Last minute planning help - Italy
 

Several calendar complications finally resolved and we are planning the last of the next generation's graduation trip for late July. Brothers, 20 and 18. (20 year old is redeeming the travel IOU we issued during COVID.) Flights booked, fly into Dublin, spend a couple days there including celebration of a big round birthday for me, then fly to Rome where we will spend 4 or 5 days before heading to Florence via train, spend couple days then head to Venice from where we will fly home. Have accommodation booked in Dublin (accessible hotel room) and Rome (very accessible AirBnB), still looking for Florence and Venice. DH cannot handle Venice bridges, think best option is Mestre hotel as he will stay when the boys and I head into Venice proper and having hotel staff available just in case he needs anything seems advisable. Need accessible accommodations as DH cannot negotiate steps at all, nor get into a bathtub so need standing shower. Welcome suggestions for Florence and Venice (Mestre) accommodation, and dining options, too. The boys' mom says they are not especially picky eaters but definitely carnivorous.
Thanks, Fodorites!

Just in case...just because a place has an elevator, that doesn't mean there are no steps to reach the elevator. In fact, most do have 4-6 steps to reach the elevator. Something to check out, I've found that the website or description usually won't mention these steps.

Mestre does have an old piazza with a clock tower in it. Most of the rest is pretty naff. The walk from the the piazza to the station or bus stop is not so bad for the kids. But I've not stayed in this part of Mestre, so you are going to have to do some serious booking.com hunting. I'd not stay by the station that is an area less than pleasant. Hotel Vivit ***S may be what you are looking for. Booking.com allows you to search for disabled facilities

Rather than Mestre, I'd look for somewhere on Lido near one of the ferry stops... room with a view, perhaps a pool?

@ SusanP - that's for sure. I spend a lot of "due diligence" research time on every place we consider. Even booking engines like booking.com are pretty loose with their definitions of accessibility, so if I cannot see actual photos I write to the property.

@bilbo - yeah, I gathered that about the area right around the station. The boys and I can tolerate a bit of a walk to pick up transport into Venice proper while DH remains ensconced at the hotel. Being in Mestre will make it easier to get to the airport the morning of our departure.

@Jean - thought about that but getting there would take too much time/effort and one of the boys does not like being on water so vaparettos are not a great option.

Thanks, folks - keep it coming!

One of the options on Booking.com is wheelchair accessible so I would use that for your search.
Good luck with it and enjoy your time with your nephews. What a great thing to do with them.

You might check out Hotel Pendini in Florence. Entrance to hotel is ground level and there is one step to get to elevator.

Writing to the property is good, but ask for exact number of steps, or if there really are zero. Maybe you already do that. I say this because sometimes their idea of a few steps isn't what I consider a few. I stayed at an apartment in Spoleto where they told me it was a few steps. There were 27, not what I call a few!

I also forgot to mention that there is a cab stand just across the street from the Pendini so very handy.

@SusanP - yes, I'm more than willing to come across as a pedantic American but do explain that DH cannot negotiate steps and inquire about both the entrance to the building and approach to the lift, etc. Usually I get a frank reply, perhaps because the owner wants to avoid a scene on our arrival.

@catia - Pendini looks lovely but is not available. Fortunately, we have booked a fully accessible apartment for our days in Firenze.

Accommodations are not booked for all cities, but still welcome suggestions for dining in Rome, Firenze and Venice/Mestre

I'd have some concerns with train travel, if steps are such a problem. There are quite steep steps to board.

Oops, meant to write that accommodations are NOW booked for all cities.

@margo_oz - yes, we know about getting on and off the train. The stations do provide handicap assistance, including a ramp over the train car stairs that eliminates the need to negotiate stairs. Not sure if it is company specific (we usually use italo) or a station amenity, but it sure makes life easier.

Major stations in Italy have Sala Blu service for people with reduced mobility. My daughter used this service once at Termini station in Rome. They met her at the taxi stand with a wheelchair and accompanied her onto the train.

https://www.rfi.it/en/for-persons-with-disability.html

They say they coordinate with smaller stations, but I don't know how that works.

bvlenci, thank you so much for that info - Sala Blu looks like just what we need to get DH on and off the trains!