hotel in venice pre cruise

[stingraylagoon]

is it better to book a pre cruise hotel in venice near the port or to stay farther away and travel into the city centre?

[KruzinAl]

We were there last summer and will stay this year 2 nights pre-cruise in Sept. before our Galaxy 09/26 It is an incredible city. We stayed in Maestre, for a night on a Europe coach tour. Took a private taxi along the Grand Canal at sunset, an incredible site, then to St. Mark's Square, listened to music, drank Bellinis. Back to the bus on the canal at night, also interesting.

Next day we walked around Venice, into the Duomo's Palace, a fantastic place, shopped. Big line-up for St. Mark's church. I recommend staying somewhere along the Grand Canal or in Venice, we're staying this time across from the train station. Prices are much higher in Venice than Maestre or elsewhere, I think it is worth it. However, it is not too far to take a train into the entrance to Venice or bus it from outside, but inconvenient. Staying outside, we went to a local grocery and stocked up. I couldn't see one in Venice.

Al

[wwinfl91]

If you stay outside the city itself you will miss a lot of the experience that this mystical city can can cast over you. Walking around the city after the day tourists leave was one of the best parts of our 3 day stay after our cruise in 2003. We stayed in a small family run "hotel" that had only 3 o 4 rooms on the second story of their house. The family lived on the main floor below us. The hotel is the Alloggi Barbaria. Here is the web site for the hotel.

 

http://www.alloggibarbaria.it/gbindex.htm

 

Depending on when you are going make sure any hotel you stay at has good A/C, it gets hot and humid during the summer in Venice, and that you can control the A/C in your room both of which this hotel has.

 

What we did was use the cruise ship transportation, truck for our luggage and a bus for us, back to the airport. Then we stored our large pieces of luggage at the Held Luggage office at the airport and used the special airport waterbus service, 10 euros a person, to get back to Venice with our carryon luggage with enough for 3 nights. We then used the same waterbus to return to the airport, pick up our luggage and catch our flight home. If you were doing something similar pre-cruise, you could store your big luggage at the airport when you arrive and then use the Alilaguna waterbus to get to Venice with carryons and then go back the day of your cruise pick up your luggage and use the cruise ship transportation, probably a bus to get to your ship.

 

Check out this site for a lot of good informtion on Venice.

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/

 

An excellent guidebook is the AAA Spiral Guide to Venice. It has good day tours planned out as well as excellent street level maps that will help you avoid getting "TOO" lost but expect to get lost as it is part of the charm and magic of staying in Venice.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[cberge]

Stay in Venice..not near it,not in Maestre or P.Roma,but in Venice itself.As the above poster stated it is part of the charm( as well as some other good info) and totally worth it even if you pay a bit more..:o You can check out hotels on the link below.Enjoy your stay in Venice.

Hotel reservations - Venere.com

[stipmom]

We stayed at the Locando Orseolo near San Marco. Ideal location and a wonderful small b&b. Read the reviews on trip advisor.

I was a little concened about how to get to the hotel with our luggage but we took the alliguna bus to San Marco and then walked to the hotel. They even met us halfway and helped us with the luggage. We had three large pieces and two carry ons.The day we were boarding the ship they helped us hook up with other cruisers staying in the hotel and we shared a water taxi to the port.

[stingraylagoon]

Thanks so much for all of your advice.