Traveling with a baby or small child is almost always difficult. In Venice, traveling with a baby becomes much more so due to the nature of how Venice is constructed. Exploring and enjoying Venice with a baby is more difficult than other travel destinations but the experience will be well worth it. And by employing some techniques and armed with knowledge, your experience in Venice with your baby will be more enjoyable.
Do not use a stroller. Venice is a never-ending maze of canals and small cobble-stone alleys. Each canal has a little bridge over it. There are hundreds of bridges over canals in Venice. None of these bridges has a ramp. You will have to carry your baby and stroller over every one of these bridges and it will quickly exhaust you.
Instead of a stroller in Venice, use a baby carrier. We use Ergo Baby. Ergo Baby is comfortable and convenient and can be used to carry your baby on your back, front or side. The important thing is that your baby carrier properly distributes weight. It should have comfortable straps and put the weight around your waist instead of on your back. You will be walking everywhere and frequently ascending and descending stairs and you cannot afford a sore back as you walk around Venice with your baby.
Bring as many baby items with you as possible to Venice. In Venice, there is no convenient supermarket to stock up on baby essentials. Diapers and baby food for your baby will have to be purchased at a pharmacy in Venice and it will be expensive. Depending on how long you are going to be in Venice, bring diapers and baby food to last for the duration of your time in Venice.
Anticipate other items you might need for your baby such as infant Tylenol or other medicine and bring whatever you can think of. Don't overpack, but be prepared. Whatever you don't bring for your baby will have to be bought in Venice, and it will be expensive and possibly very hard to find.
Hotels are also very expensive in Venice, but with a baby you should not compromise on quiet, clean and safe. It is possible, depending on the time of year, to find an affordable place to stay that will be comfortable for your baby and enable him or her to get enough sleep. Check www.venere.com for a no-frills B&B, residence or hotel. Then check www.tripadvisor.com to see the user ratings. Make sure it is quiet, clean and safe.
Gondola rides are very expensive in Venice. They can be around 80 Euros for a 30 minute ride and are even more expensive at night. If you are going to be spending the entire ride trying to keep your child from climbing out of the gondola then it may not be worth it. Venice is a very romantic place even without the gondola ride.
Let your child stop and look at things whenever they want. There is not much of an agenda of things to do or accomplish in Venice. It is the kind of place that you enjoy just by wandering around, getting lost, checking things out and taking your time. Your child will be happier if she feels her interests are important. If your child is happy, you will be happy.
Despite the difficulties of traveling with a baby, Venice is still a very amazing and romantic place to be and you will enjoy it no matter what. But by taking these precautions you can make your visit to Venice that much easier.
No comments:
Post a Comment