Venice plus...where? in mid-October

Lake Como is vertical, all steps, and many hotels don't have an elevator. Also, sadly, the crowding has become an issue, even in shoulder seasons, which really affects regional trains and ferry lines and waits.
Sorry, we just returned from the area.

Take a trip to Slovenia, a beautiful, small country.
Escape the crowds in the Amalfi Coast and le Cinque Terre!

Italy is full of incredible cities - many of them just a short, easy train ride from Venice. It might be worth unfolding a map and seeing what catches your eye. What kind of experience are you looking for?

The Piedmont is lovely at that time of year. The Alba Truffle Festival takes up the month of October. Turin is wonderful flat city to visit. Easy day trips to the wine towns (Barbaresco, Barolo, Asti) and Courmayeur in the Italian Alps. Take the Skyway Montebianco to Mont Blanc. If you’re adventurous, take the cableway to Chamonix and then the bus back to the starting point in Courmayeur.

We loved Ljubljana, Slovenia. We thought it felt like a small, clean Paris.

You could take a day trip to Lake Bled. If the leaves are turning at that time, I’m sure it will be gorgeous.

If I may ask, what is it about the cruise option that strikes you as “ depressing”? I know not everyone, and especially many on this forum aren’t big cruise fans but we love them for the ease of travel and almost guaranteed assurance that they will be excellent. Perhaps this is the time to try one particularly if you may have mobility issues. We have often combined cruises and independent travel and find they make a nice mix. Also some of the ports in that region, I believe, are good choices for a long day visit, unlike major destinations offered on some itineraries like Rome or Paris or others some distance from the port or to my mind impossible to visit for 6 or 7 hours. You may be pleasantly surprised! But everyone's mileage does vary. Good luck.

I thoroughly recommend Padua, Verona, and Treviso for before or after Venice --- all easy by train, far less crowded than the Italian places you mention, and all flat. Padua's sites are more spread out, but it has a good bus system.

Thanks -- lots of great ideas I've been looking into today! The Slovenia sites look very appealing. We went to Prague last year and loved it -- parts look similar.

Maybe the thing about a cruise that makes me hesitate is that it seems we wouldn't really have any "problems" or challenges that can be fun travel adventures -- having to figure something out or somehow communicate with people. Also, not feeling immersed in a place? But it could be much less hassle also and easier to get around, and like you said, this may be the time to try that out.

That cable car near Mont Blanc looks incredible but I just about had a panic attack from the website -- can't do heights! :)

I highly recommend the smaller towns/cities close to Venice. I was in Padua a couple of days ago. The Scrovengia Chapel is incredible and the most impressive thing I have seen on this trip. Also the Basilica of S Antonio. Do a tour of the Palace of Bo which is the original building of the University of Padua. The town is flat which was nice after 4 days in Venice. Stayed near the Palace of Bo which meant 15 minutes of walking to the chapel and 15 in the other direction for the basilica. Team can be used to get you to both and the train station. Check out Rick Steves guide on it.