Where is the best place to stay? Venice or the mainland Mestre?

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tinkeya

Venice is absolutely magical. The city itself is what you need to experience, so it's well worthwhile staying right in the city and not on the mainland. If you are willing to go to smaller hotels (more like what we might call B & B's), I think you can make out OK, especially if you aren't there at the height of the tourist season. It does cost more than a lot of other big cities in Italy (both lodging and, to a lesser degree, food). However, there are some real bargains. for example, you should get passes for the vaporetto system (water "buses," so to speak); you can buy in various multiples of days. The first day, we just hopped on and rode the major line from beginning to end and back. There's no limit to how much you can ride, and the boats go out to the islands as well (such as Murano and Burano). We had good luck with hotel reservations in Venice through Venere.com; that site and also Trip Adviser are very good for hotel reviews and prices. After reading reviews, it's sometimes cheaper to book directly with the hotel. Breakfast (Italian-style generally, not bacon and eggs!) is usually included in the room price, so that's a savings. As to safety, Venice is tremendously safe (our impression); it can seem a little spooky at night, because it's so quiet (just boats and pedestrians), but if I were a young (or not so young) woman travelling alone, I would feel safer in Venice than in other Italian cities we visited on our trip last summer. From what I've read, Mestre (an industrial area) would defintely be less safe for a woman alone.

occhiv

*Definitely* stay in Venice. All of your sightseeing will be done there, and you'll be much happier to know you can just walk to your hotel at the end of the night rather than stressing about catching the train to Mestre.

If you're backpacking and looking for an inexpensive place to stay, look for the hostel Residence Santa Croce. It's on the grand canal, almost directly across from the train station, and is an absolutely wonderful hostel (think air conditioning and a tv in the room). The people who run it are wonderfully sweet and I had a fantastic experience there. And I stayed for nearly a week in Venice in June for about 60 Euros per night - insanely cheap! :)

Have a wonderful time!

Kendra H

Venice

mand

If you can afford it, stay in Venice. I strongly advise to walk around at night, it's really safe, and it's absolutely magic.

QRT

I've been in great inexpensive hotel, really close to Piazza San Marco.

http://www.veniceby.com/lux/pages/profile.htm

BillyB8

As a single woman don't even consider Mestre.. Some hotels listed as such are nearly halfway to Treviso.

If you stay in Venice then, yes the rooms are more expensive, but you haven't got to waste at least an hour at either end of the day getting to and fro.

The HI on Guidecca is excellent

tanmoyj2ee

Read my travel blog about Venice and Rome you will get useful information ..

http://realtravel.com/rome-journals-j1711334.html

Handelsvertretung

A question of price, but if you can afford it, stay in Venice! Enjoy Europe

LPnerd

I was going to tell you of the same youth hostel but someone beat me to it with excellent advice. Also if you are going across europe, go to the youth hostel website ( just google youth hostels in europe) for great ideas on places to stay on the cheep that r safe as well. one more thing, if can plan ahead a little, its cheaper to buy a eurorail pass from where you're at. UNLESS you have a student ID card. All across europe you will get a huge discount with a student ID

original_kilit

Mestre is more conveniente but much less beautiful. Venice might be more expensive but is definitely an experience to be done.

Speaking of safeness, i'd feel safer in Venice than in the industrial Mestre

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