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!

If you mean Venice, Italy there are no motorized street vehicles at all in Venice. The only vehicles there are boats.

Statia, do you mean that we will need to take a boat from our hotel to the airport?

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.

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.

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!

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.

Hello MBKpublic, another thought. Post this question on the Cruise Board also. You may get a good answer there. Best wishes.

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.

Thank you sooo much! Will do!

P.S. No, he can't walk or stand at all.

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.

The correct link is actually

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34695326

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.

this thread is over 2 years old.

True, but the info is still usefull for folks who are mobility impaired and planning a Venice visit.

If you are mobility impaired and planning a trip to Venice, you are nuts.

But plenty of mobility impaired folks do. Consider that there are mobility impaired people who live there.

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.

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.