Venice disabled 84 yr mother
Jul 8th, 2007, 05:52 AM
#1
Venice disabled 84 yr mother
My partner wishes to take her disabled, (short walk possible) mother to Venice in the autumn. Looking for appartment or small hotel with easy access from airport and into accomodation with possibility of hiring assistant (to push wheel chair) or rent electrical wheel chair. Any ideas?
Jul 8th, 2007, 06:32 AM
#2
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This is a really hard question. I will be interested to see what answers you get from partially disabled travelers. My immediate take is that Venice is possibly the least suitable destination in Europe for small children and people with mobility problems.
Let's say money is no object and they got a room at a waterfront hotelwith its own dock (Bauer, for example). Getting into and out of a water taxi from the airport is physically difficult; the vaporetto is easy, just very crowded, but you would have to take a land taxi into the city to get it. Passage from one part of town to another, San Marco to Rialto, for example, is very narrow and crowded and impassible on the direct route for a wheelchair. Many other parts of the city are accessible only by steep bridges, often with steps, and of coursed there are no handrails along the canals to support the shaky.
I hope I am wrong to be so negative since Venice is one of the most magical places in the world, but there it is.
Let's say money is no object and they got a room at a waterfront hotelwith its own dock (Bauer, for example). Getting into and out of a water taxi from the airport is physically difficult; the vaporetto is easy, just very crowded, but you would have to take a land taxi into the city to get it. Passage from one part of town to another, San Marco to Rialto, for example, is very narrow and crowded and impassible on the direct route for a wheelchair. Many other parts of the city are accessible only by steep bridges, often with steps, and of coursed there are no handrails along the canals to support the shaky.
I hope I am wrong to be so negative since Venice is one of the most magical places in the world, but there it is.
Jul 8th, 2007, 06:48 AM
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Hi B,
Ack is not incorrect.
Venice has lots of bridges; some only a few steps, some many steps.
Transport is by boat. Getting a wheelchair on/off a vaporetto is not impossible, but could be difficult.
Late Sept to mid Oct is much better than the Summer, of course.
You might find this site helpful:
http://tinyurl.com/c9a3u
Ack is not incorrect.
Venice has lots of bridges; some only a few steps, some many steps.
Transport is by boat. Getting a wheelchair on/off a vaporetto is not impossible, but could be difficult.
Late Sept to mid Oct is much better than the Summer, of course.
You might find this site helpful:
http://tinyurl.com/c9a3u
Jul 8th, 2007, 06:55 AM
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When we were in Venice this past March, I noticed that a number of the bridges are being outfitted (or have already been) for wheelchair access.
Near our apartment was one in particular. We saw several people using it with their wheelchairs.
It's not just a ramp. It's actually a moving platform, sort of, that you access by a small box at the bottom of the steps. The platform/ramp moves to the bottom, then you ride it up, then you have to switch to the next one to go down the other side.
It seemed to take the people a bit of time to figure out how to use it, but in the end they were able to go up, then down without getting out of the wheelchair.
If you find a suitable accommodation on a canal, a private water taxi should be able to take you right up to your hotel or apartment, rather than fussing with the vaparetto which is usually packed with people.
We have enjoyed staying at the Residence Corte Grimani, cortegrimani.com. It's only one bridge to St. Mark's Square and on a small canal, accessible by the water taxi.
Good luck!
Near our apartment was one in particular. We saw several people using it with their wheelchairs.
It's not just a ramp. It's actually a moving platform, sort of, that you access by a small box at the bottom of the steps. The platform/ramp moves to the bottom, then you ride it up, then you have to switch to the next one to go down the other side.
It seemed to take the people a bit of time to figure out how to use it, but in the end they were able to go up, then down without getting out of the wheelchair.
If you find a suitable accommodation on a canal, a private water taxi should be able to take you right up to your hotel or apartment, rather than fussing with the vaparetto which is usually packed with people.
We have enjoyed staying at the Residence Corte Grimani, cortegrimani.com. It's only one bridge to St. Mark's Square and on a small canal, accessible by the water taxi.
Good luck!
Jul 8th, 2007, 09:00 AM
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But a water taxi isn't necessarily the answer because you have to step onto them from the dock and they can bounce around from traffic waves, then you have to step down into them, then you have to duck to get into the cabin and sort of "sidle along" to a seat. Not easy even for us young elderly.
Those "bridge elevators" do give handicapped access to some sections of the city (they are like some of the retrofit platform elevators in some older public buildings in the US), particularly in the more heavily touristed sections. It should be possible to find a map of them, showing how much of the city you could get to.
Those "bridge elevators" do give handicapped access to some sections of the city (they are like some of the retrofit platform elevators in some older public buildings in the US), particularly in the more heavily touristed sections. It should be possible to find a map of them, showing how much of the city you could get to.
Jul 8th, 2007, 10:24 AM
#7
Venice is a tricky destination for those needs. I'm thinking private driver somehow from the airport, to a water taxi, if the hotel has a direct dock? Venice is full of stairs, bridges, etc. so hopefully others will have tips on who to contact for services in getting around.
Jul 8th, 2007, 11:07 AM
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Just returned from Venice (7/4). Venice is not a wheel chair friendly city. I'd think twice about bringing mom. Getting on and off water taxis, crossing bridges is very difficultIf you are not on a water taxi you are walking...lots of walking.
Jul 8th, 2007, 09:40 PM
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I've been in Venice for 2 days now and the only wheelchair friendly bridge I've seen is the one overlooking the bridge of sighs. That one had ramp installed, but no lift. All others I've seen (about 100 but not counting) have steps up and down. Will keep my eyes open as I wander, but I would concur with the others that Venice is not a good place for wheelchairs.
Jul 8th, 2007, 10:40 PM
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Three years ago I had a planned trip to Venice with my children. Shortly before we were due to leave one boy, then aged 11, badly injured his foot, and so he came to Venice with us in a wheelchair. It was a very difficult time, as I think Venice must the one of the most wheelchair-unfriendly cities in the world.
We took the bus from the airport,which was easy, then the vaporetto down the Grand Canal to the San Marco stop. Using the vaporetti was very easy with a wheelchair, and we used them a lot during our stay. We needed to, to cross the Grand Canal, and we also went over to Burano (easy to get around) and Murano, where you need to pick your stop to avoid the bridge, or wait for the next vaporetto.
I had rented an apartment off the Frezzeria (a main street linking Piazza San Marco and Rialto), round the back of the Correr Museum and Bacino Orseolo. This was a great location because from here we could get around avoiding bridges - well, up to a point. The problem we found with the bridges in Venice is that they all have steps on both sides.
There are wheelchair lifts on a few of these bridges, and we collected a key for these at the airport. However, they do not all work, sometimes you can get up on the bridge but not down the other side! Air humidity prevents them working. Also they are incredibly slow. In the end my son would get out and hop over while I carried the chair.
Access to most churches is severely limited as there are steps to get in - though St Marks is OK. The same with art galleries and museums, though there are some lifts.
I found a website which may be helpful
http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/art
icles/accessible_venice.htm
http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/...le_venice2.htm
and if you search here using the words - wheelchair in venice - you will find previous threads, some of which may be helpful.
An electric wheelchair will not really help, and will be a lot heavier to carry over the bridges. We did see a very elegant Venetian gentleman in a wheelchair with caterpillar tracks which crawled over the bridges!
Good luck. Venice is a magical place, but very difficult with mobility issues.
We took the bus from the airport,which was easy, then the vaporetto down the Grand Canal to the San Marco stop. Using the vaporetti was very easy with a wheelchair, and we used them a lot during our stay. We needed to, to cross the Grand Canal, and we also went over to Burano (easy to get around) and Murano, where you need to pick your stop to avoid the bridge, or wait for the next vaporetto.
I had rented an apartment off the Frezzeria (a main street linking Piazza San Marco and Rialto), round the back of the Correr Museum and Bacino Orseolo. This was a great location because from here we could get around avoiding bridges - well, up to a point. The problem we found with the bridges in Venice is that they all have steps on both sides.
There are wheelchair lifts on a few of these bridges, and we collected a key for these at the airport. However, they do not all work, sometimes you can get up on the bridge but not down the other side! Air humidity prevents them working. Also they are incredibly slow. In the end my son would get out and hop over while I carried the chair.
Access to most churches is severely limited as there are steps to get in - though St Marks is OK. The same with art galleries and museums, though there are some lifts.
I found a website which may be helpful
http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/art
icles/accessible_venice.htm
http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/...le_venice2.htm
and if you search here using the words - wheelchair in venice - you will find previous threads, some of which may be helpful.
An electric wheelchair will not really help, and will be a lot heavier to carry over the bridges. We did see a very elegant Venetian gentleman in a wheelchair with caterpillar tracks which crawled over the bridges!
Good luck. Venice is a magical place, but very difficult with mobility issues.
