Where To Stay On A Budget In Venice - The 2 ONLY Viable Options
If you’re wondering where to stay on a budget in Venice, you’ve probably noticed that Venice is an expensive city.
Hotel prices are among the highest in the country and even a cup of coffee in San Marco, the city’s tourist epicenter, is crazy expensive.
Does that mean you can’t stay in Venice on a budget? Absolutely not.
Having visited Italy countless of times, including Venice, I’m pretty confident to give you the right answer to your question.
In our article on the best areas in Venice for first-time visitors, we have recommended five great areas that are suitable for all types of tourists.
Some of them are budget-friendly, but many aren’t.
For the other not-so-budget areas, check out that article as it contains valuable information about Venice attractions.
But in this article, I shall solely recommend areas where you can find reasonably priced hotels to enjoy Venice on a budget.
As always, each recommended area comes with its advantages and disadvantages and these are summarized at the end of each section.
Comparing these summarizations will make it incredibly easy for you to make the right decision.
With that said, let’s get straight to our recommendations.
What are the best areas to stay in Venice on a budget?
The best areas to stay in Venice on a budget are Cannaregio and Castello.
Both areas are located further away from the main attractions, on the outskirts of the city.
Venice is an expensive place, especially when you stay overnight. Hotels around the tourist epicenter are never cheap, so you should choose one of the areas that are a little bit away from the tourist epicenter.
To be clear, both areas we recommend in this article are tourist-friendly. That means you have a wide variety of affordable hotels to choose from and you can reach the main attractions on foot or by taking one of the boats. A fifteen to twenty-minute walk will take you to the most important parts of the city.
The best areas to stay in Venice on a budget are:
1. Cannaregio
Cannaregio is the area furthest from the main attractions. It is the second largest district in Venice and home to the largest local population. That means you will witness the daily life of the Venetian locals.
As you have direct access to the Venice Santa Lucia train station, it is very convenient that you do not have to travel far with your luggage once you arrive or are about to leave Venice.
Especially in the northern parts of Cannaregio, there are much less people than other parts of the city, which means you can enjoy a romantic dinner by the canals without anyone bothering you.
And when you walk along the canals towards the city center, you will find many unique bars where locals enjoy a small bite and a glass of wine after a full day of work.
There are a few tourist attractions, but the main ones are in San Polo, San Marco, and Dorsoduro. And to get to these parts, you have to walk quite a bit or take the boat.
But exploring Venice on foot is something we highly recommend, as this city has unique architecture to offer that you won’t find anywhere else.
The famous Venice Casino is located in Cannaregio, but you should also keep an eye out for highlights such as the Church of Madonna dell Orto, the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, the Ghetto Ebraico, and Ca’ d’Oro.
2. Castello
While the old Cannaregio is considered the most budget-friendly area of Venice for tourists, Castello is a bit more upmarket but also offers a good range of budget hotels. Like Cannaregio, Castello is much less crowded than areas like San Polo San Marco as there are no major attractions in this area.
Castello used to be the maritime centre of Venice and you will find old ships and historic industrial plants in this part of the city, which are worth visiting even if you are not staying in Castello.
It is also the area where the Venice Biennale is held throughout the year, including the Venice Film Festival. (During that time, it is difficult to book a hotel in this part of the city.)
Like Cannaregio, you can witness the daily life of the people of Venice, but the biggest difference is that you are located much closer to San Polo and San Marco if you stay in the western part of this area.
However, the closer you stay to St. Mark’s Basilica, the more expensive the hotel rooms will be.