I hade four great days in Venice. Stefano at the B&B was always friendly and helpful. There are four rooms for rent and I had a small single room viewing a courtyard. The room was clean and the courtyard quiet. The two bathrooms looked newly renovated and they were absolutely spotless. You can come and go as you want and I never felt unsafe in Venice.
Since no one lives on the first floor in Venice due to the repeated floodings, you have to carry your luggage to the second or third floor. Nothing for the disabled, but this goes for the whole Venice. Breakfast is served in your room between 8.30 and 10.30 (at your choice), and consists of a couple of crispy biscuits, a croissant, tea/coffee, youghurt and juice. Not overwhelmingly but enough to get the day going. Considerably better than the B&B breakfasts I had on Sardinia where nothing fresh or cold was served. The free wi-fi worked fine all the time.
The hotel is in between San Marco square and Rialto, thus close to everything in the San Marco district. I bought the 7 day vaporetto (waterbus) ticket, but ended up walking most of the time. Bring a good map (ask Stefano) and just wander around. You will always get lost but that doesn't matter. The small jewel photo ops come in narrow off-street locations. I felt like transported back in time, very fascinating. Don't miss the Dorsoduro district with its bars and younger crowd (if that is your cup of tea). Campo San Margherita is obiously one of few places where kids can play, because this was the only place where I saw kids and familys.
Everything is expensive in Venice. I opted for a cheaper standing lunch in one of the many "hole in the wall" Italian snack bars. The only thing I just had to accept to pay up was the gondola ride, but it was worth the money. 80 Euro for a 30 minute ride was the standard price, seemingly set by the City Council. Night time is more expensive. Bring wine, cheese and bread if you want.
- Casa Della Corte Venice
