Venice hotels, B&Bs, apartment rentals, and other places to spend the night
Venice is a monstrously expensive city—captive audience, see—and you pay a premium just to spend the night in town, listening to the canal water slap against the marble facades of Gothic palazzi outside your hotel room.
Keep in mind one thing: Prices for lodgings in Venice are high to begin with, can double in summer, and triple during Carnevale.
Annoying? Yes. Frustrating? Yes. Worth it to sleep in La Serenissima? Boy, howdy, yes.
Don't worry. It's just a matter of knowing where to look to find wonderful hotels and other places to stay in every price range.
- San Marco (10)
- Cannaregio (6)
- Castello (6)
- San Polo (4)
- Dorsoduro (4)
- Santa Croce (3)
- Cavallino-Treporti (2)
Reasonable rates, friendly owner, and tiny rooms just a few yards off St. Mark's Square
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
Serviced flats and suites in a 19C townhouse near La Fenice opera house
Serviced apartments just a few blocks W of Piazza San Marco
Modern one–, two–, and three-bedroom flats under wood beams near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco
The family-run Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato has made its reputation offering fine rooms packed with amenities at laughably low prices (oh: and canal views in the annex)
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
A hidden and wonderfully homey hotel in Cannaregio—with great apartments, too
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
A basic but comfy hostel in an historic building with a garden in the quiet Cannaregio district, but near plenty of bars and restaurants
A wonderfully inexpensive apartment sleeping four in quiet Cannaregio
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
Canal views and elegant rooms at this San Polo bed and breakfast
Modern one– and two-bedroom flats starting as low as €33 (not a typo) just off the Rialto market in San Polo
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
An elegantly homey 3-bedroom apartment with a proper kitchen and a garden terrace right next to the Accademia; 3N min.
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
A baroque-styled bed and breakfast on a canal in a quiet corner of Santa Croce
A cheap hostel with a Grand Canal view—no joke—near the train station
Venice actually does have campgrounds—and would you believe this one is right on the beach?
A quiet, cozy little campground across from the beach and a vaporetto ride away from downtown Venice
Reasonable rates, friendly owner, and tiny rooms just a few yards off St. Mark's Square
Canal views and elegant rooms at this San Polo bed and breakfast
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A baroque-styled bed and breakfast on a canal in a quiet corner of Santa Croce
A cheap hostel with a Grand Canal view—no joke—near the train station
Modern one– and two-bedroom flats starting as low as €33 (not a typo) just off the Rialto market in San Polo
A hidden and wonderfully homey hotel in Cannaregio—with great apartments, too
Venice actually does have campgrounds—and would you believe this one is right on the beach?
A quiet, cozy little campground across from the beach and a vaporetto ride away from downtown Venice
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
A basic but comfy hostel in an historic building with a garden in the quiet Cannaregio district, but near plenty of bars and restaurants
A wonderfully inexpensive apartment sleeping four in quiet Cannaregio
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
Serviced flats and suites in a 19C townhouse near La Fenice opera house
Serviced apartments just a few blocks W of Piazza San Marco
Modern one–, two–, and three-bedroom flats under wood beams near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco
An elegantly homey 3-bedroom apartment with a proper kitchen and a garden terrace right next to the Accademia; 3N min.
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
The family-run Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato has made its reputation offering fine rooms packed with amenities at laughably low prices (oh: and canal views in the annex)
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
The family-run Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato has made its reputation offering fine rooms packed with amenities at laughably low prices (oh: and canal views in the annex)
Reasonable rates, friendly owner, and tiny rooms just a few yards off St. Mark's Square
Canal views and elegant rooms at this San Polo bed and breakfast
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
An elegantly homey 3-bedroom apartment with a proper kitchen and a garden terrace right next to the Accademia; 3N min.
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A baroque-styled bed and breakfast on a canal in a quiet corner of Santa Croce
A cheap hostel with a Grand Canal view—no joke—near the train station
Modern one– and two-bedroom flats starting as low as €33 (not a typo) just off the Rialto market in San Polo
Serviced flats and suites in a 19C townhouse near La Fenice opera house
Serviced apartments just a few blocks W of Piazza San Marco
Modern one–, two–, and three-bedroom flats under wood beams near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco
A hidden and wonderfully homey hotel in Cannaregio—with great apartments, too
Venice actually does have campgrounds—and would you believe this one is right on the beach?
A quiet, cozy little campground across from the beach and a vaporetto ride away from downtown Venice
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
A basic but comfy hostel in an historic building with a garden in the quiet Cannaregio district, but near plenty of bars and restaurants
A wonderfully inexpensive apartment sleeping four in quiet Cannaregio
The family-run Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato has made its reputation offering fine rooms packed with amenities at laughably low prices (oh: and canal views in the annex)
Reasonable rates, friendly owner, and tiny rooms just a few yards off St. Mark's Square
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A hidden and wonderfully homey hotel in Cannaregio—with great apartments, too
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
An elegantly homey 3-bedroom apartment with a proper kitchen and a garden terrace right next to the Accademia; 3N min.
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
Modern one– and two-bedroom flats starting as low as €33 (not a typo) just off the Rialto market in San Polo
Modern one–, two–, and three-bedroom flats under wood beams near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco
A hidden and wonderfully homey hotel in Cannaregio—with great apartments, too
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
A wonderfully inexpensive apartment sleeping four in quiet Cannaregio
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A cheap hostel with a Grand Canal view—no joke—near the train station
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
A basic but comfy hostel in an historic building with a garden in the quiet Cannaregio district, but near plenty of bars and restaurants
Canal views and elegant rooms at this San Polo bed and breakfast
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
A baroque-styled bed and breakfast on a canal in a quiet corner of Santa Croce
Venice actually does have campgrounds—and would you believe this one is right on the beach?
A quiet, cozy little campground across from the beach and a vaporetto ride away from downtown Venice
Serviced flats and suites in a 19C townhouse near La Fenice opera house
Serviced apartments just a few blocks W of Piazza San Marco
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
Canal views and elegant rooms at this San Polo bed and breakfast
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A baroque-styled bed and breakfast on a canal in a quiet corner of Santa Croce
A cheap hostel with a Grand Canal view—no joke—near the train station
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Modern one–, two–, and three-bedroom flats under wood beams near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco
Venice actually does have campgrounds—and would you believe this one is right on the beach?
A quiet, cozy little campground across from the beach and a vaporetto ride away from downtown Venice
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Lodging options in Venice
Go beyond Venice hotels to B&Bs, rental apartments, farm stays—even ways to sleep for free
Apartments (rental flats and short-term tourist lets of apartments) in Venice can offer substantial savings, especially for four or more
A residence or residenza (serviced flat) combines the space and freedom (and kitchenette) of an apartment with some hotel-like serviced (front desk, housekeeping, etc.)
You don't have to take vows of chastity and poverty or wear those itchy woolen robes to shack up in an Italian convent for as little as $30. You don't even have to be particularly religious.
General Italy Lodgings tips
From hotel savings to better booking engines, alternative accommodations to lodging rip-offs, here is the best lodging advice around
There are dozens of hotel alternatives, from Roman apartments to country villas, farmhouse B&Bs to residences, and campgrounds to castles. Here's how to find the lot of them.
Go beyond Venice hotels to B&Bs, rental apartments, farm stays—even ways to sleep for free
The family-run Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato has made its reputation offering fine rooms packed with amenities at laughably low prices (oh: and canal views in the annex)
Reasonable rates, friendly owner, and tiny rooms just a few yards off St. Mark's Square
Canal views and elegant rooms at this San Polo bed and breakfast
The classy villa hotel overlooking two canals where Hepburn filmed Summertime
An elegantly homey 3-bedroom apartment with a proper kitchen and a garden terrace right next to the Accademia; 3N min.
A compound of glorious Renaissance villas occupying the tip of Giudecca island
One of the most classic and posh hotels in Venice, overlooking the Bacino di San Marco
Five sumptuous apartments and double rooms right on Piazza San Marco with views of St. Mark's Cathedral facade mere yards away
Watch gondolas float by your private canal dock from this long, low, beamed flat sleeping 4 near the Rialto Bridge
A hostel, hotel, and religious hospice with baroque frescoes and canal views in the Palazzo Cavagnis
A baroque-styled bed and breakfast on a canal in a quiet corner of Santa Croce
A cheap hostel with a Grand Canal view—no joke—near the train station
Modern one– and two-bedroom flats starting as low as €33 (not a typo) just off the Rialto market in San Polo
Serviced flats and suites in a 19C townhouse near La Fenice opera house
Serviced apartments just a few blocks W of Piazza San Marco
Modern one–, two–, and three-bedroom flats under wood beams near the Rialto Bridge in San Marco
A hidden and wonderfully homey hotel in Cannaregio—with great apartments, too
Venice actually does have campgrounds—and would you believe this one is right on the beach?
A quiet, cozy little campground across from the beach and a vaporetto ride away from downtown Venice
A mix of hostel, private rooms, and apartments in a 12C Cannaregio monastery
A basic but comfy hostel in an historic building with a garden in the quiet Cannaregio district, but near plenty of bars and restaurants
A wonderfully inexpensive apartment sleeping four in quiet Cannaregio
- Booking.com - We have done extensive testing, and Booking.com is hands-down the single best booking engine, with by far the largest number of hotels (and other lodging options) in all price ranges.Partner
- Agoda.com - This booking engine, once just an Asia specialist, has recently rocketed to second-best all around the world.Partner
- HotelsCombined.com - An aggregator looks at the results of all the booking engines and presents the prices it finds at each side-by-side. It's a great concept (and works well for airfares), however in our tests the actual booking engines themselves often offered better deals on more properties.Partner
- Hostelz.com - A booking engine that specailizes in hostels and cheap hotels.Partner
- Hotels.com - Since Hotels.com absorbed its Venere.com sibling, it has been performing much better in Europe than it once did.Partner
- Priceline.com - Priceline not only offers decent deals on standard hotel bookings, but also "Express Deals" in which you only get to know the hotel's star rating and neighborhood before you pay for it—but the savings can be substantial (usually 18%–20%, though occasionally much higher).Partner
- Hotwire.com - Like its competition Priceline, Hotwire offers both straightforward hotel bookings as well as "Hot Rate" deals that save you 25%–65% on hotels that you book blindly, knowing only the neighborhood and star rating before booking (and paying) for it.Partner
- Residenzedepoca.it - An association devoted not only to highlighting accommodations of particular historical interest, but also banding together to preserve and promote Italy's artistic and historic patrimony (when you book at any member hotel, 10% of the proceeds to go promoting historical tourism).
- Localistorici.it - A constorium of historic hotels, restaurants, and caffès.
- Booking.com - One of the best general booking sites out there, and one of the few that includes B&Bs (filed variously under the categories of "Bed and Breakfasts," "Guesthouses," and "Inns"). By the numbers: 25,350+ B&Bs in in Italy, including 3,377 B&Bs in Rome, 600+ in Florence, 250 in Venice.Partner
- Agoda.com - This booking engine, once just an Asia specialist, has recently rocketed to second-best all around the world, with some 1,700 B&Bs in Rome alone.Partner
- Hotels.com - Another generalist lodging booking site with a decent representation of B&Bs: 922 in Rome.Partner
- Airbnb.com - Famous network of both official and unofficial B&Bs, homestays, room rentals, and apartment and house rentals. So many I can't even post total numbers here. Of course, Airbnb is less regulated than most official or online resources, and many of the places to stay are not registered with the local authorities—which helps make them cheaper, but they are not inspected, or subject to official compaints, and certainly do not pay taxes. Buyer beware.
- Hostelz.com - Aggregator bringing together from many hostel and cheap hotel booking engines. If you select "Guesthouses" as the Accommodation Type you will find plenty of B&Bs in there.Partner
- Bedandbreakfast.com - B&B specialist listing more than 4,400 bed and breakfasts across Italy. User reviews help you make informed decisions.Partner
- Bedandbreakfast.eu - Massive database of 153,000 places to stay around Italy (around 9.600 in Rome alone), but it is more of a classifieds site, with each property submitting and writing its own listing, and many are not, actually, B&Bs in the traditional sense. Still, a good resource for the room hunt.
- Homeaway.com - So many places it doesn't even bother listing rentals past the first 5,000—and that's just in Rome or Tuscany.Partner
- Vrbo.com - VRBO stands for "Vacation Rentals By Owner," a worldwide virtual classifieds section devoted to villas, apartments, cottages, houses, and other places to lay your head. Though designed to allow villa and vacation home owners to rent to the public directly—ostensibly cutting out the extra costs involved in working through a middle-man rental agency—in my experience plenty of small-fry local rental agencies use it as well (not that there's anything wrong with renting through those folks; just wanted to let you know that not every property listed is truly direct from the owner).Partner
- Booking.com - Listing nearly 66,000 apartments across Italy, including more than 5,300 in Rome, more than 2,700 in Florence, and more than 1,800 in Venice or Milan. Wow.Partner
- Hotels.com - Good generalist booking engine with plenty of "Apartments" options in the filter screens for each destination.Partner
- Interhomeusa.com - Some 3,530 rentals in France, of which about a hundred in Rome. Partner
- Airbnb.com - Tens of thousands of listings—but caveat emptor. Anyone can post a listing, so trust only the ones with lots of reviews.
- Agoda.com - Good generalist booking agency with a resepctable 238 apartments available in Rome, 130 in Florence.Partner
- Hostelz.com - An aggregator shows you the rates its can find at multiple booking engines at once, so you can find the lowest price out there on hostels and other cheap accommodations.Partner
- Hostelworld.com - Booking site with hostels, cheap hotels, apartments, B&Bs, rental rooms, and campgrounds across Italy, including an impressive 340 in Rome alone. Partner
- Booking.com - Booking.com lists more than 392 hostels across Italy, with some 50 in Rome alone, complete with verified user reviews.Partner
- Gomio.com - A solid hostel search engine with a nice presentation: Showcasing right up front the most salient details, such as pictures, rates, and lists of amenities a given hostel has as well as any usual amenities it lacks; lists about 140 hotels in Rome.Partner
- Bookhostels.com - A classic hostel booking engine, offering deals on more than 120 hostels, cheap hotels & B&Bs, and campgrounds in Rome.Partner
- Hihostels.com - The official hostelling site, linking to all 74 official IH/YHA hostels in Italy. This does mean, however, it ignores the many, many excellent private hostels.
- Agoda.com - Good generalist booking agency with more than 4,200 serviced apartments in Italy.Partner
- Booking.com - More than 3,900 residence hotels, aparthotels, condo hotels, and townhouse suites in Italy.Partner
- Hotels.com - Booking engine listing several dozen apart-hotels, residences, and condo hotel accommodations in Italy's major cities.Partner
- Biz-stay.com - Keeps (farily well) updated lists of links to serviced apartment chains in every country by city. Doesn't cover independent residence hotels, but a decent place to look.
- Sacoapartments.com - Some 46 serviced flats in 160 locations around the world, including in 8 in Italy.
- Booking.com - Thousands of cottages, villas, and rental homes across Italy, including 5,753 in Tuscany and 762 in Piemonte, all on a site with verified user reiviews.Partner
- Vrbo.com - VRBO stands for "Vacation Rentals By Owner," a worldwide virtual classifieds section devoted to villas, apartments, cottages, houses, and other places to lay your head. Probably the biggest (at least when it comes to Italy), with thousands upon thousands of rentals—from apartments to estates—in Italy alone, of which more than 5,000+ are in Tuscany, another 5,000+ in Rome and Lazio. Though designed to allow villa and vacation home owners to rent to the public directly—ostensibly cutting out the extra costs involved in working through a middle-man rental agency—in my experience plenty of small-fry local rental agencies use it as well (not that there's anything wrong with renting through those folks; just wanted to let you know that not every property listed is truly direct from the owner).Partner
- Belvilla.com - Thousands holiday cottages across Italy, the vast majority villas or houses (1,194 in Tuscany, 473 on the Italian Lakes, 263 in the Veneto, 116 in Piemonte), with just a handful of apartments in cities.Partner
- Interhome - This is one of the biggest and best-established in the business (est. in 1965 as "Swiss Chalet" in Zurich), with more than 30,000 holiday homes in Europe (plus Florida), with around 3,530 in Italy. They book 95% of their villas directly from the owners, and have 60 local service offices scattered around Europe (plus, like I said, Florida).Partner
- Rentalo.com - Another sizeable database for one-stop shopping. They also handle everything from standard hotels to B&Bs, agriturism, and even castles.Partner
- Airbnb.com - Familiar to most as a way to find a cheap room, the AirBnB network also lists thousands of villas, houses, and apartments in Italy (just specify "Entire home" under "Room type"). It is less regulated than most online resources, so it is definitely a "buyer-beware" environment, but the deals can be astounding. I recently searched for one with very specific parameters (for eight people, with a pool and A/C, in Tuscany, on odd dates) and airbnb.com came up with two-dozen tantalizing results, all of which still were available for the required high season dates—including a gorgeous farmhouse in the Chianti just eight miles from Siena... for $283 a night.
- The Parker Company - The top Italy rental specialist, a family-run outfit with just around 75 properties, but immaculately chosen ones with loads of info on each property on the site. They prefer, however, to conduct business over the phone because their goal is to get to know you and then match you with the perfect villa. The goal is quality over quantity, and they have eminently respectable rates of satisfied customers and repeat business. As a bonus, the company is set up to help you plan and book things to do during your stay (cooking classes, bike rides and such) through its Actividayz branch.
- Marjorie Shaw’s Insider’s Italy - Another boutique agency with intimate knowledge of each property, but you do pay extra for this breed of service. Not so much a villa rental agent as an Italy trip-planning service that can hook you up with a villa or apartment as part of your vacation. Their web site merely tells you how great they are, sort of an online brochure—no nitty gritty details on the properties they represent or on their other services. However, I've only ever heard raves from people who have traveled with Marjorie Shaw's service.
- Cottages.com - Premier organization (part of the Wyndham family) with more than 940 temporary homes on tap in Italy.
- Special Places to Stay - Alastair Sawday’s series of accommodations guidebooks is now available on-line, covering the Britain, France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain (plus India and Morocco). Many are run more as proper hotels—though in the countryside—though some are self-catering. Only 221 self-catering villas in Italy (our of 540 properties total), but wow, what a selection
- Home Base Abroad - Super-select (and super-expensive) collection of private villas in Tuscany, Umbria, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como, the Dolomites, and a handful in the cities. The pictures alone will make your jaw drop.
- Home in Italy - More than 240 upscale villas in Tuscany, Umbria, Sicily, Apulia, Lazio, teh Amalfi Coast, Le Marche, Campania, and Sardegna.
- Villas & Apartments Abroad - Primo places—palaces castles, and the like—in Italy, France, and a bit in Ireland, Scotland, Greece, and Austria, but the listings are quite coy (rarely tell you precisely where they are, nor in most cases the prices, which is a Cardinal Sin in my book). Plus, only a handful (127) in Italy. If the properties weren’t so spectacular, I wouldn’t even bother listing the site.
- RentaVilla - Many agencies focus on the priciest properties (earns them bigger commissions, I guess), but not RentaVilla. It features a refreshing range of villas in all price categories, in the Amalfi coast, Apulia, Emilia Romagna, Florence, the Italian Lakes, Piemonte, Liguria, the Cinque Terre, Le Marche, Rome, Sicily, Tuscany, Umbria, and Venice and the Veneto.
- Rent Villas - Good track record for Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the UK, Greece, and Turkey. The number of villas in Italy just tips the scales over 830 (with a real focus on Tuscany, where there are 493 villas to rent), but it is an excellent selection.
- Villas International - Long-established agency, with 25,000 properties in perhaps more countries around the world than any other. Plenty of good Italy villas and apartments among the 2,200+ listings in Italy.
- Booking.com - More than 460 campgrounds and "Resort village" holiday parks in Italy—though on this site you can book only cabins and other fixed rentals available in the campgrounds, not empty tent or RV sites.Partner
- Camperonline.it - In Italian (though you can get an English version of the menu—though not the content), but choc-a-block with info on camping and RVing all across Europe, including hundreds of country-specific links to tons of other useful Internet resources, free sites to park your RV, and on-line camping catalogues.
- Campeggievillaggi.it - A privately-run database of Italian campgrounds.
- Campeggio.com - Pretty complete database, in Italian, but click on a region, then a province (major city/town) for a list of local campgrounds in no particular order. They offer on-line booking ("Richiedi un preventivo") but do not provide direct links to individual campground websites. Highly annoying
- Ciaocampeggio.it - Decent online databse of campeggi (proper campgrounds) and Aree da sosta (places you can park an RV overnight—no hookups or dumping!).
- Camping.it - Italian campgrounds. Big benefit: it's available in in English.
- Campeggio.it - Another online booking engine for Italian campgrounds.
- Caravanclub.co.uk - A British RV club with loads of intel on campgrounds across Europe as well.
- Campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk - A British motorhome club with links to information on camping sites across Europe
- Eurocamp.co.uk - Lists details on around three dozen lovely camping parks in Italy.
- Federcampeggio.it - The Federazione Italiana del Campeggio e del Caravanning is a camping and RVing club with discounts for members. It's in Italian—and, unfortunately, they prefer to sell you a book of campgrounds rather than provide an online database—but there is some good intel in there for nudists and RVers.
- Hostelworld.com - Yes, it has "hostels" in the name, but this site also lists campgrounds—as well as loads of cheap hotels, apartments, and B&Bs.Partner
- Hostelz.com - An aggregator shows you the rates its can find at multiple booking engines at once, so you can find the lowest price out there on campgrounds, hostels, and other cheap accommodations.Partner
Tips
There are loads of inexpensive hotels near the train station, especially along broad Lista di Spagna, and its narrow tributary streets, which heads toward the heart of town (take a left at the bottom of the train station steps).
Hotels on the Lista itself can be noisy, but those on the side alleys stretching north (left as you head towards San Marco) are amazingly quiet, and many—especially toward the ends of these streets—overlook tree-filled gardens.
The drawback to this neighborhood: Piazza San Marco and the central sights are a hearty 30-minute hike (or vaporetto ride) away. » more
There is an entire page devoted to money-saving hotel tips, but in brief they are:
- Know where the cheap hotels are
- Know your travel seasons
- Shop around
- Look into lodging alternatives
- Learn to share the bathroom
- Avoid paying for breakfast
- Get a quad rather than two doubles
- Double beds sometimescost less than two singles
- Be sure you get price quotes with taxes included
- Ask for the least expensive room
- Bargain
- Offer to pay cash
Any hotels with an address in "Venezia-Mestre" is actually in the dull, modern, industrial suburb at the mainland end of the bridge over to the real, ancient Venice you came all this way to see.
Do not stay in Mestre! You'll spend more time and money commuting each day in an out of Venice proper than you will save.
No matter what kind of lodging you pick, if it's summer (a) try to get a room with air-conditioning and (b) even if you can't (or you can but have a hankering for some fresh air) resist the urge to open the windows to your room.
Venice is, I believe, the primary breeding ground for the mosquito population of Southern Europe, and precious few Italian hoteliers have discovered that newfangled invention called window screens. Keep the windows shut, or prepare to be bitten.
(Also, carry some bug spray for those romantic canalside dinners outside. Trust me.)
The Venice hotel tax: As of 2011, Venice began charging a Visitor Tax. This is the city's doing, and it is not a scam (just annoying). All charges are per person, per night, for all guests over the age of 10, and the tax is charged for stays of up to 10 days.
The breakdown is insanely complicated, but general you pay €1 per person per night per star rating.
So a couple (2 people) staying three nights (2 x 3 = 6) in a four-star hotel (6 x €4 = €24) would pay an extra €24.
Non-hotels cost a bit less: €3 flat for B&Bs; €1.50–€2.50 for most apartments and residences, etc.
Dec-Jan, you get a 30% discount across the board.
Kids aged 10-16 pay half.
Stays at hotels on the outer islands or mainland are a bit cheaper.
Some hotels have folded the fee into their quoted rates; others tack it on when you check out. Just be prepared.
Venice is way more popular than the number of beds it has, so while in the dead of winter you can often show up and find a good place to crash easily, the best rooms (and the best-value hotels) are booked well in advance for the summer months and the two weeks prior to Ash Wednesday (when Venice breaks out the fancy dress and masks for its famed Carnevale celebrations).
Same goes (though less so, and more at the chic and high end hotels) during the Venice Biennale art festival and the Venice Film Festival.
You will notice that all hotels, B&Bs, and other lodgingds (as well as sights and restaurants) on this site have a ReidsItaly.com star designation from ☆☆☆ to ★★★.
This merely indicates that I feel these accommodations offer a little something that makes them special (or extra-special, or extra-extra special, etc.).
These star ratings are entirely based on personal opinion, and have nothing to do with the official Italian hotel ratings—which have more to do with quantifiable amenities such as minibars, and not the intangibles that make a hotel truly stand out, like a combination of great location, friendly owners, nice style, and low prices.
In general, a pricier place to stay has to impress me that it is worth the added expense.
This is why I give ★★★ to some (official) "two-star" hotels or B&Bs that happen to provide amazing value for the money—and similarly have ranked a few (official) "four-star" properties just (★★☆).
Accommodations rates vary wildly—even at the same hotel or B&B—depending on type of room, number of people in it, and the season.
That's why here at ReidsItaly.com we simply provde a general price range indicating the rough rate you should expect to pay for a standard double room in mid-season.
There are three price ranges, giving you a sense of which lodgings are budget, which are moderate, and which are splurges:
| € | under €100 |
| €€ | €100–€200 |
| €€€ | over €200 |
Useful Italian for lodging
| English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| Where is? | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
| ...a hotel | un albergo | oon al-BEAR-go |
| ...a B&B | un bed-and-breakfast | oon bet hand BREK-fust |
| ...a rental room | un'affittacamera | oon ah-feet-ah-CAH-mair-ra |
| ...an apartment for rent | un appartamento | oon ah-part-tah-MENT-toh |
| ...a farm stay | un agriturismo | oon ah-gree-tour-EES-moh |
| ...a hostel | un ostello | oon oh-STEHL-loh |
| How much is...? | Quanto costa? | KWAN-toh COST-ah |
| a single room | una singola | OO-nah SEEN-go-la |
| double room for single use [will often be offered if singles are unavailable] | doppia uso singola | DOPE-pee-ya OO-so SEEN-go-la |
| a double room with two beds | una doppia con due letti | OO-nah DOPE-pee-ya cone DOO-way LET-tee |
| a double room with one big bed | una matrimoniale | OO-nah mat-tree-moan-nee-YAAL-lay |
| triple room | una tripla | OO-nah TREE-plah |
| with private bathroom | con bagno | cone BAHN-yoh |
| without private bathroom | senza bagno [they might say con bagno in comune—"with a communal bath"] | SEN-zah BAHN-yoh |
| for one night | per una notte | pair OO-nah NOH-tay |
| for two nights | per due notti | pair DOO-way NOH-tee |
| for three nights | per tre notti | pair tray NOH-tee |
| Is breakfast included? | É incluso la prima colazione? | ay in-CLOO-soh lah PREE-mah coal-laht-zee-YOAN-nay |
| Is there WiFi? | C'é WiFi? | chay WHY-fy? |
| May I see the room? | Posso vedere la camera? | POH-soh veh-DAIR-eh lah CAH-mair-rah |
| That's too much | É troppo | ay TROH-po |
| Is there a cheaper one? | C'é una più economica? | chay OO-nah pew eh-ko-NO-mee-kah |
Basic phrases in Italian
| English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | pro-nun-see-YAY-shun |
| thank you | grazie | GRAT-tzee-yay |
| please | per favore | pair fa-VOHR-ray |
| yes | si | see |
| no | no | no |
| Do you speak English? | Parla Inglese? | PAR-la een-GLAY-zay |
| I don't understand | Non capisco | non ka-PEESK-koh |
| I'm sorry | Mi dispiace | mee dees-pee-YAT-chay |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa? | KWAN-toh COST-ah |
| That's too much | É troppo | ay TROH-po |
| Good day | Buon giorno | bwohn JOUR-noh |
| Good evening | Buona sera | BWOH-nah SAIR-rah |
| Good night | Buona notte | BWOH-nah NOTE-tay |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci | ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee |
| Excuse me (to get attention) | Scusi | SKOO-zee |
| Excuse me (to get past someone) | Permesso | pair-MEH-so |
| Where is? | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
| ...the bathroom | il bagno | eel BHAN-yoh |
| ...train station | la ferroviaria | lah fair-o-vee-YAR-ree-yah |
| to the right | à destra | ah DEH-strah |
| to the left | à sinistra | ah see-NEEST-trah |
| straight ahead | avanti [or] diritto | ah-VAHN-tee [or] dee-REE-toh |
| information | informazione | in-for-ma-tzee-OH-nay |
Days, months, and other calendar items in Italian
| English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| When is it open? | Quando é aperto? | KWAN-doh ay ah-PAIR-toh |
| When does it close? | Quando si chiude? | KWAN-doh see key-YOU-day |
| At what time... | a che ora | a kay O-rah |
| Yesterday | ieri | ee-YAIR-ee |
| Today | oggi | OH-jee |
| Tomorrow | domani | doh-MAHN-nee |
| Day after tomorrow | dopo domani | DOH-poh doh-MAHN-nee |
| a day | un giorno | oon je-YOR-no |
| Monday | Lunedí | loo-nay-DEE |
| Tuesday | Martedí | mar-tay-DEE |
| Wednesday | Mercoledí | mair-coh-lay-DEE |
| Thursday | Giovedí | jo-vay-DEE |
| Friday | Venerdí | ven-nair-DEE |
| Saturday | Sabato | SAH-baa-toh |
| Sunday | Domenica | doh-MEN-nee-ka |
| Mon-Sat | Feriali | fair-ee-YAHL-ee |
| Sun & holidays | Festivi | feh-STEE-vee |
| Daily | Giornaliere | joor-nahl-ee-YAIR-eh |
| a month | una mese | oon-ah MAY-zay |
| January | gennaio | jen-NAI-yo |
| February | febbraio | feh-BRI-yo |
| March | marzo | MAR-tzoh |
| April | aprile | ah-PREEL-ay |
| May | maggio | MAH-jee-oh |
| June | giugno | JEW-nyoh |
| July | luglio | LOO-lyoh |
| August | agosto | ah-GO-sto |
| September | settembre | set-TEM-bray |
| October | ottobre | oh-TOE-bray |
| November | novembre | no-VEM-bray |
| December | dicembre | de-CHEM-bray |
Numbers in Italian
| English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
| 1 | uno | OO-no |
| 2 | due | DOO-way |
| 3 | tre | tray |
| 4 | quattro | KWAH-troh |
| 5 | cinque | CHEEN-kway |
| 6 | sei | say |
| 7 | sette | SET-tay |
| 8 | otto | OH-toh |
| 9 | nove | NO-vay |
| 10 | dieci | dee-YAY-chee |
| 11 | undici | OON-dee-chee |
| 12 | dodici | DOH-dee-chee |
| 13 | tredici | TRAY-dee-chee |
| 14 | quattordici | kwa-TOR-dee-chee |
| 15 | quindici | KWEEN-dee-chee |
| 16 | sedici | SAY-dee-chee |
| 17 | diciasette | dee-chee-ya-SET-tay |
| 18 | diciotto | dee-CHO-toh |
| 19 | diciannove | dee-chee-ya-NO-vay |
| 20 | venti | VENT-tee |
| 21* | vent'uno* | vent-OO-no |
| 22* | venti due* | VENT-tee DOO-way |
| 23* | venti tre* | VENT-tee TRAY |
| 30 | trenta | TRAYN-tah |
| 40 | quaranta | kwa-RAHN-tah |
| 50 | cinquanta | cheen-KWAN-tah |
| 60 | sessanta | say-SAHN-tah |
| 70 | settanta | seh-TAHN-tah |
| 80 | ottanta | oh-TAHN-tah |
| 90 | novanta | no-VAHN-tah |
| 100 | cento | CHEN-toh |
| 1,000 | mille | MEEL-lay |
| 5,000 | cinque milla | CHEEN-kway MEEL-lah |
| 10,000 | dieci milla | dee-YAY-chee MEEL-lah |
* You can use this formula for all Italian ten-place numbers—so 31 is trent'uno, 32 is trenta due, 33 is trenta tre, etc. Note that—like uno (one), otto (eight) also starts with a vowel—all "-8" numbers are also abbreviated (vent'otto, trent'otto, etc.).
