Venice with young teens

Venezia is actually very small and easy to get around, unless you have mobility problems, so where you stay is not as crucial as in some places. I really fretted about this our first trip there, but after 6 visits realize there are many wonderful neighborhoods and with walking and vaporetti it is easy to get around. Soooooo, San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Cannareggio, Castello all can work well. Depending on where in Dorsoduro, the area around the Accademia, you can walk across the bridge and be in San Marco in 15 minutes, or take a vaporetto.

We started eating our way through this list Top 10 Restaurants in Venice published by the Guardian., Maybe you will find some inspiration!

Anywhere in Venice you are within 30 min from everything, it takes about 35 min to walk from S. Marco to the station. If you use Vaporetti even less. So location of the hotel is irrelevant. Just find any that fits you budget and that is to your liking. Use tripadvisor to see reviews.
For restaurants ask for "bacari" or "Osterie", which are cheaper traditional trattorie. Check this local Venetian website for suggestions:
http://venicewiki.org/wiki/Mappa_delle_Osterie_e_bacari

We really liked Hotel Gardena, across the canal from the train station and a few meters up a small side canal. It was so easy to get around from the nearby vaporetto stop, we had a room overlooking the small canal, and were only around the corner from the Grand Canal. Best of all, 100 meters further along the small canal is Bacareto Da Lele, open all day from 0700 to 2200. Slider sandwiches are 1 Euro and less than 1 Euro wine or soft drinks and it's frequented mostly by locals. Breakfast sandwiches are worth getting up for and eating alongside the canal or on the steps of an adjacent church courtyard. Send me a PM and I can help you find a bargain Murano glass shop nearby. Be sure and take in the top floor outdoor bar of the Molino Stuckey Hilton, across the canal in Guidecca for the best view of the city and super photos. The Hotel runs a free shuttle back and forth across the canal. Venice is very small and you can easily get to the sights from Hotel Gardena. We made sure we went early enough to get to San Marco before the hordes off the cruise ships make it nearly impossible to get around.

San Marco is my least favourite part of Venice - it is so full of people I do what I can to avoid it. But, and a big but, I've been to Venice many times, at least once or twice a year, and I do think that people on their first visit should see the horses, the mosaics (go when St Marks is lit up at 11 am - get in early), the museum upstairs, the original digital clock, and the madness that is the square itself.

For a sky view I prefer San Giorgio's tower across the basin instead of the campanile in St Marks square because from San Giorgio. From San Giorgio you can not only see St Marks and most of Venice, you also see all boats doing the ballet in the water... and its cheaper.

Crossing the Grand Canal between Dorsoduro to S Marco is easy. There is the Accademia bridge, easy to stroll across[ there's a Traghetto (gondola shaped small ferry boat powered by oars - locals stand, not sit) which runs across during the day, or one stop on a vaporetto from Zattare on the bottom of Dorsoduro, or two or three stops from Accademia on the top of Dorsoduro.

As said by the above posters, anywhere in Venice can work, but I do like Dorsoduro for first timers. As you wander around you and the teens will decide on your favourite areas so you and they will know where they want to return to on the next trip.

Amen to Nigel's recommendation re San Giorgio! It's like looking at a 3D map. If there's a line it will be like 6 people.

We stayed in Dorsoduro and it was awesome. We didn't even venture over to San Marco until the 2nd day, and then I was like... ooooh, I see now why people say Venice is crowded! Dorsoduro was excellent.

We stayed here - http://www.caleonessa.com/
I can't see their calendar at this moment (I originally found on vrbo) - I would guess it will be booked already for July, but if you can get it, it was amazing. Tons of things right near it, easy to get everywhere.

For $400/night I would definitely rent an apartment! Check vrbo, and look for ones that have lots of good reviews.

I also liked when we went for a nice walk in Canareggio. That would be a good place to stay too in my opinion!

Good luck!
Kim

Thanks for all the responses. Speaking of Cannaregio, there was an article I read recently where Cannaregio was mentioned as being an area to get a good feel for Venice without the crowds. Are there any opinions out there about staying in that area?

Thanks!

We've had good luck with http://www.sleepinitaly.com/apartments-in-venice.

Lots more space, usually less expensive, 2 baths! With teens this could be crucial.

This is not accomodation but consider rowvenice.org over a gondola ride.

When my family stayed at Casa Rezzonico near Campo San Barnaba, we only dined around that square and were happy each time. I agree that dining options near San Marco are less reliable. Walking from the Accademia to San Marco via the bridge is pretty easy (GoogleMaps says it's one kilometer) or it's just a couple of stops on the vaporetto.