We'll be in Venice for 2 nights. Is there somewhere safe and convenient to leave the car? Or should I just return it to a rental place and pick up a new one when we leave?

There are a couple parking garages near the station you probably have to pay the nightly parking fees. You might want to check with your rental agency and then decide what is more economical.

If there is no extra cost for dropping off the car and picking up a new one once you leave, do it. The cheapest parking are the multi-story car lots across from the Mestre station (15 minutes by train from the Venice central station).

The most convenient/expensive option is to park at one of the public or private garages at Piazzale Roma (25 - 35 EUR), however they are often full. There is also a large garage on the man-made island of Tronchetto that is less expensive (~18 EUR) and likely to have space. You can hop on a vaporetto from either location.

The cheapest option is to park in Mestre and take the train to Santa Lucia. From there you would take a vaporetto to Venice proper.

Some hotels offer a discount on parking in Tronchetto or P. Roma. Can't hurt to contact your hotel and ask.

We parked in one of the garages across the street from the Mestre Train Station. It was CHEAP - like €5 per 24 hours. That was 5 years ago. The train into Venice from there is 10 minutes and also cheap.

To anybody thinking of staying near the Santa Lucia train station in Venice, don't be mislead by ripit. It is in the city of Venice. Not the center of the city, but Venice isn't that big and there are some relatively inexpensive hotels near the train station.

True, Santa Lucia station is within the city of Venice. I should have said city center rather than city proper. It is about a 30 - 40 min. walk from Santa Lucia to Piazza San Marco.

Thanks for all the great input. I only needed the car after Venice to get back to Rome. Perhaps I should try a different method . . like take the train. How long a trip is it? Any other method? I was trying to avoid trains as much as possible since the person I'm traveling with tends to lug around too much baggage. How safe will the luggage be on the train? Sorry to sound like an idiot, but this is my first trip to Italy.

The train from Rome to Venice is 4.5 hours. I would turn in the car in Venice and take the train. No reason to keep the car if you will use only to get to Rome. Your luggage will be safe. If you bags are smaller and you can lift them, you can put them in rthe overhead rack above your seat. If larger or unliftable, you might fit them between the seats near you or else in the luggage rack at the end of the car.

Which train station do I use in Venice: S. Lucia or Mestre? (I'll be staying in town on the Grand Canal.)

S Lucia is on the island--the one for you.

Mestre is the next train stop away, on the mainland.

Thanks for the help!

Hi Susan,

> I only needed the car after Venice to get back to Rome. Perhaps I should try a different method . . like take the train.<

Hey, you are becoming a very savvy traveler.

For what it would cost to park the car, not to mention the daily fee, you can take the ES* 1cl.

See www.trenitalia.com for Venezia san lucia to rome.

Enjoy your visit.