There were so many wonderful things about this house! I found it with short notice and it was reasonably priced. It's closest ferry stations are Ospedale, Celestia and F.te. Nov. and it's between an hour on vaporetto from Marco Polo airport.

The house in a quiet and safe residential area of Venice known as Castello. It's a little disorienting at first but it's easy to get around after a couple days. Licia (the landlord) kindly met me at Celestia and showed me around the neighborhood -- the closest supermarkets, churches and other local sites.

While the area is residential, it is on the main island of Venice and about a 15-20 minute walk to the Giardini, Arsenale and San Marco, and about 30 minutes to walk to the Accademia and Rialto Bridge. There are a couple nice cafes and restaurants in the area but I was more inclined to cook at home.

The house itself is great! You have to go up two flights of stairs and the entire space is an open plan. It really looks like the photos and is in fact shaped like a boat. It was made sometime in the 1400s or 1500s although the exact date is unknown. It's a brilliant mix of traditional and modern. It's incredibly warm and cozy inside.

The bedroom is the perfect size. I slept well every night and in the mornings you can hear the birds and boats.

Practically speaking, there is a fridge, stove, sink, working dishwasher and washing machine but no dryer so I usually dried my clothing outside or on a drying rack inside. There are also plenty of dishes, cutlery and pots and pans for cooking. There are sometimes mosquitoes at night, especially if you keep the windows open! Also another major plus is that the house is situated away from the flooding (aqua alta) so this isn't something you have to worry about. Be mindful though about returning: my best advice is to give yourself a couple hours before your flight leaves in order to pack, clean up and allow for mistakes/delays on the way.

Definitely recommend coming here, especially if you are are going for the first time like myself! xx