Leonardo Royal Hotel Venice Mestre
Mestre - Via Ca' Marcello, 6
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Anyone who has organised a holiday in Venice without turning to agencies has been seized with fits of indecision when they discovered the existence of Mestre. Is Venice’s central station Santa Lucia or Mestre? Why do hotels in Venice Mestre cost so much less than those in Venice, is there a catch? But. Is Mestre Venice or is it another city?
These are all legitimate doubts but also easy to sweep away. If we speak of administrative reality, yes, Mestre IS Venice because it falls within the municipal territory of the Venetian capital. But if for the islands in the centre the lagoon is the natural habitat, for this locality little known to tourists it is only a sort of natural boundary.
Mestre is entirely located on the mainland: apart from the administrative ties, it is a world of its own that has nothing in common with the romantic city of gondolas, doges and Carnival. Don’t imagine a small town… we are talking about a medium-large city with 180,000 inhabitants and a dynamic economic-productive fabric. An emblem of the rich and industrious Veneto.
Is it worth staying here? What are the advantages of booking a hotel in Mestre instead of in the centre of Venice? Does it take that long to travel from Mestre to the islands? In this mini-guide to Mestre you will find useful tips and information to help you decide whether a base here is the best solution for you.
In the past, in the collective imagination of the Veneto people, Mestre was synonymous with traffic, smog and heavy industry. Things have improved, but certainly this portion of Venice on the mainland does not make the heart beat faster. So why on earth don’t tourists dismiss it out of hand?
Simple, because there are good practical reasons for choosing Mestre as a base for a holiday in Venice. Hotels and car parks are much cheaper, so much so that even if you add the money for the bus or train to the centre of Venice you can save considerably. Sometimes the savings are not only in money but also in time, because leaving your car in Mestre saves you the nightmare of looking for a free parking space in Piazzale Roma.
And then in Mestre you eat better while spending well. And if you want to hang around after dinner, you will have no difficulty finding open clubs and cultural events.
It may not be beautiful, but it could be useful. Keep it in mind.
The hotel offer in Mestre is very wide, with proposals for all budgets and needs.
Since many business travellers pass through here for business meetings or conferences, the majority of hotels in Mestre cater mainly for this demanding clientele. They are modern establishments from 3 stars upwards that are also well suited to tourists seeking comfort and services; some are part of famous international hotel chains.
They are located in strategic points, close to the station or motorway exits: the former are also perfect for holidaymakers, while the latter are only suitable for those who have no interest in travelling around the city.
Not interested in stars, just want to spend cheaply? Around the station you can find a good choice of budget accommodation, such as 2-star hotels and family-run pensions. Not all of them are of good quality, however, and there is no shortage of dubious accommodation, so when doing your research pay attention to the comments on cleanliness and safety in customer reviews.
Nicer are generally tourist flats, suitable for those staying for several days and families who want privacy and comfort, and B&Bs. In this case, it is good to pay attention to the location: make sure you stay within the centre-station area and do not end up in a residential area with few connections.
Why eat in Mestre when romantic restaurants with a view of the Grand Canal are so close by? There is a good reason: the restaurants in Mestre may not boast the unique charm of those in the centre of Venice, but in general their value for money is much better. No tourist traps, the restaurants in the area are frequented by locals and are a good option for those who want to enjoy traditional Venetian dishes without emptying their wallets.
There is a wide choice, with something to suit all budgets, ranging from simple trattorias with home cooking to upmarket restaurants offering more refined cuisine.
If you want to play it safe, choose from the best restaurants and pizzerias in Mestre that we have selected for you. The only caveat: as these are well-known and popular establishments with locals, reservations are recommended.
The top spot for a gourmet experience in the centre of Mestre is Casa Fortuna, a restaurant with a cicchetteria bar opened in 2014 but run by a family with decades of experience in catering.
It is the best place to enjoy typical Venetian recipes, including sarde in saor, baccalà mantecato, cuttlefish alla veneziana, and scallops au gratin. The atmosphere is elegant but not snobbish: the furnishings make extensive use of wood and natural colours, and the dining room has a splendid ceiling with exposed beams.
It is located right in the centre, a stone’s throw from the Candiani Cultural Centre and the IMG multiplex cinema.
Address: Corte Bettini 14 (lateral via Giorgio Ferro), 30174 Mestre (Venice)
Not far from Casa Fortuna is Osteria del Lupo Nero, another noteworthy restaurant serving typical Venetian cuisine. It too has a bar counter with a cicchetteria corner, perfect for a Venetian-style aperitif of spritz and cicheti, the Venetian equivalent of tapas. Meatballs, mozzarella in carrozza, baccalà crostini, trippa, nervetti… one cicheto leads to another and you can even dine like this.
If, on the other hand, you prefer to enjoy dinner comfortably seated at your table, you can choose fresh pasta dishes or homemade gnocchi, fried seafood or Venetian-style liver, and end on a high note with a dessert. The wine list, which is constantly updated, includes both local and international quality options.
Address:via Giorgio Ferro 21, 30174 Mestre (Venice)
Prefer a place with a modern design? Aim for Fermenti, a pizzeria restaurant popular for its excellent value for money and professional, friendly staff. It is a young but well-kept ambience both in its look and in its culinary offerings.
The menu is continuously updated with new proposals to ensure the freshness of the ingredients. The drinks menu includes a wide selection of both wines and craft beers.
The location is strategic: it is exactly opposite the centrally located Teatro Toniolo.
Address:via Cesare Battisti 13, 30174 Mestre (Venezia)
Where to eat the best pizza in Mestre? To this question many would answer ‘Da Pino’, a historic 100% Venetian place but with roots in Campania.
It is part of a chain of establishments in the Triveneto region founded in the 1970s by the pizzaiolo of Campania origin Giuseppe Giordano. All the restaurants in the chain use a special rotating wood-fired oven designed by Giordano himself that guarantees perfect cooking.
The Da Pino restaurant in Mestre is located in front of the Candiani Centre.
Address: piazzale Luigi Candiani 17/19, 30100 Mestre (Venezia)
Origins from Campania also for Fratelli La Bufala, another chain of quality pizzerias present in Mestre with a very popular restaurant.
Like all the chain’s premises, this one too is characterised by a sunny and cheerful design inspired by Mediterranean colours and customised according to the typical features of the area. If you are looking for conviviality, good prices and a quality Neapolitan pizza, this is the right place for you.
Address: Corte Marin Sanudo, 17, 30174 Mestre (Venice)
There has probably never been, and will never be, a tourist who comes to Mestre for the purpose of visiting the city. One comes here to visit Venice and for business.
However, if you are here and perhaps have a few hours before your next train or plane departure, you could take advantage of it for a walk in the centre. The outlying areas are rather sad and suffer heavily from the presence of factories just outside the city, but the centre of Mestre is not bad at all.
Piazza Ferretto, the nerve centre of social life, is the classic central square overlooked by elegant historical buildings. Prominent among these are the Palazzo Da Re and the Clock Tower. The most important streets of the centre start from here, including the classic pedestrian shopping street.
More unusual is Galleria Matteotti, one of the very few early 20th century iron buildings still standing in the Veneto.
Less fascinating but even more frequented than Piazza Ferretto is Piazza Barche, the main meeting point for the people of Mestre. The square is overlooked by the shopping centre of the same name, perfect for a little shopping or shelter in case of rain.
Outside the centre, an interesting attraction is Forte Marghera, a complex of star-shaped fortifications inside which concerts and shows are often organised. You can do the encore by also visiting the nearby Forte Carpenedo. For a cool-down, you can go to San Giuliano Park or the Carpenedo Woods.
Mestre’s dynamic cultural life has its landmarks in the Candiani Cultural Centre, a modern multifunctional space that organises various types of events, and the historic Toniolo Theatre. They are located in the city centre, about a 10-minute walk from each other.
Reaching Mestre is easy by any means and from any direction.
Most tourists who choose Mestre as a base to visit Venice arrive by car along the A4, a motorway that crosses the entire Po Valley connecting Turin to Trieste; for those arriving from the north, the reference motorway is the A27 Venice-Belluno. In both cases, in the final stretch, you must take the A57, once called the Mestre bypass, exit at the Venezia-Mestre tollbooth and follow the signs for the city centre.
Be careful not to confuse the A57 or ‘tangenziale’ with the Passante di Mestre: the latter is a variant of the original A4 route that allows you to continue along the main motorway without getting into local traffic.
If you arrive in Venice by plane, you can easily reach Mestre by a direct bus either from the main airport in Tessera or from the more distant Treviso airport (referred to by many companies as Venice-Treviso). In the former case the bus journey time is around 15-20 minutes, in the latter it is at least 50 minutes.
Getting to Mestre by train is really easy because its station is one of Italy’s main railway hubs. Almost all trains to/from Venice, including Intercity and high-speed trains, also stop in Mestre.
You can also reach Mestre by regional transport buses departing from the main cities in Veneto, including tourist resorts, and by long-distance buses with national and international destinations.
Parking in Mestre is definitely easier than parking in Venice, however it is a good idea to leave informed so as not to be able to leave your car in prohibited areas, to drive around looking for a free parking space or to pay an excessive price for a guarded park.
Free parking spaces in Mestre do exist but are located in peripheral areas about 10-20 minutes by bus from the centre. We do not recommend them because in order to save a few euros on parking, you waste a lot of time in unnecessary waiting and moving around.
The parking spaces in the centre are all with blue stripes for a fee: they are very coveted, so grabbing one is difficult, plus the hourly rates are not exactly cheap.
The most convenient and inexpensive solution is to book a parking space near the railway station or in the immediate vicinity of the centre by taking advantage of the low-cost rates reserved for online bookers. The best car parks offer a free shuttle bus service to the station.
Another option is to book a hotel with private parking: in some cases it is free, in others a small fee is required.
Below is a selection of proven private car parks in each area.
The centre of Venice can be reached from Mestre by crossing the Ponte della Libertà, a double bridge (road and rail) about 4 km long connecting the mainland to the island of Tronchetto and Piazzale Roma. From here on, vehicles can no longer circulate and it is therefore necessary to continue on foot or by vaporetto.
To cross the Ponte della Libertà you can take a city bus to Piazzale Roma or a regional train to Venezia Santa Lucia, the city’s main railway station. In both cases tickets cost a little more than one euro, rides are very frequent and the journey takes about ten minutes.
Trains generally run from 5 a.m. until midnight, while a night bus line provides connections 24 hours a day; however, we suggest checking the updated timetables on the official websites of the transport companies.
In theory, it is possible to reach Venice from Mestre on foot because the Ponte della Libertà has a pedestrian lane. However, it is not a very attractive walk because the road is long, all exposed to the sun and very busy.
If you want to do slow tourism it is better to take advantage of the bicycle lane: bear in mind, however, that in the centre of Venice bicycles are not allowed to circulate, not even carried by hand, so you will be forced to leave your two wheels in a bike park at Piazzale Roma. We recommend this only to keen cyclists.
What's the weather at Mestre? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Mestre for the next few days.
Mestre is located in the south-eastern part of the Veneto region and occupies a portion of the mainland overlooking the Venice lagoon. It is 4 km from the nearest islands in the historic centre, 7 km from Marco Polo Airport and 23 km from Treviso Airport.
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