Accomodations in Venice Italy

[mysavioris]

Need to book a hotel or B&B in Venice before starting our cruise... any recommendations?

[LHT28]

check the ports of call forum for Italy

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/464-italy-ports/

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Also check TripAdvisor.  And any travel clubs you belong to.  How soon is your cruise?  Don't let anyone talk you into staying on the mainland in Mestre, even though it may be a lot cheaper.  EM

Edited March 16, 2019 by Essiesmom

[dogs4fun]

4 hours ago, mysavioris said:

Need to book a hotel or B&B in Venice before starting our cruise... any recommendations?

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Everything you need to know can be found on the following site:

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/venice-hotels.htm

Edited March 16, 2019 by dogs4fun

[138east]

Look at the big picture of how you’re going to get from the airport to your hotel and then around Venice on foot or by water taxi.  A big factor is whether you can manage your luggage and roll it aways.

 

Knowing nothing about Venice I really lucked out on my choices, which worked out well for me, but might not be for everyone.  I decided to take the water taxi from the airport to Venice.  Downside was that it took 15+ minutes to get out to the airport water taxi.  Plus side was that there were people movers most of the way.  My hotel was very near the Rialto stop.  Plus side - no bridges to cross to get to my hotel.  Downside was that the B&B hotel was hard to find - I knew it was there but it was hidden at the end of a narrow alley.  Once I found it, it turned out to be a great location - easy walk to St Marks as well as the water taxi.  Downside to the hotel was no elevator, but I was just one flight up.  I had no trouble with luggage on the water taxis.

 

Room facing a canal sounds great, but the reality is that the canals are the streets of Venice for motorized vehicles, I.e. boats.  There is traffic on them at all hours.  Much more charming if you’re on a wide canal, but to me facing one of the narrow canals would not be appealing.

 

 

[JMorris271]

La Forcola. Hands down. 3 star.  Good breakfast. Minutes from it all Except Capri and Piza. Very nice staff with a good elevator.

We really did enjoy the rich mahogany walls and the art on them.

Check out their web site.

[ger_77]

22 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Also check TripAdvisor.  And any travel clubs you belong to.  How soon is your cruise?  Don't let anyone talk you into staying on the mainland in Mestre, even though it may be a lot cheaper.  EM

Why not stay in Mestre?  We stayed there for 3 nights pre-cruise at the Hotel Al-Vivit, and loved it!  It was a quick 10 minute train ride into Venice proper, and we hired a private van at a reasonable cost to transport the 4 of us to the port on the morning we boarded the ship.  We enjoyed the quiet atmosphere in Mestre, complete with great restaurants, bars, shops, etc., and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

Why not stay in Mestre?  We stayed there for 3 nights pre-cruise at the Hotel Al-Vivit, and loved it!  It was a quick 10 minute train ride into Venice proper, and we hired a private van at a reasonable cost to transport the 4 of us to the port on the morning we boarded the ship.  We enjoyed the quiet atmosphere in Mestre, complete with great restaurants, bars, shops, etc., and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

This is a topic that is often discussed on the Italy board.  Why not stay in Mestre?  We compare that to staying in Newark when visiting NYC!  or perhaps staying near SFO when visiting San Francisco.  While Mestre does have some pluses it is simply not Venice.....which is a huge negative.    Taking a late night stroll from a decent café back to our Venice hotel is something that DW and I really enjoy.  Sure, we could stroll to the train station, take a train out to Mestre, and walk (or take a bus) to our hotel.  It is just not the same.  And waking up in Venice, looking out our window at the canals, strolling 30 seconds to a café on the Grand Canal....that is Venice!

 

Hank

[AF-1]

this pic was taken from roof top pool at the Hilton;  I used points to stay here.  Close to cruise port and free shuttle to St. Marks square.

 

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Why not stay in Mestre?  We stayed there for 3 nights pre-cruise at the Hotel Al-Vivit, and loved it!  It was a quick 10 minute train ride into Venice proper, and we hired a private van at a reasonable cost to transport the 4 of us to the port on the morning we boarded the ship.  We enjoyed the quiet atmosphere in Mestre, complete with great restaurants, bars, shops, etc., and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

 

It's a highly individual thing, and it's good that you enjoyed Mestre. But I think for first-time visitors to Venice it's only fair to let them know that staying in Mestre has nothing of the feel of staying in Venice. I look at Venice as a very unique place, with all the challenges posed by living, literally, on top of water. 

 

As Hank says below, Venice in the evenings and in the early mornings also tends to be much more magical, after the tourists leave and before they return. 

 

Venice is Venice. Mestre is just another Italian town.

[ger_77]

Everyone has their own preferences; we thoroughly enjoyed Mestre and are considering going back there again.  Your mileage may vary.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[gadaboutgal]

Another vote for staying in Venice.  We've stayed in Mestre and twice in  Venice.  Mestre advantage is that it is cheaper. However, if it will be your first and possibly last visit there-definitely stay in Venice.  The magic of the city in early morning and in the evening without the mass of tourists is something to remember always.  

[LynnTTT]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

This is a topic that is often discussed on the Italy board.  Why not stay in Mestre?  We compare that to staying in Newark when visiting NYC!  or perhaps staying near SFO when visiting San Francisco.  While Mestre does have some pluses it is simply not Venice.....which is a huge negative.    Taking a late night stroll from a decent café back to our Venice hotel is something that DW and I really enjoy.  Sure, we could stroll to the train station, take a train out to Mestre, and walk (or take a bus) to our hotel.  It is just not the same.  And waking up in Venice, looking out our window at the canals, strolling 30 seconds to a café on the Grand Canal....that is Venice!

 

Hank

I would agree if your intention is a vacation in Venice, but Mestre may be a good place to stay for a few nights prior to a cruise.

We'll stay there for a few nights next year.  Much cheaper rooms, also much cheaper to get from the hotel to the port.  Doesn't look like much of a hassle to get from Mestre. Ten to fifteen minutes by train or bus.

[JimnKaren]

Also, consider other parts of the country. Look into renting a car for a day or two and get to Verona or Lake Garda. Lots of options, take you time and read, read, read!

Jim