Looking for a small town not far from Venice

Mestre is the workaday town that supports Venice for those on lower income, but it might not fit 'pleasant'. Padua could be considered but check if it is too far; or look at the reviews of any Airbnb along the train line.
Have you priced the Airbnb shared accommodations for Venice proper? Perhaps something in the Castello district may suit. However, September is still part of the Biennale season and a lot of that is situated in the far end of Castello which might affect the price. Certainly many areas of Venice have low tourist density once away from San Marco Square and the Rialto.

When we go to the Venice area we stay in Padua which is about 30 minutes away. It is a charming university dominated town with a fun student-centered culture, nice restaurants and the Cappella degli Scrovegni which has wonderful Giotto frescos.

http://www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it/index.php/en/

see https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html for connections.

If you want to see Venice, want cheap and convenient location OFF Venice Island the Mestre is your answer. You could actually just walk across the causeway each day to Venice Island if your tight budget won’t allow you to buy a train or bus ticket across.

HOWEVER, I would venture to guess that you actually can find accommodations in Venice Island within your budget if you’re willing to stay someplace like a hostel. Have a look at the Generator Hostel and the Silk Road Hostel.

Is your goal to save money while enjoying the sights of Venice? If so, I second the advice about Mestre and Padua (Padova). Early September is a very popular time for Venice tourism. Nevertheless, you may be able to get a place that fits your budget if you find a last-minute cancellation somewhere within Venice.

For a small, pleasant town with easy train access to Venice, the two that come to mind are Verona and Ferrara. Or see, for example, https://selectitaly.com/blog/hidden-gems/off-beaten-path-veneto/

Thank you, thank you, everybody, for these wonderful suggestions!

Together with the link from epltd, they have inspired me to visit as many of these lovely places as I can. My budget is not that tight: it’s just that I’m used to vacationing in Thailand, where prices are half or less of what they are here and I can backpack joyously for five weeks or more on a budget of 1300 euros, including travel, accommodation and other expenses! So I must watch it when travelling around Europe.

For the record, I will be 82 when I make this trip. I have been inspired by the young Greta Thunberg, who could be my granddaughter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWsM9-_zrKo or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzeekxtyFOY and more) not to fly so much (not that I fly a lot anyway) and never ever anywhere where I can take a train. How’s that for intergenerational rapport? Hence my Senior Interrail Pass and the need to find reasonably priced accommodation. And I prefer to be off the beaten track anyway, having experienced solo travel in the good old days before tourism became a mass industry and globalisation took hold.

I am also moved by the solidarity and generosity of people on this Forum, so thank you Rick and all who sail with you. Good travels, everybody!

When I drive I usually stay just outside Venice in Quarto d'Altino. There's a station there with direct trains to Venezia Santa Lucia, a nice small central area (good gelato), reasonable and tasty (simple, suburban) food. On the Stile River. I stay in one of two favourite hotels which will likely be out of your range, but there may be some airbnb or other similar available. I haven't checked. There is a good supermarket.

Vicenza is lovely 😊

Sorry but this is not a recommendation based on personal experience. Just a place from my bucket list: Chioggia.

There is a bus and ferry to Lido di Venezia, where you can take the boat to Venice proper. Note: I don't think the savings on accommodation covers the cost AND TIME of transport if you want to visit Venice every day.

Thanks l.p. enersen for your suggestion. In fact, Chioggia is already right at the top of my list, but it is seemingly impossible for me to get there (without an impossibly early start) in a single day by my chosen tourist route (to include the Centovallina) from Geneva, so I am looking for a place to rest my head the first night. No, I don't want to visit Venice every day. I hope to camp somewhere and hop around to the various lovely places suggested above for a few days before making my way south.

Fopicom you seem to have clicked on Italy instead of India by accident... :-)

And more thanks as new ideas keep coming in. L'embarras du choix (spoilt for choice), as they say here.

And as many posters say, part of the magic of Venice is morning and evening when the hordes of day-trippers and cruise passengers have gone. Padua is a short train trip, and early/late trains might allow you to experience some of that Venetian magic.

The post 5 posts up from fopicom is spam and has been reported.

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Ah, given your travel from Geneva, perhaps Verona could be a nice stop for first night and then move on closer to Venice using Padua or similar as a hub for day trips. Verona has an old Roman amphitheatre used for Opera at night. Opera season is until September 7th this year. Even if all you do is sit nearby, it could be a lovely enhancement to a trip.