Venice any tips?

[idontevenknowanyonecalledblurb]

Hi I'm looking to book a short trip to Venice and wondered if anyone had any tips about where to stay and what to prioritise in the time I will be there?

It seems Venice city is better than the mainland for getting around and I've read that San Marco is the best area?

Can anyone help the hotels are all merging j to one on the app!

We stayed on the mainland for a third of the price and took the bus in and out each day. Our was the NH Laguna Palace. Bit of a conference centre, but the room was huge with the biggest bed we've ever seen.

Check the tide timetable and take wellies.

There was a thread about this recently too
Def take a water taxi across the lagoon it's amazing

Here you go

Amazing place to have dinner in Venice www.mumsnet.com/Talk/holidays/4459750-Amazing-place-to-have-dinner-in-Venice

I stayed on Venice Lido. It was lovely. I had coffee on a balcony looking at Venice city. Then I took the boat over there in the morning and spent most of the day there. I spent my evenings in the Lido which was very very quiet. I went in March. I've heard the lido is popular during summer but off-season it's quite residential. Almost everyone I encountered outside of the hotel was Italian (I was alone so they kept mistaking me for a local).

We stayed in Venice here www.anticodoge.com . We paid for a canal view room, but in the end mostly had the windows closed because of aircon and their non canal view rooms were pretty reasonably priced.

What's your budget and what time of year? How many nights?

There was a good thread a couple of years ago - someone arranging a surprise trip for her mum. 'We're going on a gondola' or something like that. I think she was doing it on a budget and her mum was a nervous traveller. People gave a lot of helpful advice, down to hotel location and itinerary.

Oh thanks everyone I'll look for those threads. We are planning two nights- short but it's the only nights we don't have the kids! I was hoping to keep it all in incl flights to no more than 800.

I was thinking with such a short time we would need to be within walking distance so we can get round lots.

I've been looking on jet2 but they don't seem to filter to area- and I was reading about some areas not being as nice?

Also the dates we have are in July

There is a secret tour of the dove's Palace which is really good, but you need to book well in advance. That's my top tip

I would prefer to stay in Venice itself rather than commute in. It's a magical city and far better if you walk out of the hotel and the city is on your doorstep (although I think that about all city breaks!).

I don't think there are any 'bad' areas as such, it's not like a normal city with some dodgy areas. It's more important to think of how far the hotel is from the nearest transport stop and the time and inconvenience of dragging your suitcase.

I've stayed within walking distance of Piazzale Roma (where the airport buses arrive/depart) which is also close to the train station which has a lot of vaporetto stops, so it's very convenient to get a vaporetto down the Grand Canal to reach sightseeing destinations. But it's also fun to walk a lot too.

I've stayed at the following and would be happy to book them again:

www.abbaziahotel.com/
www.hotelarlecchino.com/

You do know that Venice doesn't have wheeled transport and you have to walk and take vaporetto (ie bus) boats? I worked with someone who thought it was like Amsterdam with both roads and canals so I had to put her right and tell her that she wouldn't be able to take a bus from the airport bus to her hotel. You will be walking and carrying your luggage from the nearest drop off point to your hotel, which will probably involve hauling it up and down the steps of bridges over the canals.

Which is why I would recommend staying within walking distance of Piazzale Roma (assuming you're getting the airport bus). Quick and easy to get to the hotel, then you're free to start sightseeing. And less hassle to leave in time for the airport bus at the end of your stay.

What sorts of things are you interested in? Art? Museums? Churches?

St Mark's Square and the Doges' Palace are the two major sights and get very busy. It's best to get there first thing in the morning (which is easier if you're staying in Venice itself). And you might be in the area in the evening so can experience it then too, after the daytripper crowds have gone.

Definitely a trip (or several trips) down the whole length of the Grand Canal. Also lovely to take the vaporetto all the way over to the Lido and back in the evening. Beautiful views of dusk over the lagoon and the feeling of open space. Ahh, Venice...

Oh that sounds lovely! We are only taking small bags so hopefully not too heavy for carrying- good point about being near the bus drop off though. We are interested in art and beautiful buildings. I'll have a look at hotels around there.

Definitely make sure you've got Google Maps on your phone! Venice is fabulous but the streets are really confusing and if you ever want to find your hotel ever again, use the walking function on Google Maps!

And visit the gorgeous bookshop with cats

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionReview-g187870-d2208448-Reviews-LibreriaaAcquaalta-VeniceeVeneto.html

Google Maps: pin the location of your hotel and places you want to visit. Then you can easily see which places are near each other and plan daily itineraries around that.

@idontevenknowanyonecalledblurb
I’ll PM you op

Great ideas! I will do that! I don't want to waste time getting lost!

The bookshop looks amazing!

@MaryStuart sorry I'm being a complete novice- I'm just on my phone on the app can I see pms?

I would prefer to stay in Venice itself rather than commute in. It's a magical city and far better if you walk out of the hotel and the city is on your doorstep (although I think that about all city breaks!).

I would second this, especially as you only have 2 nights. Admittedly, I am biased as it is my favourite city break destination and I absolutely loved Venice, it has a really magical old world charm.

We stayed here and it was the perfect location to see everything plus budget friendly without feeling like it, great staff
www.liassidipalacehotel.com/en/

It's was over 10 years ago since I went, but we went to the Casino de Venezia one evening. It had a dress code & it felt very James Bond to pull up to a huge mansion on a boat for a night of roulette.

It's amazing how long I can make €20 last 😂