Accessible Taxi's in Venice?

Old Sep 12th, 2005, 06:57 PM
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Accessible Taxi's in Venice?

Are there taxi's or vans for hire in Venice that have ramps or lifts to accommodate a wheelchair or electric scooter? Thanks!
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Old Sep 13th, 2005, 04:30 AM
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If you mean Venice, Italy there are no motorized street vehicles at all in Venice. The only vehicles there are boats.
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Old Sep 13th, 2005, 09:17 AM
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Statia, do you mean that we will need to take a boat from our hotel to the airport?
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Old Sep 13th, 2005, 09:13 PM
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MBKpublic, Venice does not have streets, roadways, Venice has waterway canals, the main one being the Grand Canal.

You will need to take a boat to get around Venice. The Vaporetti is like a public bus, but it is a boat. Or you can hire a private water taxi, which in essence is like hiring a private taxi is other cities.

Venice is not know for being easy for anyone in wheelchair or electric scooter. The smaller canels crisscross throughout Venice. There are small bridges with some steps to get up to the bridges and then down the otherside.

Venice does not have streets, they have waterways. The waterways are the "streets".

I have no idea where you are staying in Venice but when you ask "do you mean that we will need to take a boat from our hotel to the airport" may I ask how you are getting to you hotel in Venice in the first place. Please understand, I am not trying to be rude, I am very concerned as I believe that you do not understand that Venice is not like your typical city. Again, the "streets" are the canals.
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Old Sep 14th, 2005, 04:41 AM
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MBK, LoveItaly described Venice perfectly. I agree that it is unfortunately a difficult city for one with dissabilities. Let us know if you have any more questions.
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Old Sep 14th, 2005, 08:18 AM
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Thank you for your replies, LoveItaly and Statia. We are ending a cruise in Venice, spending the night at a hotel we have not yet selected and flying out the next day. We had hoped to tour Venice a little but that is optional. I am most concerned with getting from the ship to the hotel and then on to the airport. Thanks!
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Old Sep 14th, 2005, 01:37 PM
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Hello MBKpublic, now I understand your question. My first thought would be to call the cruiseline to see if they can make a reservation for you and your husband for one of the water taxis (which would be a private one just for you two) with the understanding that the driver would need to assist you in getting your husband into the taxi and then out of the taxi at a hotel. I am thinking that maybe one of the hotels by the Piazza San Marco might be a good location but I cannot fot the life of me remember if any of them have steps to the entrance. You would then need a private water taxi to assist your husband again to get to the Venice SanMarco airport. Where the deliver you is a bit away from the airport. I think there is a shuttle bus but I do not know if they have assistant of a lift for those in wheelchairs.

Can your dear husband walk at all?

Unfortantly Italy is not as user friendly for those with mobility problems as the US.

The website for the SanMarco airport is www.veniceaiport.it.

I checked it for you and there is tons of information but absolutely nothing that I could find regarding passengers in wheelchairs. I would suggest that you take a look at the website also.

I am rather at a lost as to what to suggest except for contacting your cruiseline. You couldn't be the first passenger they have had with this situation. My very best wishes to you, let us know what you got worked out.

Also, I would post this question on the Europe Board. Very few people come on to this "Other Topics" Board. Hopefully some Fodorite on the Europe Board, which gets a lot of activity, can be more help to you then I am.
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Old Sep 14th, 2005, 01:38 PM
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Hello MBKpublic, another thought. Post this question on the Cruise Board also. You may get a good answer there. Best wishes.
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Old Sep 15th, 2005, 04:33 AM
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I would second that idea about posting on the cruise board. In the destinations section of cruisecritic.com you can find the answer to just about anything you post. And it is very active.
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Old Sep 15th, 2005, 01:04 PM
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Thank you sooo much! Will do!

P.S. No, he can't walk or stand at all.
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Old Oct 21st, 2005, 12:10 PM
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I've only just come across this forum, but I have only today posted on a thread on the Europe forum about wheelchairs and mobility issues in Venice.

Your original post was about 6 weeks ago, so this may be too late, but the link is

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

If there's anything else I can offer help with, let me know.
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Old Oct 21st, 2005, 12:31 PM
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The correct link is actually

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34695326

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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 06:08 AM
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The vaporetti are more accessable than the water taxis. They are boarded via a ramp while one would have to be lifted in and out of a water taxi.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 06:10 AM
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this thread is over 2 years old.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 06:16 AM
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True, but the info is still usefull for folks who are mobility impaired and planning a Venice visit.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 07:18 AM
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If you are mobility impaired and planning a trip to Venice, you are nuts.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 08:30 AM
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But plenty of mobility impaired folks do. Consider that there are mobility impaired people who live there.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 10:15 AM
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Well, since this thread is being revitalized, I suggest going to www.slowtrav.com and looking for their info on accessibility in Italy. One of their regular posters on the Italy board is in a wheelchair, and knows a lot about it.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 06:58 PM
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OK, OK, I flew off the handle, apologies.
If you are very significantly impaired in the mobility department and planning a trip to Venice, you are nuts.
When I was there, I had the privilege of seeing a Venetian lady, about 65 years old or so, climb out of her collapsible wheelchair and crawl down a steep flight of stone steps while her companion, of similar age, carried the wheelchair down. She was tough and scrappy and I thought "Good for you!', but I can't see many tourists happily doing the same.
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