Where to Stay in Venice and Mestre

For visitors on a tight budget, it might seem that the question of where to stay in Venice is best answered with the word "Don't."

It's true that Venice's hotels have a reputation for being more expensive than their counterparts in other Italian cities, or in the popular mainland suburb of Mestre.

There are good reasons for Venice's relatively steep hotel rates:

Every towel, bar of soap, roll of toilet paper, bag of coffee, and loaf of bread must be delivered to your Venetian hotel by handcart or boat. Sewage may be stored in an underground cesspit and removed by barge. In short, running a hotel in Venice is an expensive proposition, so it shouldn't be surprising that Venetian hotel rates aren't cheap.

Still, there is some good news: Quoted rates include VAT. Breakfast is often included, too. When it isn't, you can save on breakfast by having your coffee and croissant at the counter of a neighborhood bar or café.

Please note:

• Most--but not all--of the links on our accommodations pages point to hotel Web sites managed by Venere, Italy's leading discount reservations service. A few links (and our hotel-search box) will take you to Booking.com, which also offers rates that normally are lower than official hotel "rack rates."

• The city of Venice now charges a tourist tax that averages several euros per night per person for the first five days of a visit to a hotel, B&B, hostel, or vacation apartment. The rate depends on location, the class and type of accommodation, and other factors. Unlike VAT, the tax is added to your hotel bill instead of being included in the rate. (It's an annoyance, especially in a city that already charges outrageous fees for tourists who use water buses or public toilets, but it shouldn't be enough to affect your hotel plans.)

Next page: Hotel areas, when to book

Hotel inset photos copyright © Venere.

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Hotel tip: Location can be important when choosing a hotel in Venice or on the mainland. Before booking, read our No. 1 Warning and Venice Hotel Recommendations by Area.

From our Venice Travel Blog:

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

From Maggie in Venice:

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

Venice cruise review:

• MSC Eastern Mediterranean Cruise

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