Venice in December with young kids

I'm clueless about what kids enjoy but remember reading about water-based activities here--rowing lessons? I'm not sure how comfortable it will be on the water in December from a weather standpoint, though.

As of late September the bell tower at San Giorgio Maggiore was closed. I don't know why or for how long, but unless there are other things you want to do on that island, you should check on the status of the tower before heading over. I don't know whether you need to seek out views from two buildings, either, but I'm not much for overhead views in general.

Ah, thanks --- yes, we'll have to check on that closure (and others!)

My husband did RowVenice in December on a previous visit --- they let me ride along in the boat, but I'm guessing they wouldn't want two little kids to do that.

Kids will like birds-eye views. I guess we could try San Marco's belltower very early one morning, like my husband did with our then-9-year-old in 2001.

We once visited Venice the end of January. It was cold and simply miserable.
The wooden sidewalks were all over St. Marks Square and the water level was high. Waves were splashing water into the square.
It's not a place I prefer to go in Winter, much less with a couple of youngsters.

We were in Venice in June, and the vaparetto tickets were 7.5 Euros for each ride. I told my 11 year old granddaughter to put her hiking boots on because we were going to see the city--on foot. I think it was my 10th trip to that amazing city.

How about where the English go? The Algarve of Portugal around Faro.

I have stayed on Lido island twice and enjoy it as a nice get away from the Venice craziness. The beaches are a bit lackluster, but it's a comfortable location, and a fairly short ferry ride.

There are big ferries which go on the main routes which were about 12 eu if I recall. And then I think I heard a gondola guy saying he wanted 150 eu for a short ride. I did not see any other types of boats over a few days.

I have been to Venice 3 times over 10 years - most recently 3 months ago. I enjoyed it the first time, but I like that place less and less each time. High prices, restaurants with bad service and big cover charges, crowds everywhere. I feel its like Rome - worth to see once - but not again.

In November and winter, the water can rise. I recall being in St Marks square, and they had erected catwalks about 2 feet off the ground to walk above the water. They wee also selling knee high rubber boot. Around the square, the water seemed about to get into shops. At least there were no crowds at that time.

We are Minnesotans and perhaps a little odd about winter --- I wish I could attach photos of my husband at this very moment cold-tent camping in far northern Minnesota or our grandchildren having a snack inside the igloo they helped build when it was way below freezing. My husband's and my favorite time to go to Italy is November to mid-January and the only time we've been cold there was totally our fault. But, yes, we know we are taking a chance going to Venice in December --- rain day after day would suck, for instance. We love fog, though.

What Gail reports is very encouraging! Let's hope we get weather like that. And, thank you for so many details!

Actually, we would like to experience some high water in Venice. But we do plan to stay in a part of the city that is not as low as San Marco. I have a map that shows where the flooding is greater or lesser.

Buy the book Secret Venice by Jonglez
Climb (no elevator)) the bell tower on Torcello.
The Maritime Museum might be fun.

Thanks, Aussie! I just now requested the book from the library.

Yeah, the kids can climb the tower while I check out the art. Excellent idea.

We enjoyed the Maritime Museum 20+ years ago --- thanks for the reminder, we may need a museum on a rainy day, and four of the six of the people on this future trip love boats (our son and daughter-in-law not so much).

We did a topa tour with Gianluca some years ago, but his contact details don’t work any more. I think you can hire electric boats from a place on Certosa. Try https://www.classicboatsvenice.com/

The Jonglez book speaks about the capitals on the Doges palace collonade, and gives a good explanation of the story. There are all sorts of quirky details in that book, and it has drawn me all over Venice. Secret gardens, an ice house, a special stone set in the path to San Pietro in Castello.

Take a look in the Jesuati church in Castello. The curtains are beautiful, especially as they are made of marble.

Show the kids Vittorio’s window. He makes anatomically correct glass insects, exhibited world wide. We bought a honeybee from him, broke a wing off at home. He repaired it on a later trip. http://www.vittoriocostantini.com/en/the-workshop-2/

Those are some beautiful boats! I will look into this!

Our granddaughter LOVES bugs, so we will look for these glass ones for sure.

Yeah, quirky details, we like quirky anything.

Thank you, again.

Get the app Che bateo or chebateo, not sure which. Every Venetian has this app. It links to the vaporetto timetables in real time. “If we scamper, we will just catch the No 12 to Burano. But we mus hurry”. Get a map, plug into the app a couple of vap stops, and see how to get there. A good way of engaging the kids.

The app water on the venice floor gives notice of likely flooding, so you can avoid wet feet. Also Hi Tide Venice has the same info.

Churches. There are heaps, but maybe visit this one, the Frari, even if you are not into churches. On the left side is the monument to Canova, which I find achingly beautiful. A close friend finds it hideous.
Further along, the monument tonDoge Pesaro. Four black men, bulging eyes, holding wheat bags, atop of which is said Doge. My friend finds it hideous; I agree.

Again, further along, left side, a little bomb mounted on the wall. It fell on the Frari during the 1914/18 unpleasantness and failed to explode.

And further along, there is a Nativity scene. Not just your average stable, but 3/4 of the village pf Nazareth, OK, an Italianiate Nazareth. Blacksmiths, farriers, carpenters, butchers, the whole community.

Grab a sandwich, a tremezzini at the bar Al Archivo just over the bridge in front of the Frari. Tell the kids to take their food back over the bridge, sit beside the canal and behave themselves. You can prop outside, have a drink and keep an eye on them.

To the left of the Frari is the shop Legatoria Polliero. They do paper products, made on site. Polliero Senior cut our wrapping paper so carefully on his guillotine. We will never forget him.

And if you come across a pair of street musicians, the taller on fiddle, his somewhat stooped mate on guitar, drift them a couple of euros on my account please. We have known them for a dozen years; we greet each other like old friends.

You wondered what Christmas Day might be like. It is not as quiet as other places. Christmas Eve is a big day.
Consider Certosa instead of the Lido. Open space, and there is a bar.

I'm from Minnesota, also :-)

How do you-all do in cold HUMID weather?

I took my family to Greece over the New-Year and my sons wore shorts most of the time - they were stared at by the locals.

Years later, when one son worked in England for a year, we joined him for the Christmas/New Year period. We did well in the snow and cold - except that the cold HUMID air of New Year's Eve for the London fireworks was a chilling.

But worst yet was a few springs ago in Ronda, Spain. The spring rains were soaking everything - "fine, we'll have our rain coats and umbrellas" - but the humidity with the cold AND they didn't have heating in the AirBnB we lined up!

So, we're contemplated Venice for last December (2022), as a quick getaway (self employed and business was slowing for Christmas) and I saw the rain in their forecast and scrapped that idea.

Aussie --- So, Certosa instead of Lido, for a wintertime beach? Sounds interesting. It has a bar, meaning a coffee bar?

We will definitely use the vaporetto app and the acqua alta app. The last time we were in Venice, we thought Google Maps worked pretty darn well, at least much better than it has in other Italian cities with narrow walkways between taller buildings. But we'll have a good paper map, and also just enjoy getting temporarily lost.

As an art-loving heathen, I've visited lots of churches but not the Frari yet. Actually, you're the 2nd person this week to make me want to go there --- the zoom art history lecture I "attended" this week showed photos of the interior. But the lecturer showed no slides of your Canova --- I agree that it is brutti ma buoni (like the cookie). It's an escapee from a monumental cemetery --- if you enjoy such sculptures, I hope you've been to the Cimitero Monumentale in Milan.

We will look out for your musicians!

Evan --- For damp cold, do not wear anything cotton including t-shirt and socks. You want non-restricting layers of fleece, wool, and "miracle fibers." I wish I'd known that when I lived in London for four years!

Certosa is an island with lots of green open space, popular with locals. There is a boatyard and marina on the island.
The bar does light meals like sandwiches, also drinks. It is attached to the small hotel there.

Many thanks for all the answers and tips!

What do people who have been inside the Ca' d'Oro think about taking kids there? I thought they'd like the balconies (but are these open in winter?) and just seeing the interior of one palazzo --- they both do like being in interesting houses and other buildings.

Well, darn, I was wanting to skip Murano on this trip, but there is some clamoring for it and anyway I just discovered a church on Murano whose mosaic floor I need to see, so I am persuadable. When I visited Murano in 2001, I thought there was way too much expectation to shop and to look at finished pieces --- what the family wants to see is more of the actual glass-blowing. Does anyone have a recommendation for where to go to accomplish this?

I do not want a tour, not with a 9 and 6 year old, and with going to Burano and Torcello that same day.

The church is the Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato, in case anyone is wondering.