Hi
We are travelling via train from Rome to Venice in the afternoon at Venezia San Lucia train station and will be flying out of Venice at noon. We will be 3 full days in Venice.
Question we had was where should we stay. We thought closer to the airport (East Venice) but getting to the hotel from San Lucia train station seems tricky. We are travelling with 3 children.
Any suggestions.
What do you mean East Venice? Anywhere close to the airport will be on the mainland, not Venice proper. Santa Lucia station is in Venice proper. If you want to stay near the airport, then you need Venezia Mestre station.
If you're going to visit Venice for 3 days, then stay in Venice, not the mainland. If you stay on the mainland you miss all the ambiance of Venice, which is best enjoyed in the early mornings and evenings. Plus all that time wasted going in and out on the train every day. Getting to the airport from a Venice hotel isn't difficult at all. You would take a vaporetto to P. Roma, then a taxi or bus to the Airport. Or the Allilaguna boat all the way to the airport.
Look on sites like booking.com. com or hotels.com for accommodations. Finding a hotel room that sleeps 5 may be difficult. An apartment might be easier. Try to get one close to a vaporetto stop.
You do not mention your budget.
Venice is expensive during peak season and u will enjoy ac if u have it.
So set your budget then decide where u stay. The real joy these days of Venice is evening or nighttime. The cruise traffic is large these days with up to 5 cruise ships in at one time so lotsa toursists everywhere.
If youneed a pool for children. consider Novotel Hotel in Mestre. They have a shuttle that takes guests to Venice.
Absolutely do not stay in Mestre, if that is what you mean by "east Venice."
If you simply mean near the train station, that is fine as long as you are off the main pedestrian path heading towards Rialto. This area is known as Cannareggio, and if you are near the northern boundary of the island there is a public pool there if that interests you.
Wherever you stay, getting to the airport would be simplest by water taxi. For five people it is still higher than the vaporetto plus bus, or the Alilaguna, but not outrageously so.
An apartment would be much more cost effective than a hotel room (which will be hard to find for five people). You can search for apartments on booking.com. I tried random dates in August and found many, in prices ranging from $600 to over $1000 for 3 nights. You can filter by neighborhood.
How old are your children? That could make a difference in the suggestions you get.
Check the advices on https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/venice-hotels.htm. They may help sort your ideas.
Definitely stay in Venice and not Mestre. Venice is a most unique destination even though it's very crowded both day and night. We usually use the St. Lucia train station in the Canneregio Sestriere (neighborhood).
We always stay at the really nice Hotel Abbazia in a quiet calle (alley) a short distance from the train station. The property is a former Carmelite Monastery and it is extremely clean, the staff is first rate, and the breakfast is substantial.
The Hotel Abbazia is about a 20 minute walk to Piazza San Marco passing many restaurants and a few gelatorias.
One strategy we employ both day and night is to wander the back streets away from the main areas to discover some of the interesting amenities and few tourists. You can hear and experience the sounds of life Venice without the street peddlers and the other distractions.
Buon viaggio,
Do you have a couple of decent guidebooks for Venice? If not, get them. They will help you figure out which n'hood to stay in. You don't mention the ages of your children, but you might want to stay near a large piazza or the gardens/parks in the Castello n'hood (the "tail of the fish," if you look at Venice on a map.)
