Train travel through France and Italy - mobility impairment?

[DooHickey1010]

I'd really like to take my Mum to Venice, she is mid 70's with impaired mobility. She refuses to fly or go on a boat but can manage train travel quite comfortably.

A quick glance on Train Line shows that we could go via Lyon and then onto Venice and I would want to do this over two days with an overnight stop.

I just wondered whether anyone had done anything similar and had any ideas or tips for the journey? If we could stop over for just one night then that would be preferable - does anyone have any recommendations of places to stay in Lyon? It would need to be a taxi ride away from the station.

Also, when I've been to Venice in past with my husband we have flown and taken the water taxi from the airport into Venice but my Mum wouldn't manage to climb in or out if those.

She'd manage a Vaparetto as they are nice and flat walking on/off but I don't know whether they pick up from Train Station so just need to plan that too, how to get from Station to central Venice without having to climb into or out of boats.

Any experience would be really appreciated - plenty of time to plan as aiming to go Autumn 20 x

Eurostar with a wheelchair was one of the easiest journeys we have done. St Pancras - Brussels Midi. No problem with the onward journey either except we did not really leave enough time when changing trains at Frankfurt (we were going to Munich). Basically the main lines are geared up for mobility impaired travellers and the only real advice I would give is to make sure you leave a lot of time for changing trains. We now tend to leave an hour between connections - even if it does mean we have to sit in station cafes for a bit (the one at Brussels Midi is great!)

I'm not sure Venice is a good idea if she won't get on boats!

There's a vaparetto stop just outside Venice St Lucia station which is the central station.

How will she get around Venice? Most bridges have steps rather than slopes.

www.comune.venezia.it/en/content/accessible-venice-map

A word of warning, some Italian trains have steps up, as in I struggled in a short tight dress. The platforms are much lower than in the U.K. I experienced the same in Portugal. It's a shame she won't get on a boat because a cruise would be far easier for her, they are set up for mobility issues