Where to Sleep in Venice

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Hotel costs

For visitors on a tight budget, it might seem that the question of where to sleep 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. There are good reasons for this: 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 taxes, unlike rates in some countries such as the United States. The rate frequently covers breakfast, too. When it doesn't, you can save on breakfast by having your coffee and croissant at the counter of a neighborhood bar or café.

Where to stay

Distances in Venice are short, so location isn't as crucial as it might be in a city like Rome or Milan--unless, of course, you're burdened with heavy luggage and don't want to spend your last euro on a porter or water taxi. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

The area around the Piazza San Marco has an express vaporetto stop, and you'll disembark here if you come by boat from the airport. But it's also the most popular tourist area in Venice, with higher prices and bigger crowds than other sestieri or neighborhoods.

Hotels near the Piazzale Roma and the railway station are convenient for train travelers, although the pedestrian routes between this area and San Marco can be jammed with day-trippers in the summer and on holiday weekends.

Dorsoduro and San Polo, on the less touristed side of the Grand Canal, are good bets during high season. Cannaregio also has a neighborhood feel once you get away from the busiest streets. Closer to San Marco, the Castello district has some quiet areas not far from the main tourist attractions.

The Lido, an island that separates the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea, is popular in summer--especially with well-heeled beach buffs and golfers who can afford the tabs at classic resort hotels like the Hotel des Bains and the Excelsior Palace. Luxury hotels have free shuttles to the Piazza San Marco; guests at smaller hotels may have to rely on the public water buses.

If you're leaving Marco Polo Airport before 10 a.m. or so, see airport hotels and ground transportation for travelers with early flights. (Ryanair and Transavia passengers with early departures should consider a hotel in Treviso, near Treviso Airport.)

When arriving or departing on a cruise ship, your best bet is a hotel near the Venice Cruise Terminal unless your cruise line is handling luggage transfers. (You can reach the piers by land taxi from the Piazzale Roma, which is cheaper and easier from hiring a water taxi from another part of town.)

Finally, you may be able to save a few euros by staying on the mainland. Mestre and Marghera, Venice's modern suburbs, are convenient if you have a car and can't afford to pay for parking. Still, we recommend sleeping in the historic center if you can afford to do so--or even if you can't. During high season and on weekends, the tourist population shrinks dramatically after the daytrippers have gone home. This makes late evening and early morning the best times to enjoy Venice without the crowds.

For hotel listings, see our Venice accommodations index or use Venere's interactive hotel guide.

When to book

The typical Venetian hotel is a former casa or palazzo with a limited number of rooms. This fact, combined with the great popularity of Venice, means that room shortages can occur at any time from spring through fall.

Our best advice is "Book ahead." If you do show up in Venice without a confirmed room, try the hotel reservations office in the train station, the parking garage at the Piazzale Roma, or the Venice autostrada terminus on the mainland. But be prepared to stand in a long line, and the available hotels may be inconvenient to reach (especially with luggage).

Alternatives to hotels

Religious hostels. See our Hostels / Convents / Camping page for information on religious hostels that offer low-cost rooms and dormitory beds to visitors during summer. Also request the printed list of foresterie at the APT headquarters just off the Piazza San Marco, or try the smaller APT office in the railroad station.

Youth hostel. The Ostello della Gioventù Venezia is located on Giudecca, several minutes by water bus from Venice's main attractions. The view is great and the prices are reasonable, but the hostel is jammed in summer--and the short vaporetto ride isn't cheap. (Read our Venice Youth Hostel article, which includes boat directions.)

Camping. See Hostels/Convents/Camping for links, or visit the APT office for a printed list of campgrounds. Unfortunately, most camping around Venice is in the suburbs. The best location is on the Lido at San Nicolò, but you'll need an international camping card or a Rolling Venice card to stay there.

An apartment. If you're staying in Venice for more than several days, you can rent anything from a sleeping room to a palazzo. The price for an attractively-furnished apartment is comparable to what you'd pay for a double room in a three-star hotel. See our "Venice Apartments" article for help in deciding whether a rental is right for you, and go to our Venice Apartments/Self-Catering page for listings of specific properties.

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