Starting a cruise in Venice

Stay close to the train station. There are many hotels in all price ranges. If you can be more specific about your budget, I'm sure folks here will have good suggestions. Also, when will you be there?

We will be there Nov. 17 2007. I would like to keep the price between $100 to $150.
Thanks

stacy,

there is a little hostel down the first street to the left of the trainstation that was very affordable and very clean. My wife and I loved it when we stayed there two years ago. If you look at hostelworld you will be able to book it. Sorry the name has escaped me. I have just finished a 30 hour shift at work. If i am able to recall it, i will post it later.

A perfectly good place - but mostly with toilets on the hall - is the Albergo Santa Lucia. You can Google it and reserve from their website. It has clean large rooms and is just around the corner from the train station and the vaporettos to take you to the cruise dock.

Easiest way to the port is by taxi. As mentioned before, stay close to the Santa Lucia train station. Or stay near enough to get to that area quickly. There is a major square within 5 minutes walk and it is only a few hundred yards from the port- but the port itself is NOT easily accessible. Do yourselves a big favor-- DONT TAKE A LOT OF LUGGAGE!!! We have been oon many cruises and three multi-moonth trips in Europe and have made do with a bacjkpack apiece-- it IS possible

There are no hotels closer to the cruise ship dock than those near the train station. Which is named Santa Lucia.

The cruise ship dock is not handy, but staying near the train station is as close as you can get.

Stacy, all the cruise ships dock in the area past (away from train station) San Marco because that's where the water is deep enough for them to dock. So if you stay near the train station you will be in the position of lugging your baggage all the way across Venice on a vaporetto, which we saw very many folks doing when we were there a couple of weeks ago. I concur that it's best that you plan to lighten the load and take less.

Not true that there are no hotels between the train station and the cruise ship docks. The train station is on one end of the Grand Canal and the cruise ships dock past San Marco on the totally opposite end of the Grand Canal. No matter where you stay you'll be lugging suitcases, either after you check out of your hotel near the train station and go down the Grand Canal to the cruise ship docks or after you get off the train and go to your hotel. Another option would be to stay on Lido, which is much less expensive. There are vaporettos from Santa Lucia train station directly to Lido and also from Lido to areas past San Marco, where the cruise ships dock. All you'd have to do to get to the main part of Venice (if staying on Lido) is hop on a vaporetto.

I second Paul and Sara's comment regarding luggage! We have been on many cruises and traveled around Europe several times. I know that desire to have all kinds of outfits for a cruise and I used to succumb to it. If you have cruised recently you will find that people don't dress to the nines on a ship as they once did even 5 years ago. Also, the storage for luggage and clothing is quite limited in a cruise cabin. Classy and classic pieces that can be layered and mixed and matched can easily fit in a small (carry-on sized) suitcase plus one additional small carry-on bag per person. There are several shops and online catalogs that feature easy to pack and attractive outfits (Chico's, Travelsmith, Boston Proper, etc.) If you forget something, you can always pick it up on your trip. You will be so much happier with your trip experience if you aren't bogged down with luggage which you will have to transport everywhere yourself. Plus, it leaves you even more pounds/room for souveniers!