A cheap stay in Venice
Don’t expect to find any real bargains in Venice. It’s one of the world’s most popular destinations, and it’s built on small islands, so availability is limited and prices are consistently higher than elsewhere in Italy. You will be unlikely to find reasonable accommodation for less than €100 per night (for a double room), even off-season. On the plus side, hotels here are used to international guests and are usually decent and reasonably efficient.
When I refer to hotels as cheap or budget this is relative to Venice prices. Many of the cheapest places to stay, generally one and two-star hotels, are old-fashioned Italian pensioni. They are likely to be quite basic and some rooms – the cheapest – may have shared bathrooms. It is important to read the information provided by hotels before booking, and to be sure what you will get for your money. In the summer you will really need air-conditioning, which may be unavailable or cost extra in a budget hotel. Read the reviews written by other guests, particularly those who’ve travelled at a similar time of year: you should get a good idea whether the heating/air-conditioning is adequate, if the location is convenient, and just how basic the facilities are.
Note that some hotels’s prices are ‘budget’ because of their location and others because of their facilities. A basic one-star in Venice may be the same price as a comfortable three-star on the Lido. I’ve made our selection according to typical cost as well as star-rating. Prices vary hugely depending on season, too, so consider your priorities when planning your holiday. Choosing a quiet time of year will help if you want to save money: avoid busy times like Easter and the Carnival in February. If you’re prepared for the cold, January prices are about the lowest.
Alternative accommodation options
Many of Venice’s cheapest hotels are on the Lido, which is an island 20 minutes away by boat. You can also stay more cheaply in the mainland town of Mestre, but in my opinion that is a compromise too far. See our Where to stay in Venice page for a discussion of your location options.
B&Bs (called ‘bed and breakfast’ in Italian, too) are a fairly recent innovation in Italian hospitality. Sometimes you will find more comfortable rooms, nicer surroundings and cheaper prices at a B&B than you would at a budget hotel. In Venice even B&Bs are fairly expensive, but they can still be a good alternative to hotel accommodation and generally have more character. See our list of good B&Bs in Venice. Renting an apartment can also be cheaper than staying at a budget hotel, especially for longer stay. Having the facilities to cook your own meals can save a lot of money.
Recommended budget hotels
Although I’ve listed a few suggestions below, the best way to find a good budget hotel is to search by availability. If you use this link to find accommodation for your dates, then rank the options by price, you’ll then find the cheapest available. I’d then recommend using the menu on the left of the search results to refine your search to display only options with a certain rating from past guests (I’d go for 8/10 and above; you could consider 7/10 if you’re keen on really lowering the price). Then check the location is acceptable to you, and read recent reviews. Several hotels I would class as mid-range do, in quieter months, offer prices which can compete with budget hotels, while the standard of cheap hotels can vary over time, so you should find a better option by using this method than by aiming for a particular hotel.
> Venice hotel availability search
Hotel Tivoli **
Hotel Tivoli is a two-star budget hotel in Dorsoduro, central Venice. There’s no romance or glamour on offer, but it is a clean and efficient place to stay, and pretty good value for money. I stayed there once, years ago.
> Read my hotel review
> More information/make a booking
Hotel Mercurio **
For a two-star hotel this has quite reasonable reviews from past guests. The popular and friendly hotel is in the San Marco area, not far from St. Mark’s itself, and so makes a convenient base for the principal tourist sights. Rooms have en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning, but note that the building lacks a lift.
> More information / make a booking
Locanda Salieri *
Venice is one of only two or three places in Italy where you could find yourself paying over a hundred euros for a room in a one-star hotel at peak season. That said, the Locanda Salieri actually offers good value by Venetian standards, and is a clean, pleasant, simple hotel for travellers on a budget. It is on an attractive small canal around the corner from Piazzale Roma, Venice’s land and water transport hub, and a short walk from the railway station. This is a great location for travel and for exploring the sights on this side of the Grand Canal, including the galleries, cafes and bars of Dorsoduro.
> More information / make a booking
Hotel Caneva *
This one-star is a popular choice and is quite close to the Rialto Bridge. Like the Salieri (above), some rooms have views over little canals. Otherwise expect simple and basic standards; the cheapest rooms don’t have private bathrooms.
> More information / make a booking
> See our listing of Venice B&Bs
> Full Venice hotel search
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