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Hotels in Venice with short distance to carry luggage

My research so far suggests that Venice is atypical in that you don't just hop in a taxi that delivers you to the front door of the hotel. We'll be coming in on a the last day of a Viking cruise. We want to stay in a hotel for 2 nights afterward that 1) we won't have to drag our luggage very far from wherever we are dropped off near the hotel or transportation to near the hotel, and 2) is easy-in and easy-out for our return flight home to lessen anxiety about getting to the airport in time.

We don't want to stay on the mainland, but rather an easy place on the island from which to base our exploration for the little time we have.

Thank you all for any tips you may have!

Posted by
7906 posts

I would recommend Hotel Ala because there are no bridges to carry your suitcase up & down. Take the vaporetto to the Santa Maria del Giglio boat stop, and it’s a very short walk through a very narrow lane right to their door.

This hotel is located in the vicinity of San Marco, so it’s handy to a lot of the favorite sites.

To head to the airport, we took the Aliguna boat to the airport on the mainland. But check your flight departure time. You might need to have a taxi boat take you to the airport.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you both for your kindness in taking time to help a clueless stranger! The Hotel Ala looks nice, and I love that we won't have to cross bridges with this hotel.

Posted by
496 posts

We stayed here in October https://www.hotelamadeusvenice.it Fron the train station its about a 50m walk - straight and flat - no bridges , no vaporettes - couldn't be easier. Bonus points for being a nice quiet hotel even though its on a busy street and having a good breakfast.

Posted by
5545 posts

Double check your disembarkation port. I doubt that it is Venice,but more likely Choggia. If you post your question on the Cruise Critic forum for Viking Ocean cruises, you should get info on what transfer services are provided, and where they drop you off. You will want a hotel in close proximity to Piazzale Roma.

Posted by
3538 posts

Your port may also possibly be Fusina or Ravenna.
Best to make absolutely sure, as nowadays “Venice” is a blanket term for other cruise ship ports.

Posted by
1068 posts

Another vote for Hotel Ala!!!!! I've stayed there (in the same room) for 10 years. The staff are warm and personable. The breakfast buffet will get you going until a late lunch. The roof-top deck is a great place to relax with a book and a glass of wine. And, you are very few minutes to everything!

Posted by
732 posts

I think they may dock at Fusina which is across the lagoon on the mainland. However, I’ve read that the cruise companies may have water transport to Venice.
Also on another post, Hotel Abbazia was mentioned. It doesn’t require bridges or vaporettos either.
Pack your walking shoes-best way to experience Venice!

Posted by
77 posts

Working backwards, i.e. getting from Venice to VCE airport, you will likely take an Alilaguna transport. Please note that the Alilaguna line is different from the regular vaporetto lines. Specifically look for the Alilaguna stops; they do not have as many options for where to pick it up. Actually, the first question should be what time is your flight out? Looking at the Blue Line Alilaguna, for example, looks like earliest to get you to the airport is 5:10, then the 15 minute walk from the dock to the airport entrance.
The hotel Ala that others have suggested looks like it is quite convenient to the S. Maria del Giglio stop on the Vaporetto, but you will also need to consider how you are getting from the ship to pick up the vaporetto to ride to S. Maria del Giglio. And also on departure morning, may need to look at the regular vaporetto schedule to get to the closest Alilaguna stop (probably San Marco Giardinetti ACTV Fermata/Stop, Riva degli Schiavoni, although google maps shows it a 7 minute walk which means probably more like 15 minute walk with bags if you go the walking to Alilaguna option.)
So, after typing out all of these thoughts, I think if it were me and I had real luggage, I'd do a private taxi to the airport. Your hotel can arrange this. Especially if the flight time is prior to 08:00 AM.
Not sure what time of year you will be visiting Venice, but you may want to look for an app that will alert you to Acqua Alta water levels and warnings. Other misc. pieces of advice for La Serenissima are to pack as light as possible (maybe a challenge with the cruise), take a flashlight, and familiarize yourself with your surroundings via googlemaps street view a little bit ahead of time. I have a trip report from Venice from 2018 that gives the basis for these advices :)

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you all for your kind recommendations. I wasn't able to find this type of information on the web sites I studied. You have given us a great foundation for further study. We'll be coming in on the Viking Sea, so I'll definitely contact them about where we dock in Venice and their options for traveling into Venice.