Last year, Venice was severely flooded in late October. The vision of hoisting my luggage over my head and being knee deep in water isn't my idea of a relaxing vacation! If I wanted to avoid the possibility of this happening at the same time this year, would Mestre be a reasonable choice for a hotel? My thinking is that I'm willing to travel from Mestre a little longer to get to the tourist sites in Venice if there isn't flooding, but if there is flooding, then I'd like to have the option of going by train to other tourist attractions that are nearby (Padua, Verona, Vicenza, Ravenna). Suggestions/comments are welcomed!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Staying in the very boring town of Mestre to avoid the slight chance of flooding in the most beautiful city on the planet would be a classic example of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, or tidewater in this instance. :-) The few times that there is flooding in Venice, it's almost always temporary (only a few hours) and rarely more than a few inches in the lowest places (which includes Piazza San Marco). Because Venice is built on tourism, and because "acqua alta" always comes with a warning, they set up raised walkways in the few places where it's needed. You'll be fine. Stay in Venice.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32709 posts
What Michael said.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
San Marco is one of the areas most prone to high water, and even that's generally not much. With a little research, you could find a less high-water prone area that's far more pleasant than Mestrae. I think Dosodoro is a reasonable bet. But regardless, the water is only high for a short period; in the worst case, it's just a matter to finding a place to settle in for a cup of coffee and a some reading/writing/people watching time.