Visiting Venice with Kids Travel Tips: Where to Stay, Eat, and Get Around

These Venice with kids travel tips will help you plan where to stay, what to eat, and how to get around so your trip feels smooth instead of overwhelming.

After an unforgettable family adventure exploring Venice’s canals and landmarks, we picked up plenty of tips to make visiting this unique city with kids smooth and stress-free. From choosing family-friendly hotels and apartments to finding delicious, kid-approved restaurants and learning how to get around the car-free city, these Venice with kids travel tips will help you plan an unforgettable stay in the Floating City.

Italy ended up being one of our favorite trips, so I’ve shared all of it here, so you can browse all of my Italy guides in one place as you plan.

Venice with Kids Travel Tips: Where to Stay

Venice Hotel Travel Tips:

Europe has a strict occupancy rules due to fire codes and many hotel rooms are smaller than we are used to in the United States. Finding a hotel room to stay in Venice with kids that won’t break the bank can be somewhat more difficult. Unlike hotels in the US, most European hotels will require you to show the passports of everyone on your reservation.  Look for family rooms, two connecting rooms, or even some that are called “apartments.” These family hotels in Venice that sleep four, or more, book up quickly, so try to book early. 

To compare family-friendly hotels and apartments in Venice, you can browse current availability and pricing here.

Venice Rental Travel Tips:

If you are looking for a place to accommodate a larger family, Venice has many family-friendly apartments. Some areas have stricter rental limits, so book early. We sometimes choose to rent apartments for the space, and conveniences of home. It saves money having a kitchen and not having to eat out for each meal. Having the ability to do laundry saves space when packing. We also like the experience of “living like a local.” Just be sure to read reviews carefully and check how close the property is to a vaporetto (water bus) stop before booking.

Where We Stayed:

If you are looking for a more mid-range hotel in Venice, my family of four enjoyed our 3 days in Venice with kids at the boutiquey Hotel Indigo Venice- Sant’Elena. This hotel is part of the IHG group.The Sant’ Elena area of the island was relaxed and quiet. This was one of the greener areas of the island with nearby parks and playgrounds. This is great if you have younger kids that need to run around while you relax in the shade.

If your kids are okay with sharing a double pull out sofa bed, the one king, one bedroom suite with a balcony was very quaint and spacious! This duplex had a sofa bed for our kids on the bottom floor with a loft for the adults on the upper floor. This included a walk out, private, spacious, terrace balcony with a couch and table set and an outdoor shower that overlooked the Sant’Elena section of the island. After a long day of touring, my husband and I enjoyed sipping wine on our terrace each night!

Venice with Kids Travel Tips: Where and What to Eat and Drink

From the fresh seafood, amazing pasta, delicious pizza, gelatos, and flavorful wine, you won’t be disappointed with the food you will find in Venice!

Types of Restaurants:

In Italy, knowing the different types of restaurants helps you find exactly what you’re in the mood for, whether it’s a quick lunch between sights or a family dinner.

Ristorante – Full-service, often more formal and higher-end.
Trattoria – Casual, family-run restaurant serving traditional home-style dishes.
Osteria – Rustic and cozy, with a focus on local food and wine.
Pizzeria – Specializes in pizza; often open only for dinner.
Tavola Calda – Quick, cafeteria-style eatery for affordable lunches.
Bar / Caffè – Serves coffee, pastries, snacks, and light drinks all day.
Enoteca – Wine bar offering small plates like cheese and bruschetta.

Food:

 I would avoid restaurants with huge tourist menus or photos outside. We found that the best meals often come from tucked-away trattorias filled with locals. The Italians eat later than we are used to in the United States. Many restaurants will be most crowded around eight’o’clock. Gelato makes a great mid-day snack for the whole family!

Some dishes that Venice is known for:

• Bigoli in Salsa – Thick spaghetti-like pasta served with a rich sauce of onions and anchovies. It’s one of Venice’s most traditional and flavorful dishes.
• Sarde in Saor – Fried sardines marinated with onions, pine nuts, and raisins in a sweet-and-sour sauce — a centuries-old Venetian favorite.
• Risotto al Nero di Seppia – Creamy risotto made with cuttlefish ink, giving it a bold, briny flavor and striking black color.
• Cicchetti – Venice’s version of tapas! Small, shareable bites served in bacari (traditional wine bars). You’ll find everything from mini sandwiches to fried seafood and meatballs.
• Polenta e Schie – Tiny local shrimp (schie) served over soft polenta — a comforting and traditional lagoon dish.
• Fritto Misto di Mare – Mixed fried seafood — calamari, shrimp, and small fish — crispy and perfect for sharing.

Kids’ Favorites:

Like many kids, my two aren’t the most adventurous eaters, but many of Venice’s specialties are foods that most kids will recognize and definitely enjoy. Some of our family favorites were of course pizza, lasagna, and carbonara. My son wanted the carbonara for every meal!

Allergies:

I have gluten issues and have avoided even a morsel of it for over a decade now. If I accidentally eat any, I become quite sick. During the early years of my gluten intolerance diagnosis (not Celiac), I had thought that a trip to Italy would never happen for me because I didn’t expect to be able to eat much, or what I could eat would disappoint my craving for all of the Italian dishes that I once loved. Eating in Venice was an unexpected surprise with how accommodating and how amazing the gluten free dishes were. I expected to mostly eat dishes that are usually naturally gluten free, but it was so easy to find amazing gluten free pizza and pasta too! Of course since Venice is an island the seafood was amazing too!

Most of the restaurants had a menu posted outside and often a host that spoke English. Many menus were labeled with gluten free items, and if not, most workers were almost always more than happy to answer questions before coming into the restaurant. 

If food restrictions are part of your trip, I share what that actually looked like for us in our gluten free experience in Rome and Venice.

Desserts and Snacks:

Dessert can’t be missed! We ate gelatos every day, each time a new place and a new flavor, in search of our favorites! A tip from our tour guide was to avoid the places with the more fluffy looking gelato due to it being not as authentic.

• Gelato – The ultimate reward after a long day of sightseeing! Try flavors like fragola (strawberry), limone (lemon), or nocciola (hazelnut).
• Tiramisù – Venice is actually one of the places that claims to have invented this creamy dessert! The coffee-soaked layers are perfect for adults, but some versions skip the coffee and are great for kids, too.
• Cannoli – These crisp pastry shells filled with sweet ricotta cream are actually from Sicily, but you’ll still find them in Venice’s bakeries.

Drinks:

Wines:

Veneto is one of Italy’s top wine regions, and so Venice is the perfect place to indulge your tastes. 🍷 We found that ordering house wine was from a nearby Veneto vineyard and fantastic. Some of our favorites were:

• Prosecco (Veneto) – Italy’s famous sparkling wine, light, bubbly, and perfect for aperitivo hour or celebrating by the water.
• Soave (Veneto) – A crisp, dry white wine from Verona, with notes of pear and citrus — great with seafood or risotto.
• Valpolicella (Veneto) – A smooth, medium-bodied red from the hills near Verona, ideal for pasta or grilled meats.
• Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto) – A rich, full-bodied red made from dried grapes; bold, elegant, and a must-try for wine lovers.
• Pinot Grigio (Veneto) – Fresh, fruity, and easy-drinking; pairs well with lighter dishes or an afternoon snack by the canal.

Other Alcoholic Favorites:

Some other popular drinks in Venice that my husband and I enjoyed were:

• Aperol Spritz – Bright orange, bubbly, and slightly bitter, this iconic Venetian cocktail is made with Aperol, prosecco, and a splash of soda. You’ll see locals sipping it everywhere around sunset — it’s the drink of Venice.
• Bellini – A refreshing blend of white peach purée and prosecco, created at the legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice. Light, fruity, and perfect for brunch or a mid-day treat.
• Hugo Spritz – A northern Italian twist made with prosecco, elderflower syrup, and mint. Sweet, floral, and super refreshing on a warm day.
• Negroni Sbagliato – A “happy accident” version of the classic Negroni, made with prosecco instead of gin — sparkling, slightly bitter, and surprisingly smooth.
• Limoncello – A sweet, tangy lemon liqueur typically enjoyed after dinner. Not Venetian by origin, but you’ll find it on most menus throughout Italy as a perfect way to end a meal.

Drinks Your Kids Will Love:

• Aranciata & Aranciata Rossa – Orange and blood-orange sodas made by San Pellegrino. They’re bubbly, fruity, and taste like sunshine in a can.
• Limonata – A tart, sparkling lemonade that’s super refreshing after sightseeing in the summer heat.
• Chinotto – A slightly bitter, cola-like drink made from myrtle-orange. Kids who like root beer or cola often love trying this uniquely Italian flavor.

Water:

We were in Venice in August, and boy was it hot! Luckily we brought our refillable water bottles along and filled them with ice before leaving the hotel. You’ll find public fountains all around Venice’s squares and near major landmarks. The water is clean and drinkable to refill your water bottles. This definitely saved us some money!

A few small things we packed ended up making a huge difference during the August heat and all the walking days, which I share in what to pack for Italy with tweens and teens.

Venice with Kids Travel Tips: Getting Around

Walking Venice with Kids:

Venice is a great city to wander around the small, cobblestone alleyways and over bridges, while imagining how Venetians have been living in this city, Queen of the Adriatic, for almost 1,500 years! Apple Maps was a must for us throughout all of Europe and we continued to use it there. Also sticking to the walkways along the island’s coast was an easy way to make sure that we got to where we wanted quickly and had the added bonus of the most amazing view. We were impressed by the many huge yachts that were docked during our three days there. 

If you’re trying to decide whether Venice even makes sense at this stage, I share a more honest look at the challenges in whether Venice works with young children.

 To navigate the streets on foot, Apple Maps or Google Maps, data, and comfortable shoes are a must.

For phone data, first check out your provider’s website. We use Verizon and when we travel internationally, I add their international plan for just one of our phone lines for the month to use data. At the hotel and other venues, we use their wifi for our devices. Some families prefer using an international eSIM instead of carrier plans, especially for longer European trips or multiple destinations.

Venice Toilets:

If you are eating in one of at a ristorante, trattoria, pizzeria, osteria, or Caffè, you will be able to use the toilet. Otherwise, when out in the city, look for the WC (water closet) sign for public toilets. You will be required to pay, usually 1.5 to 2 euros and are usually able to use a credit card. 

Venice Water Taxis:

Water taxis in Venice are private, convenient, and direct, but can be pricey. During our stay, we did not use any, but it would have been helpful after we arrived in the city from the train station due to having heavy luggage. 

If you’re arriving with luggage and kids, booking a private transfer in advance can make getting to your hotel much easier.

Venice Water Bus – Vaporetto:

During our 3 days in Venice with kids, we used the Vaporetto often because it was very cost effective versus the taxi. Vaporettos are the large, public transportation boats. This is how most locals and visitors get around the city, since you will not find any cars, or even bikes within the main island. Along the Grand Canal and outer lagoon islands, you will see the floating docks where they stop. It is absolutely worth it to buy a multi-day pass if you’re staying at least 3 days in Venice with kids because you have unlimited rides.

At each stop, make sure that you scan your ticket through the machine to validate it, even if there isn’t a turnstile that you walk through. Italy is very strict about this. We purchased our train tickets in Rome and didn’t realize that the tickets also needed to be validated before walking on the train. When we gave the conductor our ticket once onboard and she saw it wasn’t validated, we were given a 50 euro fine per person. It ended up being an expensive mistake that people can easily make on the vaporetto also. Vaporettos can get quite crowded, so make sure to leave enough time in case you have to wait for the next boat.

AVM Venezia App:

If you download the AVM Venezia Official App on your phone, you can buy tickets online, see Venice water boat routes, and check timetables and vaporetto arrivals. This will make navigating the vaporetto system much easier!

If Munich is also on your itinerary, I share what actually made a difference for us in my Munich travel tips.

Venice with Kids Travel Tips: Final Thoughts

I hope you love Venice as much as we do, and our Venice with Kids Travel Tips makes your trip smooth and hassle free!

If you’re looking for a day-by-day plan, I break everything down in our 3 day Venice itinerary, or browse Venice tours and experiences if you’d like to add something special to your trip.

Once you’ve figured out where to stay, eat, and how to get around, it’s time to start exploring!

If you’re debating taking kids out of school for an international trip, here’s my teacher + mom breakdown of when it’s okay.

📌 Save This Post for Later

Planning a trip to Italy? Save this guide on Pinterest so you can find it easily when you’re ready to

Our family and attraction photos were captured during our adventures in Venice, highlighting top family experiences, local culture, and iconic sights. Select scenic and landmark images courtesy of trusted stock sources and tourism archives.

Sharing is caring!