tom

I am planning to go to Venice in late March, 2001 with my family (3 including 17 year daughter). Actually, I plan to arrive Pisa, rent a car, spend a few days in Florence, Sienna, and Venice in 10 days and return to Chicago from Verona. I know there are literally several hundreds of messages on Venice on this board, but I need your help with sorting them out. Since I will drive to Venice and plan to have 3 days in Venice where is a good place to stay? Inside the city or outside? I looked at the map of the city and realized that it's not a place where I need a car, but I need to keep it until I return. I'd like some suggestion on average priced hotel (hopefully of good value) if someone is new to the city, have a rental car. I've contacted Hotel Olympia (suggested on this board) and was told that the parking lot I could use is few mintutes walk away. Is the hotel a good place for someone in my situation? Any other ideas? Also, any good recommended hotels in Florence? I'd appreciate any suggestions. <BR>Tom

Simon

Tom, <BR>Not a good idea at all to take a car to Venice for 3 days. There are no roads in Venice itself (only in Mestre). Why don't you rent the car from one place and drop it off in Mestre. It is only 10mins by train from Maistre to Venezia Sant Lucia. <BR>If you still insist, there are 2 car parks in Venice, but they cost a heap. Alternatively, you may stay at Lido di Venezia, which is much cheaper and about 30mins by public boat away. You may take your car there on the ferry. The hotels there are cheaper. Another alternative is Mestre, but that is not really Venice, even though the address says it is as a tourist trap (beware). <BR> <BR>But I would rent online from www.hertz.com and use it from Pisa to Mestre, then rent again on my way back. One carpark is at Piazzale Roma, the other is just opposite, if you still want to keep the car. I heard that parking fees there are exhorbant. <BR> <BR>If you spend 3 days in Venezia, I recommend you buy the Eyewitness Guide to Venice, which has so much information about this archipelago. <BR> <BR>So long .... it's a beautiful place, you will enjoy your stay ... but don't drink coffe on your first morning there ... you will find out why when you get there !

Rex

Tom, <BR> <BR>No hotel is within walking distance of Tronchetto, the principal parking structure of Venice, unless you mean on the island of Lido. But you can reach anywhere by vaporetto, or other watercraft from Tronchetto. <BR> <BR>Lido is NOT a bad option; I have stayed there twice, and twice in the city of Venice. The majority of "regulars" on this board will tell you that Venice is clearly preferable to Lido. Much of the charm of Venice proper is found on foot (or at least once by gondola) early in the morning or late at night - - and if you stay in Lido, you simply will not (likely be motivated) to get over TO Venice in the early morning hours, nor stay IN Venice well past dark. <BR> <BR>Virtually all the hotel options are well represented on the site www.italyhotel.com - - you can communicate with many of the properties by e-mail there, and for those that don't have e-mail, there is a limited (two faxes per day per customer) free fax service that will send a short message for you, such as a reservation (or brochure) request. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

Gina

Rex is right, IMO; Venice proper is definitely preferable to Lido as far as where to stay. And Lido is head and shoulders above "outside the city"--as in Mestre, the industrial section just before the causeway to Venice itself. Some people choose to stay there because it's cheaper, but since so much of the experience of Venice, to me, is waking up there and going to sleep there, not waking up and going to sleep in a charmless industrial area, I'd say it's not worth the tradeoff. <BR> <BR>Three days in Venice are good; I wish I'd had more when I went (we had three days), and I'll stay longer next time I go. Certainly don't do less. Are you sure you need to keep the car once you get to Venice? If you're going back from Verona, it's quite easy to train from Venice to Verona and from Verona to Milan (I'm assuming your flight is from Malpensa). Depending on the rental agency, even with dropoff fees and train fees I wouldn't be surprised if you'd save money going with this option rather than 3-4 more days of car rental plus the cost of parking at Tronchetto or Piazzale Roma. *And* you get the bonus of being able to look at the countryside yourself from the train window, rather than keeping your eyes on the road. <BR> <BR>If you can't do that for whatever reason, I'd say Simon's option of dropping off the car at Mestre on your way in and "re-renting" as you're leaving is still a better bet than stashing a rental car for 3 days and wasting both parking fees and 3 days' worth of rental fees. <BR> <BR>My 2 cents on a Venice guide--pick up Time Out: Venice. I *love* the Time Out city guides, and I think the Venice one in particular offers amazing detail, history, cultural information, and insights I haven't found in too many other travel guides. Also, before you go (or after, or both) read the lovely and lyrical "The World of Venice" by Jan Morris. No other book I've read captures this city quite so perfectly.

richard j vicek

Good afternoon, Tom Would suggest getting rid of the car upon arrival in <BR>Venice and suggest you stay in Venice <BR>itself, Mestre and the Lido are less <BR>expensive, but Venice itself is not <BR>cheap as with any large city and you <BR>are there and for the three days will <BR>not have to use any transportation to and fro your hotel. We have used the <BR>Hotels Ala and the Do Pozzi which both <BR>are about two blocks west of the Pza S. Marco with plenty of ristorantes around <BR>Both of these are three star and not <BR>expensive. The Hotel Kette is another <BR>close by and looks very good. We have <BR>used the Ala about two times and the <BR>Do Pozzi about 10 times in the last 30 <BR>years. You can either rerent a car or <BR>take the train to Verona for your flite <BR>home. it is about an hour by rail. <BR>Addition hotel selection can be done <BR>on www.veniceinfo.it/ Can suggest <BR>other hotels should you be interested <BR>and if you want a list of tried and true <BR>ristorantes drop me an e mail. <BR>Richard of La Grange Park, Il... <BR> <BR>

Bob

We parked our car at the Tronchetto, took the vaparetto to Rialto Bridge stop and short walk to Al Gambero Hotel on the Calle dei Fabbri. Tel: 39 041 5224384 Fax: 39 041 520 0431. 210000L per night for double with breakfast. The rooms are small, but have been recently remodeled. Baths are small, but clean and new plumbing. Our room #1 overlooked a canal. We will stay there again on next trip. Found the hotel on this site from another Fodorite. <BR> <BR>Definitely stay in Venice. The city is great at night and you want to walk around and then stroll back to your hotel. <BR> <BR>The hotel also has discount coupons for the parking charge. You can ask for them when you check out and you must have them when you pay for your parking at Tronchetto. At the parking garage try to park at the far end of the building after the entrance as it is the end closest to the vaparetto stop and then you don't have as far to drag the bags.

Jim Tardio

We had the pleasure of staying at the Hotel Principe, not more than 100 yards from the train station...very convenient! I agree with others who advise against a car in Venice. Leave it in Florence and take the train. Visit my travel photography website if you'd like some shots of the cities you mentionlt;a href="http://www.jimtardio.com/italy.html"&gt;www.jimtardio.com/italy.html&lt;/a&gt;

Jim Tardio

Sorry for the long, confusing link. Obviously this forum doesn't support html. If you'd like to see my Photo Gallery of Italy go to:www.jimtardio.com/italy.html

Tom

I appreciate all of you who were kind enough to respond to my request for help. I¡¯ve been out of town last week. Your message was clear: Get rid of the car before getting into Venice. I will do that. (I will have to pay close attention to what we pack because during our family vacation we pack more than what is absolutely necessary and the trunk of the car has been used as the storage for those things I do not need to bring into the hotel and those purchased items along the way.) I will pick up the car in Pisa and drop it off in Mestre or even in Florence. Thank you all again and for those who offered help privately, I will certainly contact you again for further help. It sure looks like trip to Venice is different from any other places I¡¯ve been to. <BR>Tom <BR>

Rubidium

I'd stay away from Venice. Nasty place. But if you do go, I would not recommend more than one night there. Explore more of Tuscany. I wish I didn't waste three days in Venice.

elaine

My most valuable guidebook was a Frommer's publication "Walking Tours: Venice" but it seems to be a very difficult book to find. It was perfect because not only did it guide me step by unfamiliar step through the various neighborhoods but it also gave just enough historical and cultural detail on my surroundings, even on individual art works. If you can't find it, the Fodor's guide and the Eyewitness Guide to Venice and the Veneto are both good. Another truly outstanding book is called Venice for Pleasure by J.G. Links. It is available from the Common Reader catalog www.acommonreader.com <BR>This book has walking itineraries including places to stop for rest and refreshment, and wonderful details on things to look at while you are walking and even while you are sitting down. <BR> <BR>There were also self-guided walking tours suggested in an article in Travel and Leisure magazine. <BR>You can access that article, and many more links about Venice, by going to <BR>www.pathfinder.com/travel/TL/tarticles/ <BR>136.html <BR> <BR>For Info on parking at the Tronchetto garage: http://goeurope.about.com/travel/ <BR>goeurope/library/venice/aa120897.htm. <BR> <BR>As you probably know there are many hotel recommendations on this forum for Venice. <BR>Places that were especially recommended for families, in addition to above recommendations, included Hotel Bisanzio. www.bisanzio.com and <BR>Hotel al Piave www.elmoro.com/alpiave <BR>