Mestre, Italy

We have not stayed in Mestre, but have stayed further out though. Padua (Padova)is a moderately sized town with some sights of it's own, maybe 30 minutes from Venice, making a day trip in very easy. You maybe do miss some of late night Venice, but we found that visit very nice. We have also stayed in Venice, that was nice as well. I am sure there are several other nice towns in that 30 minute train ride range that might work.

Thanks for all replies and info. Venice here we come!

Have you ever been to Venice? Do you know the difference between Venice Island and Mestre? Making an informed decision to stay in Mestre is better than making the decision based solely on budget. I would never stay in Mestre again, as my first time in Venice was based on budget and I had no idea Mestre was not the real Venice I wanted to see.

Most Rick Steves followers (and I agree) will highly recommend staying in Venice rather than Mestre. Venice is magical, and Mestre is an industrial town nearby. There are many, many B&Bs on the islands of Venice itself, and if you book as far as possible in advance, although the rates are higher than Mestre, it is certainly worth the difference IMHO. Is there a specific reason why you want to stay in Mestre?

There are reasonably priced hotels in Venice especially in the Cannaregio area. Do not stay in Mestre! Unless you like the smell of chemical by-products, of course.

Liz, I most definitely agree with the others! Staying in Venice would provide a much nicer travel experience than in Mestre. If you'd prefer to stay on the "periphery" of Venice, I believe there are some hotels near Venezia SL station listed in the Guidebook. Happy travels!

I would suggest Padua...... lovely city and close train trip to Venice.

More piling on here - I'm glad to see that you've been persuaded to stay in Venice proper. (There's a reason the RS books don't give info on where to stay in Mestre.) Padova is indeed charming and makes an easy daytrip from Venice.

Please excuse my adding my 2 cents, but I can't help but agree with the other Venice fans: stay overnight in Venice if you want to experience the magic of the city in the evening after the hordes have departed. There's nothing like a vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal just after sunset and a evening walk through Saint Marks' square ... (deep sigh)

I agree you should spend at least one or two nights in Venice. The next most convenient place is Padova, where I've also stayed and daytripped into Venice. But my best memories (and photos) of Venice are in the hazy early morning and after sunset.

Italy

Italy Venice. You've all convinced me to stay in Venice. Booked room last night. Thanx to all!

In your hotel budget you can save money in other towns to cover Venice. I paid more then I was budgeting per night in Venice but it was offset by cheaper prices then my budget amount per night at Siena and Orvieto. I went with $200 USD per night for my trip and I came in under that total

Liz,
I'm with Robert - For our trip coming up this May, 2014, we set a budget amount for hotels, etc. We came in well under our budget in Orvieto and Assisi (staying in helpline recommended B&B's). We rented apartments for each of our 6 night stays in Rome and Florence (this trip we are trying the Trastevere). Came in on budget in Venice but splurged on Lake Como. We are well under budget - we are even spending an average of 20e less per night than we did in 2009. Smart of you to begin reserving now, more than 6 months ahead - you have lots of choices. Have a wonderful trip!