unable to navigate stairs with luggage- train from Venice to Bellagio

The sequence for this transfer is: Train from Venezia Santa Lucia station to Milano Centrale station. Train from Milano Centrale station to Varenna-Esino station. Boat from Varenna to Bellagio.

At Venezia there are a few steps in front of the station, but another poster described a way around these with a ramp. As in all trains, you will have to go up a few steps with your luggage (someone can probably help you).

In Milano Centrale, all the tracks are on one level. If you need something on another level (bathroom, ticket office, restaurant), there are inclined travelators as well as elevators connecting the levels - no need for stairs.

At Varenna-Esino, the problem is that the boat dock is downhill from the train station. No stairs are needed to get out of the station as I recall, because you walk across the tracks to exit. However, you may need help getting your bags down some of the steep sections to the dock.

At the boat dock, it's level getting on and off. Bellagio itself is hilly; you may need someone from your hotel to meet you at the dock if you'll have trouble schlepping your bags up a hill.

On the way back, you may need help getting up the hill from the Varenna dock to the train station.

Without out knowing specifics on individual stations, I think you have a problem.
Most stations have steps to go from the platform to an underpass which links the platforms, and then back up to the next platform. Lifts (elevators) and escalators are the exception, though they are being added as stations are refurbished.
You would have to go to the Trenitalia site, and look for facilities for wheelchair passengers.

Venice station (Venezia Santa Lucia) has steps at the entrance (click here for photo), but from memory there is a ramp at the side. It is a terminus station, so you can get to and between the platforms without stairs.
Milan (Milano Centrale) is equally a terminus, so getting between platforms when changing trains is no problem. But, it is a monumental station built on a monumental scale (photo 1) (photo 2), Some escalators exist, but doing anything other than changing trains could be a problem.

And, it is often 2-3 steps into and out of trains.

Conclusion: Italian architecture is heavy on staircases. If you have a total ban on stairs. You need to check with Trenitailia and hotels, and ask questions as if you were wheelchair bound. Or just pack lighter.

There definitely is a ramp at Venezia Santa Lucia---it is on the left as you face the station.

The problem I see if getting to the station from the cruise dock. They won't want to use the bridge from Piazzale Roma to the train station. If that is where the cruise dock People Mover leaves them, they would need to take the vaporetto one stop to cross the Grand Canal.

My parents was a world traveler until about age 80, and somehow he managed to move my mother's huge suitcase. She could never figure out how to travel light.
But my wife and I travel with one 21" rolling bag and she carries a large handbag. I travel with a small backpack. We can travel indefinitely without any huge suitcases.
I suggest you look at Rick Steves' packing list and make the changes to where you can travel with one carry on size bag. Perhaps that will solve much of your problem.

There is a ramp at Venezia Santa Lucia.

Many large Italian stations offer assistance for travelers with disabilities. You may be able to find that information on the Trenitalia website.

Here is where to start regarding assitance at Trenitalia.
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Purchase/Info-&-Contacts/Disabled-passengers

You could take a land taxi from the cruise terminal to Venice Mestre train station, which has elevators to platforms, or a water taxi to Venice Santa Lucia, where they have ramps to the track level.

But I am wondering how you will negotiate Bellagio if you go by ferry. Maybe take a bus or taxi from Como?

jane,

As the others have mentioned, the trip from Venice to Milan should be fairly easy in terms of using stairs. The train from Milan to Varenna will probably have three or four stairs from the platform to the car, but a good samaritan may help with that. The big problem will be arrival in Varenna as there may or may not be a Taxi waiting at the station to take you down to the Ferry dock. When you exit the back of the station into the parking lot, there's a long stairway down to street level, so that may be a problem for you.

Depending on your budget, the easiest solution might be to hire a car service for the trip from Milan to Bellagio.

the reestrooms at the milan station are on a lower level and about a half mile walk after that. (im not kidding) make good use of the toilets on the train. good luck

We did something like this when there was a train strike on our travel day: take the train from Venezia to Milano Centrale, change trains in Centrale (same level) to a northbound train to Como S. Giovanni. At Como you can take an inexpensive local bus to Bellagio which takes about 1 hour. The bus station, where you purchase your ticket (~$2), is located across the street from the train station and is a flat walk.

A taxi from Como is about $60. You can also take a ferry (1-2h $14) from Como but the ferry is a 15 minute flat walk from the train station.

Going to Como avoids the Varenna hill issues.

Packing lighter into one carry on bag minimizes a lot of your concerns for the hilly, stair riddled lake towns.

Sam, where have you found elevators to the platforms at Mestre. I looked and looked and never found any....

My bad for listening to wikipedia:

The Venezia Mestre station building is also being modified with a view to better organization of spaces, and to suit commercial services closely linked to the railway, such as the ticket office. It will also become fully accessible to disabled people, through the construction of lifts to each platform.

Looks like that project is far in the future.