Mentioning the words budget and Venice in the same sentence will normally get you the stare reserved for those who sit in the backs of buses and argue with imaginary antagonists. But you don’t have to drain your
child’s college fund to enjoy a few days in Venice without bunking with an Eastern European soccer team.The secret to budget travel is knowing when and where to cut costs and when and where to splurge. Budget accommodations in Venice are available. And no matter what guidebooks tell you, they’re all about the same within the various price ranges. Location is important and that should be the driving force in any decision. Do you want to stay next to St. Mark’s or near the train station? A quiet residential area a long walk from the action or perhaps on Murano or out at the Lido?
There are often more visitors than rooms in this tourist attraction of a city. I talked to several people in the business: bartender, doorman, desk clerk, and manager. They all agree that the season is virtually year-round now. There is a two-week window of opportunity abandoned by most tourists. I’m not telling anyone when that is so that I can have some relative peace and quiet on my next visit. This is the one place in the world where a reservation is helpful. I never make reservations ahead of arrival. I like to stay flexible. In late October, I had to make four calls before I found a hotel with an empty room. We stayed next to St. Mark’s and then across the Grand Canal in the somewhat quieter Dorsoduro section of the city.
Our first stop was the famous, romantic hotel Metropole which is down the Grand Canal just a couple of hundred feet from St. Mark’s Square. It is here that Vivaldi taught music and wrote The Four Seasons.
Published by john atkinson I spend my time traveling and playing tennis while occassionally writing. I have had one play produced and sold one screenplay. I have published several pieces in magazines and newspapers. Presently I div... View profile
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