Venetian budget hotels...do they even exist?

I have been hunting venice hotels too and I can not find anything cheap. the one I found that was on the cheaper side had such bad trip advisor reveiws I would not even consider it

We have booked a double room with ensuite in San Lio Tourist House for 65 euros a night for 3 nights in July. It is very central near the Rialto Bridge. We booked it at Hostelworld.com which has budget hotels and guest houses as well as hostels. You can click on just budget hotels, or budget hotels and guest houses (which seem more like B&B's I think). The good thing is that you can read people's reviews.. we don't book anything with less than 80% review rate. My friend swears by hostelworld.com and found great places in eastern Europe last year, so hope we'll be as lucky. We have also booked in Sorrento, Rome and Tuscany through them. Good Luck and have a great trip.

I would definitely consider a hostel but the only ones I can find are off the actual island of Venice or near the train station. I would prefer something more central but I know its a long stretch for Venice.

Venice is actually fairly compact. I encourage you to think outside the Rialto/San Marco corridor. That's the most touristy section anyway. Get a 3 day vaporetto pass when you get there and stay near the train station.

Melissa,
The train station area in Venice isn't a bad location--there's a vapparetto stop right next to the station that makes it easy to get to central Venice and back. We usually stay in that location as we arrive and depart via train.

Same experience here. Settled for the Hotel Riva 120 euro per double May 26-27. Venice is our first stop after a long flight from LAX. Want more privacy and quiet room in central location in case getting tired during middle of day. I find Trip Advisor rating most helpful.

Good luck.

In 2007 we stayed at B & B Gli Angeli (www.gliangeli.net) for 95 euro per night. You have to contact them for current rates. It is located at the south end of the grand canal, near the Arsenale. The vaporetto stop is only 100 yards away. Very quiet area and easy walking to St Marks Sq.

This is where we stay in Venice. I'll personally recommend it and it should be in the RS Guide - even if I'm glad it isn't. ;) It is a two star on the European scale.
And since food is costly in Venice, the minimal breakfast is still nice to have. It is very close to the train station, yet there is a ferry stop two minutes away. The nice thing is that if you ever get lost, you just follow the signs back
to the train station. Venice gets incrementally spendy the closer you get to ST. Mark's Square.

Albergo Guerrini

Pick what ever level of service you want from
60 euros, shared bath, on up. Better hurry though, looks like its filling up 30th to the 1st.

Good Food is what will really cost you in Venice.
Eating out is just plain expensive.

Hi Melissa,

Venice is rough for budget travelers!

Have you looked at the Foresteria della Chiesa Valdese? It's recommended in Rick. It's a hostel, but it's definitely the absolute cheapest room in the area you're looking for -- and apparently it's clean and nice. They have private rooms as well as dorm rooms.

Both times I've been to Venice, I've wanted to stay there, but they book up early an have really strick check-in/check-out hours that didn't work for us. Still, it's worth a shot. Here's their website:

www.foresteriavenezia.it/foresteria/index_e.htm

As others have noted, you may have to expand your search to include the area closer to train station, where prices are usually cheaper. (We stayed in a not-completely-awful hotel near the station for 80 euros/night with private bathroom.)

Also keep in mind that if you find a place that's almost in your price range, you could try contacting the hotel directly and asking what their "best price" is for the three nights of your stay. With the down economy, it's possible prices are more flexible this year. You can sometimes swing a discount if you promise to pay in cash, too.

Good luck!

You can try this place. We have stayed there twice- can't beat the price and location and our rooms were ensuite.

http://www.alloggiallascala.com/

It was about 85 euros with a cash discount ( 90 euros if using credit card) and is right in the location you want.

Thank you for the suggestions. I sent emails to Alloggia alla Scala and the church and just waiting for replies.

I agree that Venice is not cheap. A friend suggested that we stay in Lido, Venice, which is just a 5 min vaperetto ride from San Marco. Plus, Lido has a beach!

I had similar last minute plans for the same time period as you. I received some excellent advice from posting on this board, but unfortunately all the recommended hotels were full.

I booked a double at Locanda Silva for 85 Euro a night www.locandasilva.it . I can't recommend it, though, since I haven't been there yet.

Price does include breakfast and the location seems excellent.

Thank you everyone for all the wonderful suggestions. I sent out about half a dozen emails last night and received two replies back that had rooms. We are going with Hotel Doni, I think its recommended in a RS book. Its right by San Marco, has a canal view, and breakfast is included for only 85 a night. I'm so excited! There was also room available at San Samuele so someone else may want to grab that one!

We are staying at Hotel Belle Epoque the 2nd week of May... 160 euros for 2 nights and looks like a nice hotel close to the train station.

Check out the Hotel Tivoli near Campo Santa Margherita - 70 euros for a single, high season. Two stars, I think, nothing fancy but clean, comfortable and in a great location. Also check out the website venere.com - they can tell you about availability at a whole range of places, and can sort by price. Venice is expensive, but resist the temptation to save a few bucks by staying on the mainland in Mestre - it's just not the same experience..

Hotel Mercurio is worth talking to. great location and the rates were good - right at about 100E a night which included breakfast. That was in 2004 though so rates may have increased.

I'll second the recommendation for Hotel Tivoli. My fiancee and I stayed in their 'twin without bathroom' last week and found it to be one of the better hotel deals in Venice. The room was super-tiny (and we weren't a fan of the twin idea) but everything else we found was at least 20 euros more. Good location, clean, easy to find, and reasonably quiet. I had read the street outside can be noisy, but we didn't face the street.