Questions in Venice

[Brendaflamingo]

HI My family and I fly into Venice. I booked a hotel in Mestre so I dont have to lug bags far. My hotel says it has free shuttle to Venice. I dont know how a shuttle gets to Venice since there are no cars. Anybody have any good guesses or answers on this?:confused:

 

How many Euros a port do you usually get?

 

Thanks

Brenda

[bobalink]

You may find this website on Venice helpful:

 

Europe for Visitors - Venice

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

 

Have fun doing some research prior to your trip!

[Hlitner]

HI My family and I fly into Venice. I booked a hotel in Mestre so I dont have to lug bags far. My hotel says it has free shuttle to Venice. I dont know how a shuttle gets to Venice since there are no cars. Anybody have any good guesses or answers on this?:confused:

 

How many Euros a port do you usually get?

 

Thanks

Brenda

 

We are not big fans of Mestre (this is where most of the lower priced tour companies put their clients) since we figure when we are in Venice we want to stay in Venice. That being said, you can shuttle from Mestre to the Piazale Roma (in Venice) by car or bus. The P. Roma is indeed in Venice and is the furthest point reachable by land vehicles. From that location you have access to the vaporettos (water buses). Its also possible to take the train between Mestre and Venice.

 

As to your Euro question, it is one of those questions that can only be decided by you. Some folks can keep to a pretty tight budget by doing lots of walking, not shopping, and spending very little on food and drink. Other folks want to "shop till they drop" and do a lot of eating. Keep in mind that ATMs are everywhere in Europe (often several on each block) so if you notify your bank that you will be using your ATM card you can always get more Euros. You also are advised to have a 4 digit ATM Pin and know it in numbers (no letters on most European ATMs).

 

Hank

[Brendaflamingo]

Thanks for the ATM tip. I would have forgotten about that. I want to mostly use credit cards in port when possible. I will bring lots of coins for restrooms. Then it gets fuzzy for me. My husband always planned the money but he passed away so now I'm in charge this time. I'm bringing my son and his wife and I hope they bring some euros but they are young and usually don't have any extra money

Trying to keep expenses down I want to not have to get too much in euros.

Is mestre a bad area. I'm trying to keep cost down by lower cost hotel but I want a decent place. I booked the Green Garden resort. Has anybody stayed there?

 

Thanks

Brenda

[euro cruiser]

Brenda, you will spend a lot of time trying to get back and forth from this hotel. It takes two buses plus the train to get from the hotel to Venice, and three buses to get from the airport to the hotel (according to the information the hotel provided to Venere.com). Cabs back and forth will be quite expensive.

 

I recognize your desire to save money but I urge you to consider the cost of your time as well. It's possible to stay in Mestre but at locations that are more convenient for public transit to and from Venice.

[themnms]

Brenda, you will spend a lot of time trying to get back and forth from this hotel. It takes two buses plus the train to get from the hotel to Venice, and three buses to get from the airport to the hotel (according to the information the hotel provided to Venere.com). Cabs back and forth will be quite expensive.

 

I recognize your desire to save money but I urge you to consider the cost of your time as well. It's possible to stay in Mestre but at locations that are more convenient for public transit to and from Venice.

 

I agree..I have in the past thought I was saving alot of money on a hotel and had transportation costs remove all my savings!!

[sarafinadh]

Brenda,

 

We stayed in a wonderful little apartment this summer. It was very comfortable and in a great location. It was perfect for 3, and very reasonable.

 

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Italy/holiday-apartment-Venice-area/p8840.htm?cid=E_hrownerinquiry_DB_O_20110312_propID_link_LPROP_1#utm_source=O_DB&utm_campaign=E_hrownerinquiry_DB_O_20110312_propID_link_LPROP_1&utm_medium=email&utm_content=propID_link_LPROP&utm_term=

[kuldalai]

Don't stay in Mestre you will spend half your time in Venice getting to/from Mestre.

 

Arrive by road to Venice proper at Piazzale de Roma . Alternatively arrive by train to Venice St.Lucia station.

 

From either of those locations it is a short walk to plenty of Hotels .

 

From Ferovia (St.Lucia station) or Piazzale de Roma take Vaporetto # 1 or # 2 down the Grand Canal to Rialto Bridge, Academia Bridge and San Marco .

(Vaporetto # 1 stops all landings, # 2 semi-express.)

 

Good hotel near Piazzale de Roma is Hotel Locanda Salieri . Book direct with them on line well in advance .

[tom_uk]

Hang on, everyone: I get a strong feeling that Brenda needs to keep to a budget. I believe that hotels and meals in Mestre will be cheaper than in Venice proper, so she's not necessarily wrong in choosing to stay there. Yes, staying in Venice itself is very nice, but does come at a price.

 

Brenda: have you looked at the pages on 'Venice for Visitors'? There's this one about handy hotels in Mestre, and of course there's this one about Mestre station. If you haven't already read them, I recommend them (and everything else on this site!).

[pete_coach]

HI My family and I fly into Venice. I booked a hotel in Mestre so I dont have to lug bags far. My hotel says it has free shuttle to Venice. I dont know how a shuttle gets to Venice since there are no cars. Anybody have any good guesses or answers on this?:confused:

 

How many Euros a port do you usually get?

 

Thanks

Brenda

This is no big deal nor is it a tragedy as so many like to make it out to be. We stayed in Mestre when we went to Venice the first time. It is kind of like staying in New Jersey when visiting New York City except, people will chastise you for staying Mestre but not for staying in Newark. You need to take a taxi or train or subway to get into NYC but that seems to be OK? You can take train from Mestre to St Lucia station in Venice is 5 minutes and 2 Euros but then you need to take a water bus to get to the Piazzale Roma.

If your hotel has a free shuttle to Venice, it will then take you from the hotel over the causeway right to Piazzale Roma. You get off at the Piazzale, walk across the lot to the People Mover and for 1 Euro it takes you to the port where you can get on your ship. The walk from the Piazzale to the people mover is 2 minutes and the ride is 4 minutes. From the People Mover to the ship though could take 10 or more minutes, depending where the ship is docked.

You could also arrange for a taxi from the hotel right to the ship for about 15 Euros.

You didn't say how long you will have in Venice but if you have a day or two, I suggest to take the train to Venice the first time, there is just no way to explain the view when you step out of the Santa Lucia station for the first time and see the Grand Canal and Venice before you.

[mapleleaves]

I totally agree with Tom and Pete. Staying in Venice is ideal but there's nothing wrong with Mestre as long as it provides a free shuttle, OR, is close to the train station. Are you certain that the hotel provides a free shuttle to Venice? If so, ask what time of day it starts and end?

I looked on tripadvisor.com and venere.com and there were no English language reviews, and it said the free shuttle was only to the Mestre train station.

IF there isn't a convenient free shuttle to Venice, check out one of those hotels Tom mentioned , close to Mestre train station. The train from Mestre to Venice is only 1E and only takes a few minutes.

[Hlitner]

I would not go as far as saying that staying in Mestre is a "bad area" or bad deal. But to put things in perspective, staying out at Mestre would be akin to staying in Newark when you want to visit NYC. It is just somewhat inconvenient. Each individual has to weight the merits of inconvenient location vs. cost. Personally, we prefer to look for reasonably priced places in Venice....particularly near (or in) the Piazale Roma. It is easy to get to the P. Roma from the airport on the bus (we prefer the express ATVO bus) and there are several decent hotels and inns within walking distance. We prefer the Ca Doge (this is a small inn (no elevators) located right in the P. Roma) and many others like the nearby Olimpia (a larger hotel). There is also a great European hotel booking engine (web site) called Venere.com which makes it pretty easy to find more reasonably priced hotels in specific locations. When we stay in Venice we will be out and about all day, come back to the hotel at least once (usually in late afternoon), shower, and then go out again in the evening for dinner. When you stay in Mestre this kind of schedule becomes a real pain because of the time getting to and from hotels.

 

Hank

[CCJack]

I would try to figure out how to stay in venice even if on a budget. We found venice to be very crowded during the afternoons and much more pleasant in the morning and evening. Staying on the mainland would likey put you in venice for the day at peak times. We also returned to our venice hotel for a break in the afternoon. Surprisingly we did not spend much money in venice for four days. Had breakfast at hotel, usually had beer and pizza at an outdoor cafe for dinner. Bought a multi day pass for the vaporetto,and that was pretty much it for our expenses.

[Brendaflamingo]

Hi

Thanks for all you valid input. All of you have been most helpful.

Im printing out this page to keep for review. The hotel is called the Green Garden Resort and on its web page it shows free shuttle to Venice and airport. You are right I need to keep down the cost for the family. But Im also not trying to make this too hard on us. This seems to make sense to me. In total Im paying $375.00 (290.00 Euros) for two rooms for two nights. Very good reviews and ratings. I believe that would be the price in Venice for one night and one room. Oh yes breakfast is also included.

I would love to stay in Venice but I need to keep the cost down. The surcharges on European flights from the US alone are crazy.

 

Thanks

Brenda

[Carolyn R]

Have a great time in Venice Brenda. I hope you love it as much as I do.

 

With your plan to stay in Mestre I would rest when you arrive and go into Venice in the late afternoon and plan to have a simple dinner before you go back to the hotel. The next day I would have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and make my way into Venice and just get lost down the little canals. There are lots of places to stop for a snack or a glass of wine along the way. Again, have dinner in Venice before you go back to the hotel. Dinner can consist of anything from pizza or pasta up to a very fancy multi-course dinner.

[T. Advisor King]

If you're spending just over $90 per night, per room, I think you're well under what you would pay in Venice, so as long as you're happy with the hotel and transportation arrangements, it sounds like a good match.

 

As others have alluded to, but not directly addressed, Venice is an island, but it is connected by causeway accessible by both cars and train. So you can get from the mainland to the island. You just can't drive around on the island, because it is really just buildings and canals.

 

As far as how much money to bring, that depends what you're planning to do. When we were in Venice in July, we rented an apartment, so we didn't have to eat out all the time. However, we did choose to eat out a few times and found the prices higher for the equivalent food than we'd seen in, say Rome or Athens. The portion sizes were also smaller, even for the sidewalk cafe-type places, not just the so-called "fine dining", where you expect to pay a lot for barely a couple morsels.

 

If you're going to be in Venice, you'll probably need to pay for a vaparetto pass (since it is the only way to get around the island without walking). After that, the only costs are souvenirs (and admission, if you're going to any paid museums), so that is sort of up to you how much you typically spend. I would typically spend 10Euros on a t-shirt or something like that.

[Brendaflamingo]

Sounds good, how/where do I get one and what is the approximate price?

All of you are a wealth on knowledge.

There are different attitudes going to Europe than the Caribbean cruises just in general. Less people posting and the issues blogged. The answers interpreted different. This is very interesting, I like this.;)

 

Thanks

Brenda

Josh and Lyndsay

[letsgo39]

Brenda pick up Rick Steves book on Venice or his new tour book on "Mediterranean Cruise Ports". You will really find them valuable for planning your trip. We cruised the Med last June with our son and grandson and had a wonderful time.That was our 3rd trip to Venice but we had stayed several days on our other visits there. There is also a web site called Venice for Visitors that is full of great information.The Vaporetto pass can be bought at ticket booths at main vaporetto stops. A 24 hr pass is 18 euro.Worth every penny as you can travel all over on the vaporetto including out to Murano and Burano.You can get 3 and 5 day passes too but I don't recall the price.

[lori450]

As a bystander, I just want to say thank you for all the great information on here. Now a days you can't find a good travel agent, but CC is the BEST travel agent anyone could ask for. You guys are amazing!

[mapleleaves]

Sounds good, how/where do I get one and what is the approximate price?

 

In reply #2, you rec'd a link to europeforvisitors. Open that link and read thru the wealth of information inside. It's a wonderful resource; has a little info on all things Venice (including vaporetto passes).

This blurb about vaporetto passes is from the Venice forum of Tripadvisor

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187870-c135096/Venice:Italy:Transport.And.Other.Passes.html

Since you're only staying in Venice for 2 nights, borrow a Venice travel book from your library to help with planning. Then buy a Med cruise book for all ports to study now and take with.

[CCJack]

A couple more things I remember from our recent trip to Venice to save some money...

 

1) Do not climb the bell tower in San Marco Square.. instead take the vaporetto to San Gorgio Island. Then climb the bell tower there. It is very cheap, I think only 2E per person or maybe 1.5E. It is a little difficult to find, you need to walk through the front doors of the big church and through the church to get to the monastery bell tower. The views of Venice from that bell tower are outstanding. Many of the photos you see of Venice and San Marco Square in tour books, etc. are shot from that tower... A much better view of Venice than from the slightly taller bell tower in San Marco square.

 

2) Gondola rides are expensive, about 80E. However, there are also Gondolas that are used as ferries, they just take you across the grand canal, so it is a short ride, but they are only 0.50E ! They were fun as well. It is a little hard to distinquish the private gondola rides from these ferries, because I found the ferries are not clearly marked,, but you will find them.. They are also identified on most maps with the dotted line that crosses the grand canal. There are only 2 or 3 places where they cross.

[CCJack]

Correction to my post..you dont climb the san gorgio tower....there is an elevator.

[cruztheseas]

Hi!

 

A few years ago we visited Venice (land trip) and stayed in Mestre. We booked a hotel right by the train station that was very convenient to get into Venice and back. We also ended up taking a bus on the way back once that stopped right by the station. I don't know about the shuttle service your hotel offers or if you are beholden to their hours of operation, but picking a hotel near the station was a great decision for us. We found the area safe and the hotels pleasant, reasonably prices as opposed to staying Venice and easy access to Venice.

 

 

 

quote=Brendaflamingo;31811195]HI My family and I fly into Venice. I booked a hotel in Mestre so I dont have to lug bags far. My hotel says it has free shuttle to Venice. I dont know how a shuttle gets to Venice since there are no cars. Anybody have any good guesses or answers on this?:confused:

[eaglewar]

The shuttle would take you to Piazale Roma. That is where all the buses and taxis unload passengers. you can then walk or take a Vaporetto to St Marks etc.

I have stayed in Mestre several times and always took the last or near last train back and did not miss the high prices of Venice hotels and was able to enjoy the evening ambiance of Venice. Remember when walking in Venice that the sign for train station is ferrovia !

[buchhalm]

Brenda, just a few random tips...

:-)

Getting around Venice.

A single ticket on the Vaporetto (that is the "water bus", public transport) costs around 7 €!

That is not cheap, considering you can get a 24-hour ticket for €20, and it gets less expensive on a day-by-day basis for 2,3,5,7 days.

With the ticket you can get all the way to the islands of Murano (glass), Burano (lace) and the Lido, where the beaches are. Burano is very cute, with lots of quaint, colorfully painted houses and fewer crouds than Venice. Restaurants are a lot cheaper as well.

Eating and drinking.

Be aware that in Venice and all of Italy, you will be charged a lot extra if you drink your coffee (or consume anything at all) SITTING DOWN at a bar or coffee shop!

That's why the locals have their espressos and sandwiches standing up by the bar or one of these high tables. (This does not apply to places like McDonalds and such).

The closer you eat or drink in the vicinity of St Marks Square or the Rialto bridge, the more expensive it will be.

The cafes at St. Marks in particular are expensive. Do not expect too much change for €50 for 4 or 5 drinks. But if you like the atmosphere, and as a once-in-a-lifetime thing, why not. And they won't kick you out, if you sit an hour over a cappuccino.

Tipping

No more than 10 or 12%!!!!!

Many places do already include a service charge. Then just round up a bit. Say the bill comes to 28.50, then leave 30.

In a coffee shop, where the coffee costs 1 € a tip would be weird. If the drink is 1.80, leave the change to €2.-, you get the idea.

Money from the ATM:

Check with your bank firstly who their partner banks in Italy etc are.

Check how much - if anything - they will charge you for withdrawing money in a foreign country from your account.

If they do charge 5 Bucks per transaction, you better withdraw a larger sum once a day, than smaller sums a few times a day.

In some cases, if you use the services of your local banks overseas partners, the charge may be very little or there may be no charge at all

Be mind full of independent ATM machines that are not linked to banks, such as machines you tend to see in hotel lobbies or at money changers such as Forex. They will most likely charge you a hefty transaction fee, on top of your bank's fee! The good thing is, that as far as I know per EU regulation, these machines must tell you that they do levy a fee, before you press the OK button.