May 20, 2013
We arrived in Venice and finally found our way to the apartment after an hour. We flew into the airport and took a Vaporetto (water taxi) into the city. You need to purchase your ticket at the airport before boarding the vaporetto. There is a ticket machine at the airport. We made the mistake of getting off on Fontamente Nuove. We should have gotten off at Ospedale because it was closer to the apartment. One thing we did wrong was bring a huge luggage. In Venice, there are many bridges and you must carry your luggage up and down the stairs. So, pack light, I'm not kidding! We finally arrived and carried our heavy luggage up some more stairs to the apartment and then another flight to our room. The room was very spacious, clean, and so nice. The restroom was also next door to the room and clean and roomy. We had alot of privacy. The location is about 15-20 minutes from St. Mark's Square. Also purchase a map at the airport before arriving in Venice. You will need it to walk to the main areas otherwise you will get lost. We met Silvia's mom and she was a gracious host. She made us feel comfortable and welcome. We appreciated her hospitality and the breakfast she offered us. The house is so beautiful and big. Wi-Fi worked well too and we were able to keep in touch with our families in the states through Skype. Unfortunately, we only stayed 1 day in Venice and never got to meet Silvia. But overall, we loved it and would recommend it again. Next time, we will bring less luggage because it will be a haul to carry it up so many stairs and bridges. We left the next morning to the train station on another vaporetto that took us through the grand canal which was nice but it took about 45 min to an hour. So give yourself plenty of time to get into Venice and get out of Venice. Enjoy your stay!!