What are pros/cons of staying in Venice Mestre versus Venice Island?

[Sistersinlaw]

Trying to decide where to stay for our one night in Venice.  Our ship docks at 1pm in Trieste.  Our flight leaves at noon the next day. So, we will disembark right away, take train/bus to Venice and check into our hotel, then explore Venice for the night. Following day, get up and head to the airport for flight back to Canada.  Where should we stay? Mestre or Venice proper?

[CruiserBruce]

Mestre will be cheaper. But the atmosphere staying in Venice is great.

 

What time is your flight?

[mapleleaves]

I don't think anyone would recommend Mestre over Venice,  (unless your budget is so restrictive that it's Mestre or nothing! ).   I've stayed in Mestre, and would do so again, but only because I've been to Venice several times, so I don't need to pay the high rent there.

Nothing compares to walking out your door and experiencing Venice !

The obvious con to Mestre is the commute. It's easily a 20 minute commute from Mestre to Venice. 

 

If your flight home is at noon, you'll need to catch the 9am bus to the airport so definitely no time for more sightseeing.

 

p.s.  if your trip is this summer you're kinda late to being looking for a room in Venice. You might end up in Mestre by default!  If that's the case, just be sure to stay in Venice late enough that you can ride the vaporetto up the Grand Canal in the dark.

Edited March 30, 2023 by mapleleaves
p.s.

[MeHeartCruising]

I’m probably in the minority on this, but I would stay in Mestre OR at a hotel very near Piazzele Roma. Then take a land taxi to the airport in the morning. 

[Sistersinlaw]

@MeHeartCruising thanks for your answer.  Where can you take a land taxi from in Venice?

[mapleleaves]

Piazzale Roma is the last point of land travel in Venice; it's where buses, taxis, cars drop off visitors to Venice.  It's about a 2 block walk to the Grand Canal.  And the Venice S Lucia train station is directly across the canal.

It's not an attractive area but it's convenient due to its accessibilty to the Grand Canal, airport buses, taxis, water buses. 

 

p,s, Hotels on and near the Piazzale Roma

'How Many Bridges?' hotel listings for Piazzale Roma | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com)

Edited March 31, 2023 by mapleleaves

[VMax1700]

Last couple of cruise embarkation/disembarks we have stayed in Mestre, simply because of the easier access and not having to drag suitcases over bridges or cobbles.  

Venice at night is wonderful, but during the day it is so busy as to be uncomfortable.  Even trying to exit the hotel onto the street can be a struggle during the peak season.

In OP'S situation, for one night, I would very much stay in Mestre.  Hotel room should be ready when they arrive from Trieste.  Throw baggage in room, quick freshen up, and get a taxi to Piazza Roma.

[cruisemom42]

I find people are either “stay in the midst of everything” people or not. I’m the former and would stay in Venice proper to take full advantage of my limited time there. If you research, there are hotels with no bridges and little dragging of bags.

[d9704011]

You'll have to be making your way to Venice airport early enough to arrive there no later than 0930.

 

It is unlikely that you will be spending much of the evening hours (ie after 1900) outside in Venice.

 

For your schedule, I'd find a hotel close to Venice Mestre, check my luggage there and take a bus into Venice for the day.  Take airport shuttle from Mestre in the morning (only 20 minutes and easy/simple to do).

[bennybear]

We love Venice and how magical it becomes after the day trippers are gone.   We would stay there, and if you can splurge take a private water taxi to the airport.  We had to do that one time out of necessity as it was an early flight, but the memory of sailing though Venice at sunrise was priceless.  

[princeton123211]

4 hours ago, bennybear said:

We would stay there, and if you can splurge take a private water taxi to the airport.  We had to do that one time out of necessity as it was an early flight, but the memory of sailing though Venice at sunrise was priceless.  

This. The water taxi to/from the airport, while expensive, is magic. 

[Vineyard View]

We will be taking the water taxi from the airport to our hotel direct on arrival as we have several nights in Venice pre-cruise. Our departure post cruise is at 6:00a!  Ouch. So we will have the day we disembark to figure out, then booked a Marriott Courtyard right near the airport for that night. Reading this thread makes me wonder if we should just stay in Venice again and leave super early but I am not certain water taxis operate that early. 

[euro cruiser]

Water taxis operate 24 hours a day.

[Vineyard View]

Thank you. New decisions to figure out 

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

Thank you. New decisions to figure out 

They do operate 24 hours but if you do stay in Venice proper have your hotel concierge arrange one the night before-- don't try and wing it at 3:30am for a 6am flight. 

[Vineyard View]

I will be sure to do that. Thank you.

I am not sure it is going to be worth it as we have 4 nights pre cruise in Venice.  Maybe we disembark, head to airport and take shuttle to hotel to drop luggage, then head to Venice for the day via public water taxi and back. 

We are planning on private taxi on original arrival but public might be just fine for that last day. Just really trying to figure out that time as we couldn’t get a flight home the day we disembark. 

[mapleleaves]

53 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

 

I am not sure it is going to be worth it as we have 4 nights pre cruise in Venice.  Maybe we disembark, head to airport and take shuttle to hotel to drop luggage, then head to Venice for the day via public water taxi and back. 

 

That's what we did last yr.  Disembarked in Trieste, Flixbus to the airport,  hotel shuttle to the airport to drop off luggage, then a local bus into Venice for a last look.  With a 3:30am wake up call, we had a very early night.  The positive for such an early flight was that the airport wasn't chaotic. In past yrs, I've needed the recommended 3 hrs prior to departure. But I was at the gate within 45-50 minutes.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

am not sure it is going to be worth it as we have 4 nights pre cruise in Venice.  Maybe we disembark, head to airport and take shuttle to hotel to drop luggage, then head to Venice for the day via public water taxi and back. 

With 4 nights in Venice before the trip most likely not worth it. Honestly you are going to be using the hotel for about 7-8 hours with the early morning wake up call you have and couple that with the fact that the hotel will be much more expensive than Mestre and you'll have to use an expensive private water taxi staying in Venice proper. 

 

I would absolutely go back in that afternoon/evening to walk around, do anything you missed, and eat/drink but your next morning will be easier (and less expensive) staying in Mestre. Frankly with 6am I would look to stay even closer-- there is a Courtyard Marriott at the airport itself which is super convenient. 

[mapleleaves]

1 hour ago, mapleleaves said:

That's what we did last yr.  Disembarked in Trieste, Flixbus to the airport,  hotel shuttle to the airport to drop off luggage, then a local bus into Venice for a last look.  

ooops, typo. 

We stayed at an AIRPORT hotel, so it should read " shuttle to the airport hotel to drop off luggage" ,   

[Vineyard View]

Thank you this was my original thinking. We have a room booked at Courtyard Airport for the night before 6a departure. I will keep with this plan. 

I had thought taking the hotel shuttle back to airport then public water taxi made most sense, but will look into bus. Thanks for the suggestion. I will step back so as to not disrupt OP questions. 
 

[Croooser]

Deleted - wrong thread

Edited August 7, 2023 by Croooser