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Holidays

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

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Original poster

Anyone with experience of young DCs in Venice?

20 replies

callmemadam · 15/01/2008 19:32

I know Venice very well as a city, but we have never taken dcs. We are thinking of going there in April and taking all four dcs as a treat. DD2 (the youngest) will be 6 in May. She's fairly sensible, but hypermobile and quite lively. Are we mad? Has anyone taken young children to Venice and enjoyed it???.

OP posts:

Tinker · 15/01/2008 19:35

My eldest was 6 when we went to Venice. It was great, really good age to go. Even better if older. I only wouldn't go if you were still reliant on a pushchair. And you're not so go!

Leslaki · 15/01/2008 19:49

Read this with interest as going near Venice in August with 6yo ds and 5yo dd! Thanks for your comment Tinker! We will enjoy even if we can't afford a go in a gondola!

Tinker · 15/01/2008 19:50

I should clarify that my youngest was not yet born at that stage.

Original poster

callmemadam · 15/01/2008 21:43

Oh thanks, Tinker! Can I just ask - did you do anything in particular with your dc, or was he/she just happy to mooch around with you?

Leslaki - don't worry about the gondola - overpriced and overhyped! Your dcs will have as much fun on the vaporetto - the ferry bus, which constantly go up and down the main canal routes and are reasonably cheap.

OP posts:

PeachesMcLean · 15/01/2008 22:03

Bumping as I'd like to know too.
What were the best bits for a child? (apart from pizza and ice cream of course)

Tinker · 15/01/2008 23:15

Very happy to mooch I think. We went in February - very very cold but bright and sunny. We went to Murano (the glass-blowing factory) and Burano (very cutesy island nearby) - liked both of those. Also went to Padua but it seemed to be closed so didn't stay long. Realised we had missed some Very Important Things To See afterwards but never mind, it was a train trip.

Lots of pizza and pasta and ice-cream so child heaven really. Lots of walking though. Never did a gondola, just used the water buses. And then looked round the sights in Venice itself. Didn't go to Lido but that's be soemwhere to go. Also never went to teh island which is a cemetary but think that would be pretty interesting.

Get day passes for teh water buses and just get on and off where you fancy in teh lagoon.

Enjoy; it's wonderful, liek nowhere else on earth. Really quiet because of teh lack of cars.

soapbox · 15/01/2008 23:21

We took ours when they were 5 and 7 yo, and we had a fabulous time.

They loved the water buses, loved the ice cream and pizza and just enjoyed meandering around.

The apartment we hired had a roof terrace overlooking the grand canal, so much of the time was spent hanging over the balcony looking at the police/fire/building boats!

We did a day at the Lido, which was fun. We went to the Guggenhiem museum (DD was doing Andy Warhol at school so went to see some originals).

I think they just enjoyed wandering about most of all - happy to just walk and take it all in!

Albert · 15/01/2008 23:28

I lived in Venice for 3 years when DS was 3 - 6 years old and have to say that it is probaly safer than living in a city in England. Along the edges of the canals is a white marble strip and we just drummed in the fact that you mustn't walk on it. I never saw a child fall in the water, only drunken tourists. I think it's great for kids, go for ice cream, pizza, water buses (don't bother with a gondola - tourist rip off), visit the fish market, the cemetry island, the glass blowing on Murano, hire a pedal car/bike on the Lido. It's great, you can't go wrong.

Scramble · 15/01/2008 23:48

I was there last year with DC age 7 and 10 at the time. We went for the day from Lake garda on the train.

They loved all the little streets, the shops full of masks, the places in the film Casino Royal, all the different boats like builders boats, police boats, ambulance boats.

We went on the boat bus, which kids enjoyed even when we got one going the wrong way, got off on another island so DD could go for a pee (behind some big bins) then got it back to the main canal again.

I would love to take them back again and they are keen too, flying out with ryanair could make it a cheap trip.

PS I didn't worry about them falling in, streets weren't too busy in April.

Ellbell · 16/01/2008 00:07

Went to Venice in October with my dds, 7 and 5. Had a fab time. They loved just wandering about and taking it all in. We had acqua alta when we were there, which was a bit of a PITA, but they thought it was fab. Sheltered from the torrential rain in the Guggenheim and they liked it in there too - especially the statue of the chap on the horse looking out over the Grand Canal... I think he's officially called L'angelo della citta', but he's known and fondly remembered in our house as 'Willy Man' (all very 'high culture' in the Ellbell household ). We also went to the giardini pubblici down near where they have the Biennale (near the Arsenale) one day and that went down well. They also liked an exhibition of Leonardo's machines (interactive models)... not sure if that'll still be there this year though - it was in a church in Dorsoduro somewhere (S. Barnaba'?). Will come back if I think of anything else. Also maybe put a call out for Rosa - she lives in Venice and will have good ideas.

Ellbell · 16/01/2008 00:11

Willy Man

Original poster

callmemadam · 17/01/2008 18:10

Fantastic - thank you all soo much - I have been several times but I am still nervous about introducing my children to it - in cse they don't love it as much as me!!!.

Fab tip about the white marble - I will deffo do that with youngest.

Re Willyman - when I was last there I positioned myself in one of the Guggengeim windows and had endless fun watching elderly (mainly American) tourists exiting the dood, and then suddenly clocking the statue! All the women did the same thing - out came the camera and exclamations, followed up by happy snapping, getting closer and closer . Most of the men strolled down to the water's edge and pretended not to care! Top tip is to buy lots of the postcards to send when you're back in the UK as it is a much better shot than can be achieved by most of us! Make great thank you cards etc.....

OP posts:

Rosa · 18/01/2008 18:16

Hope all questions answered I live in Venice so if can help just shout. Good infact GREAT book to get is Venice for Kids I think Amazon was selling it if not it is available in most Venice book shops but Goldoni just off San Luca will have it for sure.

Original poster

callmemadam · 18/01/2008 20:50

Rosa you Lucky Lucky woman!

OP posts:

Wolfgirl · 18/01/2008 20:53

ah Venice. dont talk of Venice around my mother. seems I ran away from her in Venice at the tender age of 10. Must of strolled off for an ice-cream or summat! Have utterly no recolation of Italy at that age.

Keep em close is my advice, else you will be reliving the ice-cream/wandering off story till the cows come home

melpomene · 18/01/2008 21:01

We had a day there in June. It's a nightmare with a pushchair (lots of steps), but fine for a 6 year old I would have thought.

We had fun feeding the pigeons in St Mark's Square (I have a lovely photo of dd2 with a pigeon on her head.)

I really didn't like the water bus though: we were packed like sardines, couldn't see out of the window and it was stressful trying to keep hold of the dds and not fall over. With hindsight I wish we'd tried a gondola.

Tickle · 18/01/2008 21:05

we camped on the Lido with our 2 eldest when they were 5 & 3... loved it. Just enjoyed the water bus and walking around.

now we have 4 dcs and youngest is 2... might wait a couple of years

Have a great time!

Leslaki · 20/01/2008 13:56

Gonna hi jack here - sorry!!! I'm looking for a company which does transfers from venice airport to caorle. The cheapest company is onthis website:
www.daytransfers.it but I've never heard of them beafore. just wondered if any of you who have been to venice and know it well can tell me if they area decent co or not. IE are they actually gonna be there to pick us up?!! Also if you know any companies that do the transfers can you please recommend?? Thanks!

Rosa · 21/01/2008 12:50

Try Master Limo .. Think its www.masterlimo.it They are reliable I can vouch for that . Or try Belt Limo again think its www.beltlimo.it or .com
Never heard of day transfers to be honest.

Leslaki · 22/01/2008 10:28

thanks Rosa, they seemed to cheap to be true!! Will look up your recommendations.
Apparently there is a bus stop outside our campsite which goes directly to Marco polo airport. Do you think it would be easy enough for us (with bags and 2 los - 5 and 6)to get out the airport and track down the exact bus taht stops outside our campsite??? DH tthinks it's impossible, I think we'd be fine as I used to travel a lot in my pre kids days but don't want to have the stress and nightmare of arriving in a boiling hot August day with tantrumming kids and a p***d off DH unable to find a bus!

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