Venice is one of Europe’s most attractive tourist destinations. And that’s true for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it is an amazing cultural and art center of the Renaissance period – it’s like traveling through time centuries in the past. Next, it’s an amazing experience to see, with all the canals and beautiful gondolas. Next, Venice is known for amazing seafood, so you would definitely have some good meals here. Being an incredible place to visit, it’s amazing if you can afford to visit it, especially when traveling with your family. However, traveling with kids requires special preparations and ways of travel, especially when visiting a city like Venice. Here’s the ultimate guide on traveling to Venice with kids!

Yes, traveling to Venice with kids may scare you – but read our tips and organize the trip of a lifetime!

General tips on traveling to Venice with kids

Here are some useful, general tips when preparing for a trip with your family.

Book a longer stay

As you may already know, doing things with your kids takes time. No matter how precisely you plan something, kids are often unpredictable with their needs, moods and sleeping schedules. So, to make sure you see and do everything you want in Venice, give your family more time than you first planned. Book a stay two or three days longer so you don’t end up hurrying through crowded streets (and canals) of this beautiful city.

Make a detailed plan

Even though your kids may be unpredictable, your trip schedule shouldn’t be. Make sure you make a certain plan for your trip and know which locations you want to visit. Furthermore, learn everything about those places – working hours, entry fees, kid-friendly activities, etc. Learn more about Venice, so you can be your own tour guide and make this trip more interesting for your kids, therefore keeping them interested and in a better mood.

Check where you can get discounts

Traveling with kids doesn’t need to be expensive. Many locations and facilities have special offers for family visits, as well as discounts for children’s entry fees.

Bring an ultra-light stroller or an infant backpack holder

Traveling with a baby or a toddler can be challenging in terms of walking up and down the narrow streets and bridges. So, if your child can’t walk on its own yet, be sure to bring an ultra-light and compact stroller that is easy to pack and carry around when necessary.

An even better solution would be an infant backpack holder, which makes moving through narrow streets and up and down the many steps much easier and faster. It will also make carrying items much easier since your hands are free and help you avoid lifting the stroller when crossing a bridge or going up some stairs – which can be pretty common when traveling to Venice with kids.

Things to avoid when traveling to Venice with kids

Yes, traveling to Venice with kids is possible and can be very successful. However, there are some things you should definitely escape so you can increase safety and improve the mood of your trip. Here are some things you should definitely avoid when traveling to Venice with kids:

• visiting most popular locations at the busiest times – of course, you want to see places like St. Mark’s Basilica, Rialto Bridge or Doge’s Palace. And thousands of other tourists want that, too. So, when traveling to Venice with kids, be sure to avoid the main attraction in peak hours – try visiting them in the afternoon, around 4 PM or later.
• not being safety conscious – since Venice is a busy place with over 20 million tourists each year, it’s not unusual to worry about safety. That’s why you should be aware of the pickpockets that often appear at the busiest places in Venice.
• packing more than necessary – when traveling to Venice with kids, the main thing you should remember is that lighter is always better. Avoid carrying heavy luggage, especially if you have to carry your kids too.
• spending too much money on food – kids often leave their plates half full which leads to spending more money than it’s necessary. Moreover, fancy restaurants close to the main tourist attractions are particularly pricey, so make sure you avoid them. Try local trattorias, which offer amazing local food (mainly seafood dishes) that are very affordable.

Child-friendly activities in Venice

To have a successful trip to Venice, here’s a list of kid-friendly activities you can do with your family.

Have a Vaporetto tour

Venice water buses, vaporettos, are an amazing way to see Venice from the Grand Canal. These buses are much more affordable than gondolas, which is great for the family budget.  And most importantly – the kids will love the ride.

Count lions

The lion is an important symbol of this city and there are lions everywhere. Since kids love animals, it may be very interesting to go lion chasing around Venice and see some amazing locations as you go.

Chasing lion can be an interesting activity when traveling to Venice with kids – try it out!

Try out Venetian masks

Another symbol of Venice is the mask, and there are many shop and street vendors who sell carnival masks of different colors, sizes, and shapes. Kids love masks and dressing up, so trying them out and buying a favorite one as a souvenir is definitely one of the interesting kid-friendly activities.

Masks are very interesting to kids – and Venice has a lot of them!

Visit the spookiest place in Venice

Older kids probably like spooky and scary stories. That’s why visiting prisons in the Doge’s Palace is another amazing activity on the list.

Visit Murano

Murano is an island in Venice famous for glassblowers. Watching these craftsmen create amazing glass pieces can be an amazing thing to do with your kids.

Have a ride in a gondola

One of the most interesting things to do with kids in Venice is definitely a gondola ride. It’s not only a romantic thing to do with your partner, but a fun way to explore Venice with your kids, too.

Visit the Natural History Museum

For school-aged kids or older, visiting the Natural History Museum will be a lot of fun. They can see taxidermied animals, dinosaur bones and other different exhibits. So, if you have a dino-lover in the family – head over to this place!

Moving to Venice with kids

Traveling around the world often helps us pick our top places to consider when starting over, which can happen in Venice, too. However, if you have a family, you may be afraid of the whole moving process and its complexity. Well, it doesn’t need to be like that – working with a moving professional can make your move an amazing experience, and you will relocate your family in no time. Like in traveling, planning and good organization is key, as well as having professional and reliable help.

In the end…

The best way to have a stress-free trip when traveling to Venice with kids is to adjust your expectations. Don’t compare this trip to when you traveled by yourself. You may not be able to do everything as you imagined, but being prepared will help you do and see as much as possible. Creating memories with your children is precious, so be sure to enjoy every moment of your trip.

(Written by Guest Author: Sophia Perry)