Worried about trip to Venice with kids… Anxiety taking over! Please help.

[WorryWorm1]

DH and I have been very fortunate to have had some lovely city breaks with our kids. On a bit of a whim, I booked a long weekend in Venice for us, which both children are really excited about.

However, since booking, I have read some things which have really worried me. My youngest is 6 and despite swimming lessons, is a complete non swimmer. She is very frightened in water. Will happily hop on a boat, but actually getting in is another story. I have read people saying not to take young kids to Venice due to the dangers of all the canals. Stupidly, this didn’t really occur to me when booking.

I do suffer from anxiety, and since reading this, my mind is doing somersaults and I’m now getting into a huge panic about the risks and worrying incase DD were to fall in.

Have I made a big mistake in booking this? If I cancel, we will lose a lot of money as the trip is non refundable.

Is this all just my anxiety taking over, or have I been really silly in booking this?

I’d say there’s zero chance of them falling in if you keep him close. Most canals are flanked by buildings so you can’t walk along them and the bridges mostly have walls / parapets. You’ll be fine.

Sorry her.

Yes, you are overthinking it all. I took my non-swimmer then 6 year old to Venice and never even thought about it. It’s not like if you have a toddler you never go to a town with a quayside or to the beach.

We had an absolutely wonderful time (and she was perfectly safe at all times around water).

Like this

Thanks @BitOutOfPractice and @mindutopia. That’s reassuring to hear. I’ve been really getting myself into a state, worrying about this.

This is your anxiety. What strategies or medication do you have for that?

Venice is an amazing place . Your 6 yr old isn’t going to be falling in to the canals unless you throw them off a gondola -

This is like saying don't go to London because she could wander into the street and be hit by a car. But she won't be, because you will keep her out of the street.

So enjoy your holiday! She'll have a great time and so will you.

Just got back from Venice with a 4 year old boy who darts here, there and everywhere as they do. The canals are there yes, but they aren't laid out such that your daughter is likely to fall in. There are railings, bridges, and wide footways. She will be fine, and so will you. Have fun!

They are not very deep , anyway.

Neither DH nor I can swim and we were there with our lively small child without it feeling in any way risky. I adored Venice.

Your child is six, not two. Do you really think they will run wild and launch themselves into a canal? You really need to find a way to relax.

It’s fine. It’s less dangerous than walking next to a road. And most of the streets aren’t right by a canal anyway, if you don’t want to walk next to water you don’t have to.

I don't recommend you to go on a gondola OP. On travel shows it all seems calm and serene. It really isn't. The gondolas rock in the wake of larger boats. Other than that it's quite safe.

We took two kids to Venice last year, neither particularly strong swimmers. I don’t remember anywhere where I felt they might have fallen in. They’d have to be really trying to do that. I wouldn’t give it another thought. You’ll have an amazing time. Our kids loved Venice and were far more interested in the ice creams and sweet shops than the canals anyway. I’m sure you’ll all have loads of fun.

Thanks everyone. That’s such a relief to hear. I was worried that the canals were more of a hazard than I’d anticipated but it sounds as though it’ll be okay.

You really need to find a way to relax.
Thanks for that! Unfortunately, for those of us with mental health issues, it’s not quite so simple.

Yeah we've been to Venice several times with the kids. First time was with a buggy - NEVER DO THIS. It was a nightmare because there are stairs everywhere. The canals are busy. Your children are very very unlikely to fall in the water and if they did the canals are so busy that they'd be fished out in seconds.

It isn’t that simple. That’s why you need RL professional help. I hope you’re getting that.

We went to Venice when our children were a similar age and they loved it! It's a beautiful city and car free so very safe to wander around. Have a great time!

The only ways to travel in Venice itself are by walking and by taking the boats, which are the equivalent of our buses and are very safe to get on and off, you just walk along the wide metal walkways they move across. The boats are very safe and fun to travel on.
The main negative aspect are the crowds of people.

We took our children aged 9,7 and 2 . It never crossed my mind that any of them would fall in canal. The biggest drama was the 2 year old dropping his dummy into the grand canal . It’s an absolutely beautiful place and the children loved it despite their age …enjoy.

YOur children are less likely to fall into a canal in Venice than fall into a road in the UK