Disabled access in Italy presents numerous challenges for visitors including cobblestones, ancient ruins, hills, and a few accessible public transportation options. Nevertheless, visiting Italy with a disability is absolutely doable provided you do the right planning before your trip. Italy disabled access varies from city to city, and different challenges exist in different cities. Some of the best aspects and most challenging aspects are described below.

Best Aspects of Italy Disabled Access

Can easily visit multiple cities in a single trip – If you want to take a trip in Europe that visits multiple cities, look no further than Italy. A variety of small towns, big cities, and beautiful countryside can be found in Italy, and disabled travelers can easily travel between them by train or rental wheelchair accessible van.

Italy accessible train travel – Traveling with a disability by train is a great way to get between the various Italian cities. Major cities like Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome Italy have accessible train stations that are connected by trains with accessible seating and toilets. Smaller cities may be served by older trains that are not fully accessible. If you need assistance getting on and off the train, be sure to reserve it at least 24 hours in advance by contacting Trenitalia.

Expanding your trip through accessible day trips – Switching hotels can be a pain for any traveler, and especially for one with a disability. Fortunately, Italy has several options for staying in your same hotel and just taking a day trip to see another city. Pisa and Siena are a short drive or train ride away from Florence. Pompeii can be reached by day trip from Rome. In Italy, you could stay in 3 hotels and see 6 cities.

English is common in the major tourist areas – Italy receives visitors from around the world who speak a variety of languages. People working in the tourism industry or in the tourist areas of town communicate with them by speaking English. Most visitors will be able to have their needs met by speaking English. Disabled travelers may need to know a few Italian accessibility phrases to have their accessibility needs met.

Italy accessible cruise shore excursions – Many of the top tourist destinations in Italy are within a short drive of cruise ship ports. Rome is near the Civitavecchia cruise terminal. Florence and Pisa are near the Livorno port, and Venice has a cruise dock within the city. If cruising is your favorite way to travel, disabled shore excursions are an easy way to visit Italy.

Most Challenging Aspects of Italy Disabled Access

Roman ruins can be challenging – 2000 years ago this was the center of the civilized world, and the Romans left some great ruins for tourists today to see. Some of them, like the Colosseum, have been made fully wheelchair accessible. Others like the Roman Forum and Pompeii are somewhat wheelchair accessible but have some rough terrain. Others like the Palatine Hill have steps to get around them.

Cinque Terre accessibility – The towns that make up Cinque Terre are popular tourist attractions but are some of the least accessible cities in Italy because of the hills and steps.

Bad information on Venice – Unfortunately, the internet has discouraged many disabled tourists from visiting Venice. Numerous websites state how difficult and inaccessible Venice is which is not very accurate. The truth is that visiting Venice in a wheelchair (even a heavy power wheelchair) is 100% doable provided you do the right planning before your trip.

Cobblestone streets – Cobblestones cover many Italian streets and cause challenges for wheelchair users. Some of the cobblestones are small but very uneven. Others are large paving stones that are uneven in some parts of town and smooth in other parts of town.

Hilly towns – Many of the Italian cities date back to the middle ages and beyond. Consequently, many popular tourist cities are located in very hilly areas. Rome is the city of 7 hills, and many Tuscany towns including Siena and Pisa have steep hills that will challenge manual wheelchair users and slow walkers.

Few accessible public transportation options – Many Italian cities have few options for disabled people to get around town. Rome’s metro and accessible bus lines are few. Florence has no accessible bus lines that run through the tourist areas of towns. Believe it or not, Venice’s accessible vaparetto boats provide some of the best accessibility for public transportation.

For more information about Disabled Access in Italy, Italy Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips, Visiting Italy with a Disability, and Disabled Travel in Europe, please visit http://www.SageTraveling.com

For more information about Disabled Access in Italy, Italy Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips, and Disabled Travel in Europe, please visit http://www.SageTraveling.com

Author Bio: For more information about Disabled Access in Italy, Italy Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips, Visiting Italy with a Disability, and Disabled Travel in Europe, please visit http://www.SageTraveling.com

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