pxtraveler

Thanks everyone for the great tips and comments. Now I am seriously considering renting an apartment near Campo Santa Margherita! Can you give your opinions on which you think would be a better location:

1) this is actually the apartment Peter_S_Aus recommended above (Peter would love to hear your opinion): http://realvenicevacationflats.com/
and here is the location in google: http://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...ed=0CBQQ8gEwAA
It sounds like Calle Lunga San Barnaba Street has a lot of good restaurants (my husband and I are repressed foodies--it's hard to go out with the kids!)--do they seem like the type that would frown on young children (20 month and 4 year old)?

2) here is another apartment across the canal and to the west of campo s. margherita. the pictures of the interior look nice. I am wondering if this is a good place to be or is being closer to San Barnaba more interesting? It is also further from the Vaporetto: http://www.viewsonvenice.com/our_pro...a_carmini.html
and here is the location in google: http://www.viewsonvenice.com/our_pro...mode=googlemap

3) i'm also considering hotel san sebastian and B+B Fujiyama which are also closeby but am leaning away from them since they probably don't have kitchens and laundry.
http://www.hotelsansebastianogarden.com/
http://www.bedandbreakfast-fujiyama.it/home_eng.html

Please all comments welcome, or suggestions for other great rentals in that area.
Thanks,
Patti

pxtraveler

I hit "submit" too quickly. It should say " (Peter, I would love to hear your opinion)" NOT "(Peter would love to hear your opinion)". Apologies!

markland

Just a comment re take-out food.

I had the bad fortune to get either the flu or pneumonia on our trip to Italy (just got back Saturday), and was out of it for 10 out of the 16 days we were away (boo hoo). Finding food other than pizza, calzone and the like that could be brought in to me was nigh on impossible. Only one place in Florence agreed to let my DH take out some pasta. He was advised it's a health regulation issue and that's why it's not done in Italy. But if you have a kitchen you'll have lots more options.

Sometimes you just want to bring in a mess of food and eat in, especially if the kids are a bit cranky or tired.

I think it's wonderful travelling with children - have a great time!

Peter_S_Aus

Pxtraveller, I would suggest that the B&B Fujiyama is not for you - I think it is more "couple" friendly than "family" friendly.

I've never been in the first floor apartment that I'm recommending - we've only stayedin the second floor apartment. The first floor apartment has a small balcony, with decent reilings so your kids are unlikely to plunge into the garden below. And probably you would be able to get access to the garden, allowing your kids to run around safely.

Campo San Barnaba and Campo Margherita are about two minutes walk from one another, so in terms of location, there's nothing to choose betwen them.

Cheers

Peter

Gaia606

I go often to venice with my kids (1 and 3 years old), a couple of tips:
- definitely an apartment is much better than a hotel, more comfortable for children to rest and play if it rains.
- toddlers never fall into the water if you have a look at them but some time they get lost on crowded place.
- Mums usually bring children to play in close campos (without canals) santa margherita, san giacomo dell'orio, santi apostoli, santa maria formosa,..
- stroller is a pain, but much more to have your kid on your back all the day!
- you can always use the vaporetti, kids love them and november is a perfect month because usually they are not crowded.
this http://www.viewsonvenice.com/our_pro...a_carmini.html
seems very nice, I know the girls working in the views on venice office and they are very kind (and a couple of them have small children), you can ask their help.
My girl always enjoy Venice, and the place she likes more is the... Disney Store!

ribeirasacra

Gias seems to often give the views on Venice website a push. But there area lot of other good websites out there.

PS there is a Disney Store in Venice!

Gaia606

Yes, you are right, Daniela and Annalisa are friends of mine and I know they work well.
The Disney Store is in Campo San Bortolomio, close to Rialto.

pxtraveler

Peter:
Is there a reason you are not going with second floor apartment this time around? The garden apartment is not available. It is not ideal because of the two kids/carrying stroller, etc. What do you think?

k9korps

More regarding takeout in Venice:

You would have little or no problem finding reheatable takeout in Venice. Most of small supermarkets have a prepared foods section.

kittycatangel

I am also in same stituation as PXTraveler and am looking at apartments now for a trip around the same time. I had posted a concern that the windows in apartments have no bars and many seem to be large and wide open. This is a safety concern for us so we have been looking at Ground Floor apartments or apartments with locks. Does anyone else have this concern? I know many will say you have to watch the kids or lock the windows, but as most parents know, you can't watch them every second, and my kids are very ambitious and curious. Toddlers are also very smart. I've seen my kid push a chair to a shelf, open a lock, and get what he wanted pretty quickly.

I am also on a budget, so limited in options.

Peter_S_Aus

PXtraveller, we are staying in the second floor apartment this time. Cheers

Peter

Dayenu

From Trip Advisor I've learned about this website, they have 12 itineraries - if a wheelchair can use the route, sure you can do the same with a stroller.

http://www.comune.venezia.it/flex/cm.../IDPagina/1381

The tell which vaporetto, which stop, and what to see around.

Peter_S_Aus

Kittycatangel, this is not universal, but very common in Venice. Windows mostly open inwards, and are casement windows (like a pair of doors side by side. Outside the windows there is a pair of shutters, and these do get used. The shutters could easily be secured closed with a piece of string, or a nylon cable tie.

Yes, kids can undo string, but they would struggle with a cable tie.

You don’t see bars on windows, except on ground floor windows.

Peter_S_Aus

Pxtraveller, the first floor apartment is up a single spiral flight of stairs – we manage to lug a shopping trolley with a dozen bottles of wine in it up the stairs, and your four year old would handle the stairs without problem.

The first floor apartment is on a single level, so would work OK for kids. The second floor apartment is on two levels (a level with living and kitchen area, and then an upstairs bedroom which is accessed via a pretty tight set of stairs. I don’t know how they got the bed up there!

With regard to parking the stroller – if it does not fold up easily - would be to ask the owner if you could park it in the ground floor apartment. I don’t think she would mind.