Traveling to Venice with a Disability

Venice is a difficult city to visit for people with reduced mobility. The streets are mostly narrow and cobbled with numerous bridges that connect the several islands, which can be challenging for someone in a wheelchair.

Below is the opinion of a person who visited Venice in a wheelchair:

Public Transport

• The water buses are all accessible and a travel ticket for people with reduced mobility are less expensive.
• There are adapted water taxis, although these are quite expensive.
• The gondolas are not accessible, and you'll need help to get onboard.

Exploring the City

Accessible Venice Map

• Upon arrival, we recommend heading to the nearest tourist office (in Marco Polo or in Santa Lucia) and ask for a map with all Venice’s accessible itineraries. The tourist office will also give you a key for the bridge’s stairlifts.
• Unfortunately, even if you do have the key, many of the stairlifts don’t work, or at least not very well.
• The streets are very narrow with irregular pavements, there are numerous bridges and stairs, so we recommend following the adapted itinerary.
• Although there is less to see on the island of Murano than in Venice, it's very accessible for people with reduced mobility.

Adapted Hotels

A lot of old palazzos in Venice have been renovated and transformed into hotels or hostels and the majority have not been adapted for differently-abled people. In fact, less than 25% of the accommodation in Venice is accessible; therefore, we recommend booking in advance.

Don’t forget to tick the space for “Handicap-accessible” on our hotel search engine.

• Introducing Venice Hotel search engine

Wheelchair Rentals

If you do not have a folding lightweight wheelchair and would like to rent one in Mestre or Venice, you'll find orthopaedic centres where you can do so (listed below). We recommend calling before you get to Venice to ensure you have a chair during your stay.

Venice

• Sanitaria ai Miracoli (Cannaregio 6049), phone number: +39 041 520 35 13
• Sanitaria Gomiero (Castello, 6663), phone number: +39 041 528 77 74
• Sanitrans (Cannaregio 1091), phone number: +39 041 52 39 977
• Sanitaria Tonello (Cannaregio 6375), phone number: +39 041 52 67 714
• Farmacia Morelli (San Marco 5310), phone number: +39 041 52 24 196

Lido

• Tonello (De Domenico Doge 2), phone number: +39 041 52 67 714

Mestre

• Poliambulatorio Carpenedo (Via Anillo, 66/68), phone number: +39 041 94 00 61
• Sanitaria Tonello (Via Circonvallazione, 27), phone number: +39 041 97 09 77
• Sanitaria Vepharma (Vía Ospedale, 38), phone number: +39 041 98 00 26
• Ortopedia e Mobilità Srl (Via Einaudi, 62/A), phone number: +39 041 95 20 16
• Sanitaria Via Piave (Via Piave, 124), phone number: +39 041 92 93 26
• Reamed Srl (Via F. Hayez, 4/A), phone number: +39 041 47 60 313, free phone number: 800 400 875
• Rizzoli Ortopedia Spa (Via Circonvallazione, 68), phone number: +39 041 94 00 61
• Sanitaria Tuttosalute (Corso del Popolo, 84), phone number: +39 041 53 14 666

Conclusion

Venice is a complicated place to visit for people with reduced mobility and more so if they explore the city by themselves, especially in a wheelchair. If you're travelling to Venice in a wheelchair, we recommend bringing, if possible, a folding lightweight wheelchair. A heavy wheelchair will not be able to get around many parts of the city.