Venice -- How to get from dock in a power wheelchair? Alilaguna? People-mover?

[bilbo109]

What are the ways to get from the cruise dock to tour around Venice in a power wheelchair? I use a small power wheelchair and cannot walk at all, so steps are a problem (although one small 4-6" inch step is doable with help from my wife).

 

From what I can gather from the Accessible Venice website and maps, the best way to get around is using the vaporetti which are accessible without steps or transferring from a wheelchair. So the problem is getting to a vaporetto landing from the cruise dock.

 

The landing at the cruise dock seems to be served only by a boat called Alilaguna rather than vaporetti. Is that wheelchair accessible (no steps, etc.)? Another option might be their People-Mover, but I can't tell if a) I could get to it from the ship without steps, b) I could use it without transferring from my wheelchair, or c) if I can get from where it ends to a vaporetti landing.

 

There also may be vaporetti landings at the further (Tronchetto) cruise terminal but their routes are marked as "seasonal" and I don't know if I can get to that terminal without steps.

 

Any help and advice is very welcome! We're leaving in a week and will have two days in Venice -- I hope I won't be stuck on the ship!

[kitty9]

I sent an email to the company that runs the Alilaguna and they said, via difficult English, that they are not accessible. There is a very narrow ramp into the boat, but then a step down into the boat. They said there may be a boat you could use, but they can't say where it might be. Language differences make it tough.

 

Do you know where you're docking? It makes a difference. There are vaporettos outside the cruise terminal that will take you to Piazza San Marco. But if you dock on the Grand Canal, you'd have a problem getting to a vaporetto because of the bridges.

 

You can wait until you get on board and speak to the shore excursion people who might be of help. And as I said, because of the language problem, you'd never know, but there might be an accessible boat somewhere.

[dgraham]

From what I have read (but don't know from personal experience) the People-Mover is designed to be used by wheelchair users & has an elevator to go up to the People-Mover level. But also it appears to be a bit beyond the cruise terminal. Hopefully not too far.

 

We hope to use it next year.

[PrincessPeggyLynn]

We are really interested in suggestions on this topic as our June cruise ends in Venice and we would both like to tour and will need to get to the airport from the cruise ship. The ship will be overnight in Venice so we are not planning to stay in a hotel there. My husband also does not walk or stand at all but we will be traveling with his lightweight manual folding wheelchair.

[fabnfortysomething]

the people mover does have an elevator to get up to the raised monorail .Depending on where your ship is docked it can be a long hike to get to it[but flat]

You get out at P Roma and cross over the road to the Vaparetto ticket office.There are steps around the area but a longer way round with a sloping ramp.

The main problem is stability of the ramp to connect from platform to Vaparetto-there should be staff to assist.It was a lot steadier at P Roma and St Marks-various stops along the grand canal was pretty choppy and could be difficult getting wheelchair on and off

walking/driving scooter through the central area would be a no go as small bridges are everywhere

 

my husband is not wheelchairbound but walks with a stick and I wrote a review about our recent Med cruise that included Venice and discussed which ports were accessible

 

It's the link at the bottom of my post if you're interested

[bilbo109]

Thanks everyone -- looks like I won't be stuck on the ship!

 

I just found some great info about the People-Mover which confirms that it is wheelchair accessible: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-people-mover.htm Also, the website describes the People-Mover as follows:

People Mover.

The Venice

People Mover

is an automated tram that runs from the Tronchetto parking island to the Piazzale Roma with a stop at Stazione Marittima, right outside the port entrance. The fare is cheap, and the ride takes about two minutes.

We are scheduled to be docked in position 107 of the Staziona Marittima. The Tronchetto also has docks that are a little further to the west. It seems that getting from either the Tronchetto or Marittima dock areas to P-Roma should be no problem.

My follow-up question is about getting from the People-mover in P Roma to the P Roma Vaparetto docks. Will the "longer way around with a sloping ramp" be clearly visible when we get there? If not, please let me know of any landmarks and/or directions to help me find it.

[fabnfortysomething]

from the people mover entrance in P Roma look over the central island where the buses park and you will see the hotel Santa Chiara which has a sloping ramp around it leading down to the Vaparetto docks[i'm trying to remember if there were any steps at all which could complicate things

 

50 yards to the left of the hotel is the ACTV ticket office where you would purchase vaparetto passes and there is a direct flight of steps next to it leading down to the dock-no use at all to you in a chair!

Thats why I said you would need to take a longer route by going via hotel santa Chiara

 

there are free maps named accessible venice in P Roma next to the exit of ASM parking garage-turnright out of people mover for a few yards

for advance info the website is www.turismovenezia.it or www.commune.venezia.it

[bilbo109]

Leaving tomorrow and can't wait for the adventures ahead! -- Bob

[Putterdude]

We were in Venice a couple of weeks ago and used the people mover to get from the cruise terminal to Pl. Roma. The only issue with the people mover is that it is probably close to 3 blocks from the ship to the mover. Go around the cruise terminal building to the left side, the terminal building is empty and does not connect with the people mover. Once you get to the people mover building there is an elevator and all goes very smoothly from there.

 

We found the Vaporettiaccessible and the maps from their Accessible Venice website invaluable. We had downloaded all of them, then prioritized them, we thought if we saw 3 to 5 of them we would be doing well....we saw exactly 3 including San Marco which did take up a lot of our time. I assume folks are aware that people in wheelchairs travel for 1.3e for 90 mins and their companions travel for free. Admittance to h/c people and their companions is free at both the Doge's Palace and at the Basillica....don't wait in line go to the front at the Palace and to the exit/gift shop at the Basilica.