Where to stay in Venice
Venice splits into a car-free old city, an island with roads and a mainland town. The car sleeps in a garage at the edge of the lagoon, on the Lido or in Mestre, and a night anywhere in the comune lifts the access fee.
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How the areas differ
San Marco is the centre of a first visit: the piazza, the basilica and the Riva degli Schiavoni, busiest by day. Castello, east of it, runs to Via Garibaldi and the Biennale gardens. Cannaregio, between the station and Rialto, keeps canals such as the Fondamenta della Misericordia, the Ghetto and a lived-in feel.
Dorsoduro, across the Grand Canal, holds the Accademia, the Salute and the Zattere, and Campo Santa Margherita fills with students at night. Santa Croce, by Piazzale Roma, is the practical arrival point: the Ponte della Costituzione crosses to the station, and the municipal garage stands on the square.
Two areas have roads. The Lido is the barrier island with the beach, reached with a car on the line 17 ferry. Mestre, on the mainland, belongs to the same comune, with trains to Venezia Santa Lucia and ordinary parking.
Staying with a rental car
The road across the lagoon ends at Piazzale Roma and at Tronchetto, one stop back on the People Mover, which costs EUR 1.50. The municipal Autorimessa Comunale on Piazzale Roma has 1,906 spaces and a single rate of EUR 35 for 24 hours; booking online by midnight the day before gives a priority lane, and an evening from 17:00 to 05:00 costs EUR 15. The Tronchetto garage charges EUR 6 for the first hour and EUR 29 for 24 hours, again for each further day.
On the mainland, Park San Giuliano gives the first three hours free and charges EUR 12 for a day, but its Porta Rossa and Porta Blu areas close to traffic and parking from 02:00 to 06:00, so it does not work overnight. Ca' Marcello, near Mestre station, charges EUR 0.80 an hour by day and sells a monthly pass for EUR 18.
The Lido is the island in the lagoon with streets for cars. The line 17 ferry from Tronchetto carries a car up to 4.00 m for EUR 13 and up to 4.50 m for EUR 21; ask the rental company whether it allows the crossing. GetCar's guide Driving in Venice: Marco Polo and Treviso Airports, the A4 and the Causeway, Piazzale Roma and Tronchetto Garages, Mestre and Fusina, the Lido Car Ferry, the Access Fee covers the roads, the garages and the airports.
What the tourist tax, the access fee and registration mean for a guest
Venice charges its imposta di soggiorno per person per night for the first five nights only, and the hotel or host collects it. In the historic centre, Giudecca and the resort islands, hotels charge EUR 1.00 to EUR 5.00 from one to five stars, and B&Bs and tourist flats classed by lions EUR 2.00 to EUR 5.00. On the Lido and the other islands those rates are 20 percent lower, 10 percent for five-star hotels, and on the mainland 30 percent lower. Tourist rentals pay the same everywhere in the comune: EUR 5.00, EUR 4.00 or EUR 3.00 by the flat's cadastral group.
These are the rates from 1 February to 31 December; in January every rate is 30 percent lower. Children under 10 pay nothing and children from 10 to 16 pay a reduced rate. A guest who changes lodging shows the first receipt, so the five nights are not charged twice.
The access fee is a separate charge on day visitors to the old city. In 2026 it applied on 60 days between 3 April and 26 July, from 08:30 to 16:00: EUR 5 per person over 14 when paid at least four days ahead, EUR 10 later. Overnight guests anywhere in the comune, Mestre and the Lido included, pay nothing but must register on cda.ve.it and carry the QR code.
Every licensed stay in Italy, hotel or short-let flat, carries the national CIN outside the building and in every listing. At check-in each guest shows an ID card or passport, which the host registers with the police within 24 hours, and a 2024 Interior Ministry circular, upheld by the Council of State in November 2025, requires the host to verify each guest in person or by a video link at the door.
When to book what
The access fee runs on set days in spring and early summer. A night in the comune removes the charge, but the registration on cda.ve.it still applies on fee days, so do it before arriving. The city had not published a 2027 calendar in the pages read, so check it before an April to July trip.
The tourist tax is 30 percent lower in January, and the five-night limit favours a long stay in one lodging. The Piazzale Roma garage takes online bookings until midnight the day before arrival.
Which area for which trip
A first visit on foot: San Marco and Castello.
Canals and a lived-in quarter: Cannaregio.
Museums and evenings in a campo: Dorsoduro.
An arrival by car with luggage: Santa Croce and Piazzale Roma.
A beach with the car nearby: the Lido.
A lower tax rate and ordinary parking: Mestre.
Questions
Where does the car stay during a stay in the old city?
At the municipal garage on Piazzale Roma, EUR 35 for 24 hours, or at Tronchetto, EUR 29 for 24 hours, with the People Mover between them for EUR 1.50.
Do guests staying in Mestre pay the access fee?
No. Overnight guests anywhere in the comune, Mestre included, are exempt, but they must register on cda.ve.it and carry the QR code on fee days.
For how many nights is the Venice tourist tax charged?
For the first five nights of a stay, even when the guest changes lodging; the receipt from the first host carries over.
Is the Venice tourist tax lower in Mestre?
For hotels, B&Bs and classified flats, yes: 30 percent lower than in the historic centre. Tourist rentals pay the same rate everywhere in the comune.
Is Park San Giuliano an overnight option?
No. Its Porta Rossa and Porta Blu areas close to traffic and parking from 02:00 to 06:00. For a night, use Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or Ca' Marcello in Mestre.