VENICE??

hileena111

OK.........As I get older I get dafter

We have been to Venice 3 times before and loved it.
So Completely different to anything here.
I've been wanting to go back again....so has Peter but doesn't say anything. I decided I'm going to set a goal.....long term...but a goal nevertheless.
May next year 2016.......we are going to Venice.

OK problems.......No transport there except vaporettas {boat/buses} everything else is on feet.
Not even allowed a mobility scooter there.
As you know I'm on 2 crutches permanently now....so How???
I've been thinking about it for days....

Borrow a wheel chair from our shopping centre and PUSH it :roll: not very far to start with....take it back, collect my crutches and go round the shops.
If I do that regularly.....I've got 15 months before going......surely I should be able to do it. :?
The idea is when I get there hire one.....they do that.....and push it as far as I can, sit down in it when I get tired....DD....recognise that from the rollator? and when I'm really tired get Peter to push me for a while.

Any suggestions or comments? Go ahead even if it is to say "You're Mad"

I do know when we went before we were shattered when we came home.
Its a lovely place with little market stalls on every street ...you don't know what's around the next corner......we used to walk during the day and then use the vaporetta to come back to the hotel. That way we explored. I think if we used it as much as I would need to use it we would miss so much.
The majority of hotels don't have lifts??? Its such an old place.
I'll cope with that....if Peter brings the wheel chair up I'll get me up.
Its the walking in the heat during the day.......couldn't do it on crutches.
So that's me for now......little brain is working hard to sort out things

Love
Hileena

Megrose489

As a Venice lover, too, I hope you manage to sort things out Hileena, although, unfortunately, I don't know enough to be able to really advise you. As far as hotels go, I am sure you could ensure that you have a ground floor room. The only thing I would suggest is to go off-season when it's not too crowded. The last time I went was in August and the heat and the crowds were unbearable.

I googled 'Venice for the disabled' and found quite a few sites with lots of useful information - well worth a read. The main piece of advice was to plan well ahead, which, of course is what you are doing.

Good luck with it all.

Meg

stickywicket

Mm. I can see the attraction but my view would be that there are always lots of other potentially lovely, but more accessible, places to see.

If you're determined to go, this site might be useful http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/accessible_venice.htm
.
However, I'd say a long, long chat with your husband would be needed as it seems he will have to be able to cope with all that you can't and he'll have a lot of responsibility and physical problems of his own if anything goes wrong.

For my money, there is brave and there is foolhardy, can-do and gung-ho. I'd stay somewhere more disabled-friendly and maybe think in terms of a day trip to Venice by hire car.

hileena111

Hi Meg
Thanks for that.....it is lovely isn't it?
We are just going back to the same hotel as before......its on the first floor but I'll manage that.
We are planning May?? that shouldn't be too bad.....its a big birthday for both of us then.
I did print of a map of accessible Venice ....that's as much as I've done yet.

Love
Hileena

theresak

I like Venice too, though it`s years since we were last there, but we were staying outside Venice.

I think I`d be a bit worried about hotels - the buildings are so old, and lifts aren`t always provided. I can`t remember if the streets were cobbled? It`s the cobbles that put me off going back to Rome - last time we went was pre-RA, and I doubt I would cope as well now. Wheelchairs and cobbles don`t mix well.

If you really intend going then get as much info as you can, and try and get a really central hotel.

We had the car, and used to park in a big open car-park then get the water bus in, but I can`t remember what the steps were like into the `bus.` Sorry I`m not much help!

villier

Never been Hileena so don't have any advice I am afraid. At least you have over a year to research and plan, I wish you the very best of luck. xx

hileena111

Hi SW

Peter is happy to go...he just wouldn't have mentioned it before me....he's knows that if he had mentioned it and I didn't think I could go that I would feel I was holding him back. So I have discussed it with him

Haven't had a chance to look at your link yet....I'm going for my appointment now but I will when I come back. Thanks for that.


The only thing I'm not sure about is the day trip by hire car??? Cant have anything motorised ...not even a mobility scooter so a hire car?
Sorry I've probably picked you up wrongly.

Anyway.....still thinking it over......thanks for your opinions...I am listening

Love
Hileena

stickywicket

I meant to drive as far as possible towards Venice. The link I gave suggests that quite a lot of the transport in Venice itself is disabled friendly and, if you click on the next page link at the bottom, it talks of scooter hire. (Though if it's cobbled I wouldn't fancy it or a wheelchair....or walking :roll: )

hileena111

Hi Tezz
We've always stayed in the centre of Venice
No the streets aren't cobbled...that's one of the things I checked LOL....Thank goodness

Hi SW....not long back so haven't looked at the link yet but there are no mobility scooters on Venice itself.....and def. no cobbles LOL

I'll come back when I check out that link....thanks for that


Love

Hileena

dreamdaisy

Here comes my bucket of icy water. :oops:

We went to Venice in late August 1997. At the time I had a fat left knee but was not using any aids because I hadn't a clue about what was going on. Our hotel was on The Lido and it was around the time that, in addition to the film festival, Princess Di was killed.

I remember pain thanks to walking on very firm surfaces, steps everywhere (you can't avoid them, especially with the bridges) and struggling to board the vaporettos (this was when I could move with some degree of flexibility). I also remember the shock of seeing a McDonalds within spitting distance of St Mark's Square.

I would love to go back to Venice but I reckon it won't have changed that much since '97 (I couldn't tackle the church spires and museums then, so deffo can't now ) and I don't want to see more branches of McDonalds. I find it difficult to go anywhere in the UK. :oops: DD

stickywicket

My apologies. The 'scooter' thing was from people offering access to Italy as a whole not Venice in particular :oops:

hileena111

Hi SW
I've been searching through that link trying to find the scooters

Love
Hileena

hileena111

Hi DD
Well we've been 3 times....not on the Lido......I was at the stage where I had a stick....folding one which wasn't always used.
Oh I remember the bridges....we just ambled ad then when we were finished we got the vaporetto home. This time it would be planned a bit more to dodge some of the bridges....it is possible you know
Yes I remember St Marks but for different reasons......we sat down the first time to have coffee.....if I remember it was about £8 each and that was along time ago Did we get any change from to money he was given?....not a chance.....You live and learn ....plenty of cheaper ones in side streets around St Marks.
I don't want to see any McDonalds....cant stand the places.
As for church spires....not interested......I loved the streets themselves.....round every corner was different.....stalls of all kinds.
I found the Italians very helpful...eg: getting on and off vaporettos

Thanks for your post DD
Love
Hileena

barbara12

Good for you Hileena..I think you will some how manage it..like they preparation ,and you have plenty of time to book a good ground floor room..and hopefully you will be able to use your walker...x

TrishaW

Hi Hileena,
I went to Venice for the first time late last year and understand why you want to go again as it's so beautiful. I went in late September and the weather was perfect -warm but not hot/sweaty-and it wasn't crowded at all (except in the main square which we avoided anyway as it was so touristy)
I am able to walk unaided but found the bridges/cobbles a bit of a challenge, plus the 'getting lost' which meant we often walked further than we meant to.
I think if you accept that you'll have to use water buses a lot and plan some lovely 'treats' to compensate you may be ok. For instance they had some wonderful live music in the evenings (recitals etc...sounded heavenly). Also you can 'people watch' from a cafe, and watch the sunset.....You could also visit the islands...just have to sit on the boat then go for a meal on arrival!
To be honest, Venice isn't the easiest place (Malta is wonderful, flat, and has a great frequent bus service), but if you have your heart set on it then go....

hileena111

Hi Trish
Thanks for the reply
It is beautiful isn't it....in its own way.
We've been in May before and its probably a bit like September.....warm and not crowded ....certainly not really really hot. thank goodness
We went to Murano but didn't go to any of the other islands.
We constantly got lost but that was part of the fun of it......this time it would need to be planned a bit better
Love
Hileena

pot80

We found a hotel with a ground floor room - not that it was a physical necessity. We like eating out so we did B&B. the plan was to walk everywhere however when we landed my wife found she was suffering what developed into a rip roaring tonsilitis. She was so disappointed that when we got home we booked the same deal again later in the year. We even booked the same room which was possibly a minor mistake as the minute she entered the room it brought back the memory of being ill in the room previously. On our first visit, because she was feeling ill, we stopped for a coffee in the tourist trap of St. Marks Sq. As there were 3 items on the bill for 2 coffees I queried the 3rd item to be told that it was for listening to the music !!
In your situation it might be worth exploring the possibility of a private transport from airport to Venice. We had one as part of the deal and it dropped us off very close to the hotel.
Finally, best wishes for your venture.

hileena111

Hi
We are going back to the same hotel and we'll get the bus which doesn't drop us off far from the hotel.
Poor wife {and you} imagine getting tonsillitis when you arrive...what bad luck
The first time we went we went to St Marks Square.....sat down to have coffee and were robbed A bit like you
Went back to St Marks again the next time but found a nice café not far away at normal prices.
The waiter took our money and didn't come back with any change....Oh well a lesson learned.....probably for both of us LOL
Hope youn had a good 2nd trip

Love
Hileena

bridesmum

Hi Hileena, we went to Venice in September 2013 and September 2014 as we loved it so much. I can recommend staying on the Lido as it's flat with wide pavements and very few bridges. You get the excitement of being in Venice during the day and then the laid back atmosphere of a seaside resort when you're back on the Lido. I personally couldn't cope with Venice hustle and bustle 24/7. Our friends stayed on the Lido with us for a few days during their tour of Italy and their hotel was right opposite the vaporetto station and had a lift :jheart: The vaporettos run every few minutes and you can get anywhere on them just like you would from Venice itself.
This year we're of to Croatia for a week in Split, never been before but heard good reports.
It's lovely to have something to look forward to isn't it? Deb
By the way, make sure you visit Burrano, it's so pretty with all the houses painted different pastel colours. We also took the train to Verona, it took forever but was really lovely.

hileena111

Hi Deb
We visited the Lido but stayed in Venice itself.
We are almost opposite the vaporretto in the hotel we were in and not far from the railway station.
We went to Murano {all the glass} I loved it...not been to Murrano ...I must remember that
We managed to get to Verona as well

You have a great time in Croatia and let us know about it. I'm not planning this until May 2016.....smaller holidays in the UK this year. I need that length of time to get my strength back and manage on 2 crutches further than I can now.
We went in May before and I didn't find it overly busy then.
It is nice to have something to look forward to
{even if it is far away} I'll look forward to my 3 UK holidays this year while planning for Venice the following year
Love
Hileena