Venice/Mestre
 

Hi there

We are travelling to Venice for 3 nights with our motorcycle next year.

We are considering our options in Venice/Mestre.

We don't have a huge budget..maybe £200 per night maximum. But we need to consider secure parking for the bike and the luggage we will need carry to our accommodation.

We have read the Mestre may be a good option for us, cheaper options, more for our money and parking.

What would your advice be for us?

Mestre for reasons you state or the Lido which also has road access though from a different route. and from Mestre take the train into Venice proper to avoid steep parking fees at Pza Roma.

But for that money you can probably find something in Venice proper and pay for parking which has boat service to anywhere in Venice.

I think the possible problem is the "more for your money" part. What you really want to see is IN VENICE so you troop back and forth every day and how much are you saving?

There are "cheap" options IN Venice, Have you looked on ANY of the booking sites at all?

It would be worth the trouble to separate the goals of parking & staying. I cannot imagine not sleeping in Venice and your budget is certainly adequate. Everyone, except those staying on a canal and taking a water taxi to the doorstep, must carry or roll their luggage, so don't let that stop you.

I googled "parking garage mestre" and got a number of hits. Mestre will be a good place for your bike to sleep, but not for you. Venice is stupendous, Mestre less than not, and close to Venice isn't close enough.

Your budget is more than adequate for Venice. Park the bike in Mestre, take the train into Venice, and stay there. There's no getting around having to schlep your luggage with you in Venice other than hiring someone to do it for you.

I would imagine that the luggage isn't excessive if they're traveling by motorbike, but they probably have to carry it, not roll it.

In off-season the Lido has really good deals - my friends always pay 100 euros or less for a double in fall. Drive right to your hotel -many of which have parking- Lido is a lot nicer than Mestre and just as close by boat as Mestre is by train. Better to stay in Venice of course and as others more knowledgeable than me say you can in that price range.

If considering Mestre consider the Lido and its many modern resort-style hotels:

https://www.google.com/search?q=veni...w=1745&bih=863

We spent 5-6 nights over the Christmas holidays last year in a centrally located beautiful small palazzo in a huge double room for just over 100 euros a night, nice breakfast included.

I've taken the vaporetto to Lido, just to see what it looked like. It isn't bad but it certainly isn't Venice.

NOWHERE is Venice except Venice.

"NOWHERE..."

Never were truer words spoken.

I understand that Mestre is not "Venice". And yes I have checked many booking sites.

The main issue is the bike. It's not some throwaway £1000 motorbike. It's an expensive bike that we do not just want to abandon somewhere in Mestre and head to Venice.

You are correct when you say our luggage does not "roll". We will have 2 panniers and a large top box and a tank bag. Our trip is a 3 week tour so they will definitely not be easy to lug around Venice.

I think I will have a look at Lido as mentioned by PalenQ.

Dukey, I don't mind a 15 min train or bus ride to get to Venice if it means my bike is securely parked nearby and we get a nicer bigger higher starred place to stay outside of Venice. It's just like staying in another city and having to get on the Metro a few stops to get to where you want to see. I notice you say there are cheap places to stay in Venice. But then you offer no ideas on places.

I have stayed in Mestre (camping ground) and in Padua-lovely old city and taken short train rides into Venice - not bad but what others are saying that Venice is magical after many day-tripping tourists have left and things are illuminated - nice to go back to hotel and bop out later in evening - it's kind of like staying in Jersey City instead of Manhattan.

Commuting from Lido is a bit nicer than Mestre to me -first you have a nice seaside setting and you commute by boat - a nice treat to approach Venice from across the lagoon always IME by boat rather than commuter train.

When are you going -Lido is jammed in summer like any Italian seaside resort.

"It's just like staying in another city and having to get on the Metro a few stops to get to where you want to see."

To my way of thinking, and I suspect others here who have made the point, staying in Venice is an entirely different experience than staying a few stops away. Venice is best when all those staying elsewhere leave, back to Lido or Mestre or Verona.

It seems that the bike is most important and I'm not implying there's a thing wrong with that. Personally I travel only with things I'm prepared to lose, the places come first for me, very different approaches. But given your priority, why not tour around the countryside where the bike will be outside your door and safety isn't an issue? It seems that a precious vehicle and staying in cities may be mutually exclusive without either inside knowledge or a big budget for hotels with attached secure garages.

kez_ireland

check out Hotel Bologna in Mestre if you haven't already. Read current reviews.

I would also check out AirBnB for the Lido & communicate with owners about secure parking. Somebody might have a good personal solution, something more private than a public-access garage. Ditto Mestre,

I notice you say there are cheap places to stay in Venice. But then you offer no ideas on places.


No, and I'm not going to do YOUR WORK for you, either.

something like this might be worth checking out

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1900992...s=0&s=P8rGZm3b

Thank you everyone for your advice.

The bike is important and to be honest Venice is the only city we are staying in. I've always wanted to go and just seems silly to miss it out on this trip.

Dukey, I think you are missing the point of this forum. It's to seek help and advice from other travellers. If you have nothing helpful to say I'd appreciate you just not commenting.

Airbnb could be a good option as discussed. I'm definately not keen on the public parking idea. But maybe there is a secure parking option that Ive not found yet.

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.

If we wanted Lido I see it's a car ferry to get there. It is easy enough to do? How long does it take?

I'm not sure after a full day riding we will want a complicated form of transportation!

It does look beautiful though ��

Did you say WHEN next year they are going? Have a missed it? This is important for the hotel rates, especially in Venice. Rooms can cost as low as 1/3 in low seasons compared to high seasons. A poster said above, a large room was €100.00 in Christmas. Because Christmas time is one of the low seasons. After Christmas, that changes drastically toward the New Year. Depending on that information, our reccomendation could change.

Have I missed it?

Probably most people posting on this forum having never traveled by motorcycle in Europe, and in particular never put the bike on a ferry to the Lido. So you might want to google up some forums for cyclists who travel -- not only for tips about the car ferries around Venice but also just in general (road hazards, driving habits of other drivers, parking in other places etc) .

Having said all that, it still might be that someone will show up with an answer to your question, but passing along that thought just the same.

We are going in late June. Sorry I think I forgot to mention that in my reply

June, a high season then, if not the highest.

Seems to me it is either drop the bike somewhere or drop Venice. I don't see why the bike would be safer in Mestre than somewhere else - say Padova and why commuting back to cajole the bike will make sure nothing happens to it during the day when you're gone or the night when you sleep.

Sometimes too many constraints means the solution is no longer possible.

(I have never owned a motorbike).

Actually, Christmas is not a low season in Venice when it comes to demands for rooms. I'm not sure Venice has low seasons anymore.

Staying in Mestre or the Lido (or Padova or Treviso) opens up the possibility of finding a privately-secured parking space owned exclusively by a hotel or landlord with strict security, as opposed to a public-access paid lot which may or may not have formidable security. My recollection of Hotel Bologna's parking arrangements were that the security was good for car parking. Don't know about bikes. But one needs to read current reviews & ask questions directly of the desk. (Also don't know the current prices.)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Location...re_Veneto.html

Loads and loads of Europeans travel to Venice on expensive motorcycles. I see no reason to rule it out, but plenty of reason to make sure you can relax while sightseeing, knowing your bike is secure.

> Actually, Christmas is not a low season in Venice when it comes to demands for rooms. I'm not sure Venice has low seasons anymore.

I understand above poster meant "demands" and not actual rates applied by Venetian hotels. Venice never is empty, can be crowded any time, but there are time when the city is not SO crowded and easier to find empty corners here and there. Christmas (winter) is one such time. There ARE low seasons or if you prefer, lower/quieter seasons.

I have spent many Christmas in Venice in last 20 years and have done many hotel searches so when I say Chirstmas is low season in Venice, I say that from those experiences of the rates many hotels apply during that time. For example, 2 Christmas ago, I stayed at a very good 4* hotel in Cannaregio for € 75.00 per night ( unfortunately you need to pay €4.50 per night city tax on top of it ...). The same room costs more than € 200.00 around the new year's eve.

We stayed in this Holiday Inn in summer 2009 and it worked well for us commuting to Venice.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...0FNMcXFptAVSf9

I dont recall offhand the parking situation but the train ride in wasn't bad.

The magic of staying in Venice proper comes from staying in a city without vehicular traffic, just water taxis and vaporettos and garbage scows and police boats and DHL boats, etc. Very different from other Italian cities, in fact very different from any other city in the world. And Venice is best enjoyed in the mornings and evenings.

You don't get this experience staying in Mestre or the Lido, which have cars, trucks, vespas, etc. The uniqueness of Venice is worth paying a little extra for.

http://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/actv-ferry-boat>

Ferries easy to get to and board.

I agree with Mimar, as mentioned earlier. But priority #1 seems to be traveling by motorcycle in Italy and, while doing so, keeping the bike as safe as possible - as they perceive it. They seem to feel uncomfortable leaving it in another town while sleeping in Venice and while I'm sure that there are secure possibilities, it's their perception that counts. That being the case, as best as I'm able to see the situation, why not put Venice aside for now and return another time bike-less with nothing to worry about beyond having the best possible experience of the city.

What's so hard - ride up to car ferry at Tronchetto in Venice and take the easy ferry ride to Lido? Assuming Lido has hotels with parking?

But no such thing as 100% secure parking but at a hotel would be max I'd think.

MmePerdu. I think you understand us the best here. We are travelling on a tour of several countries on the motorbike, Italy being only 1 of them. Venice doesn't sound appropriate for this tour the more I read and the more Im told about it.

I'm thinking that maybe we leave Venice for another time. Maybe we will go to Verona and spend some time around that area and Lake Garda before heading to Lake Como.

Rather than skipping Venice why not base in Verona or Lake Garda and day trip to Venice by train -has to be seen if that close!

Day tripping is a pale approximation, that's why, and proximity no reason for a much-diluted experience. I would do as your instincts tell you, wait and do it well.

I agree with MmePerdu. It's a pale approximation of the real experience. Wait and go to Venice when you can enjoy it for what it is, not what it is from Mestre or the Lido.

Ah just to see and walk around Venice for a day - what's wrong with that -whet the appetite for a later longer visits.

Who knows they may never get back and to see what I and others consider to be the world's most unique and gorgeous city even for a quick look.

Agree more in-depth visit great but I think even for a day it's an awesome experience.

But we agree to disagree on that.

Maybe you simply need the last word, PQ. If so, say something after this and I promise to let you "win". But don't mistake no answer for agreeing with your faulty premise.

I've visited Venice 3 times, the first was the best, 2 weeks on my own, a birthday present to myself. Second time was several days with a friend and it was OK, still Venice so who'd complain. Third visit was for several hours between trains and I kind of wandered around enjoying myself with no goal because I'd been there twice before and was just glad to be there. Here's a record of the "day trip" visit: http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/chan...la-serenissima

So having several visits under my belt, I admit I enjoyed them all. But the 2nd & 3rd visits don't hold a candle to the first long slow birthday experience. Even my elderly mother, on a coach tour and not a very experienced traveler, complained about staying outside the city and only having a day there, battling with the crowds and never really getting her bearings.

I think that if I was getting around on a K1200 or a machine of that ilk, I would feel a bit nervous about parking. Four strong blokes could lift it onto the back of a truck - very strong blokes.

The OP comes from the UK, so maybe a trip to Venice of a few days via EasyJet would make more sense.

Blasting down the autostrada at 100 miles would be a real hoot. Can’t even think of doing that on my Vespa PX.

I would take the day trip. As for bikes I drove one 4 times and got one broken foot. Not for me these things ;-)

I think Mleperdu got it very right and I liked her ´ OP perceptions are what count'.

So true. So rare on this forum.