You may think, given Venice’s reputation as one of the most expensive vacation destinations in Europe, that finding cheap Venice hotels will be difficult. It can well be, if you’re not aware of a few tricks and inside information that you’ll need in order to ensure that you don’t pay a premium price when your booking your Venice accommodation.

Granted, Venice isn’t a package holiday resort destination. That means you’re not going to find discounted vacation packages that aim to fill planes and hotels with family sunseekers and weekend revellers. The simple logistics and image that Venice projects doesn’t allow that (thank goodness!). Venice is quite simply an expensive place to be, whether you’re a citizen or a tourist. When you’re living in a centuries-old building surrounded by water where everything has to be transported to your home by boat, things are bound to be expensive.

At the same time, like everything else in life, if you research things a little, you find bargains. By ‘bargain’ I mean a good, clean hotel that’ not miles away from sightseeing hotspots, with friendly service at a below-average price.

Here are five tips on balancing your budget when you’re staying over during your holiday in Venice.

Venice hotels overlooking a canal will always be more expensive.

Don’t stay near Rialto Bridge or St Mark’s Square. These are the main tourist areas where most of the sightsteeing attrations are situated. It’s also the shopping district of Venice. All that means that it’s the area where you’d expect the most expensive hotels to be, and I don’t mean only five star establishments. You’re going to pay a premium either way, no matter what the star rating of the accommodation establishment in that area is. The nice thing about Venice is that getting anywhere by vaporetto is easy and quick, so that you’re never far from everything. I’ve stayed in places all over Venice, and have never felt like I was ‘out of the way’. You’ll find the best priced, good quality hotels in places like Canareggio, which is off the tourist circuit of Venice.
Stay on Lido island. Lido is only a ten minute vaporetto ride away from Venice, but you’ll get a large room (by European standards) and much more facilities than you would in Venice itself. Lido has much of the vibe of Venice, even though it doesn’t have Venice’s labyrinth of canals and alleyways.
Consider an apartment rather than a Venice hotel. You can often get twice the square meterage for the same price that you’ll pay for an en-suite bedroom if you book yourself a Venice apartment. I’d only stay in a hotel in Venice if I’m staying at a top class establishment, or a place with a view over a canal. Venice apartments offer much, much better value than hotels in the bottom range of the market. And you can treat yourself to a home cooked Italian meal, and coffee in bed!
Consider a stay at a convent. There are a number of convents in Venice that you can stay over at. These are religious institutions run by nuns, but who take in visitors for a reasonable fee. The accommodation there is normally quite spartan, but expect it to be very clean and neat. Don’t mistake the glumness of the nuns for bad service – it’s simply their way of going about things. One convent that comes highly recommended is Casa Caburlotto, about fifteen minutes from the Venice train station, or about 5 minutes’ walk from the Piazzale Roma vaporetto station.
Limit your eating out. Unless you’re a total foodie, is it really necessary to eat in restaurants ALL the time? Have one memorable evening out where you pick a good restaurant for a candle lit dinner. If you have extra cash or the budget for it, combine it with a gondola ride. The rest of the time in Venice shop at xxx, Venice’s best supermarket chain, for fresh breads and cheeses, some tasty condiments and bottle of good red wine, and make that your standard meal. You’ll be saving yourself a fortune, as restaurants in Venice are priced on the high side, even if the food is generally special.
Pick your season carefully. While Venice’s tourism season has been spreading out in recent years, holiday times are still a signal for hotels to up their prices by as much as 30%. Sometimes making your vacation a week earlier or later (especially in March and October) can make a hefty difference in the cost of your accommodation. The cheapest season in Venice is mid-January to mid-March.

If you’re young and adventurous, Venice and its surrounding islands also have a number of youth hostels and camping grounds to consider.

You may have heard people say that it’s much cheaper to stay over in Mestre, the mainland town just across the sea from Venice island. Cheaper yes, but believe me, you haven’t been to Venice if you haven’t stayed over at least one night on the island. The atmosphere at night, with lights glimmering and reflecting in the canals, is the best time to experience the true Venice – mythical, magic, and superbly romantic.