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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

Venice with 2 yr old

7 replies

babylily · 09/02/2005 12:13

We've booked to go to Venice when our daughter is nearly 2, and are staying just behind st mark's square.

Can anyone give advice on Venice with a toddler? She'll be on reins, but I'm thinking of all those canals to fall into, and is it practical to take a pushchair?

DH thought it'd be a romantice break to start trying for baby 2, but we realised that we didn't want to be seperated from our little girl for 4 days so decided to make it a family trip instead!!
Not sure how wise this decision was!

OP posts:

oatcake · 09/02/2005 12:16

hmmm, there are a lot of steps which go over the canals (thinking about the pushchair), but apart from that, as I remember there were very few areas which would be easy for a toddle to fall in to...

I've been once and it's the most wonderful, magical place, but I really don't think I'd enjoy it so much with a toddler...

at least the italiens like kids!

LIZS · 09/02/2005 12:25

There are loads of flights of steps. Perhaps borrow a back carrier if you don't have one instead. the paths are probably less exposed than you imagine, with less opportunity to fall in. Be careful on the water taxis and vaporetti though, especially if crowded. Have to say we left ds behind when we went.

MrsWobble · 09/02/2005 13:04

I had one of the best holidays ever in venice with two children aged nearly 4 and nearly 2. We took a buggy and bumped it up and down steps - it took longer than walking without one but we were on holiday and had plenty of time. we went in August when it was crowded but never found it a problem. My children had a wonderful holiday - we climbed the steps in St Marks every day to pat the horses (dd2 walked or was carried - we left the buggy at the bottom!). I hope you enjoy it. (PS. I had my third baby the following summer)

chocfreeclary · 09/02/2005 13:22

A friend of mine took her four children to Venice last year sometime, they were 7, 5, 3 and about 18 mo I think so she must have taken the pushchair.
It was when there were all the floods, she bought a pair ofwellies at the start of the holiday and ended up giving her husband a piggyback across the flooded pavemenet and she's a slip of a thingtoo...
Anyway, I think they had a wodnerful time.
Me and DH went pre-children and I would have thought it was fine, lots of steps and boats but just take care. Back carrier might be a good idea. And yes, Italians love children in restaurants, cafes etc so that's great.

Pidge · 09/02/2005 13:23

We thought about doing this in the autumn with our then 2.4 year old, but decided in the end to base ourselves in Verona with a day-trip to Venice. With a pushchair we did find the constant up and down the steps over the canals pretty hard work - but we have quite a heavy Mamas & Papas Pliko, plus I was 5 months pregnant and found all the lifting quite hard work. So would definitely recommend a backpack, or a lightweight pushchair.

On a positive note - eating out in Italy with kids is great and dd loved all the attention. And Venice is just amazing. In the afternoon we managed to get her to sleep in the pushchair and had a heavenly time pottering round one of the art galleries (can't remember which now).

Dd was walking when we went, and we don't have reins, but we didn't find the canals a particular problem. Obviously you do need to be alert, but no more than you would be with a toddler near roads.

Have a brilliant time!

Original poster

babylily · 09/02/2005 13:39

Thanks for your replies. I feel very excited now! I hadn't realised about all the steps so I think we'll take a little lightweight buggy rather than bother with our big 3-wheeler. I'm sure someone I know has a back-carrier we could borrow, but DD is a little pudding so will try it out here first!
Another question that's just struck me - are little ones free to get into museums, galleries, and on public transport (I think I read somewhere that under 4's were free on the vaporetto). We were going to get the waterbus from the airport to Venice, then while we were there maybe get a 2 day vaporetto ticket so we can spend a couple of days boating it around - although this might be a pain with a buggy I suppose!)

OP posts:

Pidge · 10/02/2005 09:29

babylily - we didn't have to pay for dd for either the boats or the galleries. And the boat trip was a great hit with our dd.

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