Venice's mainland suburb is only minutes from the city by train.
Mestre is on the Venetian mainland, at the foot of the car and railroad bridge that leads to Venice's historic center.
Mestre and its neighboring district of Marghera are of more interest to residents than to visitors, but they're convenient places to stay if:
- You're departing or arriving in Venice on an intercity express train that stops at the Venezia Mestre railway station (requiring a change of trains to reach Venice's main Venezia Santa Lucia station); or...
- You have a car with you and don't want to pay Venice's high parking rates; or...
- You want to save money on a hotel. (Hotels in Mestre and Marghera tend to be considerably cheaper than hotels in the city center.)
If you decide to stay in Mestre or Marghera, we strongly recommmend booking a hotel near the Venezia Mestre train station.
- Tip: The Hotel Bologna, Hotel Plaza, and Hotel Tritone are directly across from the station.
For other places to stay, see our Mestre hotels page.
Transportation to Venice:
- From the railroad station, you can reach central Venice by train in 10 to 12 minutes.
- ACTV local buses and the No. 1 tram also run between Mestre/Marghera and Venice. Your hotel receptionist can point you to the nearest bus or tram stop (and possibly sell you tickets for the trip).
