Venice Travel Answers

Padova would be a really simple day trip for you. Just take the train there. Budget accomodation and Venice don't really go together. Many people suggest staying on Mestre on the mainland (about 10 minutes or less by train from S. Lucia station on Venice proper) There is a lot of walking to do in Venice up and down bridges and steps etc. Of course you can always catch the vaporettos. Best to get a 3 day pass for that becvause per trip it is very pricey. something like 6 euro a trip

Venice is expensive, full stop. the cheaper areas are likely to be those furthest away from San Marco...Dorsoduoro and Canareggio are both fairly easily walkable from where land traffic stops/trains arrive. Castello is more of a trek. 2 rooms and 2 bathrooms is pushing it a bit: having separate bathrooms for each room is really not the norm in European apartments/flats/self-catering accomm (or private houses). You might think instead about staying in Mestre, on the mainland. It is a quick, cheap (2 euro or so), 10 mins max) train ride across the causeway into Venice proper...or you can take a bus for a few euro cents less (but there can be traffic congestion and buses can be crowded. Mestre is cheaper than Venice and I found it to be much, much more interesting than I had expected. You can make very easy daytrips by train (the Italian railway network is extenisve, with frequent services on many routes and very reasonably-priced fares). No need to buy tickets in advance online: ticket machine shave English language options, will accept cash and give change and will also accept cards with chip & PIN. Train times, details and fares in English here: trenitalia.com/homepage_en.h... I've made daytrips to Verona and Padova (Padua...lovely place) but you could also investigate e.g. Treviso or Vicenza, or the mainland lagoon settlements e.g. Lido de Jesolo. The latter would be accessed by bus..timetables and routes here: atvo.it/index.php?lang=en&ar... And you can also visit the islands in the lagoon, of course, although vapretto (water-bus) fares are steep, even if you buy a travelpass (varying timeperiods, from 12 hours). Timetables and routes: actv.it/en/movinginvenice/wa... Fare info: actv.it/en/movinginvenice/mo... It is a pity your wife does not like walking. Venice is a very small city, only taking an hour or so to cross on foot, and...to be frank..walking it is essential in order to see it. Whilst the vaporetti do serve many parts, many more parts are only accessible on foot.

Jen, vaporetto fares have gone up to 7 euro now. It's cheaper for residents, of course. I'd definitely advise the poster to look at a Mestre base. My tip here: members.virtualtourist.com/m... has info about trains to Venice, and about buses: "Local buses" - Mestre Transportation Tip by leics

i just went off to google for a few apartments in mestre - i thought 2 bathrooms would be a bit of an ask and so far not found a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment that has more than one bathroom there are going to be five of you and i have also found another sticking point - the 2 bedroom apartments i looked at specify 4 people maximum

And you want this in less than 3 weeks' time, during a week when the Monday (28 May) is a public holiday, so people are likely to have booked that week (especially as some have half-term school holidays..!) I don't know about apartments but Lido di Jesolo is much cheaper in general than Venice, and you can get from there to Venice by bus to Punta Sabbioni and motonave from there. Or you can take the cheap local ATVO bus from the little bus station in Piazza Drago, in Lido di Jesolo, to Piazzale Roma in Venice, and also to places like Padova and Marco Polo Airport. Try booking.com/city/it/lido-di-...

The core areas of Venice are made for walking. There are no roads and if you don't like walking the vaporetto (water bus) and water taxis are the only other option. And even there, this will only work along the Grand Canal and along some of the larger canals. There are lots of small bridges to cross and climb. My Venice pages (from our trip there this past March) "Venice - Italy's biggest tourist trap!" - Venice by GrumpyDiver

With so little notice, I doubt anybody is going to rent you an apartment for just 4 nights, and as already pointed out by other posters, finding an apartment with two bathrooms is a difficulty in it's own right, without the added problem of only 4 nights. You could spend a lot of time ringing round and emailing agencies and owners, to no avail. Practically speaking, this leaves you with hotel accommodation, which, of course, will immediately give you two bathrooms (one for each bedroom). However, you will not get a kitchen and certainly not a pantry. You could of course stay out at Mestre, as suggested, but if your parents are not as mobile as one would hope, then getting to the station, waiting on a platform then catching a train to Santa Lucia (and back again)could be very stressful for them, or, at the very least, uncomfortable. So, this only leaves you with a hotel on the island. Vaporetti will get you along the Grand Canal, and one other canal in Cannareggio. These can get extremely busy with locals and tourists, many of whom will be lugging suitcases on and off. Again, this could be very discomforting for physically challenged people, and although there are seats, during busy times these are mainly taken by locals going to and from work, or going shopping. The chances are you will all be standing all the time. Once away from the vaporetti, then there is only one mode of transport - on foot.Venice is, indeed, very small but there are bridges crossing canals round every corner, and the narrow streets are packed with people who are completely oblivious to the rules of the road, and will just walk right across your path without even seeing you. All that said, Venice is a wonderful city, but not for non-walkers. I agree that Padova would make a nice day out - however, more walking.

Curious, Lyn, What is the public holiday in Italy on May 28 ? Thanks

I didn't say in Italy! Demand for tourist accommodation is driven by public holidays in the countries tourists come from, not where they are going to. And in Belgium, France, Germany etc, 28 May (Whit Monday/Pentecost) is a public holiday, giving people a nice long weekend for city breaks, or with added "bridging" between weekends, up to 11 days off for the "price" of 4 days' leave. I'm a bit surprised that it isn't also a public holiday in Italy, but even if it were, I'm not sure how many Italians would spend it in Venice!

Sorry - I misunderstood. It's also a holiday in the US.