wrong if you wait til that morning to leave Bologna. You can easily be in Venice by noon the day before, leaving you all afternoon and evening to enjoy your last day in Venice.
As for the ground floor apartment, is there a picture of the kitchen? Is the refrigerator on a raised platform of some sort? If yes, then do not rent this apartment! If no, then chances are it'll be okay. September isn't high water season, although it could happen any time.
As for the ground floor apartment, is there a picture of the kitchen? Is the refrigerator on a raised platform of some sort? If yes, then do not rent this apartment! If no, then chances are it'll be okay. September isn't high water season, although it could happen any time.
Jun 21st, 2012, 07:14 AM
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I would also be nervous traveling in the morning to get to the airport by 10-10:30
By that time , you will have know Venice ( the transportation around the city and to the airport...) so decide later.
By that time , you will have know Venice ( the transportation around the city and to the airport...) so decide later.
Jun 21st, 2012, 07:23 AM
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Thanks Holly and danon--you've both convinced me. Also I just checked the train schedules and it looks as though there are only regional trains that start running early enough for us to make it to the airport when we want to get there--9:30 am, I think, since it is an international flight (non-stop from Venice to the U.S).
Danon, I want to decide now, because I want to book our Bologna apt soon, so I need to know our Bologna departure date. But you are right that we will already be familiar with Venice transportation by the last day, so it should not take as much time to get to our Venice hotel and elsewhere in Venice that afternoon.
Holly, great tip about the fridge--I'll see if I can tell from the pictures!
Danon, I want to decide now, because I want to book our Bologna apt soon, so I need to know our Bologna departure date. But you are right that we will already be familiar with Venice transportation by the last day, so it should not take as much time to get to our Venice hotel and elsewhere in Venice that afternoon.
Holly, great tip about the fridge--I'll see if I can tell from the pictures!
