karens

Hi all. We're talking our 2 teen boys to Northern Italy next summer (end of June/every early July). I've booked all our lodging except for Venice and Sirmione.

Venice. The rates for a quad room are really $$$$. I've looked at apartment rental websites, and it is much more reasonable to rent an apt. We've never done this before - anything I would be aware of before booking an apt?

Or any recommendations for Venice lodging that's reasonable (under $300) for a quad room?

Now I'm rethinking Sirmione. I think I waited too long to try to book a room and the quad rooms don't seem to be available. Our itinerary was going to be:

Arrival day: leave venice and drive to Sirimione. That evening: wander around

Next day: Take boys to Gardaland (is this worthwhile? They really like amusement parks, and the pics I've seen make the place look decent. I thought this would be a nice break from the art, churches, etc. I'd like to see on the trip.

Next Day: Depart and drive to Varenna, with a stop in Bergamo.

I've read about how crowded and congested Sirimione is. Is there a nearby place that would be interesting to walk around at night? How long would it take us to get in and out of Sirimione on our way to Gardaland and back?

stepsbeyond

If you are going to Gardaland, consider staying in Peschiera del Garda, which is where the amusement park actually is and it's quite a pleasant town (on the train line) that caters to famiiles, so you'll find plenty of adequate-sized rooms. Since it is not a foreign-tourist destination, you may have to dig to find links to hotels, but keep googling and you'll find plenty.

http://www.lakegarda.com/peschiera.php

I've not been in Sirmione, but if Gardaland is your target, it won't be a long car ride (it will involve more fine tuning if you try to use boats or trains.

I've never been to Gardaland either, but reports from Americans I know who like amusement parks say it is fun.

stepsbeyond

PS: I have been to Peschiera del Garda and liked it quite a bit, although I didn't go to Gardaland.

Zerlina

Go to www.venere.com. Enter Peschiera del Garda, your dates, 4 guests in 1 room. I got four hotels with availability on a random date in June.

notbob

We have had good luck with www.veniceapartments.org for apartments in Venice.

We have stayed in Dorsoduro, San Polo and Castello. If you stay a bit away from Piazza San Marco the rates are usually cheaper.

I cranked some dates in June in and rates seemed to be in the 100 to 150 euro range per night for two bedrooms. we have been renting apartments in Venice for years and it really is a good experience.

We usually try to get an aprtment with a washer and pack significantly less stuff and do laundry there. Remember that most places won't have a dryer and you'll have to airdry either inside or on the lines outside. so you'll need to time your laundry day to allow dry time.

kleeblatt

Peschiera del Garda: Very small town. I found it a bit too small for me. Our highlight was renting a boat for two hours and motoring it around lower Garda See.

Gardaland: We missed it by one day. It closes during the week starting October. I've met lots of people who have been there and all find it very worthwhile. There are lots of other entertainment parks nearby as well.

If you are looking for a hotel with swimming pools, golf and dinner included, I'd have one for you:

http://www.gardainforma.com/de/unter...peschiera.html

I took my family of four there and we had a room with a pull-out sofa for two. Sofa wasn't high quality comfortable. There was OK space but after 4 nights, I was glad to leave. The food is OK and there were people of all ages.

The hotel is not located on the lake and you need a car. They have a free hourly bus shuttle into Pesciara but public transportation is poor on Garda Lake.

stepsbeyond

There are hotels right near the train station in Peschiera del Garda where you don't need a car and can enjoy the holiday atmosphere of the town, with its many pizzerie and gelaterie. I would not recommend Peschiera del Garda for a 4-day stay unless you are keen on boating and bicycling, and plan to visit Gardaland more than once. Public transportation by ferry is not "poor" on Lago di Garda, but the lake is large, and using the hydrofoil is advisable if you you want to go town-hopping and don't have a car.

karens

Thanks, all.

And a HUGE thank you to you, Zerlina, for telling about venere and how I can indicate I need a room for 4. I wasted at least a half hour y-day morning just searching for places that had quad rooms, only to discover that many of them were not available, or far away from the historic center (some weren't even in Sirmione).

With venere, I found Hotel Marolda. It has quad rooms, parking and is in Sirimione. Anyone with any experience with this hotel?

notbob- thanks for the info on Venice apts. - for the $$, I think that will be our option.

notbob

Karen - Have not stayed at the Hotel Marolda but for me it is not close enough to Sirmione. It looks to be close to the modern section of Columbare. You would need to drive to get to the historic center of Sirmione.

Sirmione itself is a wonderful magical place. We like to stay inside the old part across the castle "drawbridge". If you look for Sirmione on google maps, the old part is almost at the end of the peninsula.

julia_t

Another vote for apartment rental in Venice, especially with teenage boys.

You get so much more space for your money, maybe not an extra bathroom, but it just makes things so much easier not tripping over each other's bags in one cramped room.

Venice is the safest city in Europe, if not the world. Let your boys loose, free to roam alone, once they've got a bit of an idea of where the apt is in relation to San Marco, Rialto, wherever. Let's face it, they can't get really lost - and getting a little bit lost is all part of the fun! Everywhere are signs on the walls directing you to Accademia, Rialto, San Marco, so if you know where you are in relation to the nearest landmark, you are fine. There's no traffic, and the worst is they fall in a canal - maybe not so funny though.

I let my lot loose when they were like 14, 12 and 11, and they LOVED it. Coming back and telling about this fantastic church they'd found, amazing gelato, a story about buying a drink, it was really good for them to have that independence. Admittedly they did have a couple of mobile phones between them, and I did get a few calls saying they couldn't remember exactly where the apt was, so I went out on rescue mission, but we did loads together as well, and it was a great trip despite one boy being in a wheelchair (another story, don't ask!).

Peter_S_Aus

We stayed here in Venice. The apartment was fine, and would hold a family of four OK. Has a bedroom, and a pull-out sofa. We had the second floor apartment.

It's very easy to find the place.

http://realvenicevacationflats.com/

stepsbeyond

If you plan to have a car, have you considered staying in Bardolino? It is a charming town and Gardaland is an easy drive (or boat trip) from there.

Tries2PakLite

Did you check the Residence Corte Grimani in Venice? I know I am a broken record when it comes to this place, but we love it. My brother and sister-in-law did just fine in a larger room with their two teenage boys. And they clean the room every day.

www.cortegrimani.com

annhig

hi karens,

first of all, apartments in Venice - yes, yes, yes. we rented one near the rialto [just off the campo san bartolomeo] with our kids about 2 years ago and we loved it. a supermarket 5 mins walk in one direction, the rialto markets 10 mins in the other. hav a look at www.slowtrav.com for recommended agencies and reviews of apartments.

from our experience of renting apartments with our kids, it is well worth paying the extra for them to have a separate bedroom, rather than places that have sofa beds in the living room; they need their space and they can go to bed without stopping you relaxing in the living room.

if they go out by themselves, don't reckon on their not getting lost - our DS never did work out how to find our apartment in a whole week. but that may be just him - and he did fine in Rome.

as for lake garda, we HAVE been to gardaland, and so long as you aren't going in high season, like we did, you'll love it. we stayed in garda itself at the hotel garda, and got around by boat, and in the case of gardaland, by bus. there is also an aquaparc nearby which our kids loved.

but Sirmione IS lovely and if you've found the right hotel, I'd go for it.

have a great trip,

regards, ann

karens

Any opinions?

http://www.veniceapartments.org/basi..._manin_31.html

MonicaRichards

Big thumbs up on both Sirmione and Gardaland. We visited Gardaland from Verona (we were there for a week) and in Sirmione we just got a family hotel from the tourist office. In Gardaland one of their mascots is Prit who looks like a cigarette but is in fact a glue stick. We were scratching our heads trying to figure out why they had a cigarette for their mascot before we realized that!

notbob

Karen - It looks nice. You're way on the west edge of San Polo.

Is this one available for your dates?

http://www.veniceapartments.org/sain...ivaldi_65.html

We have stayed in this apartment and it is well located and very nice. It also has a washing machine. It's across the way from a pastry shop and there is a nice restaurant at the end of the block. It is on the first floor and the one you asked about is on the ground floor.

karens

notbob - we are only in Venice 2 nights, and your apt. only books for longer stays. There is not a large selection for only 2 night stays.

Grassshopper

I would think you could find two doubles for $150 each (or less). Check out www.albergomarin.it

ms_go

Have you looked at the apartments/suites operated by Pensione La Calcina? We stayed in one in June '08 and really liked it. They aren't all full apartments; a couple don't have kitchens, but they do have two rooms--and air conditioning. Breakfast is included at the hotel. I believe these are available for short stays, and they might squeak in under your budget. Loved the location on the Zattere--close enough to everything, but away from the crowds.

http://www.warmhospitality.com/main-en.html