Art

I have heard that Padova is a good place to stay while visiting Venice. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where to stay for one night and how hard is it to find a room - What is a good rate? We are first time travelers - going in mid Oct - any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thx...

russ

I stayed in Padova once while visiting Venice. While I think that it is worth while as a destination in itself, the 30 minute train ride was inconvenient during the busy period I was there (over Easter). It will work, but I would not recommend it. Besides, the best time to wander Venice is early morning and late at night, when the crowds thin out. Have fun.

sandy

I agree with Russ: stay in Venice. It is a unique place. There are no cars, only boats, which makes it wonderfully quiet at night and in the early morning. Venice is to be experienced, not dropped in on.

elvira

ditto ditto ditto stay in venice it's too...unique? splendid? surreal?.... to daytrip. it is mouth-droppingly beautiful at night, and so very gentle early early in the morning. <BR>don't shortchange venice or yourself.

elaine

elvira! <BR>are you home again, or still <BR>en France?

John

We have been to Venice twice. The first time we stayed at Padova and just two weeks ago we stayed at Mestra. Having been there I have to agree with the earlier postings that staying on island is the best. It is also the most expensive, by quite a bit. If money is not an issue (or it you don't want the hassle of commuting via train), then stay on Venice. <BR> <BR>I think a very good compromise between Padova and Venice is Mestra. It is the first train stop after leaving the island and only a 10 minute train ride. Trains depart to/from Venice about every 20 minutes starting very early in the morning and continuing until past midnight. The cost is about $3 round trip. We stayed at the Best Western-Bologna which is right across the street from the train staion. Very convienient. <BR> <BR>Once you arrive at the train staion in Venice, catch the #82 water taxi. This taxi travels back and forth along the Grand Canal, making frequent stops along the way. Just hop off wherever you want. We used it to get from St. Marks to the train station (it's also a cheap way to get a boat ride along the Grand Canal). There are other lines beside the #82 that follow different routes. Just get a map from any ticket booth. They're everywhere, it won't be a problem. <BR> <BR>I don't recall the name of the hotel we stayed at in Padova but it may have been a Sheraton. It was a very nice hotel. It too was right across the street from the train station. For sure, that is the one ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL you should require of a hotel if you stay off island. It makes using the train very easy. To get from Venice to Padova via train, you may have to change trains at the Mestra station (we did). That's another advantage of staying at Mesta versus Padova.

Janice

Stay in Venice, but if you don't have tons of money to spend, you may want to consider staying over on Lido - which has views of Venice, and is only about a 10 minute boat/bus ride from Venice. Hotel Le Boulevard there was wonderful, especially when I had food poisoning...

Paule

Why does everyone make it sound like Venice is far, far more expensive than staying somewhere else? Yes, perhaps it is a bit more expensive, but there are certainly reasonable choices in the mid-price range. I have stayed at both La Calcina (my favorite) and the Accademia, and neither were so outrageously high. At the time I was there, I guess they were in the $160-$180 range. And there are others in their price range. I paid about the same in Florence, and somewhat more in Rome for a comfortable and convenient place. <BR> <BR>I definitely urge you to stay in Venice; the daytime is usually filled with tourists, and the magic of Venice is strolling through the streets, especially in the evening when the tourist crush has eased up. STaying in the Dorsoduro area is considerably less crowded than the San Marco area. I also loved La Calcina's location on the Guidecca Canal. It's just enough off the beaten path that, even in the height of the tourist season, I never felt the crowds (I was there in July 98). The stroll along the fondamente (delle Zattere), the path alongside the Guidecca Canal, was a wonderfully relaxing evening walk.