Staying on Murano island? Good idea or bad idea?

We did this one year. There were 4 of us and we got a super deal on a two-bedroom apartment on Murano (found on an IHA.com listing). The walk was short to the main vaporetto stop, with frequent service linking to Fondamente Nove (we had passes too). We found some good eats within walking distance of the Fondamente Nove stop, and often walked -zigzagged- through from there, instead of connecting. It was also directly connected to both the airport and to the other islands of Burano and Torcello.

We liked our stay there. We went back to Murano usually after dinner. It was very quiet when the day trippers had left. The apartment was on the ground floor of a house, with a small garden. This was the only visit to Venice when I felt that we were actually staying in a working neighbourhood. I would definitely stay on Murano again.

Thanks Dianne, that has helped big time
Mick & MAS

If you haven't been to Venice before I would be tempted to stay in Venice proper. I really like exploring Murano, but Venice is special and if you think there is a lot you want to see there, I would stay in Venice instead of commuting from Murano. Definitely get the vaporetto pass if you stay on Murano, or if you stay in Venice then get a 12 hour pass and go check out Murano, Burano and Torcello (or get the 72 hour pass if you think you will use it more than just one day).

I would get the vaporetto pass when you arrive and start using it right away (scan it at the dock each time you use it). If your main concern is cost, Murano or even Burano (further away) might work, but don't underestimate the commuting time to Venice. There are a couple of places in Venice with lower priced lodging, in Cannaregio or near the public gardens. You can search booking.com and filter by price or district, and compare to prices on Murano.

I would not recommend staying in Murano and riding into Venice everyday. If you're doing that for cost then you might as well stay in Mestre. But you know, there are nice budget places on Venice Island.

We prefer to stay more centrally in Venice to be closer to the action, or to return to our hotel more easily for an afternoon siesta, etc. The island may be quieter, but not less commercial. It doesn't have the grand palazzos and squares and does not feel as dense to me in historical/architectural atmosphere. The boat to Murano has always felt like a bit of a haul from the center of town.

mcmabaker Don't know where you're from or you've been, but it's a bit like going to visit Manhattan, and staying on Staten Island.

Thanks for your help with this and we are from Australia and have been to NYC and only went to Statten Island to do the ferry ride so I get your point.

I'm another who recommends staying in Venice proper and taking the boat to Murano.
I spent a few hours in Murano and felt like I saw it pretty well, then the next day I took the boat to Burano which I liked much better. (had to go to Murano and change boats to get to Burano).
I love Venice and could spend several days there.
I took an evening walking tour of Venice (used Viators company) and at the end we had a nice gondola ride. It was a wonderful tour - led by a young man from England who is studying history in the Venice area. Sorry I forget how much it cost - but was reasonable.

Am I the only one here who has actually stayed on Murano?? I also stayed in Cannaregio's Sant' Alvise area for a week a previous visit. We had a solid 15 minutes walk to the nearest vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal from there and it wasn't as interesting a walk as when we set out from Campo San Bernardo on Murano, IMO.

I have interesting photos of small children playing in the campo and dock-to-dock veggie sellers - all evidence of local residents going about their daily lives. Something not as evident to come across in the more highly touristed areas of San Marco...

Personally, I did like Murano very much. We found Murano interesting to wander as well; we found smaller glass blowing workshops, old churches and glass sculptures. I agree that the area near the Colonna stop is very commercial, but there's much more to Murano than that. I am making the case here for an underrated part of Venice that has merit, is different from where most tourists stay and is obviously easily dismissed. Seriously folks, the New York analogy really doesn't fit here.

It was very easy to get to from the airport - an Alilaguna ferry does the quick trip directly from the airport's dock (less than a half hour). We also really liked being closer to Burano and Torcello. We liked the vaporettos and it was fun for us to hop the vaporetto across each day - we felt like old hands at it by the end of our stay. We also liked the view of San Michele each trip. It just wouldn't have occurred to us to go back for a nap midday, anyways ;-)

Yes. Budget factored into the decision to stay on Murano... and it's the money saved that allowed us the opportunity to spend adequately long visits each time and to see Venice beyond the multitude of cheap masks-made-in-china souvenir shops.

Mick & MAS, if you do decide to stay on Murano, can you please come back to this thread and post your impressions and experience?

This discussion is perfect proof of what I always say: "There is no one-size-fits-all approach to travel." For our third visit to Venice we stayed on the Lido to save a big chunk of money and regretted it right away, mainly because we are definitely a "go back to the room for a mid-day break" kind of couple. Because it's your first trip to Venice, I would recommend staying in Venice proper. Do a short trip to Murano while you're there to see if you might want to stay there on a future visit.

If you want a wonderful place to stay, consider Casa Rezzonico, and a recent thread looking for B&B suggestions in Venice for more info. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/hotel-or-b-b-in-venice-with-charm-and-nice-terrace

Thanks everyone for your help with this. We have decided to stay in Venice at a B&B called Allo Squero. We have Ricks book 2014 and are very excited about our journey

I think you made a good choice... I have stayed in and I have stayed out...and I would never stay out again. If you can make yourself get up early there is nothing like going down to the water before sunrise and watching Venice 'wake up'. It's a really special time to be out.... a different view than the day trippers get. I would do this a lot of mornings and then because my hotel was close go back for breakfast. A great time for photography.

I'm glad you decided to stay in Venice proper...I don't think you'll regret it. I personally would not enjoy staying in Murano. Take Terry Kathryn's advice and get up early (at least one morning) and enjoy St. Mark's Square before the hoards descend upon it! It's magical early in the morning without all the crowds. Have a great trip!