Is A Hotel Location Near Cruise Ship Terminal In Venice Really The Best Choice?

[namaste1223]

I've been reading all the posts which recommend choosing a hotel in Venice that is near the cruise ship terminal in order to avoid having to lug baggage any great distance over bridges, etc. or having to pay a huge amount to use water transport to get to a hotel.

My question is, if we book a hotel near the Piazzale Roma/cruise ship terminal, how difficult/time consuming (I know, wandering is half the fun in Venice!) is it to walk to, say, the area around Piazza San Marco? We're planning about 2-3 days pre-cruise and wonder if lugging baggage the first day would make touring simpler for the rest of our stay before boarding the cruise.

Thanks for any advice!

[D4]

We stayed at Hotel Santa Chiara in Piazzale Roma for 2 nights after our cruise a few months ago. It was perfect for us and we'll definitely stay there again. Yes it was super easy to get to/from the cruise ship and airport from there. It was a very nice hotel and a very nice breakfast was included.

 

You can either take a waterbus to Piazza San Marco, wander there on foot, or do a combination of those.

 

We enjoyed wandering around the less touristy parts of Venice much more than being at San Marco or the Rialto bridge area. YMMV

[Matcodixon]

We stayed for 2 nights pre cruise at the Olimpia Hotel there at Piazzale Roma and we could have not made a better choice!! Rates were good, Breakfast was incredible, rooms were nice and service was excellent. BTW it is a Best Western Hotel. We purchased a 48 hour Vaporetto (water bus) pass which took us pretty much anywhere we wanted to go. There is a major stop at Piazzale Roma.

Also, we took the express bus from the airport and it was a very short walk to the hotel with our luggage.

 

PS hauling luggage over the many bridges of Venice is not that nice of an experience! We never encountered anyone doing it that was still smiling!

Edited March 5, 2013 by Matcodixon

[texancruzer]

I think it depends on personal ideas of what is "ideal" and how much you want to spend.....

 

we are traveling in October and ending our cruise in Venice. We overnight one night on the ship but will be staying one night after to attend the opera.

 

We originally thought about staying at the Santa Chiara since my MIL has mobility issues. No people mover for her. And no bridges. She can walk but not far or very quickly. So we re-thought the whole thing and decided that we would take private transport and stay at the Westin Europa/Regina which is right on the Grand Canal and close to lots of things. So if she is unable to head out with us (to get lost of course ;) ) she can still enjoy the feel of Venice while at the hotel instead of looking out at a parking lot full of buses and taxis etc. It will also be closer for us to walk to sites and then get back to the hotel.

 

The private transport will cost us a bit more ;) but, to us, worth it ......

 

so really its all personal choice.

[CathyCruises]

I've been reading all the posts which recommend choosing a hotel in Venice that is near the cruise ship terminal in order to avoid having to lug baggage any great distance over bridges, etc. or having to pay a huge amount to use water transport to get to a hotel.

My question is, if we book a hotel near the Piazzale Roma/cruise ship terminal, how difficult/time consuming (I know, wandering is half the fun in Venice!) is it to walk to, say, the area around Piazza San Marco? We're planning about 2-3 days pre-cruise and wonder if lugging baggage the first day would make touring simpler for the rest of our stay before boarding the cruise.

Thanks for any advice!

 

I think you are on the right track. I have never stayed near the more commercial area; we prefer the back streets and the smaller piazzas. We stayed in a beautiful hotel about 5 minutes from San Marco called Ai due Principi that was perfect. Last time we were on a budget and stayed up in Cannaregio which we also enjoyed, off the beaten path.

 

If you are coming in pre-cruise, you can stay just about anywhere. Either take a water taxi (we found people at the desk in the airport to share with, was about 50 euros each couple) which will take you to the dock nearest your hotel, wherever it is. Or take Alilaguna from the airport, more like a water shuttle, also to their closest dock. May be a bit more of a walk, but in Venice everyone is schlepping bags!!! Just get good directions from your hotel. If you plan it right, you won't be hauling luggage all over town!!

 

Then on boarding day, you can take a vaporetto (water bus) or Alilaguna or even a water taxi again to the port. Very doable unless you have mobility issues.

Edited March 5, 2013 by CathyCruises

[cberge]

I think it depends on personal ideas of what is "ideal" and how much you want to spend.....

 

we are traveling in October and ending our cruise in Venice. We overnight one night on the ship but will be staying one night after to attend the opera.

 

We originally thought about staying at the Santa Chiara since my MIL has mobility issues. No people mover for her. And no bridges. She can walk but not far or very quickly. So we re-thought the whole thing and decided that we would take private transport and stay at the Westin Europa/Regina which is right on the Grand Canal and close to lots of things. So if she is unable to head out with us (to get lost of course ;) ) she can still enjoy the feel of Venice while at the hotel instead of looking out at a parking lot full of buses and taxis etc. It will also be closer for us to walk to sites and then get back to the hotel.

 

The private transport will cost us a bit more ;) but, to us, worth it ......

 

so really its all personal choice.

I totally agree with this post.If you go to Venice for more than one night especially and you do not stay "in" Venice I think one is missing the charm of the whole place, but this is my opinion.If one cruises in and out of Venice multiple times than maybe a different point of view.

[mapleleaves]

Most people stay near the pier/Piazzale Roma area because they overpack and have too much luggage to easily travel with. If you can manage your luggage you can stay anywhere; the vaporetto is an easy option for getting around as is the alilaguna if you choose a hotel away from the pier.

However, staying near Piazzale Roma doesn't mean you'll spend lots of time 'commuting'. You're only a block from the Grand Canal and a major vaporetto station so you can easily get to St Marks. Personally I love to ride the vaporettos down the Canal; the slower the ride the better so I can take in all the sights! The #1 is the slowest and it takes just under 1 hr. There is more about the vaporettos in this link. There are several short paragraphs to read so to go to each page, especially the Vaporetto Route Table which provides a route outline for each line.

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-vaporetto-water-buses.htm

 

Schedules in the ACTV link:

http://www.actv.it/en/movinginvenice/waterbusservicestimetable

 

You can also walk from P Roma to St Marks. Supposedly it can be done in 30-40 minutes. We tried walking back to our hotel and got hopelessly lost. And unlike other folks I don't like being lost in Venice. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy wandering aimlessly around Venice but when I'm tired and want to relax in my apt or hotel, being lost for an hour or 2 is irritating not enjoyable. Hope these links help.

[D4]

I think it depends on personal ideas of what is "ideal" and how much you want to spend.....

 

we are traveling in October and ending our cruise in Venice. We overnight one night on the ship but will be staying one night after to attend the opera.

 

We originally thought about staying at the Santa Chiara since my MIL has mobility issues. No people mover for her. And no bridges. She can walk but not far or very quickly. So we re-thought the whole thing and decided that we would take private transport and stay at the Westin Europa/Regina which is right on the Grand Canal and close to lots of things. So if she is unable to head out with us (to get lost of course ;) ) she can still enjoy the feel of Venice while at the hotel instead of looking out at a parking lot full of buses and taxis etc. It will also be closer for us to walk to sites and then get back to the hotel.

 

The private transport will cost us a bit more ;) but, to us, worth it ......

 

so really its all personal choice.

 

Just a FYI about Hotel Santa Chiara. It is on the Grand Canal and has its own dock. The buses and the parking lot area is around the back of the hotel. We paid extra for a room with 2 windows overlooking the Grand Canal. Their breakfast room is also open for just sitting anytime and it has tables by the Grand Canal windows. We ate breakfast at those tables. We were sitting about 6 feet from the Grand Canal.

[cruisemom42]

I think it depends on personal ideas of what is "ideal" and how much you want to spend.....

 

we are traveling in October and ending our cruise in Venice. We overnight one night on the ship but will be staying one night after to attend the opera.

 

We originally thought about staying at the Santa Chiara since my MIL has mobility issues. No people mover for her. And no bridges. She can walk but not far or very quickly. So we re-thought the whole thing and decided that we would take private transport and stay at the Westin Europa/Regina which is right on the Grand Canal and close to lots of things. So if she is unable to head out with us (to get lost of course ;) ) she can still enjoy the feel of Venice while at the hotel instead of looking out at a parking lot full of buses and taxis etc. It will also be closer for us to walk to sites and then get back to the hotel.

 

The private transport will cost us a bit more ;) but, to us, worth it ......

 

so really its all personal choice.

 

I agree. Your solution for your MIL sounds lovely.

 

Just a FYI about Hotel Santa Chiara. It is on the Grand Canal and has its own dock. The buses and the parking lot area is around the back of the hotel. We paid extra for a room with 2 windows overlooking the Grand Canal. Their breakfast room is also open for just sitting anytime and it has tables by the Grand Canal windows. We ate breakfast at those tables. We were sitting about 6 feet from the Grand Canal.

 

Still, I don't think the views are as spectacular as from the Westin Europe & Regina:

 

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01466/venice_1466729c.jpg

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7553314772_9dca020fa8_z.jpg

[texancruzer]

Yep, I agree with Cynthia.....

 

here is view from Santa Chiara

 

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6058/6352163495_76cb3dbd4f_z.jpg

 

another

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=santa+chiara+views+images&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=K342UaiaLOXg2QXk9oDYDg&ved=0CEMQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=738#imgrc=iIi7dKVCRZnSJM%3A%3BSjN4V8HZ5zEVjM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Froomswithgreatviews.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2009%252F12%252FHotel-Santa-Chiara.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Froomswithgreatviews.com%252Fsanta-chiara-hotel-venice-italy-2%252F%3B500%3B375

 

and here is a view from Westin

 

http://romsdeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Europe-7-3-2012-11-41-14-AM.jpg

 

and one more

 

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/89/ee/6b/the-westin-hotel-europa.jpg

[CCJack]

As long as you can walk a bit, I don't see a need to stay near the cruise ship ports or P. Roma..... You may save some steps on the first day with your luggage, but you make up for those steps by then walking more on the rest of your stay.... We stayed at al ponte mocenigo and were very pleased. It does require a Vaporetto ride with luggage when you arrive, but when you exit the Vaporetto and very short walk with no stairs to get to the hotel. It is in a quiet neighborhood. Getting to the hotel with luggage really wasn't a problem or a big expense for us.

 

Have fun.

[ms.sunburn]

This is about the only place that I would recommend being close to the port. Venice is small and very walkable without luggage, but with luggage it's way more difficult. We stayed at a place opposite the train station just a few blocks from the piazzale Roma and schlepping my bags that short distance up and down bridges in the humidity is something I'll never forget!

[kcb203]

I've been reading all the posts which recommend choosing a hotel in Venice that is near the cruise ship terminal in order to avoid having to lug baggage any great distance over bridges, etc. or having to pay a huge amount to use water transport to get to a hotel.

My question is, if we book a hotel near the Piazzale Roma/cruise ship terminal, how difficult/time consuming (I know, wandering is half the fun in Venice!) is it to walk to, say, the area around Piazza San Marco? We're planning about 2-3 days pre-cruise and wonder if lugging baggage the first day would make touring simpler for the rest of our stay before boarding the cruise.

Thanks for any advice!

 

We booked a hotel next to Piazzale Roma, but not because of the convenience to the cruise ship. The morning after our cruise, we have a 7:30 am flight and I didn't want to deal with getting to the airport from the San Marco area.

[texancruzer]

All good points about issues with luggage and early flights......

 

Another reason we chose the Westin...... no schlepping luggage. The water taxi will dock right at the door.

 

We will be flying back to Rome (we booked RT tickets and saved $2200. per person for business class) the next day but will be taking a 3 pm flight so no worries there about early flight times.

[mapleleaves]

But back to the OP's question ......

<<< My question is, if we book a hotel near the Piazzale Roma/cruise ship terminal, how difficult/time consuming (I know, wandering is half the fun in Venice!) is it to walk to, say, the area around Piazza San Marco? >>>

 

Everything I've read indicates a 30-40 minute walk between PRoma and St Marks. I tried to walk back on our last visit but got terribly lost. Personally I prefer to use the water bus if I'm on the move, so if the #1 takes an hour, that's great.

[namaste1223]

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to post your suggestions. We definitely have a lot to think about! I guess the best thing to do is look at a map of Venice and "plot" the locations of several hotels we might be interested in based on reviews here and on TA. Then we can make a decision based on location/walking distances/bridges/water transportation, attractions we want to see, amenities/price, etc. Either way, you can be sure a trip to Venice is the time to finally get my family to "pack light!" ;)

[CathyCruises]

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to post your suggestions. We definitely have a lot to think about! I guess the best thing to do is look at a map of Venice and "plot" the locations of several hotels we might be interested in based on reviews here and on TA. Then we can make a decision based on location/walking distances/bridges/water transportation, attractions we want to see, amenities/price, etc. Either way, you can be sure a trip to Venice is the time to finally get my family to "pack light!" ;)

 

One place that gets GREAT reviews here, although I have never stayed, is Locanda Orseolo. I know they have their own dock. You might want to have a look.

[Carolyn R]

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to post your suggestions. We definitely have a lot to think about! I guess the best thing to do is look at a map of Venice and "plot" the locations of several hotels we might be interested in based on reviews here and on TA. Then we can make a decision based on location/walking distances/bridges/water transportation, attractions we want to see, amenities/price, etc. Either way, you can be sure a trip to Venice is the time to finally get my family to "pack light!" ;)

 

The best advice I can give anyone traveling to Venice (unless you plan on a private water taxi) is to take a land taxi or the express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma, check your large bags at the left baggage, and take only a small carry on to your hotel. That way you have the freedom of being able to stay in most any hotel in central Venice. :)

[CathyCruises]

The best advice I can give anyone traveling to Venice (unless you plan on a private water taxi) is to take a land taxi or the express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma, check your large bags at the left baggage, and take only a small carry on to your hotel. That way you have the freedom of being able to stay in most any hotel in central Venice. :)

 

This is great advice.

 

Last year we were spending a month post-TA in Europe. Even though we didn't really need it, we brought a carryon size suitcase with us. When we were traveling by car and changing hotels every night, we just brought our 'necessaries' with us in the little bag, and left the big bags in the car each night. Then we'd restock it each day with fresh clothes. It worked really well, same concept as above.

[Jasonmom]

Don't know if I should really post this place as we haven't stayed there yet, but after much research we chose the Hotel Vecellio based on price, trip advisor, and location/location/location. It is about a block from the Alilaguan stop and the Vaporetto stop is right infront of it. :)

[CathyCruises]

Don't know if I should really post this place as we haven't stayed there yet' date=' but after much research we chose the Hotel Vecellio based on price, trip advisor, and location/location/location. It is about a block from the Alilaguan stop and the Vaporetto stop is right infront of it. :)[/quote']

 

This looks like a nice hotel, but it is on the opposite side of the island from most of the 'action'. We stayed up in Cannaregio on our last visit, which was not our first visit. We enjoyed being up there, but be aware that there are no 'typical' Venetian sites anywhere near by. So it will either be a hefty walk, or a vaporetto ride, to get to San Marco, Doge's Palace, Accademia, Rialto, the Guggenheim, etc. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just something to be aware of.

 

The 'location' is good for the proximity to the vaporetto or Alilaguna. You will definitely want to get a vaporetto pass for the length of your stay. Alilaguna is generally transport to/from the port or the airport.

[Hlitner]

Its a great question. We have been to Venice on many cruises (and spent time pre/post cruise) and have also spent time there on a few land trips (sometimes when we had a car). On our various trips we have stayed in several different locations around the island. It finally occurred to us that it really does not make too much difference where we stay as long as its close to a Vaporetto stop. Our primary entertainment in Venice is doing lots of walking, discovering new neighborhoods and spots, and returned to some favorite places. St Marks Square actually would rank fairly low on our list as its just so darn touristy with overpriced/under quality cafes. A Vaporetto pass (a necessity when staying in Venice) makes it easy to get around (or go to the other islands) and gives you easy access to any part of Venice. But getting to the OPs question, we do think that if you are leaving on a cruise or need to get to the airport within a couple of days then staying around the Piazale Roma is a great choice and will save lots of transportation hassles. Our personal choice is Ca Doge but their are a few other places that work fine. At that location we have a major vaporetto stop, easy and cheap access to the airport via the ATVO bus, access to the port via the 1 Euro People Mover or a relatively cheap taxi (many will take folks over to the port for about 5 Euros per person) and the few hotels in the area are pretty reasonable (by Venice standards). Its also perfect for those of us dropping or picking-up a rental car since all the rental car offices are located at the Piazale Roma (its the only place you can drive in Venice).

 

Hank

[texancruzer]

Don't know if I should really post this place as we haven't stayed there yet' date=' but after much research we chose the Hotel Vecellio based on price, trip advisor, and location/location/location. It is about a block from the Alilaguan stop and the Vaporetto stop is right infront of it. :)[/quote']

 

I checked it out since we haven't actually booked our hotel yet...... not sure if you were reading the same reviews I did but seems it is in need of some "sprucing up". Some of the pictures on Tripadvisor showed some real need in that area.

[smoosh21]

 

 

Then on boarding day, you can take a vaporetto (water bus) or Alilaguna or even a water taxi again to the port. Very doable unless you have mobility issues.

 

How easy is it to get luggage on and off a water taxi? I have read that porters are non-existant. I want to stay on the island, but I have this image of my rollerbags falling in the canal as I attempt to get them on the vaporetto.

[mapleleaves]

How easy is it to get luggage on and off a water taxi? I have read that porters are non-existant. I want to stay on the island, but I have this image of my rollerbags falling in the canal as I attempt to get them on the vaporetto.

 

 

The easy answer is ... don't stay at a hotel that requires you to ride a water taxi or water bus, and if you have to much luggage to manage, avoid hotels that require bridge crossings.

How are you arriving to Venice? If you fly into Marco Polo, you can take an ATVO airport express bus or taxi to Piazzale Roma which is the last point of travel for land vehicles. The Ca Doge and Santa Chiara are right at the PRoma which makes it very easy. And you're also a block from the Grand CAnal and less than a block from the People Mover to the pier.

If you can manage a small bridge, the Best Western Olimpia is a block away from PRoma, as is the Arlecchino.

Check out this web site for other options near PRoma.

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/bridges/