Going to Italy soon, but I have walking difficulties.

Remember that in Venice, there is a lot of walking up steps, across a bridge, and then down steps, constantly all over the city. Before I had my knee replacement, that was kinda no fun. A wonky hip may be a similar experience. Sadly, I don't have any tips, but you can just take it slow. And maybe skip the gondola ride, it's a bit tricky to get on board. A friend hurt her knee and couldn't walk too much so she took taxis in Florence to get to the sights. That may be an option for you. All of those cities have a lot of walking involved and a taxi may help? I hope you can still enjoy your trip. Maybe sitting in cafes and drinking wine and eating lovely food can be your fun time.

Is the issue that your joints get stiff/achy but you still have relative straightahead
forward/backward mobility, or has your mobility also been compromised by the
(I assume) arthritis?

I would say that, if your doctor recommends cortisone shots (there is debate on
the long-term effects), get them a week or so before you leave, so the relief you
get will be most effective on your trip. If you are into prescription (NSEAD) anti-
inflammatories, bring a bunch of those, and whatever over-the counter medication
helps you the most. If you have a walker or cane already and are used to using
it, bring it.

Figure out how to get taxis/rideshare in every town you're going to be in ahead
of time.

If your accommodations have some sort of freezer capability, bring reusable blue
ice packs which you can use at night to reduce any inflammation and stick in
the freezer so they are good as new the next night.

Buy tickets for any museum you plan to go to ahead of time so you don't have
to wait in line just to buy tickets to stand in another security line just to get into
the museum.

Take lots of gelato and coffee breaks.

Hi, I would advise having everyone in your group very familiar with using a map app on their phone, so that you can meet up with them when there’s activities they want to do, but you’re unable to do them. Let them know ahead of time that it’s perfectly fine to not be doing everything together….because there’s a lot that you’re not going to be able to do in Venice, especially.

Check with your hotels. Many don’t have elevators (some are very tiny), and you will need them. Rooms start on what we consider the 2nd floor of a building.

Do you like to sketch or do watercolor? I bring my small sketchbook on trips and do a quick picture of each city. That could be something you enjoy.

Plan on getting some kind of cellular connectivity, for both yourself, and other members of your group. While Wifi is generally widely available in many places (your hotel, public spaces, restaurants), it's not always available everywhere you are and where/when you really need it. Having cellular service means you will always be able to send/receive text messages, which can be extremely useful when you have become separated from your group and you are trying to meet up (among other reasons).

My spouse and I now both have a Roamless eSIM in our phones, so we can separate for shopping, bathroom breaks, or whatever reason and easily find our way back to quickly and easily reunite, pretty much in every country and almost everywhere. Takes a lot of anxiety away from getting split up in a crowd or making ad hoc plans to meet up.

Expect a lot of cobblestone streets, steps, and irregular surfaces all over Italy.

Choose the things you really want to see every day and be ready to let the rest go. I love google maps, but find it easiest to strategize on a paper map and will often print up some google maps at home and mark them up.

If you feel the reluctance that I did using the wheelchair services at the airports last fall, use them anyway --- sign up for them in advance. In all five airport we used on my problem trips, it was a great service. Free, but in the U.S., we tipped the person.

How are you getting from one city to another? I love going by train in Italy, but a year ago when I could not walk more than several yards, the train station in Rome was a real pain.

Does a memory foam (or whatever foam) pad help you when you are sitting? You'll be sitting a lot.

My theory while on various Italy trips with various hip or feet problems is that once you recover from the plane flight, it's more fun to be in Italy than at home with the same pains and issues. Your itinerary does look more daunting than mine, though --- I hope you have several nights in each city so that you don't feel like you have to squeeze everything in.

In some museums and art galleries with lots of stairs, ask at the front desk if there is an elevator you can use. I've had to do this a few times and they were always very nice about it.

Maybe it's the kind of restaurants we like best, but ours have tended to have small hard seats with sharp edges --- check out the google photos of the seating before you book at a restaurant. Take that cushion!

Good luck with it all!

Hello mountaineer1galm and welcome to the forum,

Venice has done a lot work to make the city accessible for people with disabilities. And while this might not apply to you directly it does mean that much of the city is accessible without steps or with minimized steps. Check the city site for references and specialized maps.
https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/plan-your-trip/accessible-venice
https://www.comune.venezia.it/sites/comune.venezia.it/files/page/files/mappa%20Italiano%20Inglese%202017_1.pdf

I have also heard that Florence tourist office at the station offers short term loaned wheelchairs and while this might not be what you're looking for mobility aids are freely available in many places. Several people here have reported using both using foldable scooter type devices and using canes that have the fold out seats for sitting during tours, waiting in line or when you're tired and all the benches are filled with tourists taking selfies.

I can say that locals take the use of canes seriously in Europe. If you have a cane the designated bus seats will open for you, offers of elevators will be made and museum lines or special exits will appear even without you asking. So if using a cane helps you I'd recommend a foldable travel cane or similar to rest your hip and ease your way.

This topic has been discussed and would encourage you to search the forum for the experiences of others who have similar issues.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

While the plethora of bridges is an issue in Venice, I don't remember cobblestones anywhere in that city, including Murano, Burano and the Lido. It's important when walking around Venice to be mindful of canals (large or small) between your starting and ending points, though there are occasionally ramps alongside the bridges. Otherwise, you will need a bridge to get across each canal unless there are convenient vaporetto stops along the way. You need to navigate from bridge to bridge, not automatically take the straightest apparent path between Point A and Point B. Zooming in on Google Maps will make it clear where the (many) canals are.

Wow!!! Thank you everyone for some great ideas and wonderful resources!! So glad I wrote on the forum. I never expected such great answers. Thank you all for your generous ideas and time!!

You say “ I need a hip replacement, but still want to enjoy the trip without making the other three in my group miserable”
What kind of hip pain are we talking about here? Is it just your hip bones, grinding against each other or is it something like I was suffering from for about two years, the sacroiliac, which is the joint where your spine meets your hip and THAT is very different from the average hip pain.
Venice has little to no cobblestones, perhaps in a couple of the smaller piazze but not anywhere the average tourist goes, but, as others have pointed out, it has many bridges, narrow alleyways, stairs step, which pretty much every Italian city has. I can’t really add anything more to this than everybody else already has but be prepared to be disappointed not to be able to visit a certain site because of mobility issues. Good luck and happy travels

I returned from northern Italy recently. Compared to Germany, few streets have what I would consider cobblestone- rounded stones embedded in cement.

In Venice, Verona, Padua and Ravenna the pedestrian streets are paved with flat stone. It's much easier on your feet for walking. The short stretch in front of my Padua hotel was true cobblestone.

Hi there & welcome to the Forum, You've already gotten some great advice, so I will just focus on Rome. The most important thing I would do is plan ahead. You can take taxis in Rome if you know where the taxi stands are.

1. Here are some museums you might consider skipping - The Vatican Museums due to crowds & standing, the Coliseum & Roman Forum would be far too much walking & stairs, the Capitoline Museum has a very tall staircase you'd need to climb first. But there are so many churches & museums with amazing art, The Roman Museums of Palazzo Massimo & Palazzo Altemps are both gorgeous, usually empty. You can get a spectacular view of the Roman Forum by ascending the elevator in the Victor Emanuele monument.
2. Wear VERY GOOD BROKEN IN walking shoes. We started wearing hiking boots there when we were about 65 years old, there are plenty of steps & uneven pavement.
3. The reusable ice packs are a great idea, I've asked the front desk to put them in the freezer during the day & they were happy to do so, but they need to go in checked luggage.
4. I actually love sitting in museum cafes & you can wait for others while you relax with some local dessert!
5. Before our trip to Pompeii, I asked the Forum for advice about taking a packable seat. Here are the answers - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/light-weight-packable-seat-for-standing-around

Not specific to this particular trip, but, since you say you need a hip replacement, if
you are perhaps hesitant about getting the surgery, consider doing it as soon as
reasonably possible. It's a pretty routine procedure these days, and apart from
the need for a few weeks of rehab and ongoing exercise after that, chances are
you will wish you had it done sooner. (Caveat - this is general input; I know nothing
about your specific medical situation).