Trip to Venice 03/2020 (Planning)

I don't agree with "the many". 6 days in Venice is 8 days too long. Its an over crowded, over priced slum. For a first trip to EU, go somewhere worth seeing like Prague, Rome, London, Alsace, Vienna, a river cruise on the Danube, but you may have a bee in your bonnet for Venice. Take a day trip to Verona.

Learn how the Vaporetti work.

Air fare: study web site advice on when its cheapest. For maximum choice of seats, do it 11 months in advance. That's when tickets first go on sale & prices are usually pretty good.

Decent food is expensive. Good food is very, very expensive.

Hotels: usually the farther out, the better the price. Always compare direct booking with the hotel to what places like Expedia, TripAdvisor etc offer.

House/table wine usually are great values. That's what the locals drink. They are listed by amount 1/4l (a glass), 1/2l, or 1l (25% more than a standard wine bottle).

There is so much to see in Italy. While you are smart to avoid running around to too many places in too short a time, I think you may be planning too many days in Venice. With good trains, you can move around to some other places without losing too much time. Consider adding a couple days in Florence.

As for which book to get, the way I look at it, books are dirt cheap compared to the money they help you save. Get the current book now, and use it for your advance planning. When the newest book comes out closer to your trip, get that one.

There's no magic answer to "when to buy airfare". Most experienced travelers here suggest you start by just watching airfares, and continue watching them over time, for a while. That will help you get a sense of the range of prices (they will fluctuate more than a little). There's no need to buy tickets anytime soon, and in fact, buying tickets too early is a common mistake - because it may lock you in to an itinerary before you have a smart one figured out. The time to buy your flights is after you know your itinerary. In your case, if you really only want Venice and not much else beyond that, then it simplifies things, but if, for example, you decided you wanted to include Milan or Rome, then you should investigate options for flying into one city (eg Venice) and out of another (Rome or Milan). You have plenty of time before you need to commit to flights, though.

Ouch

Its an over crowded, over priced slum.

Its an over crowded, over priced slum.

That is first time I have seen someone say that. kb1942 must have quite a story to tell to explain that kind of animosity

I guess I was not there long enough to find that part of the city.

How far in advance should we purchase air fare?

Start watching fares next month and by June you should have a pretty good idea of what they are from your locale. If you see a dip in Aug-Oct, pounce. Or get it anytime it fits your budget and has favorable scheduling. As time goes on, the choices shrink.

Hotel-- When you see what you want , and hopefully there is a penalty free cancellation period until 30-60 days prior to arrival, go ahead and get it. If you find something better in the penalty free time, then go for it.

You can use an older guide book to decide what you want to see, most of it has been there quite a long time and is not leaving, so you can use it to outline your trip and get a new one when it comes out to have all the most current contact info and prices

Should I get the current version

Go to your local library and borrow the current version (of all the guide books you can get) then get the latest version when it is available.

Read https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

I had 6 days in Venice when I visited. I was there in January and the weather was cold but sunny with no rain.

Although it was interesting, I was a little disappointed and if I had the trip again, I would go for 4 days maximum. There weren’t any crowds. There’s a limit to how many faded frescos I want to see each day. The food was poor unless you spent a lot of money compared to most other places in Europe. I am glad I have been, but I wouldn’t return.

Paris, Berlin, Budapest etc I would return to in a heartbeat. Others have different tastes to me and could spend weeks there. It’s all down to personal taste.

There is plenty of information available online for your early plann, so I would get the updated guidebook. I would book flights and accommodation 6 months out.

Yeah - I got the same comment about Venice being a slum on one of my postings as well, and this was after saying it's my fav place. We get it - you hate Venice.

I'm returning for the 5th time in Sept for 4 nights - that'll make about - I can't even keep track - 13 or 14 nights all together. Crowds won't be as bad at that time of year.

And there is lots to do around Venice - since you said surrounding areas as well. Padua, Treviso, Verona, Vicenza...and lots of other places you can daytrip to. You could even take a train to Ferrara if you wanted to do a long day. For a first trip, I might think about basing 3 nights in Venice and 3 nights elsewhere - but you could certainly stay the 6 nights and daytrip - even Burano/Murano/Torcello can fill a day.

and surrounding areas

Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido, San Michele. Some regard this as part of Venice and not "surrounding area". - that's up to you.

My favorite is Burano.

Our first visit to Venice was in 1980 and we couldn't leave quick enough. The city smelled and was extremely touristy. Over the years we've been back four more times and our opinion has changed.

Back in the day, once the day trippers departed the city reverted back to its wonderful self. The Venetians came out of hiding and it was truly an Italian city like no other. Then, the cruise lines built docks and now it is touristy 24/7.

IMHO, six days is too many even including a cruise to Burano. Also, we can recommend the Hotel Abazzia in the Cannaregio sestiere (neighborhood). It was a former Carmelite Monastery located on a quiet calle (alley) near the train station. The property is extremely clean, the staff is first rate, and you are very close to a Vaporetto stop and the St. Lucia train station. The Piazza Sam Marco is only an easy 20-minute walk away.

Buon viaggio,

Its an over crowded, over priced slum.

Unfortunately, there are far too many slums throughout this world. Venice, in my opinion, is not one of them. Having said that, I would also agree that six days may be too much time there. You can easily take daytrips to nearby cities, such as Verona, Padova, or Vicenza, or stay in Venice a few days, then another city nearby. Either way, I believe you will enjoy Venice if you make an effort to walk the city, particularly away from Piazza San Marco. Have a great trip!

I applaud you for not trying to see all of Italy in one week! Less is more in Italy and Venice is one of our favorite places. We have spent the better part of 5 or 6 weeks there, spread over 10 trips and 3 of those stays were a week long.

It is easy to run through the major sights and sites in 3 days/4 nights, but to savor requires time. Daytrips to the Laguna islands, Padova, and Verona are feasible, as you no doubt know. So ignore those naysayers about it being a slum! There is nowhere else like Venice.

• Airfare can generally be bought 331 days in advance but those won’t be the best prices. Set some searches in Kayak.com and start watching. I would get serious about buying 4 to 6 months before the trio. When you see a fare you can live with, buy it and don’t look back. Depending on where you live, Condor Air or Iceland Air may appeal.
• Book hotel or other lodging as soon as your flights are set, but you can browse now and potentially book a place that is cancellable or alterable. For a stay of 6 nights in one place, I would get an apartment, but that is not for everyone. If you feel,you will want some help with directions, etc., a hotel or B&B might be better on a first trip. We have always eaten well in Venice. Not cheap, but not crazy either. There are many threads on the Forum about where to dine in Venice.

Why not get the current RS guide at your library then buy the new one when it comes out?

The guidebooks dont change that much from year to year, and they dont add many new sights. If you need it to research hotels, plan sightseeing, etc., I'd go ahead and buy a current one. The cost information is not reliable anyway, just useful as a relative comparison. And consider that the next guide will be based mostly on old data by the time it gets published anyway.

Uplifting input from Laurel...who knows Italy very well so I've a habit of listening to her advice, :O)

The nice thing about 6 days is that you're going to be able to do a much deeper, richer dive into Venetian history and culture and explore more of the surrounding islands than most tourists allow time to do. You'll also be able to accomplish that at reasonable pace, and flex your daily activities with whim and weather.

If you DO find you've had enough by day 4 or so, then there are those suggested day trips to fall back on. It's a win-win!

As far as guidebooks, Stan and some of the others have nailed it: by the time even a new edition is printed, some information can already be out of date so use whatever is most current. Confirm things like attraction hours and whatnot on the attractions' own websites. We never use guidebooks for restaurant or accommodation choices so those sections don't matter to us.

Hi. I took the now defunct Venice in 7 Days RS tour in November 2005. I still want to spend as much time there as possible, though I have only had a taste of the tour cruise crowds. I think you are wise to go in March as there seem to be fewer cruises visiting (though who can tell for next year?).

Check this out re cruise schedules: https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/vi-index.htm

One of the websites I enjoy is Venice for Visitors: https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/vi-index.htm. If you go to their main menu and then scroll down the page, you can read the blog they created for their dog Maggie who often joined them in Venice. Fun!

I think you have gotten good advice re tour books. Another thing to consider is reading some novels or watching some videos that might pique your interest regarding specific place. Movies like Summertime and Bread and Tulips. The book, Miss Garnet's Angel, gave me some places to hunt for during that first Venice trip. And then, the Commissario Brunetti novels - oh my.

Have a good time planning and enjoy!

I too, am a fan of Venice. I heard the naysayers, but ignored them and glad I did😉. Been there 2x (3 days each time) once with my husband and the next with my sisters and going back in September for a couple of days on route to Croatia. I hadn't seen Burano before (someone told me not to bother🙄, so that's my goal this time ;) !
I've been to various places all over Italy and I still like going back to some of the same places. I have to say it was prettier in May than the end of September with all the flowers and window boxes in bloom, but still a wonderful place to wonder.... I get up early and explore before most things are open and shops are getting ready. I find it enchanting...
Vacations are personal, read up and choose what suits you best for you and your traveling style.

Thanks everyone, for your replies. Very help to see your input.

I'll place the order for the current version of the guide.

Some airline are not able to provide prices, this far out. We have options to fly out of. Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville or Atlanta. It seems Miami has the most flights. I'll have to wait a month or so until airlines populate prices. The average now is $1200 per person. For some reason, I thought it would be more expensive. At this time, we plan to fly out on Saturday, 03/14. Return Saturday, 03/21. Have Sunday to recover.

Plan is subject to change.

Thanks again for your input. Extremely helpful, reading you points of view.

Joe

March is an excellent time to visit Venice. The cruise ship season does not start in earnest until April, so you will not experience the overcrowding mentioned in the first response above, nor the heat. We will be going back ourselves next March.

We have spent as long as a full month there and still hated to leave. And I am a "mountain person", not a "city person." But there is something special about Venice, if you are open to it. Watch the movies recommended above, read some history, or maybe the Donna Leon ( Commissario Brunetti) mystery series if you like that genre ( we do). They have been made into a German TV series ( with subtitles) that was filmed on location and portrays the characters well.

Do get the current guidebook so you can start reading that now. It does not change much from edition to edition. I still have our 2002 Venice guidebook that we used for our first trip, and I look at it now and again to see what has changed. Rick has upgraded his hotel and restaurant recommendations, but the main sights need only updates on hours and pricing.

I cannot help with airline pricing, as we fly from the West Coast and use airline miles. I am sure there are people who will say 11 months ahead is too early to book and $1200 is too high, but you never know what their criteria are. Sometimes the cheaper rates involve budget airlines ( Norwegian, or the now-defunct Wow), or "Basic Economy" on the main carriers (no checked bags, no seat selection), or complicated routing with long layovers somewhere. I suggest that as first-time European travelers, you avoid those and stick with the legacy carriers like American, British Airways, United, Lufthansa, Delta, etc. there should be lots of options from Miami, and possibly other Florida airports.

We have twice spent a week in Venice with no day trips and still did not see everything we wanted to see. The second time was in early December, which I imagine is a similar time of year to mid-March. In the middle of the day, St. Mark's was crowded, so we only went to that area very early or very late in the day.

We stayed in an apartment in un-touristy Castello, ate great inexpensive local food in many places (including in what our pre-schooler grandson would describe as a "worker-guy place"), had a week's pass for the vaporetti, took two rowing lessons, went on a tour of the back canals in a small classic Venetian motorboat, greatly enjoyed the total lack of cars and motorcycles and trucks, went up in towers for great views, went to Burano and had a wonderful dinner there, rode the vaporetti around and around just for fun, saw lots of art and lots of boats and lots of bridges and canals, loved the foggy days, sat in many a piazza, went to the market, and so on. Oh, and I spent days choosing which of the palazzi on the Grand Canal was the one I would live in if I could.

To us, the inside of St. Mark's and the inside of the Doge's Palace and riding in a gondola are all close to the bottom of a list of interesting things to see and do in Venice, and those shopping streets near St.Mark's are a horror. So if those four things are mainly what people do with just two days in Venice, no wonder they don't see the appeal of the city. Especially during the tourist season. Six days in March should be fine!

Venice is a beautiful city and has lots of historic beauty to it. what most people claim is one of the most amazing cities in the world. I’m excited to go. It is such a beautiful part of this world. I would love to visit. It’s such a special place.

Venice a slum?? Not even close. But I’m guessing that people who’ve only ever visited Venice as part of a cruise tour might think that. Cruisers invade the city in the morning and can really be a pain. They don’t know what they’re doing and they’ve got a checklist of places to see and take a selfie and they’ve got 6 hours to see and do it all 😂😂

But after they vacate, the place becomes magical.

Well, I have heard there is little middle ground - you either love it or hate it. Some in the 'hate' camp can be swayed over; but not all.

I have been to Venice 5 times, and the last two times I stayed for two weeks each time, and still didn't see everything!!!
And I didn't find the "slum". Where is it please?!
If someone feels it is an overpriced slum, well...... that's their opinion.
I expect they have never seen a real slum before, and thought Venice was one.
You may visit and never return ; but I'd say six days for your first visit is a good start!
Happy planning, and hope you return here with lots more questions for the Venice-lovers among us!

Six days is perfect. I disagree with the poster who called it a slum. I've visited it for off and on over the past 50 years. As a young child, we lived in Vicenza, an overlooked lovely day trip from Venice, particularly if you like Palladian architecture! A visit to Teatro Olympico in Vicenza is very worthwhile if you've grown weary of Venice. We'd frequently head over to Venice on the weekend, and not having much money, would feed the pigeons in St. Marks square (illegal now), people watch and have a beverage and snack on the square - then we'd head to Murano and watch glass being blown. Over the years Venice has changed much, but it's still mesmerizing and tantalizing. I remember watching rats and sewage swimming down the canals as we were watching regattas-in the last 20 years, that's not been the case; it's far cleaner now, except for graffiti. As many times as I've been, I still haven't explored everything. The Jewish ghetto is often overlooked and has some of the best pizza I've eaten. I've had some of the best, inexpensive meals in Venice - avoid the places with tourist menus and ask your hotel staff. Stay in a hotel that has a small refrigerator and a grocery store nearby and have a picnic in your room. Splurge and have lunch at the Hotel Danieli. Other day trips include Padua and Verona. March is a perfect time to go! I could ride the Vaporetto up and down the grand canal a million times and still see or discover something new. What buildings are haunted? What are they used for now? Wander into the workshops where artists are making Carnevale masks and talk with them about their work. Attend a Gregorian mass on Sunday at San Giorgio Maggiore. The views of St. Marks and the grand canal from the campanile are amazing. Have a wonderful time!

"Slum" is one person's opinion. It reflects more on the speaker than the subject of the opinion.

We just returned from Italy, spending four nights each in Padova and Venice from March 16-24. It was a marvelous time of the year to visit! If you are open to exploring your six days will be full (and you'll likely want to return!).

The weather was beautiful-only one drizzly day. I did dress in layers as it was cool in the morning and evening. But, one of our favorite meals was on the deck at our hotel, in the warm sun, enjoying deli food and bottled Spritzs from the local Coop store as we watched traffic on the Grand Canal.

The San Marco area was busy from mid-morning until early evening, with some tour groups but especially with school groups. (I was a teacher for 30+ years...to have such field trip choices!) Then the crowds cleared. We booked the Secret Itineraries and Clock Tower tours in advance and ended up having the Clock Tower to ourselves!

We purchased plane tickets in October; as others have said, start watching prices and purchase when the price seems right for your best airport. Hotels were booked right after that; I research on booking.com and, when possible, book directly with the hotel.

You have plenty of time to read and plan for your trip. Be sure to leave time open to just explore-those times usually provide the best memories!

First, I love Venice, have been there 3 times so far. Still would go back. We stay in more residential areas, not quite as crowded, and usually have great food, which is less expensive.

Second, you are from Florida. You didn't say where, but we fly out of Ft. Lauderdale with one stop. It beats the hassle of Miami!

Its an over crowded, over priced slum.

Provocateur? Troll? Blunt, strong-opinioned poster? The same poster in other threads has declared hatred for Paris, declared Berlin & Munich third rate attractions, and referred to Saxon Switzerland as "impressive if you don't know any better."

Highly opinionated, but that's OK.

Slum? Overpriced?

Have been to Italy 5 times in ten years and have seen a lot. Venice is like nowhere else Ive ever been and I cannot wait to return. Slum? Yeah it can be crowded but two or three streets away from the tourist throng it is autentic and enchanting.

Dave beat me to it as I also was going to point out the unique taste that the slum poster has. I can understand being neutral on Venice but hating Paris. I think there are some who like to show their travel sophistication by offering bombast, contrarian advice. It is just one person's opinion. Venice is more than worth a visit. It is unique and unfortunately its future is limited. Sad but maybe a hundred years from now Venice will only be a few poles sticking out of the water.

Air fare - post a new question in the "transportation" section. There are several fare-watch websites (other forum members are familiar with them). Consider Milan as an alternative gateway. It's a much bigger airport so there will be a lot more flight options. It might be better flying into Venice and out of Milan. It's about 2.5 hours by train between the cities, another hour from Milan to the airport. You want Malpensa, the main MIlan airport, not Linate. That would be an "open-jaw" flight, into one city and out of another. When looking for flights, you have the option of round-trip, one-way, or multiple destinations. Choose the last.

Hotels - Most hotels won't have Spring 2020 rates before fall, some may not have them until year-end. March is low season in Venice, so you shouldn't need to book more than 2-3 months out. In the meantime you can research hotels and narrow down your list, based on current prices. I'd pick dates in November, also low season, to get rates that are nearer to what you'll actually pay in March. Most reservations can be cancelled up to a few days before arrival. Be sure before you commit that the booking can be cancelled for free. Otherwise, they will charge your credit card.

As for your last question . . . . I would happily spend a week in Venice. But on a first trip to Italy, I'd want to see a little more than just one place. Venice is not the best base for day-tripping, since it could easily take 30-60 minutes to get from your hotel to the train station. Consider spending 2 nights somewhere else - which 2 and where depends on where you're flying out of. You didn't ask about trains, but you probably will start thinking about that too. If you buy tickets well in advance (5-6 months), you can get considerable discounts. For instance, from Venice to Milan, a full-price ticket is €50, but a super-economy is only €27.90. Venice to Verona is €28 or €14.90. (Double that for 2 people, double again for round-trip, adds up pretty quickly doesn't it?)

Which guide book? If it were me, I'd get the current version for planning hotels, day-trips, etc. Hotel and restaurant recommendations may change. The most important for hotels is choosing the area - that won't change. You should do your own online research (and come back here with questions too). Rates will change but I never depend on a guide book for that. With one or two possible exceptions, sights will be the same from year to year. You should always check online for entrance fees, hours, possible closures and temporary exhibitions anyway.

Everyone - Thanks for your input.

We've been discussing about splitting the trip Florence. I'll be ordering a couple guide books this week.

I didn't think about flying into Milan and taking the train to Venice. I'll look into it.

Also forgot about FLL. We're in north Florida, but able to fly out of any airport in the state, for the right price.

Thanks again. We really appreciate it.

Our first trip to Venice (in 2011) we were only there 2 nights, stayed close to San Marco, and I hated it.

After more research and taking into consideration that we only saw the most touristed areas, we wanted to give Venice another chance. Our most recent trip was last April, we stayed 5 nights in an apartment in Dorsoduro and I absolutely fell in love with the city. We did a great food tour, history tour & visited palazzo's, explored Dorsoduro, Cannaregio and Castello in depth, and had many spritzes in beautiful piazza's. The only time I felt stressed was walking through the San Marco or Rialto areas to get to other sestieri. I left saying it was one day too short for me, and I couldn't wait to go back. We'll be there again in 3 weeks, this time for a week!

The difference truly lies in the neighborhood (or sestiere) you're in. Many tourists, especially the crowds coming from the cruise ships, don't make it past San Marco and Rialto. Those areas are definitely worth seeing but be out of there by 10am. And if you're going to take a gondola ride, it's worth the 10 minute walk to find a quiet area. When we walked through Rialto, the gondola's were all bottlenecked in the canals, you had to yell to have a conversation, it was chaos, not worth it. We got ours in Dorsoduro and all you could hear was the sound of the canal.

I'm normally the one that gets up early, DW not so much. Looking for to getting pictures at blue hour, early in the morning before sunrise. Then visit the touristy locations before the Mad Rush arrive.

That's another area I'm researching is how much camera gear to take. I don't want to be lugging around lots of heavy equipment. (That's for another thread)

Thanks....

Venice, like everywhere else, will be a matter of personal taste and you won’t know until you experience it for yourself (again, like everywhere else). I went in November about 10 years ago and it was magic. If I had gone during peak season maybe I’d feel differently. I really hope I go back someday. There's no place like it.

Picked up RS Venice and Florence guide books. Currently concentrating on Venice. So much information, not only on Venice itself but day trips to surrounding locations.

We're still deciding whether to stay in Venice the whole time or split it with Florence. Maybe 4 days in Venice, 2 in Florence. My thinking is, if we stay all 6 in Venice, it'll give us a reason to return and spent just as much time in Florence. Decision - decisions :)

As for airfare, TAP has r/t to Venice.. (2 people)
Economy - 895 (not refundable)
Basic - 1075 (change for a fee)
Reviews on this airline are all over the place.

I'll continue to monitor on kayak and airlines directly. Amazing how pricing is so different between carriers.

I made my first trip to Italy last fall, the RS Venice/Florence/Rome tour with some extra days before and after. My real priorities were Florence and Rome, but I unexpectedly fell in love with Venice. I keep wanting to go back, though I had thought my first visit would be the last. Time will tell.

With a week, I'd suggest you stick to Venice and make some day trips to Padova and the other cities in the RS book -- maybe an overnight in one of them to save the time of going back and forth. Also check out the Lido and nearby islands. A week split between Venice and Florence would be doable, but pretty rushed. I like your logic above re saving Florence for another trip. The only risk is that you'll fall in love with Venice and keep going back there while the rest of Italy languishes without you. ;-)

March would seem like a great time to visit -- after Carnival and before the ships and spring breakers invade.

Ferrara is another great day trip.

We made our Venice hotel reservation at a hotel that allowed changes about 7 months in advance then signed up for googles farechecker service to buy the tickets later. Get the book from the library and buy the new one when it comes out.

We flew to Bologna and took the train because the flight schedule was better.

Been searching web for best price. So far, TAP has best price. Last time checked, around $1250 (for two) - with red seats purchased on all flights..

Layover...
To Venice - 1hr (hope that's enough time to catch connecting flight)
To Miami - 3hr

Anyone fly TAP recently? What was your experience?

We flew TAP Copenhagen - Lisbon - Madeira and back. We were perfectly satisfied.

It might be different if you are flying across the Atlantic.

What are "red seats" and where is Venive? Do you mean Venice? Where is that 1-hour layover?

Posted late night. Dang it. Spell check must not be working - just made correction.

I meant Venice. Red seats are larger seats with more space.

Layover is on Lisbon.

I flew TAP from Geneva to Lisbon in May, it was equivalent to a no-frill budget flight - basic comfort (in other words, not comfortable). I met others who flew a 5-6 hour flight and said the plane was great. So you are probably okay for the transatlantic flights, but don't expect a lot on the shorter (3 hr) flight to Venice.

1 hour is pretty tight, since you go through passport control in Lisbon (your entry to the Schengen zone). Check if there are other flights to Venice. Also, if you are checking bags make sure they are tagged to Venice and have a "short connection" tag as well. And get your Lisbon-Venice boarding passes then too. Let the cabin crew know you have a short connection - they may be able to help you disembark more quickly and/or may be able to give you your gate number. When you get to passport control, find a staff person and tell them you have a short connection - there may be an expedited lane.

Once again, thanks to everyone for your input. It has been extremely helpful.

Now that airfare is out the way - (Flying TAP). We're ready to book accommodations..

In my research, lots of people recommend Hotel Ala. I also checked Al Ponte Moncenigo, they don't seems to have vacancy that week, I'm going email/call to confirm.

What's your recommendations?
Budget is $1,800
Checking in on 03/15/20
Checking out: 03/21/20

I've been going over RS Venice guide and wanted to get thoughts from most recent travelers.

Thanks again...

Joe

Definitely contact any hotel(s) you are interested in; many do not yet have their 2020 calendars loaded onto the booking sites. We were in Venice in March of this year and stayed at Hotel Foscari Palace in the Cannaregio area. It's right on the Grand Canal, close to the Ca' d'Oro vaporetto stop. The rooms are quite large by European standards (we had a "Classic" room); breakfast was excellent. One of my favorite "dinners" was enjoying a bottled Aperol Spritz and sandwiches from the nearby Coop store on the patio right on the Canal--great place to watch boat traffic on a sunny evening. We enjoyed exploring the nearby neighborhoods and found it easy to use the vaporettos (buy a pass!) or to just walk (about 15 minutes to San Marco). Enjoy your time in Venice!

Take a look La Calcina. We spent 5 nights there, in a canal-view room, on our first Venice visit ( our honeymoon). The only reason we have not been back is that we stay longer now ( a week to a month) and prefer apartments.

Things we like about it: (1) the Canal-side location in Dorsoduro, an easy walk to San Marco but far enough out of the crowded zone. The wide sidewalk ( Zattere) along the Giudecca Canal makes for nice walking. Head east out to the tip of Dorsoduro ( Punto della Dogana) for great views across the water to Piazza San Marco. (2). The decor is simple and tasteful, without the ornate curtains and bedsteads that are considered "Venetian" style by some. We prefer hardwood floors and simpler fabrics. (3). You can book their rooftopmterrace for private use, for free, for an hour. Book at sunset and take a bottle of wine up there, and some appetizers. Very romantic!

It is more expensive than Hotel Ala, but right now they offer a 6 the night free if you book 5. For your dates the cost of the canal-view room like we had is 900€.

https://www.lacalcina.com

Also check out apartments. That doesn't mean you have to cook yourself. We usually enjoy being able to have breakfast on our own, without having to dress for a hotel restaurant.

I cannot see if you are traveling with children, and I haven't tried that myself, but I imagine that the advantage of an apartment is even larger with children.

IMO you don't need the latest guide book. Find a number of guide books in the library for your planning. Venice doesn't change that much from year to year. Then look up up-to-date information on the web.

Completely unrelated:

1. Remember to visit Murano and Burano. Buy a vaporetto pass for this trip.
2. Check out https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

Provocateur? Troll? Blunt, strong-opinioned poster? The same poster in other threads has declared hatred for Paris, declared Berlin & Munich third rate attractions, and referred to Saxon Switzerland as "impressive if you don't know any better."

The poster reminds me of a Woody Allen quote: "Don't go to that restaurant. The food is terrible and the portions are too small."

I read the linked posts, compared them with my experiences of the places mentioned and duly filed his opinions in the appropriate receptacle.

Buy s Chorus Pass. It gives you entrance to many churches filled with incredible art. The best part is it will take you all over Venice to areas you might not have visited.