Where to Stay in Venice?
Deciding where to stay in Venice is not exactly easy, especially when you are visiting for the first time and do not know the city. In choosing a hotel, you should consider not only the budget (which, of course, is the most important, given that the destination is not necessarily cheap), but also other criteria - such as the area, the means of transport available to reach your accommodation, local taxes, check-in hours, or parking possibilities (if you are traveling by car).
Recommendations for Staying in Venice
To begin with, here are some general recommendations regarding accommodation in Venice:
1. Always check if the city tax (tassa di soggiorno or imposta di soggiorno) is included in the total price of the accommodation. This is a local tax (you will encounter it whenever you stay in tourist spots in Italy), whose values are set by the authorities. Usually, it is paid directly at check-in (apartment and B&B owners particularly prefer cash payment). In Venice, the value of the tax depends on the category of the hotel or apartment, its location (in the center, on other islands in the Venetian lagoon, or on the mainland), and the season (lower between January 1st and 31st, higher during the rest of the year).
Local tax rates reach up to €5/ person/ day (for 5-star hotels in central Venice) and apply for a maximum of 5 nights of stay. Children between 10 and 16 years old pay 50%, and children under 10 do not pay taxes.
Attention! The local tax is different from the Venice entry fee, which is in force only during certain periods and only for those tourists who are not staying in areas belonging to the Comune di Venezia. If you are there during those periods, remember that you will still need to have your QR code (even if you are staying in Venice), which you can obtain for free by filling out a form where you will list, among other things, the name and address of your accommodation.
2. Pay attention to the check-in hours and respect them. Many accommodation units in Venice, especially apartments and guesthouses, impose additional fees if you do not arrive within the specified time interval.
3. Before booking your stay, check which means of transport you can use to get there (cars are prohibited in Venice). If the hotel is near the train station, it will be easy to reach on foot. If it is further away, it would be best to take a vaporetto - Venice might not seem large, but it has plenty of bridges and stairs, which are not easy to cross with luggage, especially if it is crowded.
Buy vaporetto tickets and passes
4. If you are going by car, consider the parking costs (not negligible at all). The parking area in Venice is limited to Tronchetto-Piazzale Roma (or on the mainland, in Mestre). Many parking lots can be booked online.
5. Before booking anything, read the description of the accommodation carefully, as well as reviews from other tourists. Especially for guesthouses, check if the bathroom is in the room or in the hallway, if there is air conditioning, if there is a reception, and if you will have to climb many stairs (to the extent, of course, that these things might be a problem for you).
Finally, we also recommend reading the article Travel Tips for Venice.
Where to Stay in Venice?
Cannaregio
A very convenient (and usually cheaper) option is to stay near the Santa Lucia Train Station, in the Cannaregio district, not far from Piazzale Roma, where many shuttle buses from Treviso Airport or Marco Polo Airport stop. It will be easy to reach with luggage, and you will waste less time upon departure.
Except for a few busier streets, the area is quite quiet and frequented by locals. It has several good bars and restaurants (see also the article What to Eat in Venice?) and landmarks such as the Madonna dell'Orto Church, Tintoretto's house, or the Jewish Ghetto. Vaporettos to the islands of San Michele, Murano, Burano, and Torcello also depart from Cannaregio.
From the station area to Piazza San Marco, it takes about 30 minutes on foot (or you can go by vaporetto, in which case it is more convenient to buy a transport pass).
We stayed twice at Alberghiera Venezia, a hotel complex with several double rooms and apartments, located in a quiet small square about 10 minutes from the station. We recommend it (if you are not very demanding), with a few observations. First, a fee is charged for check-in outside the mentioned interval. Secondly, the apartments are not identical - the first time we were given a spacious apartment overlooking a canal, the second time a smaller, darker attic apartment. There is a reception (during certain hours), and cleanliness is the responsibility of the guest.
Good hotels in the same area, both 4-star, are Hotel Principe, located right on the Grand Canal, and U-Visionary Hotel, a modern, recently opened hotel.
In the 3-star category, we recommend Hotel Ca' d'Oro, located further from the station towards Rialto Square, a few minutes from Ca' d'Oro (one of the tourist attractions in Venice) and the vaporetto station of the same name. We stayed in a room with a canal view and had one of the best accommodation experiences in Venice. The breakfast is rich, with both sweet products (as is usual in Italy) and savory ones. Two things are worth mentioning, should they be important to you: the toilet is separate from the sinks and shower cabin, and a fee of a few euros is charged for changing towels.
A few minutes from the Rialto Bridge is also Hotel Al Vagon, a decent one-star hotel.
If you are going for a city break in Venice between November and January, it is worth checking the prices at the 4-star Hotel Foscari Palace, which sometimes has good offers and is located on the Grand Canal.
Santa Croce
Just as convenient for arrival and departure is the area in the Santa Croce district located opposite the station, on the other side of the Grand Canal. The vaporetto stations are right nearby, and it takes about 30 minutes on foot to Piazza San Marco.
The hotel we stayed at in this area, during a Venice Carnival, was Carlton on the Grand Canal. It is a classic four-star hotel with good service. Sometimes you can find offers with lower prices than other hotels of its category in Venice. Note: if you prefer a modern style, this hotel is not for you. The rooms and common spaces are decorated in 18th-century style. Also, there are several types of rooms - the cheapest ones are quite small.
Right next to Carlton on the Grand Canal is another well-rated hotel called Antiche Figure. Although it has three stars, it usually has higher prices than the former, but also generally better reviews.
For a cheaper stay nearby, try B&B Da Nina Venice (some rooms have a shared bathroom).
The artificial island of Tronchetto also belongs to the Santa Croce district, where the largest hotel in Venice was recently inaugurated: B&B Laguna. If you don't mind not staying in the historic center and the fact that the area isn't very pretty (the island mostly consists of parking lots), you can choose this hotel as a good and cheaper accommodation option. Hampton by Hilton Venice Isola Nova, another three-star hotel, is also located there. From Tronchetto, you can easily reach Piazzale Roma with the People Mover in about 5 minutes.
San Marco
If you are among those who prefer to be close to the most important tourist attractions in Venice, then the San Marco district is the right choice for you. You will be a 5-10 minute walk away from St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark's Campanile, the Doge's Palace, Correr Museum, the Clock Tower, or the historic Caffè Florian. However, this proximity comes with some disadvantages: the area is much more crowded, and prices are obviously higher.
Beautiful hotels located right next to Piazza San Marco are All'Angelo Art Hotel and Hotel Concordia (4 stars). Equally close and well-rated are hotels Montecarlo and Gorizia a La Valigia (3 stars). A few minutes further, near the La Fenice Theater, are two other fairly appreciated 3-star hotels: Hotel Ateneo and Hotel Dell'Opera. Hotel Al Gambero also falls into roughly the same category, having several types of rooms (from small economy rooms to more expensive rooms with a canal view).
A good option for those traveling in a group of 3-4 people are the Venice Dream House apartments.
San Polo
Just as central and crowded, especially in the area towards the Grand Canal, is the San Polo district, which houses the famous historic Rialto market, but also Scuola Grande di San Rocco, renowned for Tintoretto's paintings, or the Basilica dei Frari, with works by Titian.
We suggest a few apartments and guesthouses in this area: Residenza San Silvestro, Al Campaniel Bed and Breakfast, Bianca Cappello House.
Dorsoduro
Dorsoduro is a quieter district located in the south, towards Giudecca Island. From here, we recommend Belle Arti, a three-star hotel with a good quality/price ratio and a beautiful interior terrace where you can have breakfast. The hotel is located right next to the Accademia Bridge and the Accademia Galleries, very close to a vaporetto station. A few minutes' walk away are the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.
Castello
Castello is the district that stretches from beyond the Doge's Palace to the eastern end of Venice, towards the Arsenale. For central accommodation, we suggest Hotel Corte dei Greci, located 7 minutes from Piazza San Marco, and Hotel Paganelli, situated on Riva degli Schiavoni, where we recommend taking a walk at sunset (see also the article What to Do in Venice).
In the further end of the district, towards Giardini della Biennale, you can generally find cheaper accommodations (many are apartments). If you want to book there, you should keep in mind the vaporetto trip into your budget. It is not impossible to walk to the accommodation, but the walk will be quite long and tiring, especially if you have luggage with you.
Mestre
An alternative for those who want to visit Venice but have a smaller budget is staying in Mestre, on the mainland, where hotels and apartments are generally cheaper and where parking prices are lower if you come by car.
The transfer to Mestre is easy, with a shuttle bus from Treviso Airport, or from Marco Polo Airport, and to get from Mestre to Venice, it is convenient to take the train, which takes no more than 10 minutes.
When choosing accommodation, be careful that it is not too far from the train station (or a bus stop); otherwise, you will waste a lot of time just commuting to Venice. An idea could be Hotel Centrale, an older three-star hotel but located in the center with a bus stop nearby.
We advise you, however, to stay in Mestre only if the price difference compared to accommodation in Venice is considerable (after taking into account also the daily travel costs). It will not be convenient to return every day by train or bus, and you will lose time that you could spend enjoying Venice.
Camping in Venice
Finally, the cheapest accommodation option in Venice is camping. The campsites are situated in the surroundings, in Mestre and Marghera.
Camping Venezia Village in Mestre (San Giuliano Park area) offers both tent and caravan spots, as well as the possibility to book double rooms or bungalows. The campsite features an indoor pool with heated water, as well as a sauna and jacuzzi (for a fee), and is the closest campsite to Venice.
In Marghera is hu Venezia Camping in Town. Here, too, in addition to tent or caravan spots, you can rent bungalows.
In Punta Sabbioni, near the beach, is Marina di Venezia Camping Village, a 5-star holiday village spread over a huge area which, in addition to camping spots, has luxurious accommodation units, swimming pools, and an aqua park.
