Venice w/ seniors & a preteen??
Mar 9th, 2016, 04:06 PM
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Venice w/ seniors & a preteen??
I'll be traveling to Venice w/ a friend, her parents (in their sixties), & her eleven year-old daughter for a week this June.
I've been there before (about a decade ago, for Carnivale), & though it's possible my friend's parents have, it'll be a first visit for both my pal & her kid.
What sort of tween-friendly activities/attractions would you suggest?
I've been there before (about a decade ago, for Carnivale), & though it's possible my friend's parents have, it'll be a first visit for both my pal & her kid.
What sort of tween-friendly activities/attractions would you suggest?
Mar 10th, 2016, 02:12 AM
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This is a tough one.
The seniors are easy. Venice was meant for them unless they have serious mobility issues.
I have a granddaughter that age. She is intelligent, a great reader, but also a viewer -- TV and Internet. That part will be tough unless you stay somewhere with free wi-fi.
Some history before you go would be useful. Why is there a Venice? Why did Venice grow rich enough to control the Adriatic? How was Venice ruled? How and why did it all fall apart?
Then a bit about the Venetian "annual cycle", past and present. Why did people wear those masks? What about those galley races? What was society all about, more or less top to bottom?
With that as background, a guided tour of the Doge's Palace could be interesting. If you can get her up early enough, a visit to the fish market would definitely be interesting even if only for the "eew" factor.
I am not a huge fan of Venetian painting, but at that age, I would have enjoyed the Feast in the House of Levi at the Accademia. When my kids were that age, we didn't have any money, so we spent a lot of time at free days at art museums. They absorbed a lot about iconography -- why is that lady in the blue dress standing on that snake? -- so going to a museum was a treasure hunt for them. Could this be an introduction for her?
There is a ton of high end shopping in San Marco, away from the Piazza and more modest shopping between San Marco and the station.
Can you afford a gondola ride? Magic for an 11 year old. I would take the boat to Lido one day and walk to the beach. It isn't far and is very different from a US beach. Get a gelato on the way or on the way back.
Two last things.
Finding things she likes to eat, other than pizza, could be a problem. Venetian food isn't a lot like Italian food as we know it.
Second, you need a firm plan if you are separated from each other, and this plan is for adults as well as the tween. The walk from San Marco to Rialto is unbelievably claustrophobic even off season. What should your rule be if you are cut off from each other, here or in another crowded area? It's tough because there aren't any street numbers in the way we know them. Have a plan.
The seniors are easy. Venice was meant for them unless they have serious mobility issues.
I have a granddaughter that age. She is intelligent, a great reader, but also a viewer -- TV and Internet. That part will be tough unless you stay somewhere with free wi-fi.
Some history before you go would be useful. Why is there a Venice? Why did Venice grow rich enough to control the Adriatic? How was Venice ruled? How and why did it all fall apart?
Then a bit about the Venetian "annual cycle", past and present. Why did people wear those masks? What about those galley races? What was society all about, more or less top to bottom?
With that as background, a guided tour of the Doge's Palace could be interesting. If you can get her up early enough, a visit to the fish market would definitely be interesting even if only for the "eew" factor.
I am not a huge fan of Venetian painting, but at that age, I would have enjoyed the Feast in the House of Levi at the Accademia. When my kids were that age, we didn't have any money, so we spent a lot of time at free days at art museums. They absorbed a lot about iconography -- why is that lady in the blue dress standing on that snake? -- so going to a museum was a treasure hunt for them. Could this be an introduction for her?
There is a ton of high end shopping in San Marco, away from the Piazza and more modest shopping between San Marco and the station.
Can you afford a gondola ride? Magic for an 11 year old. I would take the boat to Lido one day and walk to the beach. It isn't far and is very different from a US beach. Get a gelato on the way or on the way back.
Two last things.
Finding things she likes to eat, other than pizza, could be a problem. Venetian food isn't a lot like Italian food as we know it.
Second, you need a firm plan if you are separated from each other, and this plan is for adults as well as the tween. The walk from San Marco to Rialto is unbelievably claustrophobic even off season. What should your rule be if you are cut off from each other, here or in another crowded area? It's tough because there aren't any street numbers in the way we know them. Have a plan.
Mar 10th, 2016, 07:32 AM
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Head out to Lido around 4pm (that's when the Italians head to the beach) to stroll the sunny, breezy main drag from the vaporetto to the beach, with lots of shops and gelato places, and kids playing by the fountain. Spend a couple hours on the beach, then head back down the main drag for a meal. Lido is a pretty 15 minute vaporetto ride from San Marco.
I might even suggest staying on Lido (I have, many times) but I'd probably get flamed on this forum. But if you DO stay on Lido, it's more relaxed, the prices are lower, the food shopping is easier, and you'll enjoy the many vaporetto rides across the lagoon (with boats toward San Marco & the Grand Canal, as well as both directions around Venice, as well as to Burano/Murano).
I might even suggest staying on Lido (I have, many times) but I'd probably get flamed on this forum. But if you DO stay on Lido, it's more relaxed, the prices are lower, the food shopping is easier, and you'll enjoy the many vaporetto rides across the lagoon (with boats toward San Marco & the Grand Canal, as well as both directions around Venice, as well as to Burano/Murano).
Mar 10th, 2016, 10:38 AM
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Because the Lido is so close, dfourh's suggestion is worth some thought.
What about 4 days on the mainland and three at the beach? As long as she doesn't expect miles of white, fluffy sand. It's a nice bribe for the end of the trip.
What about 4 days on the mainland and three at the beach? As long as she doesn't expect miles of white, fluffy sand. It's a nice bribe for the end of the trip.
Mar 10th, 2016, 11:03 AM
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My 10-year-old granddaughter was absolutely enchanted by Venice. It can be very crowded at all the popular tourist spots. In high season, which absolutely includes June, you can hardly stand in the vaporetti in the Grand Canal.
My granddaughter loved Murano. The glassblowing is only done in the morning, or until about 2 PM, to avoid the worst of the heat.
My granddaughter loved Murano. The glassblowing is only done in the morning, or until about 2 PM, to avoid the worst of the heat.
Mar 10th, 2016, 11:18 AM
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Five days is a long time. You might want to spend some of your time at a beach, either Venice's own Lido, or Lido di Jesolo, about and hour north by bus. There's a waterpark there, too, but I don't know anything about it.
Verona also makes a nice daytrip, by train.
There are also various companies offering bus tours to the Dolomites, which might be nice if it's hot in Venice. I would try to reserve this at the last minute, when you have a reliable weather forecast.
Verona also makes a nice daytrip, by train.
There are also various companies offering bus tours to the Dolomites, which might be nice if it's hot in Venice. I would try to reserve this at the last minute, when you have a reliable weather forecast.
Mar 10th, 2016, 11:42 AM
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I think you will have a wonderful time.
Unlike Florence and Rome, touring the local Venetian museums and sights required almost zero planning. Therefore, you can easily decide the night before at dinner what everyone wants to see. If you can go to the trouble of making "Here are our possibilities" list, you'll find Venice is a no-brainer.
If you want to do a daytrip, then you can just get over to the St. Lucia station or take a Murano/Burano bound vaporetto. It's just not that hard.
If you want to see the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (Padova), then you'll have to do some in-advance stuff, but otherwise...
Restaurant reservations can be hard depending on what type of foodie you are. We ARE foodies, and I have always made sure I've been booked somewhere almost every night of our stay.
We often forget that burgeoning independence is one of the best things about tweens. My favorite activity with that age was putting my kids in charge of walking routes and transport routes. I'm sure the tween has a smartphone, and there are offline apps for walking AND transport. I also used to download walking tours or used printed ones and have my kids "lead". They LOVED that.
I hope you have so much fun. Good luck planning,
AZ
Unlike Florence and Rome, touring the local Venetian museums and sights required almost zero planning. Therefore, you can easily decide the night before at dinner what everyone wants to see. If you can go to the trouble of making "Here are our possibilities" list, you'll find Venice is a no-brainer.
If you want to do a daytrip, then you can just get over to the St. Lucia station or take a Murano/Burano bound vaporetto. It's just not that hard.
If you want to see the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (Padova), then you'll have to do some in-advance stuff, but otherwise...
Restaurant reservations can be hard depending on what type of foodie you are. We ARE foodies, and I have always made sure I've been booked somewhere almost every night of our stay.
We often forget that burgeoning independence is one of the best things about tweens. My favorite activity with that age was putting my kids in charge of walking routes and transport routes. I'm sure the tween has a smartphone, and there are offline apps for walking AND transport. I also used to download walking tours or used printed ones and have my kids "lead". They LOVED that.
I hope you have so much fun. Good luck planning,
AZ
Mar 15th, 2016, 02:09 PM
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These are all fantastic ideas & bits of advice.
When I was there nearly a decade ago, it was the long weekend at the start of Carnivale, & we were on a *really* tight budget, so even though it was a spectacular spectacle, there are lots of things I didn't get to do that I'm looking forward to (the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge's palace, etc). Add that to helping my friend keep her kid entertained, & I'm sure we'll be kept busy indeed!
Many thanks to all of you!
When I was there nearly a decade ago, it was the long weekend at the start of Carnivale, & we were on a *really* tight budget, so even though it was a spectacular spectacle, there are lots of things I didn't get to do that I'm looking forward to (the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge's palace, etc). Add that to helping my friend keep her kid entertained, & I'm sure we'll be kept busy indeed!
Many thanks to all of you!
