We fly in and out of Venice. Arrive late afternoon, thinking about either staying in Venice for 1-2 days, express train to Rome for a few days then work beck towards Venice...or going all the way to Rome on the first day then working beck to Venice....
2 kids: 5,10. Open to any ideas. Also our departing flight leaves Venice at 6:30am... Best hotel close to our with eat transportation to airport?
Most would recommend going right to Rome on arrival so you don't have a split stay in Venice.
But... with that extra early departure time you will want to be close to airport so you probably could do a few nights Venice first- since your last night would probably be a change of hotel anyway.
"1 week" ? How many nights are you in Italy? Have you been there before?
Assuming in/out of Venice is set in stone, then yes, go to your farthest point on arrival day and work your way back to Venice.
With your kids it is better to stay at an airport hotel, than a 3 AM wake up to get to airport.
Where does the departure flight go? Depending on destination, you could need to be there 3 hours ( international) ahead or 2 hours (another Schengen country)
Annia Park Hotel and Best Western Titan Inn are very closeby.
Sorry about that 6:30 a.m. outgoing flight. If you're going to North America, you'll probably be flying to another larger gateway European airport where you'll be sitting around until mid morning.
We connect in AMS on both arrival and departure.
UGH- since you have had a long travel night/day already connecting in AMS then arriving late afternoon Venice, I'd stay in Venice.
It's a 4 hour train ride to Rome- allow maybe 2 hours from landing til you actually get to the train- kids are going to be bonkers by then- I know I couldn't handle that much travel in 1 day.
If you could let us know exactly how many nights you have and where you want to visit we could offer more specific advice. Is Rome a must? Just that it is a good distance, perhaps there are other places closer that you would enjoy just as much.
I'd stay first 3 nights in Venice- that's only 2 days- first day doesn't count you will be wiped out.
Maybe 3 nights Florence- then back to Venice the night before departure
Thursday-thursday. Rome isn't a must. We aren't museum people, we'd probably just look to hit the top sites/ monuments. Another thought was Venice to Milan to lake Como with a day or two to ride the train into the Alps then back to Venice? Just not sure of the weather that time of year.
Thank you!
So just 6 nights?
Or 7?
Flying on thursdays or arriving in Venice on Thursday?
I’d guess weather will not be your friend in the alps
I too would suggest you spend your first few days and nights upon arrival in Venice, then head to Rome. And return to Venice late in the day before your flight, as you need to stay at an airport hotel for that early flight.
There are several advantages to this plan. First, you won't have to hop on a train for a 4+ hour journey after your long flight. That is something I would not recommend,especially traveling with children.
Second, by postponing travel to Rome by several days after landing, you can safely book your train tickets in advance, which will result in significant savings ( possibly as much as 100€ for a family of 4). These discounted Super Economy fares are non-refundable, so it is not advisable to buy them for travel immediately after a long flight, because you cannot be sure of the timing. But if you spend several days in Venice and then depart, you can pick a convenient train and safely commit to it.
Both train companies in Italy ( Trenitalia and Italo) offer these discounts for advance purchase. I would book now for March travel. The Italo website is more user-friendly, but check both.
For the return, book your travel to Venice Mestre to reach your airport hotel.
I’ll reiterate what everyone above said about starting your trip in Rome. You might consider staying at the Marriott near the airport in Venice. It has shuttle service to Marco Polo. Since you’re flying within the Schengen zone and the early hour, getting to the airport 1 hour before your flight might be ok. Just check the time requirement on your airline’s website.
I do not see that "everyone" said to start the trip in Rome. At least two of us pointed out that heading straight to Rome upon landing in Venice, a 4+ hour trip on top of the overseas flight, might not be the best idea ( especially with children).
And I tried to explain the extra cost of train travel the same day of a flight. I suggested the difference between advance discount tickets and same-day tickets might be €100 for a family of four. It turns out is it more like €165. Walk-up tickets on Italo for tomorrow ( what they would pay on arrival at VCE to travel to Rome) would be €315 for a family of four ( child discounts probably not available at the last minute). Advance tickets for March, €151.
It is not a good idea to buy the discounted advance tickets for same-day travel after an overseas flight, as one cannot be sure of the timing. If you want to do it, you need to leave ample time between arrival of the plane and departure of the train. Because of uncertainties about possible late arrival of the plane ( or likelihood?) and time to get through immigration, it is advised to leave around 4 hours or so to protect the investment in non-refundable train tix. But if the plane arrives on time and immigration is a breeze, they are left with a lot of unnecessary hang time before the train, with another 4 hours before reaching Rome. I am picturing a very unhappy 5-year-old at this point.
It sounds like they are open to other destinations in Italy from Venice, apart from Rome. Depending on their interests, another place might work. Florence as suggested is a shorter trip from Venice. The Dolomites would be great, but only if they are interested in snow. Perhaps others can suggest other realistic possibilities for 3 days within a short travel time from Venice. With children, I would want to be in an easily walkable town, not a long distance from Venice. Verona comes to mind, or Florence.
Don't try to visit too many places or you'll spend half your time packing, unpacking, and traveling. Even a 2-hour train ride means losing about 1/2 day to changing locations.
With such a short trip, I'd suggest staying in the north. You could go straight from the airport to Padua for 2 nights (it's an hour ride to Padua, then taxi to your hotel) or longer and day trip to Verona and/or Bologna. All three towns have sights to see. And it's all Italy, good wine, food and gelato everywhere. Then the rest in Venice. With 7 nights in Italy, you may be able to do 2N each in 2 places and 3N in one other. I wouldn't recommend it - just too much wasted time and upheaval.
For your departure Marco Polo airport doesn't open until 4 am. I wouldn't change hotels to save an hour's sleep. Is there a big difference leaving your hotel at 2.30 am or 3.30 am? You may want to consider staying closer to the bus station - within a 10 minute or so walk. Venice is small so it doesn't much matter where you stay on the island.
Chani has given you a very reasonable itinerary with minimal travel times. The places mentioned are varied and have plenty to do without exhausting both you and the kids.
