Prams, buggies & pushchairs
best buggies for venice
The never-ending bridges make it difficult to get round Venice with a pram or pushchair. If possible, bring a sling for babies, as this is by far the most comfortable way to get around. Otherwise, try to bring a lightweight pram that can fold easily. Avoid very small wheels, as theses don’t work well on steps. Wide double prams are very difficult to use in Venice because the shop doorways are very narrow, as are many of the alleyways.
insider tip
Our main tips is to use a baby carrier or sling – it’s so much easier!
prams & bridges
When going over bridges, we find the easiest way is for each person to take one side each and carry it upwards. If you are alone usually someone offers to help you – I’d say about 80% of the time. On Rialto, I always take the pram up the stairs on the side rather than the central stairs. There are fewer people and you can wheel the pram up one stair at a time as the step inclination isn’t too steep.
Buggy -friendly areas
There are several areas in Venice that are more comfortable with prams & pushchairs than others. You can walk the whole of Strada Nuova extremely comfortably because there are only a few bridges, and they almost all have a ramp. The path along the lagoon from San Marco to Via Garibaldi is also comfortable because many months of the year they put metal ramps up (they are usually put up for the marathon but left up for months). Consider staying around these places if you have buggy.
prams & apartments
You should find out in advance where you can store your pram at your hotel or apartment. There are no pram rooms here like Nordic countries have in their apartment blocks and it is usually not acceptable to leave a pram in any communal stairwells. If you’re staying in an apartment check which floor it’s on and whether there is a lift (unlikely) otherwise you might get very tired of lifting prams up and down the stairs every day.
rent a stroller or baby carrier
If you don’t want to travel with your stroller (or you get tired of using it and wish you had brought a baby carrier!) you can rent all types of baby equipment once you arrive in Venice from MamaRent. Prams, strollers, travel cots, car seats, baby carriers and slings, and so much more. Read more here or go directly to their website.
prams & water buses
In the waterbuses, there is usually only one place to keep prams, outside next to the driver’s cabin, and it is often occupied with shopping trolleys. If you ask the seaman, he will probably move the trolleys to make way for a pram. In winter make sure your baby is wrapped up warm because the waterbus gets cold and windy. There’s more space for prams on lines 1, 2 and 14 (both inside and outside). Please don’t forget to put the brakes on! The seamen often help you get your pram on and off the boat but be careful if they are not strapped in because sometimes they lift one end a bit too quickly.
