Italy is beautiful, but sometimes challenging for visitors with mobility or health issues. Below is some advice to bear in mind when planning your vacation, but please speak to your Travel Consultant if you are concerned about access to sites, or if you suffer from health issues which make walking up steps or hills inadvisable.
Venice
- You need to be able to walk up and down steps to most docks.
- Most 4 and 5-star hotels have their own docks, but with other hotels, you’ll usually have to walk with your luggage from a public port.
- Venice is either seen by boat or on foot, though it’s flat (other than the bridges)
- There are numerous bridges, which you need to be able to cross over – they are generally arched, not flat, so gondolas can pass under them
- Cars are not allowed into Venice, so you really do need to be able to walk for several kilometers in the course of a day.
Cinque Terre
- We do not advise visitors with limited mobility to visit Cinque Terre due to the amount of walking involved.
- Trains and ferries pass between the villages,but you need to be able to walk up and down to them.
- If you are planning on hiking, you must be able to walk 1-2hrs between each village.
Florence
- The city is best seen on foot. Car access is limited and most of the streets are narrow and one-way, limiting access.
- The Uffizi Gallery is a long corridor with no exit once you are inside. You will need to be on your feet walking slowly for about 3hrs.
Tuscany
The Tuscan countryside is home to many beautiful, fortified Medieval and Renaissance towns that are a joy to visit. But many of them are also steep, with narrow, pedestrianized streets in the center.
- Most of the towns here are built on hills and the centers have limited/no access for cars.
- You should be able to walk uphill for short periods of time. Montepulciano is particularly challenging.
- You will need to be able to walk up and down steps in many of the towns.
- PISA – the tower does not have an elevator
Rome
Ah, Rome! The Eternal City, heart of the Roman Empire, home of the popes, built by the likes of Michelangelo and Bernini. Just don’t be surprised to discover that they were the last ones to modernize some places. If you’re thinking of renting an apartment, be warned that many residential buildings in the center don’t have elevators, and those that do are often tiny and not designed for modern suitcases. Our advice is to stay in a hotel and to carefully plan your visit with one of our travel experts
- VATICAN MUSEUMS – this is a long corridor, with no exit between the entrance and the Sistine Chapel at the far end, so plan on being on your feet for at least 2.5hrs. The usual tourist route has several staircases, but there is a route for wheelchair users. Please advise us in advance if you need to use the elevator.
- FORUM & COLOSSEUM – both have wheelchair access, but nowhere to sit down. You need to be able to stand up and walk slowly for 3hrs. To access the Palatine Hill you must be able to walk uphill. Some parts are quite uneven.
- Trastevere – most of the streets are cobbled, though there is reasonable car access to most of it, the old streets can be hard to walk on for anyone who has trouble walking.
- Metro stations should have wheelchair access, but you often need to find somebody to operate it for you.
The Amalfi Coast
- HERCULANEUM – there is a steep slope down to the site and you need to be able to walk on uneven, ancient streets. The site is small and can be seen in 2hrs. There’s nowhere to sit – it may look like there is, but you’re likely to get shouted at by a custodian!
- POMPEII – there is a steep slope up to enter from the entrance by the train station, though there are other entrances if this is a challenge. You will be walking on ancient roads. The site is very big. In 2hrs you can see the main sites moving quickly, but if you want to sit everything from the Villa of the Mysteries (some up/downhill walking to get here) to the amphitheatre, you will need 3-4hrs. There is a café in the center, but otherwise you will need to be on your feet the whole time.
- VESUVIUS – a car can take you most of the way, but you need to walk the final 30 minutes to the crater.
- SORRENTO – the town itself is fairly flat, but beach access is down slopes/steps
- POSITANO – not suitable for people with mobility issues. The entire town is on a sharp slope,except for the beach, which cannot be reached by car. Many of the hotels are accessed by steep steps from the road.
- RAVELLO – Villa Rufolo is easy to access from the main square, but there are steps from the villa to the garden. Villa Cimbrone has no road access and the walk there is up and down, with some steps along the way – you need to be able to walk 10-15 minutes, including steps, to reach the villa.
