Venice neighborhoods: where to stay and how to choose a hotel
Where to stay in Venice

Venice neighborhoods: where to stay and how to choose a hotel

Anyone traveling to Venice for the first time and looking for hotel reviews is bound to stumble on the common mantra: «not on the mainland». This is how travelers who have been to Venice persuade «newcomers» to book hotels exclusively on the island part. I visit Venice several times a year, staying both on the islands and on the mainland, and I am sure that there cannot be one universal answer for all tourists. In this article I will tell you about my personal experience and compare different accommodation options so that you can choose the best one for you.

Having decided to build a city on the sea, the Venetians did everything in their own way. Instead of dividing the city into 4 large parts — «quarters», as in most cities inheriting the Roman Empire and its principles of urban planning, they divided the city into 6 parts — «sestiere», from the word «six». Venice is not the only city composed of sestiere instead of quarters, but it is the only one where their importance has been preserved so strongly.

The main islands of Venice
The main islands of Venice

Venice Island neighborhoods and hotels

In this city, your usual approach to choosing a hotel can let you down. For example, for me, a half-hour walk with a suitcase from the train station to the hotel is usually not a big problem. But not in Venice. Here, the distance in meters doesn’t matter. All that matters is how many bridges and stairs you have to cross on the way: carrying your suitcases across 118 islands, overcoming about 400 bridges and stairs, is not something anyone would like to do. Therefore, if you have luggage, choose hotels closer to the station or prepare 7.5 € for the vaporetto, which is the price of a single ticket.

Cannaregio neighborhood (Cannaregio)

The very busy sestiero near the train station is not the prettiest, but it is noisy. All the routes of tourists who come to Venice from the mainland pass through it. It is convenient if you came with luggage for 1—2 nights and do not want to spend on cabs or vaporetto. In addition, hotels in Cannaregio are slightly cheaper than in the center.

The neighborhood is very large, on the scale of Venice. It goes from the train station to the Rialto Bridge, i.e. to the center. Within it, the prices and level of hotels are not equal: the closer to the center, the more expensive. For a trip for a couple of days you can stay near the station, if a half-hour walk to the center with a lightweight does not scare you.

On our first trip to Venice, we stayed in a small hotel in Cannaregio. It was more expensive than any of our hotels on the mainland, but cheaper than a hotel on San Marco. Of the downsides of the area is that it is incredibly touristy, making it difficult to find a democratic place to dine with good food and not for all the money in the world. To find a good restaurant or bar, you have to go to the opposite side of the neighborhood from the Grand Canal, to Ghetto Nuovo («new ghetto») — locals live there, and there are even new, modern houses.

A typical Ghetto Nuovo street in Cannaregio.
A typical Ghetto Nuovo street in Cannaregio.

Where to stay in Cannaregio:

  • With a budget of up to 100 € for two people in the middle or high season you can rent only a room with a shared or external bathroom and without breakfast. Such rooms for 70—90 € are available at the 2* Ariel Silva Hotel in Ghetto Nuovo or Archie’s House.
  • A 3* hotel will cost 130—170 €. For example, Ca' Dogaressa with rooms from 140 €, boutique hotel Alle Guglie — from 155 €. The closer you are to the Rialto and the canals, the closer the price is to 200 €.
  • Hotels 4*, in ancient palaces or overlooking the Grand Canal cost from 200 €: for example, Pesaro Palace in the palace of the 15th century, decorated with Murano glass chandeliers and furniture in traditional Venetian style, costs from 200 € without breakfast, and Foscari Palace nearby — from 260 € with breakfast.
  • For a family or a company of up to 4 people there is a chance to find an apartment in Cannaregio for under 100 €.

San Marco neighborhood (San Marco)

Venice’s most central, most beautiful and most expensive neighborhood begins at the Rialto Bridge and ends just beyond Piazza San Marco. Along the Grand Canal, the waterfront is lined with luxurious palaces — now luxury hotels and restaurants.

Where to stay in San Marco:

Living with a view of the Grand Canal - from 300 € per night
Living with a view of the Grand Canal — from 300 € per night

Castello neighborhood

This is my favorite neighborhood in island Venice. It starts right behind the Cathedral of San Marco. From Palazzo Ducale to the Arsenale, beautiful and famous hotels overlooking the Venetian Lagoon line the promenade: for example, the Danieli 5* from the movie «The Tourist» with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie with rooms from 600 € to 6000 €.

Two buildings of the Danieli Hotel. Modest on the outside, expensive on the inside
Two buildings of the Danieli Hotel. Modest on the outside, expensive on the inside

The Arsenale, on the other hand, is rarely traveled by foot. This neighborhood is almost never recommended by guides, because there are no typical narrow streets and back alleys, small campos and canals with gondolas, for which people come to Venice. It is an atypical Venice with spacious but old streets and squares, there is even a park and playgrounds. But here you can see how Venetians live and catch the floating market in the morning: these are boats from which they sell ordinary things — fruits, vegetables.

I love staying in a hotel right on the waterfront. In Castello, for the same money as in the center, you can afford a room with a stunning view of the lagoon and live a stone’s throw away from San Marco, but without the night noise under your windows. And in the morning, before the tourists from the mainland arrive, you can lazily gaze at Venice waking up: how the fog is clearing over the lagoon, how the local old men go fishing, and the locals leisurely drink their morning coffee.

Where to stay in Castello:

  • My hot recommendation is to choose a room with a view of the lagoon. Usually you will have to pay extra for it: 50—100 € or more, depending on the hotel category.
  • B&B La Rosa dei Venti near the arsenal, overlooking the lagoon — from 150 €. Hotel 3* Paganelli near Palazzo Ducale or Ca' Formenta on a small square in a quiet part of Castello, overlooking the lagoon — from 180 €.
  • 4* hotels cost from 300 € — Savoia & Jolanda or Bucintoro. 5* hotels are located near the legendary Danieli and Piazza San Marco: Metropole — from 400 €, Londra Palace — from 600 € per room.
View of the lagoon from our room at Ca
View of the lagoon from our room at Ca' Formenta on a December morning

Dorsoduro neighborhood (Dorsoduro)

A neighborhood with a similar mood on the other side of the Grand Canal. It’s not as homogeneous: the area around the Accademia Bridge can be very noisy, and closer to the Santa Croce neighborhood, the neighborhoods are pretty boring. However, this area has cozy little squares with nice (but expensive) restaurants. There are a lot of locals living in Dorsoduro and Castello. Also, Dorsoduro has the most interesting souvenir stores and Murano glass stores.

Because of the university buildings located in Dorsoduro, it is difficult to find inexpensive accommodation here. In general, all hotels cost the same as in other areas, but the overall level is lower and the reviews are worse.

Where to stay in Dorsoduro:

Dorsoduro occupies the entire promenade opposite Giudecca
Dorsoduro occupies the entire promenade opposite Giudecca

San Polo neighborhood.

Sentiero, opposite San Marco, on the other side of the canal, is good for its proximity to the center. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Piazzale Roma or the train station to the Rialto Bridge, faster than the Cannaregio. The neighborhood is very lively, and the famous Rialto Market is also located here. Whether because of its convenient location or because of its proximity to the Rialto, hotel prices here are quite high.

Where to stay in San Polo:

  • 4* hotels are usually located in beautiful, restored palaces and cost 300—400 €. Some also have a view of the Grand Canal: L’Orologio, Palazzo Barbarigo.
  • 3* hotels are usually in the back of the centiero and cost 150—250 € for a basic double room. Good options: Marconi or Sogno di Giulietta e Romeo.
Flea market in a residential neighborhood
Flea market in a residential neighborhood

Santa Croce neighborhood (Santa Sgose)

The area near the train station itself is most often glimpsed among the anti-recommendations. The main complaint is that it is far from the sights and very crowded.

It is indeed a bustling, port and station area, with Santa Croce acting as the main gateway to the city. Here is Piazzale Roma, the terminus of streetcars, buses and a large parking lot. It is also where all the vaporettos (ferries) converge.

Where to stay in Santa Croce:

Just across the canal from the train station is the sestiero Santa Croce.
Just across the canal from the train station is the sestiero Santa Croce.

Giudecca neighborhood (Giudecca)

All the previous districts are connected by bridges — you can walk across them. The other islands of Venice can only be reached by vaporetto or cab. If you decide to stay on Giudecca or other islands, add the fare to the cost of the room: a vaporetto ticket for 75 minutes costs 7.5 €, a daily ticket — 21 €. But if you were planning to ride around the islands, Giudecca will please you with the absence of tourists and cozy restaurants «for locals». There are no sights on the island, except for one church Redentore with paid entrance (3,5 €).

There aren’t many hotels on Judecca. But you can get a room… in a boat!

Where to stay in Judecca:

Judecca looks much simpler, poorer and more desolate than the rest of the neighborhoods
Judecca looks much simpler, poorer and more desolate than the rest of the neighborhoods

Lido-di-Venezia (Lido-di-Venezia)

In the low season, many cheap hotels end up on Lido Island. The catch is that the residence of the Venice Film Festival is even farther from the center than Giudecca. The vaporetto ride from Piazzale Roma takes 30—50 minutes depending on the route. It is probably only worth stopping here for a beach vacation or to attend a film festival.

The Lido is a separate municipality. For a tourist it is noticeable by the presence of cars and bicycles: it is the only island in Venice where they can be used. They get here on special car ferries.

On Lido di Venezia, it is better to stay closer to the vaporetto stops. The island is quite long and if you choose a remote area, you will have to walk a lot. In low season, many hotels close down. Also here is probably the most expensive 3* hotel in Venice — Villa Cipro with rooms from 800 €: this is the case when you should choose not by price, but carefully look at the photos, not to pay for a mediocre hotel as for luxurious 5*.

Where to stay in Lido di Venezia:

Districts and hotels in mainland Venice

The municipality of Venice has several mainland districts where tourists often stay: Mestre, Marghera and Favaro Veneto. Mestre is the most convenient in terms of transportation accessibility of the island part. Less suitable for tourists is the industrial district of Marghera. For tourists by car, it may be easier to find a hotel with parking a little further away — in any town along the Venice — Treviso railway line.

Mestre

Often on travel forums the same myth is repeated: «Not in Mestre». In fact, it is quite a pleasant suburb, the most densely populated area of Venice. Mestre has a fairly large historical center, similar to many towns in the Veneto region — it is a 30-minute walk from the Venezia Mestre train station.

Mestre is a convenient place to stay for those who come by car. Parking on the islands costs from 25 € per day, and hotels on the mainland often offer it free of charge to their guests. Venice itself can be reached by bus or streetcar for 1.5 €, and by train for 1.4 €. How to get to Venice from the mainland

Mestre is also great for those who plan to visit not only Venice, but also travel through neighboring cities by train.

We stayed several times in Mestre in the same villa for 35—45 € per night for a nice double room with parking — almost free by Venice standards. Also in Mestre there are good restaurants and bars with adequate prices, where locals go.

From the historic center of Mestre to Venice is half an hour by bus or streetcar
From the historic center of Mestre to Venice is half an hour by bus or streetcar

Mogliano Veneto (Mogliano Veneto)

The town midway between Venice and Treviso, home to the region's second most important airport, is convenient as an overnight stay before leaving the airport.

Apart from Mogliano-Veneto, any town on the rail line between Venice and Treviso can be an overnight stop. The trains run several times an hour, the price to Santa Lucia station starts at a couple of euros, and the journey takes half an hour at most — so you can stop along the line in any town that has its own station.

Center of Mogliano-Veneto
Center of Mogliano-Veneto

Treviso

As much as I personally like the city of Treviso, I don’t recommend using it for an overnight stay «near Venice». I wouldn’t even mention it, but I know that many people choose it in hopes of living cheaply and traveling to Venice every day. That’s not the way to do it.

Treviso is a small city known mainly for its airport, where many low-cost carriers fly in, including those from Russia and Ukraine. The town itself is pleasant to live in — it is cheaper than Venice, has great bars and a bit of nightlife. After Venice and big cities, at first glance it seems provincial and poor on sights, however, if you are not in a hurry, one or two evenings can be spent pleasantly and cheerfully.

Treviso is good for an overnight stay before or after the airport, but I don’t recommend considering it for an extended stopover if you expect to travel to Venice every day. First, it’s far away: it’s a 40-minute train ride one way. Secondly, there are few hotels in Treviso, so they are quite expensive: you can’t find a good room for less than 80 € even in low season. Finally, a train ticket costs 3.7 € one way, which negates the possible savings on accommodation.

Treviso has canals too - they used to connect to the Venetian Lagoon
Treviso has canals too — they used to connect to the Venetian Lagoon