Common questions

Are there any hidden extras not included in the rental price?

No, the rental price covers everything associated with your rental: all bedlinen, cleaning costs and utility bills are included.

There is one mandatory non-rental cost: we collect and pay to the Venetian authorities a Venetian Tourist Tax (imposta di soggiorno) of up to €10 per person (it varies according to age and season), passing it on without a processing charge.

There are optional costs: depending on whether you choose to use a credit card to pay us, you may need to add a transaction fee, detailed alongside the rental costs. And if you optionally choose to use the telephones in two of our properties, you have to record and pay for the calls you make.

Do you take an additional deposit against breakages?

No. We operate an honesty policy. If you break a small item like a plate or a vase, we have already factored wear and tear into our annual budget, although we like you to tell us so we know what we need to replace. In the unlikely event of your breaking a large item such as a chair or a bed or anything above the value of £80, we would require you to meet the replacement cost.

How near are your three homes to each other? Can we rent them together?

From front door to front door, Casa Tre Archi and Casa Battello are about five minutes’ walk from each other; Casa della Sensa is just under 10 minutes’ walk from Casa Battello. We are very happy for you to rent two properties together or all three at once. We have equipped Casa Tre Archi and Casa della Sensa to be able to seat 10 for dinner, so if you were to rent them together you would all be able to eat in one place. The only snag is that if one property is already booked we cannot alter our commitment to people who have already paid their deposit. But please do ask!

What can you tell me about cheap flights to Venice with EasyJet or Ryanair?

With canny advance booking you can get a return flight for around £90, although we have paid absurdly low fares such as £0.01 … £2.99 … £10 (plus taxes) … at times! The flying time from the various British airports that Easyjet, Ryanair and BMI use is about 1 hour 45 minutes. The only substantial difference between the two airlines is in the destination airport, although even Treviso (Ryanair) is only about 15 minutes further away from our homes than Marco Polo (EasyJet).

If you are hunting for the lowest possible fare, it’s also worth considering flights to places a little further afield. Ryanair flies to Brescia airport, which may not be as heavily booked as Treviso flights. Brescia is 2 hours 5 minutes from Venice by train, and the return train journey costs around £15. EasyJet also flies to Milan, just under three hours from Venice by high-speed train. And don’t forget that BMI, Thomsonfly and jet2.com are now offering low cost flights as well.

We fly to Venice about eight times a year and have not noticed any substantial difference in reliability/punctuality – all are pretty good. There have been some horror stories in the media about lost luggage and cancelled flights, but so far we have taken tens of flights with the main airlines and have yet to experience a significant problem.

The low-cost airlines offer the fares for each leg of your flight as a separate item, so you could return from a different destination to get a better price, a more convenient departure time, or to see another part of Northern Italy.

We supply you with details of all the low-cost airlines flying to Venice, as well as a handy map showing the airports near Venice, how long it takes to get from each one to our homes, and, for Treviso and Marco Polo, special guides as to how to get from the airport to Venice.

What can you tell me about getting to Venice from the United States?

Delta Airlines fly direct from the USA to Venice: from JFK New York to Venice Marco Polo. Otherwise, you can fly to Venice changing at the respective hubs of NorthWest (Amsterdam), British Airways (London), Lufthansa (Frankfurt), Alitalia (Rome) and Air France (Paris).

How near are your two homes to the major landmarks in Venice?

Near enough to be convenient, but sufficiently separate to provide a peaceful haven at the end of the day. One of the recurring comments from our visitors is how much they like the Cannaregio canal location. It’s worth remembering that Venice as a whole is small – the historic centre of the city could be more or less squeezed into Central Park, New York. Our homes are about 10-15 minutes from the railway station, 15 minutes from Piazzale Roma, 10 minutes from Madonna dell’Orto, 25 minutes from Murano, 20 minutes from Rialto, 25 minutes from the Accademia, and 20-30 minutes from St Marks.

Can I sleep six? There are enough beds …

There are enough beds, but because there is only one bathroom we feel that five is the maximum number of people who can use each home comfortably. We have equipped them accordingly.

Can I bring my pet?

Sorry, but no – one of the owners suffers from a pet hair allergy. Get in touch with us, and we may be able to recommend somewhere more suitable.

What is the Venetian Tourist Tax/Imposta di Soggiorno?

It is a new tax that all vacation rentals, hotels and any other forms of tourist accommodation in Venice and its locality must collect and pay to the city authorities. It raises about €20m a year which helps make Venice a more sustainable city for its permanent inhabitants. It is charged for a maximum of 5 nights and the most you will pay is €10 per head; there are discounts for young adults, children and low season.

I know someone who paid a lot for a terrible meal in Venice or paid €10 for a cup of coffee in St Marks Square – how can I make sure I don’t have the same experience?

Well, inevitably we would advise you to stay at our homes! ‘Probably no city in Italy has more bad overpriced restaurants’ was one writer’s verdict – and it’s true. But staying at our homes, you can certainly eat wonderfully well. We provide you with information about tried and trusted cafés and restaurants, from the trattorie to the five-star establishments, in the locality and further afield in Venice. We have found many delicious and reasonable places to eat; it’s just a question of knowing where they are! We also offer detailed information about where you can buy the best of Venice’s wonderful fresh food – most notably fish, vegetables and salads from the Sant’Erasmo island, herbs, spices, sweets and wines. Both kitchens are very well equipped with the means to prepare good food, and we have provided some well-loved recipe books. In other words, you can enjoy the best of both worlds – visit trusted, good-value restaurants, and prepare fine, fresh food from the market when it suits you.

I hear that Venice floods from time to time – how would this affect us?

Spring and autumn flooding – which usually consists of two or three inches of water creeping onto the pavements, except at the unfortunate St Mark’s Piazza – is not a worry for our visitors. We provide five sets of wellies in each home, so you can tramp through these puddles merrily. Casa Tre Archi and Casa della Sensa are not on the ground floor, so it would take a tsunami for water to enter either flat. Casa Battello’s ground floor is 30cm above street level, and the entire street outside stays dry even at exceptional tides up to 120 cm (about 60% higher than a typical high tide). If a disastrously freakish high tide were to happen, we have a flood-plate to put in place that will seal off the front door from the water – but nothing high enough to affect the property hasn happened since 1966 and while you’re staying in Casa Battello you’re more likely to have Silvio Berlusconi come round for tea than see a 1966 flood happen again …

Will I get your contact details before I book?

Yes – see our About us page for our postal address, and booking terms include our phone numbers.

You vary weekly prices according to demand – if I book, then you publish lower prices on your website, does my weekly price get reduced too?

Unfortunately not! Just like other travel businesses, as we approach months that have unsold weeks, we may vary the prices to be sure we are not left with any gaps. You are of course welcome to wait and book at the last minute. But if you want to book in advance, please be certain that the price you are booking at is right for you, as we do not vary the booking terms and conditions once you have signed up to them. Our side of the bargain is that of course we stick to the T&Cs too – so even if our local costs go up (for example, if the euro, in which our local costs arise, strengthens against other currencies), we do not charge supplements. And we check Venice market conditions each year to be sure that our undiscounted prices offer good value for money, in comparison with other self catering apartments and hotel rooms locally.

How do your prices compare with other rental properties in Venice?

When reviewing our prices each year, we target our weekly cost at £30-£70 less than the average for comparable vacation rental properties.

Most vacation rentals in Venice are available through agencies, who add about 25-35% to the weekly cost as their fee. Through this site you are dealing directly with the home owners; this means you benefit from our much lower administrative costs (and get the personal touch).

What coffee and tea making facilities do you provide?

We provide french-style cafetieres (glass) and italian-style Moka pots (aluminium), both of which make great coffee. We also provide an electric kettle and an English-style teapot.

Casa Tre Archi and Casa della Sensa cost more than Casa Battello – what do we get for the price difference?

The main differences are the location – Casa Tre Archi and Casa della Sensa have a wonderful, full-on view of very attractive canals – and the fact that in each you can sleep four people in their own bedrooms and still have full use of a very pleasant living/dining room. Moreover, both properties, being on an upper floor, enjoy a great deal of natural light through all their windows. Both also have a dishwasher and a telephone. However, as you will see from the visitors’ comments page, a wide variety of people have greatly enjoyed their stay at Casa Battello, so we view the difference as one between ‘very good’ and ‘even better’; we have great confidence you will enjoy a stay at Casa Battello! In terms of decoration, furniture and equipment we devote the same care to each.

You say that Casa Tre Archi is on an ‘important’ canal – does this mean it is noisy at night?

No, the lively traffic on the canal does not mean that Casa Tre Archi is a noisy location. It is in a secluded part of Cannaregio near the end of the canal, well off the tourist track. At night just about the only boats to ply the canal will be the waterbuses. Additionally both bedrooms are at the back of the apartment, not giving out over the fondamenta.

Which of your homes is best suited to a family with young children?

Casa Tre Archi or Casa della Sensa are better for very young children as they are on one floor and the children are at two removes from the canal (the flat’s front door, then the ground floor front door). If your child is before toddling age, we supply a child’s pushchair, travel cot and baby bath with changing mat (you would need to bring your own baby linen) on a first-come, first-served basis. However, families with older children (for example, over the age of eight or nine) have stayed in Casa Battello and greatly enjoyed it.

Either home is handy if you wish to take your children sometimes around the historic centre of Venice, and sometimes to the beach or to other parts of the lagoon. This is because they are in the historic centre but just five minutes’ walk from the Tre Archi boat stop whose line goes direct to the Lido – a journey of around 35 minutes, with vaporetti running every 20 minutes throughout the daylight hours. Most children (and adults!) are fascinated by the water bus system in Venice!

They are therefore ideal for combining beaches and art and history. They are also just up the canal from one of the very few parks in Venice – and this has a children’s playground.

We have supplied each property with a number of guide books, two of which (the Time Out guide and Venice for Pleasure )have thoughtful chapters suggesting how you can ensure children get the most out of Venice, but above all there is a delightful children’s illustrated picture book, Vendela in Venice , which explores the city from a child’s perspective.

Which of your homes is best suited to seniors?

All are suitable, but the pros and cons depend on your preferences and needs. In Casa Tre Archi and Casa della Sensa the bathroom is on the same floor as the bedrooms – some seniors say that this is important for them. Casa Tre Archi is on the second floor, so there are more steps to climb than there are in Casa Battello whose two floors are separated by a shorter flight of steps, or Casa della Sensa (first floor). Casa Tre Archi has permanent air-conditioning installed in both bedrooms (and we are installing the same in Casa della Sensa). Casa Battello has a portable air-conditioning unit that can be used either in the upstairs bedroom or sitting room, so for a single couple there is not much practical difference, but more difference between the two properties for two couples. Don’t hesitate to state your needs and ask.

I am a bit worried about the idea of having the keys posted to me – what happens if they don’t arrive?

If we can’t get a second pair to you in time, one of our local contacts will meet you when you arrive in Venice.

I want to visit Venice, but not from a Saturday to a Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. Can you make an exception?

In response to demand, when we added Casa della Sensa we made the changeover date a Sunday, so this will be helpful to some people. Other than this we do not vary the weekly changeover times or cost. Why? The reason is that this rule enables us to make the most efficient use of the house and the cleaner – which keeps our prices down and keeps us competitive. We realise it’s not ideal for everyone, but remember, if you plan to stay for a period that does not use up the full week or weeks, our homes may still offer better value than paying by the day for a hotel; it’s worth doing the sums. (For four or more people this can be the case even for a long weekend.) Since you have the key all the time, you don’t have to arrive or leave on a Saturday – only to be within the time framework given on the Venice reservation costs page. You could also consider a week sandwiched between flights and overnight stays that widen your holiday to include easily reached cities such as Milan, Florence – even Rome, just four-and-a-half hours away by train. (See our page about Veneto train travel information for journey times.)

What happens if there’s a problem – do you have people in Venice who can help us out?

Yes, but they speak Italian only, so typically we’ll ask you to call us first. Our cleaner visits weekly, and we also have a maintenance man who is available to organise and check repairs. Both these people are available if you lose the keys, for example. We are happy to act as the first point of contact, especially for guests who don’t speak Italian, to arrange help. For the unlikely event of medical emergencies we have supplied contact details for several English-speaking doctors in the house.

You offer wifi – what guarantees do you offer about its availability?

Unfortunately because of the complexities of the many different laptops, networks and connections, we can’t make any guarantees that wifi will be available during your stay. This is not because we have had any problems with it – we supply the password, and it works easily on Windows and Macintosh machines. Our caution is because we don’t feel it’s realistic or desirable to promise we can offer technical help if anyone does have problems accessing it. So in the very unlikely event that there is a problem, we offer directions to the nearest web café.

We are hiring a car while in Europe – can we park it somewhere near Venice while staying in one of your homes?

The wonderful thing about Venice is that no cars can get into the historic centre of the city. There are however car parks on the edge of the island at the Tronchetto. These cost around €18 per day. However, since both homes are just 10 minutes’ walk from the station, another possibility is to park your car for free on a street in a nearby town such as Padova and catch a train to the house. See our trains, planes and other transport links to Venice page for external sites that can offer more detail and advice.

Can I pay with PayPal?

No, we offer a secure debit and credit card payment system that we believe offers better value. Our service, provided by Cash Flows (regulated by the UK’s Financial Service Authority) has two advantages over PayPal: much lower fees to pass on to you, and, if you pay by credit card, the credit card guarantee. As property owners receiving payment, we find PayPal’s charges currently much too high to pass on to our visitors either directly or indirectly, and we consider Cash Flows a better solution.

How many steps are there to each property?

Casa Tre Archi: 25, with a landing half way up. Casa Battello: 2 to the front door, then 12 up the staircase from ground to first floor (it is the only property on two floors). Casa della Sensa: 20, with two landings.
If your question isn’t answered here, please feel free to email it to us from the booking page.