driving to VEnice

Airport. EDITED BELOW - Mestre is easier.

thanks

Actually, neither. The rental car offices in thePiazzale Roma are easy o drive to - there's only one road. The water buses stop right there so you'll be on your way to your hotel quickly.

there are only the two drop offs for Sixt cars, train station or airport, and I see that it is better from the train station to Pensione Guerrato.

Karen the train station in Venice is not really accessible by car. I believe the sixt car rental place is at the train station in Mestre. The rental spots in Venice proper are in Piazzale Roma or the airport.

Sorry. I assumed you were flying out from Venice, not staying there. Yep, Piazzale Roma next to the train station would be best bet if you're going to stay in Venice. You might also explore the option of dropping off the rental car earlier, INSTEAD of driving to Venice. Then take the train from wherever you are into Venice Santa Lucia (the only station in Venice proper.) You're going to love Pensione Guerrato. We've stayed there twice. Say hi to Roberto, one of the owners. Happy travels.

Thanks, Michael. We decided it would cost more to drop off car in Florence and take a train...we will drop the car off at the airport, then there is a bus to Piazalle, from where we can take a vaporetto. It will afford us a more leisurely travel and at less cost. (especially since we're flying to Naples from Venice, which seemed faster than a train, and cheaper once you add it up) We're then relaxing on the Amalfi Coast in Sorrento for a few days before heading home.

I B Confused. Why would you drive past the causeway to P.Roma where it is easy to return a car and then pop on a vaporetto; and instead continue all the way to the airport where you then have to get to and ride a bus back to P. Roma where you can then get on a vaporetto?

Because there is no drop off for Sixt car rentals there...they have only 2 in Venice, one at the train station and one at the airport..

The station at Venezia-Mestre is right off the autostrada, just have to be careful to get the right exit. Then pop on the train one giant step (or just a very few minutes) and off at Venezia-Santa Lucia. Walk through the station and you are at the top of a flight of stairs which goes right down to the Grand Canal. I've never been to the airport there but its really not hard to do Mestre. It is signed quite well, but perhaps not as well as it would be at the airport and then get on a bus back to P Roma, then onto the Grand Canal past the supermarket.

Okay. Confusion here and I think I know why. There are two train stations for Venice. There's Venezia Santa Lucia which is in Venice proper, (meaning the island), and there is Venezia Mestre, which is on the mainland and not actually in Venice. The Sixt drop off point is at Venezia Mestre, as can be seen on their website when you type in "Venezia". http://www.sixt.com/php/branch/search That map that pops up on that website shows you that Mestre will be much easier to drop off the car, and then you can indeed hop on the very short train ride into Venice proper. Indeed, you drive through Mestre on your way to the airport. Whew! :-)

Grazie, everyone...I believe we will be dropping off at Mestro, then a quick hop to Santa Lucia, then to our Rialto Mercato stop. Sounds easy enough as long as I don't pack too much!
Karen