Hi,
We're going to Italy for two weeks (Milan, Venice and Florence with day trips) in June. It's a last minute trip so I was lucky to find decent hotels (at a reasonable price) in Venice and Florence. Unfortunately I now realized thatwe have to cross several bridges to get to the places that I booked (two "contenders") in Venice. From what I understand from forums and articles on the Internet, all the bridges have lots of steps to drag our luggage up.
Can anyone give me an idea of how many steps? We'll be crossing the bridge at the Santa Lucia train station and then one or two smaller bridges. Taking a vaparetto even for one stop won't make a difference. We'll still have to cross a bridge.
We travel with a carry on trolley and a 24" trolley (never the maximum airline weight). Will we be able to manage? I can lift the 24" up 6-8 stairs without too much trouble.
Thanks.

Lots of steps. Venice is built on a lagoon

Why don't you list the hotels you are considering in Venice and see if people have suggestions?

Depending on the location, you might be able to take a vaporetto to a stop past your hotel and work your way backwards. We have done similar when crowds are heavy going one way. We take a vaporetto going the opposite way and catch a less crowded one further along the route.

You can google images of some of the bridges. One over the Grand Canal at Santa Lucia Station does have a lot of steps. Even in our 70s though, we still manage to get luggage up and down. You might have to stop and rest a second or two at a time.

BTW, there are some inexpensive hotels not far from the station and it is fairly flat walking to them. The area is not so interesting as others, and some of the hotels are not as nice, but they are adequate and convenient.

We stayed at a hotel at the Accademia stop and it was on the same side where we got off the vaporetto - so did not have to cross any stairs with luggage - was really convenient.

Venetian bridges are seldom more than 8 or 10 steps up and down.

But if you are going to be using public transportation in Italy you will need to negotiate train station stairs and getting your luggage on & off the train cars too. Good rule of thumb traveling to Italy is don't carry a suitcase any heavier than you can lift above your own head, unassisted. Pack light as possible. You won't regret it.

If you can't lift those luggage pieces up and over a bridge or two, you're likely to have trouble getting the pieces on and off a train. For me, it isn't just about the weight of a suitcase, but because I'm not very tall it's also the case's size/bulk. I can lift a 22" suitcase over my head to the racks on trains and carry it easily over Venice bridges.

Mxm is right. The Academia stop is easy and there are plenty of hotels in the area.

Those stairs on the bridges in Venice are very low, not steep like interior stairs. In fact you could probably drag your cases over the stairs, at least some of them. (Only recommended for sturdy luggage.)

The bridge in front of the train station is 48 steps up (and down) but they are not very high steps and it's very broad so there are plenty of opportunities to stop and rest. It's not like a flight of stairs in a house. I'm a small woman and I can do it fine. My bag is 20" though so not sure how heavy a 24" bag is. Are you sure you need that big a bag. You might want to re-think that. How are you getting to the other cities? If by train you'll need to lift the bag up into the train, etc.

The 5th pic in this gallery is of the bridge in front of the train station (it crosses the Grand Canal). Most of the bridges over the smaller canals are only 7 or 8 steps. There are pic of several smaller bridges as well.

http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p226330896

isabel, I love Venice and your pictures are lovely.

First of all - thanks for all the advice and the photos are really lovely.
We aren't minimalist packers [a sad truth that I have come to terms with ] - especially my husband so we can't get by with 2 small carry ons. I never have any problems with the luggage on trains but my experience has been in Spain, Germany and Austria.
From what I see, the smaller bridges won't be a problem at all. I googled some photos of the bridge (good idea!) near the train station and I think that I'll manage.
The hotels I found are between the Riva de Biasio and the San Stae stops.

I think you will be fine. I think the Rialto bridge is the worst you might encounter. I agree with Jean that if you can get it on and off the train and vaporetto, you can do it. Even if you have to stop and rest for a minute, you will be fine.

Of course I say this without knowing your physical condition.

The hotels I found are between the Riva de Biasio and the San Stae stops.>>

I'm a bit confused. If your hotel is near San Stae, why not get the Vap to that stop [or to Riva de Biasio if that is more convenient] and walk from there. That would at least cut out the bridge over the Grand Canal.

Also your hotel website should include directions about the best way to reach them. if it doesn't, or if you need further details, e.g. which route will give us the fewer bridges to cross, email them.

and as others have suggested, there are many Venice experts here. if you post the name of your hotel/s, they may be able to suggest the best route.

The hotels suggested both possibilities (walking or vaporetto/ walking). I wanted to hear what people who had been to Venice had to say about the bridges. The comments were quite helpful.

I would take the vaporetto to your hotel precisely to avoid climbing the Ponte de Scalzi by the train station. In Venice I run into many tourists trying to find their hotels, getting more and more annoyed at each bridge as they try to find their way. This will be your first bridge and one of the highest in town.

How log will you be in Venice? You might investigate if an unlimited travel card would be cost effective for how you plan to spend your time, and ease your arrival and departure days with vaporetto connections.

One regular ride on a vaporetto costs € 7,50


ACTV Public Transport Services
ACTV - 1 day Ticket
€ 20,00
Validity: 1 day (24 hours)

ACTV - 2 day Ticket
€ 30,00
Validity: 2 days (48 hours)

ACTV - 3 day Ticket
€ 40,00
Validity: 3 days (72 hours)

ACTV - 7 day Ticket
€ 60,00
Validity: 7 days

Oh for the days when NO suitcases had wheels and people had to be able to actually carry their luggage or learn to make do with less. Bernard Sadow has a lot to answer for. A suitcase with wheels is just an excuse to pack more stuff.

Every problem can be seen from more than one perspective and yet most of the time, people look at a problem only from the first perspective that comes to their mind. In this case, carrying and steps. The assumption is that the steps are the problem, not the size or weight of the suitcase.

The steps are unavoidable in Venice. Start from there and then see where it takes you. ie. If I MUST go up steps, how then do I do that without getting a hernia? Answer, lighter weight and bag designed to be CARRIED, not wheeled.

I don't think I agree, Dogeared (excellent name, btw). Wheeled suitcases can be dragged up shallow steps, which is easier than lifting and carrying them.

I mean, I agree with you in general, but I fear that ship has sailed. I took a non-wheeled duffle on a birding trip recently and my fellow birders looked at me like I was crazy. I thought they looked crazy with their enormous wheeled Pullmans in the country, but to each his own, I suppose.

Venice does not adapt to modernity. Eternal, innit? We must adapt to it.

We're going to buy a vaporetto card since we'll be there three days. All my options are open!

One "modern" aspect of Venice is there are no longer legions of males-for-hire hanging around the train stations and ports ready to carry the luggage of tourists for them, or sent by a hotel. And today only the most affluent of tourists travel to Venice with their own footmen & servants anymore. Venice actually has adapted by exponentially increasing water taxi services -- and the many more tiny waves from all those small motorboats are accelerating the rate at which the foundations of Venice are being destroyed.