Where to go with a walking challenged person

(I DO realize you have a car...but my suggestion(s) may not require its use!) I think it makes a difference the trouble he has with stairs and hills - is it weakness (falling is a concern), or pain or simply fatigue? And how does he deal with it - takes it in stride but takes his time, or it causes him pain, makes him irritable, and is exhausting? Having said that...Some people love Venice because it's flat - ummm, except for all of those bridges that must be climbed over...You can wander quite a bit, though, and avoid the bridges for awhile. There's also the little problem of climbing in and out of the boats...Again, IF he can do it and wants to, then Venice is a suggestion (but strategize ways to avoid the daytripper crowds). He could watch Rick's shows on Venice and the Veneto area (available to watch for free on this site and also (easier, I think) on his YouTube channel). That way, he'd know what would be involved. In the same rough area, all towns west of there: Padua, etc., from MY experiences were pretty flat. You might want to avoid the Hill Towns ;-) This also keeps you close-ish to Vienna and Munich. Milan is flat... How is his general stamina for walking a long time? Does he use a cane?

I saw a few people in wheelchairs in Venice last fall. There are Vaporetto stops and some piazzas that are "accessible." It is possible, with careful planning, to visit large parts of Venice without crossing bridges or climbing steps. Piazza San Marco can be reached and toured in a wheelchair. If the challenged person can climb a few steps they can enter the basilica. If the desire to travel is strong enough, a way can be found. I think the biggest challenge may be the flying part of one's travels. I saw a passenger being wheeled down the aisle of my plane recently. She was in a specially designed slim wheelchair that fit thru the aisle. I don't know how mobility-challenged people get on and off trains. The Venice train station had an office for "handicapped" travelers near the tracks.

IMHO, when it comes to handicap access, Italy and the U.S. are on different planets. Italy simply does not seem to have the same local laws that we do here in the U.S. I noticed 2 years ago that when you come out of the main train station in Venice, there are about 6-8 stairs. No ramp. There may be a side door but I wasn't looking for one. There bridges over the canals can be an issue but I'm pleased to see above that there are places that you can get to in a wheelchair without going over the bridges. Walking certain can be easier there. It is easy to get around on the vaporettos. One very nice walk that could be made without difficulty is the Mercado trail from the Rialto Bridge to St. Mark's square. This is a wonderful stroll through streets with nothing but shops. Many of these shops are international as well. In Florence, there is good access to the streets but the historical areas have cobblestone streets which are a bit bumpy. The sidewalks are narrow making it a bit of a problem for wheelchairs. In the CT, many places to stay are in builidings that are 3-5 stories high. Elevators are rare but they can be found in Monterosso.

I second the suggestion to go to Venice. I was there last June just prior to my knee replacement surgery and with occasional stops for wine or a coffee I did just fine. Now that I have a new knee, I can't wait to return. I would also recommend Padua and there are other small towns like Vicenza or Verona or several villas on the mainland Veneto that I am anxious to see. A nice thing about Venice is you can see so much and soak up so much atmosphere from the vaparettos. That is an especially nice way to see Venice at night.

Thank you ladies you have been great help. We just might have to go to Venice and I am going to read up on Padua.

Siena has escilators from near the parking garage on the south side of the city to the top of the hill, there may be a series of 10 of them or so, but it is brutal once up there, as lots of stairs and climbing. The Duomo in Siena is alone worth the trip! The parking garage is very close to the NTZ.
Enjoy!

The TI in Venice distributes a map that has color-coding to show the parts of the city that are accessible to wheelchairs (i.e. no bridges to get there).