We are taking a cruise from Trieste Italy on May 1. But first will fly into Venice arriving April 28th and spend 3 nights before taking train to Trieste. Our flight arrives at 11:30pm after a 21 hour flight (including layovers) from Vancouver BC. I for one am pretty sure I will be exhausted, so want to find a hotel that is not too complicated to get to in the middle of the night. We would like to find accommodation that will allow relatively easy access to all the tourist sights, but don't feel compelled to be in the middle of them. Also, will have to get to train station on May 1st to travel to Trieste to board cruise same day. Does anyone have recommendations for hotel(s) in Venice? Thanks!! Lisa
Posted by
Green Bay
20236 posts
Hotel Continental has 24 hour desk, its own water taxi dock on the Grand Canal, about 200 meters walk from the train station.
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
1046 posts
Look at Hotel Ala. I've never had a bad experience there in 9 years. The location (right at a vaporetto stop) between the Accademia and San Marco; the rooms (very recently remodeled); the breakfast (will fill you for the entire day); the price (will not break the bank - very reasonable by Venice standards I think).
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1214 posts
You arrive very late.
I am not sure the ATVO bus runs that late. You could take an expensive water taxi in the middle of the night to any hotel. Depending on weather, it may or may not be your kind of fun.
My suggestion would be to take a cab from the airport to Piazza Roma and stay in a hotel in that area. Lots of good and affordable hotels and restaurants in this area. We stayed at Hotel Olimpia which is very nice. This is also a short walk to the train station when you leave for Trieste. 20 minutes walk to Rialto, 40 minutes to San Marco. Or you can take a vaporetto. You really get your money's worth because it goes the whole length of the Grand Canal from Piazza Roma to San Marco.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
These are my concerns. I don't want to have to struggle with suitcases and public transportation or vaporetto after the long trip. I will be tired and grouchy (just sayin') and don't want to start Venice on that foot! It looks like the airport is in Mestre? If we chose to stay there, can we get to Venice (i.e. San Marco, etc) with relative ease and expense? I will look into the suggestions so far. Thanks!
Posted by
Green Bay
20236 posts
Well, there are always trade-offs. 3 nights in Venice and you propose to stay at an airport hotel (there is a Marriott Garden close by) just because you may feel grumpy. The airport is not in Mestre, but Tessere, which is northeast of Mestre on the north side of the lagoon.
A 100 euro water taxi ride into Venice will take you right to your hotel in Venice. The pain here is just the 600 meter walk from the airport exit door to the ferry dock.
Put it this way, in the middle of the lagoon is the wonderful old city of Venice. Mestre and Tessere, you might as well be in New Jersey (or Surrey?). Oil refineries, ship yards, warehouses, motels, expressways, apartments and tract housing. Yes you can get into Venice fairly cheaply (5 euro on the bus) from there, but that is missing the magic of Venice.
Just an opinion.
Posted by
Bendigo, Australia
1230 posts
Venice is on a bunch of islands in the lagoon. Mestre is an industrial city on the mainland. Stay in Venice. Take a land taxi to Piazle Roma, and find a hotel in that area.
That being said, the area around P. Roma is not our favourite part of Venice, but at least is convenient for a late night arriva.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Thank you for the insight into Mestre, I have been to Venice and loved it! don't want to miss the magic, so I guess we look closer in to town. Stayed on Lido last time and really enjoyed that, but again not the Venice experience. I am a little flabbergasted at the cost of hotels in Venice, really was looking to spend $200-$250 per night, not finding a lot in that price range. Will now look around Piazza Roma (?) I think my biggest fear is getting there and getting lost in the middle of the night, landing up somewhere and dragging a rolling piece of luggage around cobblestone streets in the dark. Maybe a little melodramatic?
Posted by
101 posts
An 11:30pm arrival after a 21 hour flight is daunting. As an alternative to tackling Venice transport that late at night I would recommend Ca Beatrice Agrotourismo http://www.agriturismocabeatrice.it/eng/, 10 minutes from VCE. We've stayed there several times for early flights out of VCE, but it would also work well for a late arrival. It is located in the middle of farm fields with quiet, beautiful rooms, a very helpful staff, and a shuttle from the airport. After a restful night and a great breakfast, you could take an early cab to Piazalle Roma for around 40 euros. Then stay the next couple of nights in a central Venice hotel. Our last few visits we've rented an apartment, but before that we used Corte 1321 http://www.corte1321.com/, a well located, reasonable priced B&B. It is very near the S. Silvestro vaporetto stop, so it's an easy trip back to Santa Lucia train station.