venice question
 

Planning on 2 days in Venice this April - but have been shocked at the hotel prices. Seems like almost everything we have looked at is 160 Euro or more per night.

Wondered about the possability of staying in another town close by, where it would be easy to go into Venice for day trips?

Also curious if there are any areas in Venice that are NOT recommened to stay in.

Would certainly appreciate it if anybody has some suggestions?

Thanks for the help.

Hi Mega - Treviso and Padova are attractive towns within 30 mins of Venice by train and may be cheaper.

But most will tell you it would be a pity not to stay in Venice proper ...

Steve

You should be able to find some budget lodgings in Venice for less than 160 euros, though you might have a shared bath.

There is no unsafe area in Venice proper. Another option: try Venice Lido, which is a 10-15-minute vapretto ride away but still technically within Venice.

We spent three days in Venice on a recent trip staying in a small B&B, Ca'Satriano. It was a wonderful location. The cost of the smallest room is $120 Euro. This room is quite nice with a lovely view of a small canal. The home has only three rooms and feels very private. It is just off a little square that is an easy walk to all areas for sightseeing. The small room is on the first level, behind the kitchen (which is only staffed briefly each morning for breakfast so is not noisy). The B&B feels very much like you are staying in your own home. You have a key to come and go as you please.

As for staying outside Venice, we spent one night in Maestre on the return from a week in other cities and I would not recommend this. It is not a very pretty area and the cost of transport into and out of Venice proper will cost the savings on hotels. Frankly, we did not feel extremely safe in Maestre but only spent one night there after taking the train in and awaiting to depart from the airport. Our hotel, which appeared nice and reasonably priced on the Internet, actually had bars on the windows, lights on motion detectors so it was always dark in the hallway, and was not clean enough for us to want to turn down the sheets for sleeping. It cost more than the B&B in Venice.

http://www.ca-satriano.com/

Here is another source for accommodations in Venice. It has very good information and photos of all properties.

http://www.veniceby.com/accommod/choose.htm

"As for staying outside Venice, we spent one night in Maestre on the return from a week in other cities and I would not recommend this. It is not a very pretty area and the cost of transport into and out of Venice proper will cost the savings..."

The mainland area of Venezia is Mestre, not "Maestre" and the train or bus fare from there to the old city will be peanuts. As others have said, try looking for a cheaper, more basic, hotel in the old city, or stay somewhere attractive within a half-hour train ride of Venezia. Everywhere in the old city is "recommended" for staying in. The city has the original Ghetto but there are no "no-go" areas.

megamiles-as I said on another thread, the City of Venice has no money in its coffers to pay for city services, due to great cuts in the budget from Rome. The tourist tax, which was supposed to be 5 Euro a night for all tourists, starting next year, received huge opposition from the hotel associations, and so, has not come to pass, although some version of a tourist tax for Venice particularly, may yet come to pass in the next year.

But everything is going up after February 2007 as I understand from reading the Venice newspapers-vaporetto fares, hotel rates, restaurant food. You might well consider staying in Mestre or Lido, and then just taking the vaporetto and/or train to the historical center of Venice. However, I suspect the hotel rates in these places will be going up considerably in 2007 as well, since they are part of the City of Venice.

P.S. Sorry to sound so negative about the hotel situation in Venice, but more and more, I think convents and monasteries are a good option for Venice, as there are a number of them, some of them quite nice and well located-the problem is, they tend to book well in advance, and tend to be used by university students in Venice during the school year.

megamiles,

Look here - http://www.eurocheapo.com/venice/

and click on any of the neighborhoods except Cannaregio. These are all within your budget and there are some real gems among them.

"The mainland area of Venezia is Mestre, not "Maestre"

Do pardon my typo. I so hate to offend the spelling police on this web site.

Are the Venice dates close to Easter, or right at the end of the month (just before Labour Day)? This might be affecting hotel prices. Not that they'd be a lot less cheaper during the rest of the month, but the holiday effect might be causing a 20-100 euro increase.

We have visited Venice 2x--in 2002 and 2005. The first time we stayed on the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge and it was very expensive. The second time we stayed at Albergo Guerrato not too far from the Rialto Bridge right near the Rialto Market. This is in a wonderful location and we would stay here again. The website is www.pensioneguerrato.it

We had a very large quad with a huge bathroom for our family of 4 and I think we paid around 150 euros, includes breakfast. I believe in 2005, you could get a double with bath for 135 euros or a double with shared bath for 90 euros.

I would not stay in Mestre. It is an industrial town with no charm.

Being in Venice at night after the crowds have left is magical.

For such a short visit, I also suggest you stay in Venice itself. Try Hotel Riva and Casa Rezzonico. I've had personal experience with both and can recommend them. Riva is at the confluence of two small canals, so you can get a canal view room. We paid 130EUR for two in room 1, a corner room on both canals, last May. A simple breakfast is included. The Casa R is in Dorsoduro, a more quiet location facing a neighborhood square that is pleasant. It's in the same price range, including breakfast in their garden.
Good luck!
:)>-

My sincere thanks to all who took the time to reply. What a great forum this is!!

We will look at the websites mentioned, and hopefully find something in a budget price range that will work.

Thanks again

Have you bought (or checked out from the library) any guidebooks? Or, look at the online options including Fodors. They have budget options, including convents and monasteries.

Did you try the www.veniceby.com site? Three of us shared at triple at this B&B that we found through the site:
Ca' Turelli
Great Dorsoduro quiet location, only aobut 4 rooms, decent enough breakfast, friendly, nice room, great bath with our room.

We paid 120 euros for a triple and our friends paid 110 euros for a triple in late May, but last year, so am sure the prices are up. But worth a try.

I agree with others here, if you need to splurge somewhat to stay in Venice, do it, and save money elsewhere.

As for areas, I've stayed near San Marco, Dorsoduro as mentioned above, and Canneregio (sorry, spelled wrong?) and all were good in their own unique ways. I have always felt safe roaming around in Venice, but just remember that the streets are often like dark little alleys (the kind I would not walk down at night in the US!) and the city itself can be very quiet and dark away from the squares. It is the charm of the place, I think!

Have a look at this one.

http://www.veniceby.com/yourhomeinve...es/profile.htm

It would be definitly worth it to shave your budget in other areas to make up for staying in Venice. Play the "you only live once" card and do it. Do you have some wiggle room somewhere else? Venice at night is a magical place.

I've just returned from Venice and add my voice to the predictable chorus of "it's worth it to stay in the city." We splurged and stayed in a 180 euro/night hotel (and have not a single regret for doing so), but I can understand you not wanting to spend so much. In my research, I came across a cheaper alternative that I ultimately rejected because they didn't have any rooms available with a canal view during my stay. It's called the Hotel Galleria ( http://www.hotelgalleria.it/ ) and it's been listed in travel guidebooks, has a great location in Dorsuduro on the Grand Canal(right at the Accademia Bridge) and is a relative bargain. However, the rooms appear to be extremely small so if you like spacious rooms, you might want to look elsewhere. I can vouch for the location and view, but not much else unfortunately. Enjoy your visit, it's a wonderful city.