Our No. 1 Warning!

ABOVE: Venice is only about twice the size of New York's Central Park or London's Hampstead Heath, but it feels much larger if you need to get from one end of town to the other with a heavy suitcase.

In the photo above, the cruise terminals, railroad station, and Piazzale Roma bus and car terminus are on the left side, about halfway across the city from the Piazza San Marco (which is below the word "Venice").

We hope you'll forgive the scary headline, and we don't want you to start your trip planning on a negative note, but we aren't kidding. We really do have a "No. 1 Warning" for travelers to Venice, and here it is:

Know where you want to stay!

As we explain in "Top 11 Tourist Mistakes (and how to avoid them)," we often receive e-mails from readers who have booked hotels through travel agents, airlines, cruise lines, or other sources without knowing where the hotels are or whether the hotel locations match their needs. We get questions like:

"What's an easy way to get from a hotel near the Rialto Bridge to the cruise port by public transportation?"

• Answer: There isn't an easy way. You'll need to walk a long distance or fight the crowds on a public water bus, which isn't easy if you have more than a small suitcase. Or you can spend €40 (maybe more) on a water taxi, if your hotel is near a water-taxi landing.

"How can we get to the airport from a hotel on Giudecca for a 7 a.m. flight?"

• Answer: You'll probably need to spend at least €110 for a private water taxi.

"Can a water taxi get to our hotel?"

• Answer: Maybe, or maybe not. Many of Venice's canals aren't navigable by water taxis, most hotels don't have boat landings, and the closest drop-off point may be several blocks from the hotel.

"How close can we get to our hotel by Alilaguna airport boat?"

• Answer: That depends. Some hotels are within a block or two of an airport-boat landing, but other hotels require long walks down narrow, crowded streets with bridges to cross. Check the hotel Web site's "location" page before booking.

Our advice: Plan ahead! For many travelers, a hotel's location isn't critical, but certain situations require careful thought in a city of more than 400 footbridges where walking is the primary mode of transportation:

• If you're loaded with luggage, stay at a location that you can easily reach by airport bus, airport boat, or (if you're arriving by train) from the Venice Santa Lucia Railroad Station. (Otherwise, you'll be struggling like the travelers in our Perils of Overpacking blog video.)

• If you're arriving or departing on a cruise ship, think twice before staying near the Piazza San Marco unless you're willing to spend a lot of money on a water taxi. You'll be much better off at a hotel that's near the Venice Cruise Terminals.

• If you've got mobility problems, stay at a hotel that's close to public transportation, or you may find yourself struggling up and down the steps of pedestrian bridges.

• If you're sleeping in Mestre, on the mainland, choose your hotel carefully so you'll be in downtown Mestre--within 10 to 12 minutes from Venice--instead of being trapped in an isolated, depressing motor inn on the road to the airport.

• Above all, don't let someone else make a booking decision for you! If a travel agent, airline, or other resource has already booked you into an inconveniently-located hotel, cancel the reservation and make your own hotel decision (unless you're stuck with a prepaid, non-cancellable booking).

For more detailed advice on where to stay, see the articles below. And while we'd obviously love it if you booked your hotel through the links on our site, we hope you'll heed our No. 1 Warning even if you find a room by other means.

- Durant and Cheryl Imboden, Venice for Visitors 

Follow @durant_imboden

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.

Venice for Cruisers:

All Venice Cruising Articles
Roundtrip Cruises from Venice
MSC Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Review

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
The perils of overpacking
Flood warning: the sound of sirens
Stupid tourist tricks
Venetian daily life

From Maggie in Venice:

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

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