Accommodation

Holidays by Destination Europe Italy Venice Accommodation 

Venice is not a cheap place to stay, with the area around San Marco and Riva dei Schiavoni particularly expensive. However, neither is it large (about five kilometres from tip to tip) so if your children are happy to walk you can save and have a slightly more Venetian experience further from that tourist heart. Further from the centre may be quieter too - though the early to bed timetable makes it unlikely there will be much late night noise.

Don't expect lots of light or views unless you pay for them (and try to find exactly what is meant by ‘view' if offered). A lot of hotels and guesthouses are in dark, narrow alleys and only the top floors get much light. If you're exploring all day that's not so important. If you do want to make day-time use of your base however, access to a garden or terrace are attractive extras.

The cheaper the hotel the more likely that there will be some if not all rooms without en suite bathrooms, so do check before booking.

If you're on a budget options include staying at Mestre on the mainland, or camping on one of the many pinewood sites just across the lagoon on the spit of land from Lido di Jesolo to Punta Sabbioni where in season there are activities ranging from aqua aerobics to tennis coaching.

For details of companies, see the report on Camping but try to avoid places full of Italian youth and Italian bank holidays.

The advantage of combining beach and culture is that no-one should get too bored. On the other hand, if you want to maximise your time in the city - and particular if you are there out of season - something nearer the centre will be more rewarding.

Hotels and Inns

Broadly speaking the same kind of rule applies to hotels as to eating places. Closer to the centre means more expensive and, with some exceptions, the worse the welcome - while the streets are lined by standard tourist fare plus international brands.

Venice has been on the monied tourist circuit for centuries and although it's home to some of the biggest names in hotels, service is not what it would be in equivalent establishments elsewhere. Looking classy is more important.

Should you want that experience, details of one or two options are included here, but on the whole, the main reason to spend money on accommodation is to get a room with a water view so small children can spend as long as they like watching the boats going up and down.

If you want to be able to eat while your children are in their beds upstairs, you will generally have to go for a four star hotel or higher - though we have found one or two exceptions. If you can keep them up later you can save significantly by opting for much simpler accommodation.

Booking Services

Venice Hotel
A booking service and directory of hotels, b&bs and apartments. Includes a listing of typical Venetian inns and guest houses. Not comprehensive.

Self-Catering

Venetian Apartments
tel: 020 8878 1130
Offering apartments from studio to four and five bedroom, on the Grand Canal, in historic houses, luxury serviced apartments, and Giudecca apartments (the island immediately opposite Venice which at first sight appears to be part of it). Most are available by the week but some for short-stays for three or four days in the low season or at short notice.
For Families There are some options with private gardens.
Sample Price A two-bedroomed apartment with small terrace in San Polo near Rialto is €1,295 per week, with a late arrival charge (after 8pm) of €65. An apartment in Santa Croce with large walled garden €1,425 for a week.

See also some of the operators listed in the Self-catering - Italy report. Some of the hotels listed in this report also offer self-catering apartments.

Boating

Connoisseur
Wroxham, Norwich, Norfolk NR12 8RX
tel: 01603 782472

Part of Hoseasons, operates from a base at Casier along the River Sile to the northwest of the lagoon. There are other waterways you can explore but most visitors explore the lagoon itself and its islands. There are vessels sleeping between four and 12 and it takes two days to get from the base to Murano. It's not the same experience as staying in Venice, and you need to be quite confident of your boat handling skills to move around the Venice canals yourselves, particularly as the boats can be quite slow, but it could be fun.