Venice, Italy

Ah, Venice, Venezia: gondola rides, romantic restaurants...

Would anyone in their right mind take three young kids along?

No; but Venice is so magnificent, we were tempted anyway. Here’s some advice from a trip with children aged eight, six, and three.

Arriving in Venice
With youngsters along, Venice is probably best treated as a side trip of three or four days, maybe on a cheap flight from London, or by train from Rome. Prime the children with a great audio tape: "Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery a musical story set in Venice. Check Venice for Visitors for details about arrival by train or plane.

Remember that Venice has no taxis --no cars at all. So either travel light, or check extra luggage at the train station (--at $7 per day). And make sure your luggage rolls on wheels; give the kids their own small suitcases to pull.

Getting Around Venice
In Venice, you’ll get around on foot, or by some form of boat: from the expensive 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; however, there are no discounts for children, unless they are under 1 metre in height. 

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:

What Will the Kids Do?

Feed the pigeons in San Marco Square.

Piazza San Marco isthe heart of Venice: a huge heart beating with millions of pigeon’s wings. Expect to spend at least $4 per visit on fifty cents worth of pigeon feed. Children have wild fun feeding the birds; small orchestras play at outdoor cafes; parents thrill to the architectural marvels-- it’s great! The interior of St. Mark’s Basilica is so awesome, parents should take turns going in without the children.

Go on Ice-cream Walks
Walking in Venice is a joy; the trick is to keep those tired little legs trudging onward. The tactic: lure the youngsters on with ice-cream treats. Luckily, gelaterias are everywhere, and the ice cream is absolutely the best in the world.

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.

Go to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum
Heiress Peggy Guggenheim loved Venice, and now her home is a wonderful museum that suits children very well. Head to the Acaddemia bridge: a 20-minute walk from San Marco Square, or take a ferry-boat. Then 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 alien landscapes and animals flying through the sky. Outside is a lovely sculpture garden, where children can run around. There's also a large patio right on the Grand Canal.

What will they eat?
Fabulous ice cream and delicious pizza and mouth-watering sandwiches (--try prosciutto and grilled zucchini--) are everywhere. But be careful: as soon as you sit down at those inviting little outdoor tables, the price of a piece of pizza doubles-- plus cover charge. Take-away is far cheaper; but be discreet about eating food in your room. Even though a modest pension costs more than a posh hotel back home, you're not supposed to eat in there. (There are several foods worth dragging around the globe: breakfast cereal; peanut butter; and fruit leather.)

What will they drink?
Probably not milk. My kids (except for one dedicated bottle-sucker) have all disliked the taste of the Italian milk, either fresh or heat-treated.  Juice is expensive, and so is pop. Bottled water is readily available; also we were told that the tap-water was drinkable, and in the hot days of August, we drank quite a bit of it.

Where's the washroom?
If you’re lucky, your offspring will use the washrooms at the charming "trattoria"s where you buy lunch. Most children, however, only need a washroom ten minutes after one is available. In such cases, you may notice certain posted signs directing you to a public "WC". After following these signs for 10 minutes with a desperate three-year-old boy, I did indeed find such a facility-- locked shut. The lane was deserted; dark was falling... You can probably guess what the three-year-old did.

Better to have checked Venice's Public Toilets before we went!

Peculiarities
Being a wonder of the world has some side effects. For example, don’t expect local people to toady to the tourist crowds. And get ready to pay 8% commission on travelers’ cheque at major banks. Use the wicket at the train station instead: don’t cash too much at once, though; Venice has some of the world’s slickest pickpockets. One maestro took my camcorder right out of its carry-bag while I was buying  ice-cream cones.

Accommodation in Venice
There's no avoiding the fact that Venice is expensive.  Europe for Visitors website has suggestions for family accommodation; also check Cheap Sleeps in Venice for places with character, charm, and reasonable price.

Is it worth it?
It’s sometimes hard to have little kids hands tugging on you, when you want to bask in Beauty and Art. But Venice is worth almost any price. Meanwhile, you’re introducing your children to a true cultural icon: Venice will always be specially theirs.