Venice checking-in problem

I agree with Jennifer. Go early. We got there at 1:30pm and surprisingly, we had a great part of a day we didn't expect to start browsing around. My best part was walking out of the Venezia Santa Lucia train station and standing on the top of the stairs and just observing. The whole Veneitian experience is moving about in front of you. People, the Grand Canal about 150 feet away, vaporettos going left and right and more people. None of it you recognize but oddly, exactly what you expected. It took me a minute or two to walk down the 5-6 stairs and begin learning how to use the vaporettos which is amazingly easy. I'll never forget the visual. Store your luggage. Have fun.

So the only problem is you can't check in until 7? I'd go to Venice as planned, check your luggage at the train station for a few euros for the day, and then enjoy Venice until it's time to check-in. We did this and had no problems at all.

Thanks Jennifer, well at least I have a solution to this problem. I looked this up in RS's book as he states that the baggage check at the train station has extremely long lines. Did you run into this and how long did you have to wait?

We were there third week of June - for the three of us it took maybe 2 minutes. There were a lot of people working the bag check - they just grabbed our bags, gave us a number and we were on our way. Don't remember what it costs, but it was less than 5 euro. No problems at all. I can't imagine having to wait longer than 5 minutes.

Thank you so much Jennifer...You put my mind at ease and we will keep the reservation.

No problem, have a wonderful time! Venice is absolutely breathtaking and SO romantic! Enjoy!

Thank you Larry! Just reading your e-mail makes me so excited that I can't wait. You make it sound so lovely and that's exactly what I will do....have fun and enjoy the whole experience.

Linda, We just returned from 2 wks in Italy and spent two wonderful nights in Venice. Just leave your bags at the station and buy yourself a 24 hour vaporetto pass. It was 15 Euro I think...and then you can just hop on and off when you want! And take a ride up and down the grand canal from any stop! YOu will love it! Just take a backpack with you for the day, and you'll find plenty to see and do until you can check in! Take the elevator to the top of the Bell tower in St. Marks square for a fabulous view of Venice! One of my favorite cities, for sure!
Sherry and Tom Trojanowski
Steger, IL

I would ask if the B&B would store your bags for you at the hotel, even for a small fee.

Someone has to be there between 10 and 7 ???

I had a similar problem with Corte Campana last week. We had to wait until 6pm to check in because Riccardo was having a family dinner. There is typically no one around at the B&B during the day. Riccardo comes by for breakfast and to check people in when they arrive. We were lucky to travel pretty light, and we arrived at about 3pm and just sat at a nearby cafe and ate lunch. Sounds like you'll have more time to kill, so leaving your bags at the train station sounds like the best thing to do.

Yes Beth, we are going to check our luggage. I look at it as maybe a good thing. We will probably be arriving around 1-2PM and if we were heading straight to the hotel, by the time we found the place and checked in, it would be close to dinner. But this way, we can get in 3-4 hours of sightseeing...get more out of the day. Thanks for writing!

I've stayed in several small hotels and B&Bs in Italy where the manager(s) did not live on the premises or stay there at night. In the case of the B&Bs I had to be very specific about my arrival time so that the owner/manager could be there so that I could check in. In the case of the small hotel, it was necessary to arrive during ordinary business hours or arrange for a later arrival.

Since this Venice B&B has hours not suited to your needs, I suggest you find another place to stay. The alternative is to find a place to leave your luggage during the day and check in at your B&B at 7 pm.

Larry is spot on. That first impression of Venice is unforgetable. I had exactly the same feeling as he did standing at the top of the stairs from the station. Do take a minute to experience it. As everyone has said store your luggage, get a vaporetto pass and soak in this amazing city. It really is a unique experience.