Neighborhoods in Venice

We are fond of San Polo away from the Rialto Bridge. We have both rented an apartment and stayed at the hotel Ca’Angeli. We walk most everywhere but get a vaporetto pass because it seems we still get on a vaporetto a couple of times each day.

We also very much liked Locanda la Corte a hotel in Costello when Ca’Angeli was not available.

hey hey erica
what are your dates and how many people, ages, plus budget in euros, how many beds? we stayed in an apartment in canareggio which we really liked and an apartment studio in san polo area we also loved.. also stayed at hotel carlton capri across from train station down an alley.
pack light since you will be pushing or pulling luggage over stairs/steps and bridges, eneven cobblestones. your time od arrival, do you have early checkin or late checkout. lots of things to see and do, stay away from famous area because of cruise ship passengers, bus tours, day trippers. spend time in the outer districts. early mornings or late afternoons to stay away from the crowds.
check europeforvisitors.com with lots of info. walking is great, you can buy a vaporetto pass for how ever many days you want. after you decide what you want to see, come back and posters will give you better info about venice. you will have a great time in this magical place and don't stress, it's a fun place to spend time.
aloha

It's just me and my 17 YO son and we will be there for two nights. I was trying to stay under 300 euros for the two nights. Where do the cruise ships dock?

We will be there at the end of March.

We always stay in the San Polo area - 4 times at this place - not fancy but within our budget and just a minute from the San Toma vap stop...http://alcampaniel.tripod.com/ (we get the standard double room). It's less than 10 min to Rialto, and if you aren't fighting crowds or getting lost, about 15 min to San Marco. Nice little breakfast as well - we always leave full!

The other time was at an airbnb in the same general area.

Just put 'cruise dock' into google maps. You'll see it near the train station. You need to walk the dock, then take a people mover to the big piazza by the train station and then there are one or two vaporetto stops nearby. I would consider when I have to leave Venice Is it a 0600 hrs flight, for example? If som then I would stay close to the train station or the Piazza where the buses depart for the airport, because the vaporettos will be on night schedule and the la laguna boat to the airport won't be running yet.
If you are coming off a cruise with 25' or larger suitcases, you could consider leaving the bulk at the train luggage storage, or you want to be one or two bridges from there for easy walking and rolling. I don't want to be in a solo (as in twin bed in a small room) and a 4 floor walk up hotel, so for May from a cruise, I have an apartment in Dosoduro near the Zaccharia vaporetto stop, but for 2 nights I would stick to the Santa Croce district.

We stayed in Fondamenta Nove and enjoyed it. My real takeaway is that it’s better to stay somewhere a bit away from the Grand Canal and train station. It’s much quieter and has some authentic character. When you can wander without the throngs of tourists, that’s when Venice is magic. Yes, you’ll have to do some walking or vaporetto rides to get to San Marco and what not, but those are experiences you’ll want have anyway. Like, even if you stayed on San Marco, you’d want to take a vaporetto ride for the fun of it. The added distance is a plus rather than an obstacle.

hey hey erica
you will have fun in venice in that short amount of time. i see you will be doing a cruise and where are you going? found couple hotels that may interest you:
ca' dei polo santa croce area
albergo marin across grand canal and train station, down an alley way, close by quiet. we stayed across at hotel carlton capri. free breakfast
hotel guerrini free breakfast cannaregio area to the left of train station, we liked this area, lots of shops, cafes, delis, walk the back canals away from the maddening crowds.
hotel arlecchino santa croce area
ca' san rocco san polo area. free breakfast
found these on booking.com and saved when we went to venice couple years ago. read the fine print, any extra fees, what floor on (climbing with luggage) any mobility issues?
cadadoer-veniceflat.it/en we stayed in the west studio few years back and loved it, the area, husband and wife are great people, we arrived early they stored our bags, small elevator for 2, we asked for 2 twin beds, looks like a couch is there. email them for availability
venice is not that big, lots of alley ways to get lost in, zigging instead of zagging, enjoy walking many steps/stairs and bridges, get on the vaporettos for a ride on the water. it's nice to walk along the grand canal, it is very busy and can be loud, so we stay away.
pack light, if ship has laundry what is fee, or we would wash in sink and hang to dry in room, brought a little liquid detergent in checked bag)
streaty.com a food/drink tour
schezzini.it alessandro does a cichetti crawl (appetizers, drinks, history of venice), email him and he will get back to you and see what's available.
camacana.com classes how to paint a venetian mask, something different to do and learn.
take a gondola ride, pick up in back canals, set price per boat 75 or 80E, more in the evening, carry small bills and coins in euros, enjoy walking around, stay away from restaurants catering to tourists with signs and people "hooking" you in, walk away down an alley around a corner.
enjoy, any other questions come back and ask, you'll get the good, the bad, and the ugly.
aloha

located so we can walk to most sites.

Venice is small enough that you can walk everywhere regardless of your hotel location. We've stayed at Pensione Guerrato several time and have always been pleased. It's near the Rialto Bridge, but just far enough away to avoid the big crowds. It you decide to stay there let us know as we can give you some specific directions to cut down on the amount of walking to the hotel hauling luggage. Same with restaurants in that area. There are two cruise ports in Venice. Let us know which you'll be using as we've cruised from there and can give you detailed information about getting to the port.

There are so many options in Venice. We like Casa Rezzonico in the Dorsoduro n'hood (on a side canal) but Pensione Guerrato (San Polo) is also one of our faves.

My husband and I stayed at Ca' San Rocco in San Palo, it's listed as a Bed and Breakfast. It was quiet, safe, we walked from the train station with light luggage. It is near the Frari Church, so if you did get a little lost you could follow signs for the church to help navigate.

We liked staying on the north side of Cannaregio as well as in Dorsoduoro. Do not stay in San Marco.

Last year we stayed in an Airbnb in the Sant Elena neighborhood. It's at the end of the island, a quiet, local neighborhood with easy access to the vaporetto. The Airbnb was a three bedroom apartment at under $170/night. Most guests reported that the walk to St. Mark's Square was around 15 minutes. We used the vaporetto and saved our feet for the churches and other sites.

Don't think We'll be staying again in the near future since it is booked, all the time. But if you plan early enough, here you go... I'll give it three Stars and 1/2. Hotel Guerrinio.