We enjoyed our stay in Maria's place in Venice - it was right over the bridge from the train station, off the beaten track away from the "touristy" places like St. Mark's and Rialto. This is both a pro and a con depending on how you look at it. When we first got there it was nice to be home immediately. We did get lost a lot, also could be a pro or con! LOL. We stumbled on a lot of places we wouldn't have otherwise and ended up pretty much seeing all of Venice either by foot, gondola or Vaporetto. However if you want to live in the heart of the action, this location isn't for you.