Dovster

Venice is magical but if you want more, just get on the train and make a day trip to Verona.

ChgoBob

If you like walking and exploring, you will not be bored in 4 or 5 days.

Verona is a great day trip by train, as mentioned above. It's a great walking/shopping town, with plenty of restaurants and cafes. We have not done Padua, but many people liked that day trip also.

We rented apartments twice. Once was smooth and problem free. http://www.viewsonvenice.com/index.html The 2nd time (different apartment http://www.cadellacorte.com/en/index.htm ) , it was sold out from underneath us, they tried giving us a standard room instead. We wound up getting a different last minute hotel at the train station service window.

Another site is http://www.veniceby.com/index.html

Slow Trav has quite a few apartment reviews. http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/vr/list.asp?r=Venice

This place always got very good reviews on the web. http://www.palazzettodaschio.it/mainuk.html

Since you might have more time, another thought is to zip down to Sorrento and Capri. The one way fares on Alitalia or AlpiEagle are pretty good to Naples. Of course, then you have to take a bus, train, or hydrofoil to Sorrento. If I remember right, the flight was only a little over an hour.

Jailer

As you may know, FF99, a free shuttle for *wood guests continually (at least in the summer) does the circuit between the Gritti, Danieli and Lido Excelsior.

milepig

We've always stayed about 4 days in Venice and were sad when we left. If you go for a week and its starting to feel old there are certainly day trips you can do. Ravenna, for one, is easily done as a day trip by car - I haven't checked train connections - as is Verona. Just a couple ideas. We've also never found the time to get out to Torcello, which friends brag about, since we didn't want to spend the better part of a day getting there and back. Have lunch at the Ciprianni.

bdemaria

Torcello is a must - but if you want to eat at the Cipriani outpost there, call ahead to reserve and check that they are open.

sushibear

I have long dreamed of staying at the Hotel des Bains on the Lido, but I'm not a 14 yr old. The Excelsior would be okay, too. With its shuttle, you would have the best of both Venice and the Lido. I can't think of a better place for a honeymoon.

obscure2k

Another endorsement for venice-rentals.com
I rented a beautiful apartment in a 500 year old Palazzo on the Grand Canal.

anele

Dear Bdemaria, this time I totally disagree ! Venice-rentals - like many other similar organisations - rent apartments for the so-called short-stays, which is illegal (See Legge Regionale 33/2002). Also, a lot of the properties they feature are not authorised for tourist rentals. It is also this type of speculation that kills Venice and its residents !

bdemaria

That is certainly your right.

I'm familiar with Venetian rental laws. My comment regarding "short stays" was in reference to the OP only staying in Venice four days - very few apts handled by v-r rent for only a couple of days but a week minimum. You and I both know that there are many many places available just waiting for Venetians to move in, eliminating the int'l rental market isn't going to change this one bit.

IMHO this is a dangerous claim, I would like to see proof that this is the case for each apt. represented by v-r which you believe breaks this law. If you cannot provide such documentation, then I suggest you edit your post.

In this case, I totally disagree! Venice has supported itself for 100s of years on the tourist industry. If you eliminate the ability of non Venetians (which is after all what you are talking about here) to rent apts for a week or so, all you are doing is harming the economy.

venicegirl

The available places you are referring to are no long affordable to Venetians, this IS the fault of the international rental market.

For a microscopic apartment in the most remote corner of Venice is still going to cost more than any Venetian family could even dream of paying.

Property owners have the choice of selling their apartment for 250,000 euros to a hard-working Venetian family, or selling it for 500,000 to someone who is going to stay in it two weeks out of the year.

The average Venetians (including those just outside of the city on the mainland) make between 800 and 1500 euros a month. That meager income does not a massive mortgage make. The prices here were driven up by the international rental market which in turn is going to kill this city.

Anyone who lives in Venice who has survived this year's tourist season knows enough is enough.

bdemaria

You may not have enjoyed this year's tourist season (I myself never enjoy them) but in all seriousness - w/o the tourists, Venice would have little to no influx of cash. The city has survived for well over 1500 years in no small part due to tourist industry. Read the letters of Cassiodorus, the accounts of Pietro Casola, Thomas Coryat - or the chronicles of Martin da Canal, Sanudo and Sansovino - all of which acknowledge what makes Venice special - and financially sucessful - is its international population (= tourists).

W/that said - this thread has gotten seriously off topic and I'm going to suggest to the Mods that it be close.

anele

That is certainly your right

However, despite your learned quotes where you probably refer to trade and commerce rather than tourism, it is apparent that the number of residents has gone down in 20 years to a dramatically low figure and it is a physiologic consequence that - below 50,000 inhabitants - the city will die. As you well know, this is the opinion of people much more important that myself, recently reported also on the international press !

20 million tourists per year (an increase of 25% is foreseen for next year from China) makes an average of more than 50.000 people x day: I add no comment

There are a few urgent things to be done for Venice: limiting the number of visitors per day and protecting the residents, also by stopping sales of second-homes to non-venetians or non-residents (old and simple measures also enforced in Switzerland and Sud-Tirol).

bdemaria

Not true. If you would like the citations, please PM.


I agree - and thank you for proving my point - that the city needs the tourist industry to continue to survive -b/c you and I both know that the majority of that minimum number of 50,000 people earn their income based on tourism.


I don't have a problem w/limiting day visitors. I for one would love to see the permits for the cruise ships cancelled.

But this is not a thread about day trippers, it was an inquiry about staying in an apartment for a few days or a week. This apartment would be owned by a VENETIAN who would earn $ from the rent so I find it very difficult to see how that is more detrimental to the Venetian economy than having that same $$ go into the pocket of the Hilton, Gritti, or whatever other hotel that person chooses.

slawecki

back to venice or lido.

the first magical thing we hit when we got off the vaperatto in lido was a large loud diesel bus dumping black exhaust.

back to venice...

for cheap, stay on murano. it is a lot like venice.

fduvall

We are currently in Venice at the Europa & Regina. After 4 days, not bored yet. Though it has been difficult finding good restaurants. Surprised there are not more threads here on FT. Would like to go out to the Locanda Cipriani, but don't want to take so much time out of the day. Ah well...

Back to the Osteria alla Botte for lunch today. ^

If anyone has a dinner recommendation, tonight is our last night. Budget not important, but food quality and experience is.

fduvall