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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Venice with 4 children

8 replies

wizzysmum · 04/08/2004 08:02

We're going to Venice Lido with 4 children aged 10, 8, 7 and 6 months. Has anyone any tips on museums etc that have been hits with their children?

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albert · 04/08/2004 08:31

I live in Venice with DH and DS who is 4 so I can tell you for that age group, not quite what you are after but at least a good start. Lido has the only beaches in Venice but most are private and you have to pay a daily entry fee if you don't have membership but you do get the use of showers, cafes, parks etc depending on the beach. There are a few public beaches which the locals avoid because they say they are dirty although tbh I find them perfectly OK although lacking in shade - it is very hot and sunny here right now. Lido has some great bikes which seat 2,4 or 6 people and you can rent by the hour, get the kids to peddal so you can relax a bit. Definately visit the Doges palace with it's dungeons and prisons - the kids can hide in the cells. Go up the clock tower in St Marks or the one on St Georgio Maggiore which is the island opposite, great views, DS loved it. There is a tiny natural history museum which is free because really it is under renovation but has a dinosaur and an acquarium (over grown fish tank really). The morning fish market at Rialto is also a surprising success (not on Sat, Sun or Mon). The kids can eat their way through a ton of wonderful icecream whilst you try out the incredbly cheap wine, and of course pizza and pasta galore! Have a great trip and let me know if you need any help.

expatkat · 05/08/2004 00:35

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Original poster
wizzysmum · 05/08/2004 10:26

Thanks both of you for the ideas. We'll definitely go up a clock tower and I think the cells at the Doges Palace will appeal to DS aged 7!
Other than that hanging about by the pool and on the beach will probably be the main pastime though we'll take sketchbooks for wannabe artist DDs... Sometimes as a teacher I have to pinch myself to stop every holiday turning into a cultural experience and just enjoy myself!!
We're off tomorrow so will let you know how it goes.

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MrsWobble · 05/08/2004 10:34

We had one of our best ever family holidays in venice when our children were 4 and 2. We stayed on the Lido and generally spent our mornings in Venice proper and afternoons at the beach. We made daily trips up to the top of St Mark's to pat the horses, ate loads of icecream and, as a highlight, had a gondola ride. Very expensive but it made a real impression on my 4 year old - months later she was still drawing pictures of gondolas. I am very envious of you - it's a fabulous place and I'd love to go back now my children are older (the same ages as yours more or less)

Tissy · 05/08/2004 10:38

wizzysmum, I am very jealous, Venice is my absolute favourite place in the world! As well as the other suggestions, I would get a vaporetto out to Torcello. The basilica there has some really fantastic mosaics, which would probably appeal to your older children, as there are scenes of hell-fire and damnation- people having their heads chopped off, red-hot pokers up the bottom etc. Murano has places where you can watch glass being made- I think the children would probably enjoy that.

wilbur · 05/08/2004 17:15

This is great - we are off to Venice for a long weekend in early October with ds who will be 3.8 and dd 18 months. I will make a note of these suggestions, definitely. Wizzysmum - if you find somewhere really fab when you get there, could you possibly add another note about it to this thread? Thanks!

Original poster
wizzysmum · 06/08/2004 11:18

Thanks for all the great suggestions - will let you know how we got on when we get back next week.

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Original poster
wizzysmum · 02/09/2004 17:12

Venice was great. To be honest we spent a lot of time at the hotel at the beach and pool and alternated between visiting the city in the evening and eating at restaurants on the Lido. There was a shuttle from the hotel to town which made travel easier and the baby got lots of attention! The buggy wasn't easy - we took the BabyBjorn but it was far too hot to use it for long. Though it was my fourth visit I'd never really noticed all the steps on the bridges before. If it had been my first visit I would have been frustrated at not being able to see all the sights but I resisted the temptation to drag the children round too many historic places!!
Highlights: Water Taxi to hotel (ride up to Excelsior is stunning) - ds thought he was James Bond! I know it's expensive but I've learnt from experience that I enjoy my holiday more with the quickest way to get me, dh and 4 children out of the airport and checked into a room!
Seeing the gondola workshop near Zattere and watching a learner aged about 16 practising.
Just wandering around, and of course all the delicious ice cream. Lots of moans now we're home about lack of choice in supermarket!

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