stever

We are bumming. We were supposed to have 4 nights in Venice at the end of our trip starting June 12(Zurich 1 night, Murren 4, Lucerne 3, Bellagio 4, and Venice 4 [but now only 3 in Venice because of my screw up!]). I have us coming back on the plane 1 day too early by accident so we lose that 4th night in Venice. I've already been there for 5 nights, 5 years ago but my wife hasn't.

As stated in my other thread, we were wondering which place to spend the 4 nights - Venice or Bellagio, and you folks voted resoundingly for Venice. Unfortunately I just found out that our #1 hotel choice Locando Orseolo listed around #1 in Trip Advisor) http://www.locandaorseolo.com/uk/description.htm
is understandably booked the extra night before when we were originally coming. SO, we can't stay there if we left Hotel Belvedere in Bellagio a night early. My wife doesn't want to switch hotels in Venice once we get there so the only other options is to cancel our reservation with this great hotel with the killer location and try to find another last minute hotel to stay at for 220 Euro's per night including breakfast!!!

What would you do? Blow off the great hotel reservations at Locando Orseolo to get a 4 night hotel stay somewhere else, or just forget it and stay in Bellagio the whole 4 nights?

Frustrated, but in the end, it's no big deal.

Steve
Silver Spring MD USA

HowardR

I wish I had such a decision to make! Spending another night in Bellagio ain't a bad plan to fall back on! The Lake Como area is beautiful and there is certainly enough things to occupy your time quite easily.

NYCFoodSnob

stever, your post reminds me of a poorly written story problem from high school math class. I can't tell whether you're coming or going or what the core problem is. Frankly, it gave me a headache.

All confusion aside, 3 nights in Venice at your favorite choice hotel will be divine. Don't obsess too much. You're liable to drive your wife crazy.

If this is a question of having an extra night available somewhere along the way to accommodate the plane tickets, it'll be easier to add another night some place other than Venice. I'm sure all the great places in Venice are booked for June so don't lose your precious reservation. Switching hotels in Venice for one night at this price-point is too depressing to consider, almost like trying to figure out your dilemma. Relax and good luck!

Rookie

Because I am such a huge fan of Locanda Orseolo I purposely stayed out of your other thread (I didn't want to shortchange your wife a day in Venice), but since you've asked . . .

Locanda Orseolo's reputation is well deserved. It is partly due to location, but mostly due to its owners and staff. They are always smiling, you are always greeted by name, there is always someone available to answer questions, give directions, make reservations, etc.

Other less romantic details: bedrooms and bathrooms are spacious, bright & spotlessly clean, A/C works well!, hot water is HOT, and water pressure is strong. Breakfast is delicious. There is a water taxi door.

With only a month before your stay, your replacement hotel choices may not be to your liking. Don't give up that reservation unless you have to.

We only had two nights in Venice and were very glad we had chosen Locanda Orseolo.

Good luck and best wishes for an enjoyable vacation.

socialworker

Hi--a little unsolicited advice. Let it go and enjoy what will be a woderful trip. There are worse things than 3 nights in Venice in your first choice hotel. If you keep talking about your screw-up, you run the risk of ruining the experience for yourself and for your wife. What I cannot divine from all of your posts is whether she is upset with you or if you are just upset with yourself. Either way, just take your own comment to heart--"Frustrated, but in the end, it's no big deal." Give yourself permission to get on with anticipating a great trip!!

Sue_xx_yy

I'd make it 3 nights Bellagio, and 4 in Venice. To accomplish this, I'd look for a 1 night stay at another hotel in Venice, then move to the Orseolo for the remaining 3 nights. You might have to settle for a hotel in Mestre or near the airport, but it would be doable. Bon voyage.

jgita

Hi--
I have a VERY similar problem. Just heard back from Loc Orseolo that we cannot come in 1 night earlier, which would have made it the 4 nights I really want. So, since we are coming from Umbria, we will do a 1 nighter in Ferrara. The down side is well covered in Steve's posts. The upside: we get to experience another area (the ER) and live and breathe there, too.
The message here is to take a deep breath and realize that you really can't go wrong in most of Italy. What about a 1 night in Verona?
Good luck!
j

ira

Hi steve,

I was also thinking one night in Verona.

However, if your wife doesn't want to pack and unpack, your mistake isn't all that bad.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You could have arranged to go to Florence on a Monday.

stever

Thanks folks. You are wonderful. No, I'm only mad at myself, that's all. My wife's not mad at me at all. I guess it's really no big deal. We'll just do the 3 nights at Locando Orseola and enjoy it like mad. She won't do 1 night here or 1 night there... It's 4 nights at one hotel in Venice (a different hotel), or the 4 night's we're already booked at Hotel Belvedere in Bellagio. The only answer I see is in just staying in Bellagio for the whole 4 nights then do the reduced night stay in Venice (3 nights instead of 4). I'm sure there's GOT to be something to do other than just relax up there at the lake! I LIVE for museums, but my wife doesn't. She loves to shop. She's a peach. I don't always understand her, but I do love her.

So, I guess that's the end of it. We'll stay at our original hotels and lose 1 night in Venice. 3 nights still isn't bad there!

It's all good.

Steve
Silver Spring MD

HowardR

Steve, you can easily fill up your days at Lake Como. There is indeed a lot see. And, if your wife gets bored, she can always take a ferry to Como, followed by a train to Milan and shop to her heart's content in one of the fashion capitols of the world!

taosgal2

Another shopping alternative is a day trip to Lugano. There is an outlet mall just outside of Lugano...Gucci etc. 70% off...and Lugano has some charm.

stever

Excellent ideas. I didn't know Lugano OR Milan were an EASY/Reasonably easy day trip from Bellagio. How brutal a day would they be respectively? Hours to get there? And back?

Thanks.
Steve

francophile03

Gosh, I'd hate to give up the whole 3 nights at Locanda Orseolo to replace it with 4 nights at another hotel. I'd just stay the extra night in Bellagio. Okay, I never stayed at the locanda but I did make reservations which were supposed to have been this July. But really unforseen events occurred last year causing our plans to change and so had to cancel the visit. However, I regretted that due to what everyone's commented on: the warmth of the owners. Enjoy your 3 nights at the locanda and an extra day in Bellagio-I doubt anyone can call that a problem.

HowardR

To get to Milan from Bellagio, take the fast ferry to Como (45 minutes) and then the train to Milan (40 minutes).

stever

Thank you Howard and others... I didn't realize it's only 45 min by ferry and 40 min by train to Milan. That is fantastic! If we get bored by the gorgeous lake stuff, we can always hit the city hard for a day. Shopping in Milan? That has my wife's name all over it. I hope our bank account can hold up to the possible abuse it'll take that day.

Do you need a reservation or ticket in advance to see that church with The Last Supper? If my weak and fading memory serves me correct, the one great thing to see in Milan is some church with that painting... My friend saw it once just after it was restored and said he was lucky to get in. This was a couple of years ago.

So excited... Only 3 more weeks. My wife's going to flip when she sees the swiss Alps in Murren. She doesn't know why I had to book that for 4 nights (Alpenruh Hotel). I think she's going to be in for a treat. I love hiking but she doesn't at all. I hope she'll at least try it a little.

Steve
Silver Spring MD

Giovanna

stever:

We wouldn't have been able to see the Last Supper without our advance reservations, which our hotel made for us. Since you aren't staying there, here's a web page for Milan that may help with that, as well as other info about shopping, etc.

http://ciaomilano.it/e/index.asp

Glad you calmed down and decided to spend another day in Bellagio and then the three glorious days in Venice. Such a dilemma; wish I had a similar one to worry about! o

stever

How far in advance do you think I need to book this? It may be a last minute thing the day or 2 before... Are we screwed in that regard? Do you need to book this way in advance?

Thanks alot for the gratitude, check.

Steve