In the nearly 16 years since we launched our first Venice travel-planning site, we've seen visitors make the same mistakes over and over--often at considerable cost in time, money, or vacation enjoyment. This article is designed to prevent such glitches, and we hope you'll find it useful.

Pensione Accademia Villa Maravege

ABOVE: Check your hotel's location carefully before you book, unless you're prepared for a long walk or an expensive water-taxi ride. INSET BELOW: In a city without cars, luggage can be a burden.

Luggage in Venice Important: Our "top 11 list" is not just a slideshow with captions. On each page, we offer practical advice, often with links to related articles at Venice for Visitors and our parent site, Europe for Visitors.

To get started, go to Mistake #1 or click any of the numbers in the navigation table below.

Next page: Mistake #1: Hit-and run visits

Introduction

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Hotel Advice:

Location can be important in a car-free city with 400+ bridges, especially when you're walking with luggage. Before you book, see:

Hotel Recomendations by Area
Find hotels that are handy to the airport, railroad station, cruise port, or Piazza San Marco, and in Mestre.

Aerial Venice Hotels
Read our tips on choosing the right sestiere or district. Then view individual hotels and their surroundings in large satellite photos and aerial close-ups.

MSC cruise ship in Venice

Venice for Cruisers:

Venice canal reflections

From our Venice Travel Blog:

A water taxi ride to Venice Airport
A warning about water taxis
Venice Railroad Station: a vaporetto view
Long lines at Venice Airport
Free boat trips to Murano
Need to pee? Prepare to pay
Crime in Venice
The perils of overpacking
Venetian daily life

Maggie in Venice

From Maggie in Venice:

A dog's life in Venice
A Beagle boards a water bus
Maggie in Venice video clips