Visiting Venice with a baby: 9 essential tips!

Practical, tried and tested tips for visiting Venice with a baby that will make your family stay a breeze.

Venice is a fantastic city that can be visited at any age, and this includes babies!

Maybe unexpectedly, for a city so often associated with honeymoon and romance, Venice has a great, family-friendly vibe.

However, there is no doubt that a city on water poses some challenges to new parents.

The best way to tackle visiting Venice with a baby is to be prepared for the things that make this city unique.

That’s what this article is: a practical guide to Venice with baby, with all my best tips to make a trip to La Serenissima with a little one easy and fun.

I recommend you use it as a complement to our recommended Venice itinerary so that you and your baby can have the best time!

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9 must-have tips for Visiting Venice with a baby

Arrive by train

Having your own car can seem tempting when traveling with a little one.

However, the best way to get to Venice with a baby in tow is by train!

Unlike other Italian cities, Venice is almost entirely car-free, so the car will only be useful to reach Piazzale Roma, the large parking area on Venice island.

From here, you have to make your way into the city by other means and while this is not difficult, if you don’t have the convenience of having your own car, you are better off arriving at the train station, near Piazzale Rome but less stressful, more scenic and better located!

Also, parking in Piazzale Rome is expensive, so getting rid of the car, or renting it as you leave Venice, is a better option.

On the other hand, getting the train into Venice is easy and relaxing (also, babies go free!)

Venezia Santa Lucia station has excellent connections with the rest of Italy and it is right on Venice island: you find the Grand Canal in front of you as you step outside its front entrance!

From here, you can walk to your accommodation if you are staying in Cannaregio or San Polo to get a water taxi or bus to your hotel, should you be based in San Marco or farther away.

Find here >>> my complete guide to getting around Venice with kids

If you are flying directly to Venice, check our guide >>> how to get to Marco Polo airport to Venice instead!

Bring a baby carrier

Venice is not stroller friendly so I highly recommend bringing a baby carrier with you.

This will come in handy on days when you plan on taking the vaporetto (water taxi) as it will make it easier to step on and off the boat than lugging a stroller and it is also a good idea for museums, where you may be asked to fold the stroller and leave it at the wardrobe.

For ease of use and versatility, we found soft structured carriers to be best, but whatever you already use at home is likely to work well in Venice – I just recommend avoiding hiking carriers, if you can, as their iron frames may pose a security issue in museums and attractions.

You can find baby carriers that work well in Italy here.

Bring a compact, lightweight stroller

Venice is a city without cars/bikes/scooters, so most of your movements will happen on foot.

While, as well mentioned, Venice is not stroller friendly, if you have a baby with you, all this walking will be made easier if you have a stroller with you, especially if compact and lightweight.

The streets of Venice are flat and mostly smooth, but the many city bridges are not, and this is why a lightweight stroller is a good idea.

When you get to a bridge with tricky accessibility, a light stroller will be the easiest to lift and the one that will pose fewer headaches.

Another reason to opt for a compact stroller is restaurants.

Many Venice restaurants don’t have large spaces for strollers, and being able to fold yours will mean you have more options.

A lightweight, compact stroller for travel suitable for newborns is not easy to find. You can find ideas for strollers that work well in Italy here.

Top Tip! If you don’t have a stroller and realize you can do with one once in Venice, you can rent one in Venice by contacting Babonbo, a very handy service for renting baby equipment on location.

Expect steps

Another thing to be aware of in Venice is that older hotels may not be equipped with a lift, due to the constraint of their medieval architecture.

Always check on the hotel website if a lift/elevator is mentioned or ask for a room on the ground floor if you don’t want to tackle flights of stairs lugging up a baby and a stroller!

By baby essentials at supermarkets and pharmacy shops

Venice is well equipped with baby essentials. You can buy baby food, weaning products and diapers in supermarkets and also in pharmacies (farmacie.)

Supermarket chains you may find in Venice include:

• Conad
• Despar
• Crai
• Simply

They all stock your basic grocery and daily essentials and a largely equivalent to one another, so you can just go to whichever is closest to you.

Find here >> all you need to know about supermarkets in Italy.

Farmacie tend to stock higher-end products, allergy-friendly products and baby formula. It is also where you get medications, should you need to stock up on baby paracetamol or others.

In Venice, you will find many international baby brands however, when it comes to medications, the brand names may differ from back home.

If you think you need specific medications, always bring the name of the generic medication (eg. paracetamol) so they know what to give you.

Good to know! Pharmacies are great in Italy and not just for what they stock! In Italian Farmacie, you find a trained pharmacist who can advise about the remedy for a minor ailment or if you should call a doctor (and how). So if you need an opinion or reassurance, they are a great resource!

Find here >>> all you need to know about Italian pharmacies

Know where to find restrooms

Public restrooms may not seem easy to find in Venice unless you have this insider tip: all restaurants and cafes, by law, must allow access to their restroom facilities to their patrons!

This means that no matter where you are in Venice, if you need a quick trip to the bathroom to change your baby or other, you can simply ask for access.

Making a small purchase such as gums or coffee is enough and, in the case of little kids, you usually do not even need to do that: ask nicely and they usually let you go.

Do not expect great baby changing facilities or changing stations – in Venice, like in the rest of Italy, having your own changing mat and well equipped diaper bag is best!

Find here >>> all you need to know about public bathrooms in Italy.

Know where to find playgrounds in Venice

Venice is not a very friendly city.

However, it has some nice playgrounds that are handy to know for a baby-friendly break on the swing or a family picnic.

Venice playgrounds are in:

• Parco Savorgnan – Calle Pesaro, 427, 30121, Cannaregio, Venice
• Giardino Papadopoli – Santa Croce, Venice
• Giardini Napoleonici – C. Giazzo, 30122, Castello, Venice
• Giardini di Sant’Elena – Castello, Venice

Stay in a quiet area

Venice can get very busy and this, mixed with the maze-like structure of its city center streets, can quickly become oppressive with a baby.

While I do recommend staying in Venice proper, rather than nearby Mestre, picking a quiet area will go a long way to make your stay more relaxing and baby-friendly – the areas I love are Cannaregio and Castello.

You can find a list of the best areas to stay in Venice here.

When it comes to baby-friendly hotels in Venice, we have found that not many offer extra services for families beyond a free cot.

However, we have found one, and it is a good one: Starhotel Splendid Venice!

I love the Starhotel chain for families and this hotel in Venice doesn’t disappoint!

As well as nice rooms, they have special attention for babies and parents, including:

• Family rooms
• Baby gear rental options include strollers, cribs, bottle warmer etc.
• ‘Le Maschere’ restaurants and lounge bar are onsite for when you don’t feel like going out again
• Full American breakfast
• 24/7 room service
• Private boat entrance, opening onto the canal: perfect if you get a water taxi from Marco Polo Airport to your hotel!

Find availability and prices here

Venice accommodation resources:

>>> Family-friendly hotels in Venice

>>> Family friendly rentals and Airbnb in Venice

Know where to find medical help

118 – Medical emergencies only – this is the national number to get an ambulance and get urgent help fast

Pharmacies – these are the first port of call for minor ailments or if you are unsure about the need for a doctor. They will be able to give basic medications or recommend medical help

Doctors in Italy – A directory of English-speaking doctors available online or on the phone for standard, non-urgent medical consultation

Something extra: best things to do in Venice with a baby

Many of the most popular things to do in Venice can be done with a baby in tow.

In Venice, you and baby can:

Take a small group tour with LivTours, a fantastic family-friendly provider of tours in Italy (I love them they are a fab company and truly nice people as well, they have young kids themselves!).

You can choose between a waking tour of Venice (bring a baby carrier)

Or a tour of Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s, also in a small group of only 6 people (bring a baby carrier)

Book a private photo shoot for great family memories of your adventure! I recommend Marta from Flytographer (it is not me, we just share a first name!) Contact her >>> here <<<

Enjoy Piazza San Marco – stroller-friendly (a rare thing in Venice!) this is a must-see in Venice and an easy one to visit with babies too.

Just be aware that the piazza has many pigeons, which can be fun to watch or make you feel uncomfortable as they may fly rather close to you!

You can usually avoid them by staying closer to the basilica or near the porticoes.

Take a gondola ride – this is not my favorite activity in Venice for baby.

However, there is no age limit (usually) for boarding a gondola and if you have your baby in a carrier and a gondola ride is a bucket list activity for you, a ride may be possible.

If you are considering this option, please be aware that just to the nature of the gondola ride, you are very to the water.

Because of this, I highly recommend you only decide on the day and after seeing your ride if it is a suitable activity for you.

Explore Cannaregio – Cannaregio is one of the historical neighborhoods of Venice and a lovely one to visit with kids. This area has the ancient Jewish ghetto, many canals, beautiful churches and it is much quieter than others in the center. A lovely place to tap into a more authentic side of Venice

Explore Castello – like Cannaregio, Castello is the Venice of the Venetians, a lovely area where to experience the city away from the maddening cords (this is also where you find some nice parks)

Eat cicchetti – chicchetti is the Venetian name for ‘small portions of food’ and they are a Venice specialty. You can enjoy them in local wine bars (bacari) and they work well with babies too as, usually, the atmosphere is relaxed and casual.

Not all chicchetti are suitable for weaning babies but you pick from a selection displayed at the bar so the ordering process is, usually easy as you see exactly what you get.

If you do baby-led weaning, they may be a great food adventure!

Visit a museum – not all Venice museums are family-friendly but some are.

The most popular with families with babies is the Peggy Guggenheim collection that is well equipped for families and even has family-friendly events.

Explore Lido – Lido is the beach of Venice city and a bit of a lifesaver if you are in Venice with a baby in summer.

As temperatures soar in Venice, Lido is a nice place for them to sit on the sand and play in the water and cool down.

Lido is easy to reach by vaporetto and stroller friendly – a great place to escape the busy city center and one of the best beaches near Venice!

Explore the islands of Burano and Murano – Burano and Murano are two of the most beautiful and popular islands to visit on the Venice lagoon.

They are easy to reach by vaporetto and they are pretty and stroller friendly: Burano in particular is small and has a family-friendly vibe, perfect for an afternoon out with baby.

You can read here >>> how to plan your visit to the islands of Venice, on your own or by tour.

What to pack for visiting Venice with a baby

Venice is very seasonal and what to pack will vary depending on the time of year of your visit. You can find our full packing list for Venice here, however, don’t forget to pack:

• Winter clothes (including warm baby onesie and stroller footmuff) for winter
• Light, breathable summer clothes for the summer months
• Insect repellent for summer and portable mosquito net for baby (mosquitoes are brutal in Venice)
• Sun protection
• Stroller and carrier
• Beach essentials for summer – there are lovely beaches in Venice great for surviving the hottest summer days
• Portable high chair – not a must-have but handy as not all restaurants are equipped with baby things.
• All the baby gear you are used to at home, especially medications, if using.

Should you be in need of baby essentials (everyday or special purchases), you will find useful >>> our guide to buying baby products in Italy.

I hope you enjoyed these tips for visiting Venice with a baby. Safe travel planning!