Thanks to everyone for their opinions on the Continental and its location. Puts my mind at ease.

Bonnie J
In all the tours I have done with Insight, there has only ever been one hotel that has been unsatisfactory, from my point of view, it is the Astoria in Lucerne. Don't worry a bit about the Continental in Venice, it was really good. As I said I preferred the Hungaria Palace, but if you have not been to Hungaria Palace you are not to know the difference, if you know what I mean

Gen

Hi Gennevive,

I too have stayed in the Astoria in Lucerne but it was a couple of years ago and there were building works happening.

I just wondered what you didn't like about the hotel in particular? I was given a horrible room that was unacceptable to a non-smoker because of the overpowering odour. But I asked for another one and was given it although the staff were quite unfriendly.
I thought the room was about a 3 star but the bathroom was ok and the bed comfortable.

Langers
I did two tours a year apart and each time was allocated a room at the Astoria that had scaffolding outside the bedroom window, with workmen walking around in clear view. Not a great thing to wake up to in a morning, nor to have to put up with if you wanted to spend quiet time in your room during the day, as I did when I wanted to rest before getting ready for dinner one night.

On the second occasion I refused the room, I was not prepared to put up with this but on making my complaint, they did not have another room to give me so I was given a room at the Schiller which is two blocks away. This hotel was far more luxurious, large bedroom, huge bed and bathroom and carpet on the floor. The breakfast menu was also far, far better. This hotel had a lot of Trafalgar tours booked in it. I wonder why Insight does not use this hotel instead. My tour director and driver were also booked into the Schiller which surprised me, as I thought that everyone stayed at the same hotel. The only downside, was that I had to walk two blocks each morning to join my tour mates for the days tours, but what the heck, I enjoyed the excercise.

Also, I am a non smoker and have asked for room changes on several occasions because of the smell of cigarette smoke. The worst was in the Concord Embassador in Paris, which is a wonderful hotel, but if you are given a smokers room is a nightmare. The smoke permeates the bed linen and the curtains, I really can't understand why people are allowed to smoke inside hotel rooms. YUK! But then I believe that smokers do not have a sense of smell.
Gen

Hi Gennevive,

Thank you for your reply and I agree with you about the annoyance of the scaffolding. It completely obliterated any view of the daylight, but I was lucky enough to have no work men outside to wake up to.

The strong cigarette odour I agree with you and I could not stand to even enter my room. I immediately asked for another which I was not going to be given at first because there were no more double rooms so I settled for a single room because I was a single traveller (who had paid the single supplement).

I agree about the room being a bare 3 star standard and I hated no carpet on the floor. I am amazed that Insight would not use the other hotel permanently for the premium price you pay.

Thanks again for your reply.
Helen

Even though the Continential is old, I loved staying right on the canal in the heart of Venice. We sat by our window sipping coffee watching the boats go by in the morning from our room there, and it was priceless. I'd stay in a tent there for the location.. (ok, well, maybe not a tent!) And we could step out the door of the hotel and wander around Venice at night on our own without taking the train in. To me, that was worth the older hotel for a few nights.

Langers
(Helen)
When you pay the single supplement I feel it should entitle you to a double room and most of the time you do get one. I only had a single bed in Venice when I stayed at the Continental and in Rudeshiem in Germany when I did the European Explorer. Paying the single supplement I often got the room with the big double bed where couples would end up with two singles, which I thought a bit strange. All this talking about Venice is making me wish I were there right now, I love Venice. Soon enough though, I will be there. I leave on 31 August for my next trip to Europe.

Gennevive, I agree about paying the single suppliment and getting single rooms, but unfortunately more often than not, this has been my experience!

Wow, back again to Europe, you are lucky for sure and I know you love Italy. Where are you going this time?

I am going to London, Scandinavia (with an opposition tour company) and then a short 7 day tour of Europe (back to Paris for a quick visit, as it is my favourite city). Think this will be my last OS holiday so I want to see as much as I can.

And Venice, what a truly magical city, so romantic and enchanting, some day I will go with my darling (when I meet him) . Yes I am a big romantic and thats why I just LOVE Venice. I was there in Carnivale time, it was awesome.

Have fun and the best time ever

Hi Langers
I am doing two Easy Pace tours. Mainly because they go to the places I love. I know a lot of people would say why go back to places you have already been to, but if you love somewhere you just want to keep going back, but not neccessarily doing the same things. On the Easy Pace France tour we go three nights in Paris, and four nights in Nice, plus I get to go to Nimes for three nights. Easy Pace means I get a lot more time to myself and also if I decide to do my own thing it is not really a problem. I am also doing Easy Pace Itay, three nights in each Lake Como, Venice, Rome and Florence, four fabulous places and the same thing three nights in each city and I can choose to do as I please if I decide not to go with the group. I have basically already decided what I will forgo to do my own thing. I end up with four days in Florence on my own at the end which I am really looking forward to. I am hoping one day I will meet a Mr Right, though a little late in life for me!! Hopefully Italian I have quite a few really nice male friends there now!

I must have been really lucky then with my rooms in the past. Honestly, I have had the best rooms. Sometimes because I did complain about the smoke smell, but really I can't complain. I think the time in Lucerne was VERY stressfull, but that is really the only time I stood my ground and REALLY insisted they find me another room in the hotel. But as I said they found me a room at the Schiller which is their sister hotel (and so much better) I so am looking forward to my holiday this year. Work has been very stressfull this year

Hi Gennevive, my two sons are both nicknamed Langers so I chose my name to feel part of the family

You still have plenty of time to find Mr Right, and I agree, an Italian would be nice but can you trust them Me, I love France and have a nice french friend there!!

Do you know I did not like Florence at all when I first saw the city (full of graffiti), but I totally fell in love with it after the most wonderful local tour guide introduced me to the real Florence. Now it would be the first city I would return to, after Rome of course

I agree to go back to places you love, why not? And there are so many sides to Italy, I went in Feb, without crowds and with blue skies everyday. But summer would be amazing so I will have to go back then!! And to have free time is the best type of holiday, I had 3 days on my own in Rome and walked everywhere, even at night. But I totally loved Capri and Positano and would like to visit Southern Italy and Sicily.

I have yet to go to the Cote d'Azure but I will one day for certain. This will be my third visit to Paris and I can't wait

I just finished teaching nursing at uni and I have never been so stressed before, so I am really looking forward to my holiday. I know too how much you will be needing your time away so have a great time but of course you will