We Took Our Toddler to Venice (And Why You Should Too)

If you’ve landed on this article, it’s likely that you are here because you are considering going to Venice with your toddler and wondering if it is even feasible.

Of course, the point of this post is not that you need to take your toddler to Venice. Toddlers don’t need to travel the world to develop and grow. But if the opportunity has presented itself and you’re considering traveling to Venice with your toddler, let this post convince you to do just that!

how we ended up in venice with our toddler

At the New Year’s break of 2025/2026, we decided to travel to Italy with my mom, husband and 1.5 year old toddler. It was a very feasible trip as we were living in the Netherlands at the time, so the flight from Amsterdam to Florence was around 2 hours (easy enough with a toddler).

The purpose of the trip was to simply spend New Year’s and the days surrounding it in the city of Florence and head back home from there. One destination, a city we had visited before so were slightly familiar with, and one we knew didn’t need a lot of public transit to get around.

However, when a snow storm hit the Netherlands and our flight back to Amsterdam was cancelled, we decided to make the most of it and take the train from Florence to Venice to spend a few nights.

As we headed to Venice, I was mostly concerned about how in the world we were going to navigate the bridges and tight canals and easy access to water everywhere with our toddler, but it ended up being one of our favorite family vacations to date!

is venice toddler-friendly?

This is the primary question I was googling last minute on the train between Florence and Venice. What should I expect from Venice with my toddler? How was I going to navigate the bridges of Venice with a stroller (in case you don’t know, there are A LOT of bridges in Venice).

To answer the question, is Venice toddler friendly, I wouldn’t say that the city shouts “ALL TODDLERS WELCOME!” There are very real things to navigate in Venice with your toddler, however, in our experience they did not end up being as cumbersome as I expected.

Venice Bridges with a Stroller

Our toddler during our travels to Venice was one and a half, and she had long been walking. We have a small compact, light-weight stroller (similar to this highly rated Mamazing stroller). That made all the difference in Venice, and when we did bring our stroller with us during our outings, it was easy enough for my husband to carry it up and down the steps of the bridges throughout the city.

However, we realized pretty quickly how much our toddler enjoyed going up and down the stairs of the bridges (there are usually a handful of short steps up and a handful of small steps down), so there ended up being a few instances where we braved being stroller-less and simply let her walk through Venice.

Going “up and down” the bridges of Venice ended up being one of her favorite memories from the entire trip.

Eating in Venice with a Toddler

Italy is one of the most toddler-friendly destinations I’ve ever been to. We experienced such amazing kindness and a welcoming of our toddler at most every place we went, but especially in restaurants. And it didn’t matter if it was a casual restaurant or a nicer eating experience.

In the restaurants, the waiters treated our daughter like their own children, bringing out a high chair, engaging with her, laughing with her and knowing exactly what order to place (based on what their own children eat at home). It significantly released all the tension around mealtimes and made us feel so grateful for the Italians’ love of children.

Boats and Gondola Rides in Venice with a Toddler

When you have a little one and there is water involved, of course there is always hyper awareness and concern. But from the moment our toddler boarded the water taxi from the Venice train station to our hotel, she was in boat heaven.

Our toddler loved the boats in Venice. The water taxis, watching them along the water and through the canals, riding the gondola - all she could see or think about was boats boats boats. I know her mind won’t really remember the experience from being one and a half, but the boats in Venice were more memorable than any Disney experience could have offered her!

Venice was just as magical to her as it is to all of us adults.

toddler friendly activites in venice

This might be another thing you are Googling if you’re headed to Venice with your toddler (or considering Venice with a toddler).

From our experience, we did not do or plan any toddler-friendly experiences in Venice. I’m not sure if they exist, but we simply allowed her to enjoy the city alongside of us, run around the open squares, take the stairs, experience the museums ride in the boats, eat the pasta and gelato and just exist.

how much time in venice with a toddler

One of the main things to consider when bringing your toddler to Venice is how long to spend in the city. We were in Venice for two nights, so overall a very short amount of time to manage her throughout the various obstacles in Venice. I think any amount of time longer than this might leave you weary as a parent dealing with the stroller and the lack of playgrounds, etc.

why you should take your toddler to venice

As I mentioned at the beginning, this post is not declaring that toddlers need to go to Venice. However, it is encouraging you, the parent, that if you have it on an upcoming travel wish list or current planned trip, bringing a toddler to Venice is entirely manageable and even a highlight family experience.

So my advice is to take the trip to Venice, and bring that little toddling joy with you.

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Headed to Italy?

Find all of our Italy resources and travel guides in the Italy Section of our website, which includes guides to our favorite Italian destinations like Puglia and Florence, or check out the related articles below.