Cruising from Venice

Venice is an amazing city and should be on everyone’s bucket list of places to visit. It is also a major embarkation port for the majority of cruiselines, so much so that from November 2014 the number of large cruise ships entering the area is being restricted. This is in a bid relieve pressure on the city.

These changes won’t stop large ships from embarking in Venice but will lead to reduced capacity which invariably leads to higher costs. This makes 2014 a better option for your Venice stay and cruise.

Venice is easy to get to with flights being offered by the low cost airlines from London. Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Dublin, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands and Bristol. These are all on sale now and work in a capaity controlled basis, the more they sell the more the price increases.
Easyjet are currently offering a return ticket in July for between £100 to £150 per person by the summer they will be selling for over £350 per person.

Low cost flights mean that you can save money by booking your own flights, just don’t forget though that unless you book through a travel agent or have very good travel insurance you won’t be covered if you are delayed and miss your cruise. For this reason alone I would always suggest that you plan a pre cruise stay, instead of a post cruise one.

Once you have arrived in Venice there is a choice of places to stay and where to choose comes down to your budget. Venice Mestre is about 20 minutes from Marco Polo Airport and 15 minutes from Venice itself. Buses run frequently into the city and it is a much cheaper place to stay than Venice Island. Mestre also has it’s own square with a  selection of bars and restaurants.

On the outskirts as well there is Venice Lido, this is more of a beach resort and again offers cheaper accommodation. Ferries run frequently to Venice and take about 20 minutes to St Mark’s Square. These two options are fine as long as you have the time for travelling back and forth.

Alternatively Venice Island will offer you a canal front hotel and the conveniance of being right in the heart of one of the most romantic cities. Although it just a short hop from the airport you do have be aware of transfer costs, if you choose to take a private water taxi it could set you back 200 euros. There are water buses too though for around 13 euros each.

Once you get to Venice, there is plenty to see and do. You can tour St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace if you are prepared to queue, or travel out to the Murano glass factory and watch a glass blowing demonstration. Or just get lost and explore the miriad of side streets, there are pavements as well as canals, enjoy a gondola ride and take in the full flavour of the city.

I only had a few hours in Venice and absolutley loved it and I will definitly go for longer next time.