Tips To A Great Venice Family Vacation

Vacationing with kids is always a challenge, no matter the destination

. Venice offers youngsters plenty of attractions and it's good to get them in the exploring mood with a Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery CD for kids; this is a musical story set in Venice. Be informed that Venice has no taxis and neither cars. So it's important that you try to travel light.

My advice is that you travel with luggage that is able to roll on wheels and provide kids with their own little suitcases to pull.

Traversing Venice

In Venice, you'll get around on foot, or by some form of boat: from the pricey gondolas, to the small ferries (vaporetti) that constantly chug up and down the main canals. Three-day passes for the vaporetti are a good deal; check for discounts for small children and for students.

A word about strollers: in Venice you are constantly walking up and down the steps of small bridges across the canals. Our three-year-old could get out of his stroller and walk over these bridges; if your child can't, consider using a backpack. If you do take a stroller, make sure it's ultra-light.

And now for the most important question:

Activity for kids

Piazza San Marco is the heart of Venice: a huge heart beating with thousands of pigeon's wings. Lately, Venice officialdom has frowned upon the pigeons and reducing their numbers. But on our last visit pigeons were still there and little kids were still wildly excited; small orchestras play at outdoor cafes; parents thrill to the architectural marvels - great fun! The interior of St. Mark's Basilica is so awesome; parents should take turns going in without small kids.

Go on Ice-cream Walks

Walking in Venice is a joy; the trick is to keep those tired little legs trudging onward. The strategy: lure the youngsters on with ice-cream treats. Luckily, gelaterias are everywhere, and the ice cream is fabulous if you get "Artigianale" style.

Ride a Water-Bus

The younger set can enjoy the boat-ride while the parents ogle the palazzos on the Grand Canal: you can catch a vaporetti at many stops, and they run constantly. You can also take a boat-trip to the Lido, Venice's beach, or to the island of Murano, famous for glass-blowing.

The famous Peggy Guggenheim Museum

Heiress Peggy Guggenheim loved Venice, and now her home is a amazing museum that suits kids well. Head to the Acaddemia Bridge, a 20-minute walk from San Marco Square, or take a ferry-boat.

Follow the signs to a fabulous collection of surrealist modern art-- perhaps the most interesting sort of art for young minds, with fantastical creatures and landscapes and animals flying through the sky. Outside is a lovely sculpture garden, where kids can run around. There's also a large patio right on the Grand Canal.

by: Mathieu Courchesne

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