but would love to hear others suggestions on where we should go.>

Not sure what the brouhaha is over janis' suggestion of heading to Florence straight off and putting Florence into the itinerary.

OP wanted ideas and that's what she/he got

Nice to end up in Rome or wherever they fly out of.

I too think Florence would be a nice place to visit.

I actually thought about Florence as well. I was going to check to see if it could be done as a day trip from Venice, or if it was feasible to add another stop.

Visiting a castle might be fun. I loved seeing the castles on the Rhine in Germany. We could also rent a car and do some short day trips from either Venice or Rome.

My SIL has had several back surgeries and is not the most mobile person so staying in one place for a few days is preferable. When we were in London he stayed at the flat a few afternoons when the walking was too much for him. That, coupled with traveling with the little ones is the reason for a leisure trip rather than trying to see every sight we can. We can always go back and see more the next time.

Thanks for reminding me about how little the boys will be able to see with the crowds in museums. Nothing spoils a day like two jet lagged bored kids.

Visiting a castle might be fun.>

Can't think of any real castles convenient to your trip.

Well one of your ideas I definitely would not do! :-)

<rent a car and do some short day trips from ... Venice>

That seems like it would be a huge hassle for little reward.

From Venice if you want to add extra things besides exploring the central area, why not go by boat out to one or a couple of the islands right there? Or a day trip you can do by train?

If you want to do Florence as a day trip, it is closer to Rome--just 90 minutes away by train

Italian castles only very rarely resemble Rhineland castles. And very often Italian castles have no interior decoration at all. They really developed from military forts (the Roman "castrum") or were where important political people went to hide against assasination attempts. The Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome has precisely that history, but you really must read up ahead of time to actually figure out how the castle functioned that way, because it is not automatically obvious to a visitor.

Also, take a look at Castel Sant'Angelo in pictures. Very short & stubby, and not at all the kind of "fairy-tale" castle like kids who see Disney movies expect (and the interior is bare walls of stone)

https://www.italyguides.it/en/lazio/...stel-st-angelo

In Venice the term "castle" is almost interchangeable with "palazzo", and the interiors there are more like the private mansions of very rich people, not what many American's think of as a European castle of royalty, with turrets and moats.

However, if you want that, take a day trip from Venice to Ferrara, which has everything you could possibly want in a castle, including dungeons, moat and drawbridge:

http://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/...estense-castle

Both Rome and Venice will present significant challenges to your SIL if walking on uneven surfaces and frequent stair climbing bother his back. If that is the case, try looking for an apartment with an elevator in Rome and consider staying in an area with flat modern sidewalks rather than cobblestones (the Prati neighborhood).

In Venice, consider staying either close to the Grand Canal, so your SIL can make maximum use of the vaporetto on the Grand Canal or stay near the Strada Nuova, which will minimize the need to constantly climb up and down stairs to cross over canals on bridges.

I also got the warning before my trip that castles in Italy aren't great. I don't disagree, but I wanted to take my kids to things they were interested in.

Bracciano (castle name is actually Castello Orsini-Odescalchi if you want to wiki it), is well decorated with furnishings in many rooms and has a decent amount of armor. The view over the lake was absolutely lovely. I liked some of the castles I saw in England more--but still, this is a legit castle and I don't think the boys will leave disappointed.

We did go to Castel Sant'Angelo too. Definitely agree that this is NOT what you're thinking of as a castle. I had read up on it ahead of time and kind of explained it to them. Also the armory was closed despite its own posted hours. Being so very close to the Vatican Museums, this location was a 45-min to 1 hour stop. The highlight was looking out over the Tiber River. Given your husband's mobility issues though, I'd suggest you skip it.

I love staying near the garden out past Arsenale in Venice. It is perfect for children. Lots of room to run, plus some playground equipment. There are several convenient vaporetto stops so not much walking is necessary. It is also close to the Grand Canal.

Bracciano (castle name is actually Castello Orsini-Odescalchi if you want to wiki it), is well decorated with furnishings in many rooms and has a decent amount of armor>

yeh nice old town on large volcanic lake - Tom Cruise (?) or some famous celeb got married in it.

As well as playing 'statues', you might want to get the kids to count the number of lions they see in Venice. We found it got our kids looking around them more, rather than just following along. Gelato rewards were on offer to add enticement but probably weren't necessary as the kids found it fun.

Also, it is awfully easy to get separated in Venice - especially when it's crowded - so I would make sure the kids have your mobile number and the name/number for your hotel written down and kept in their pocket or backpack. Unlikely to be needed but made me feel more comfortable.

Palenq--yup, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

5alive - I was there just after the wedding and postcards of the ceremony were being sold everywhere (at a time when they still sold postcards!)

So many good suggestions. Thanks everyone for the ideas. I will be checking in with you soon as I read through these and pinpointing everything on a map to get a better idea. Love the thought of counting the lions. We do worry about the kids getting lost, so will make sure they have our contact info written on something. They make tags you can buy on the internet to attach to your shoe laces. Just thinking of someplace where they would not lose the info.

4- and 5-yr-olds getting lost? Maybe put a GPS on them? Tags make sense.

What is your point, PalenQ? Clearly, you've never known the panic of realising that your child is no longer by your side.