The Lido of Venice is an 11-kilometer-long spit of land in Venice that is home to approximately 20,000 people. The Lido di Venezia—as the area is known in Italian—separates the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. The area comprises several villages, including Cavallino-Treporti, with 13,517 residents, and Alberoni, with 620 residents.

The islands of Pellestrina and Sottomarina are also considered part of the Lido. The name “Lido” is derived from the Italian word for “beach,” as the island boasts a striking stretch of beach characterized by natural dunes, bright yellow sand, and crystal-clear water.

The Lido of Venice owes much of its current fame to the annual Venice Film Festival, which regularly draws international movie stars to the Lido's luxury hotels.

The narrow coastal strip of the Lido is clearly visible in the photo. The photo was taken from the excellent vantage point of the church tower at San Giorgio.

Lido Bonvese

Before the Lido became a densely populated area of Venice, the island changed its name regularly. In ancient times, it was called Lido Bonvese, and in the early Middle Ages, Lido di San Nicolò. In earlier times, the island served as a transit hub for travelers and merchants on their way from the Adriatic Sea to Venice. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the previously sparsely populated area developed into a sought-after and luxurious tourist paradise. In addition to the film festival, the Lido’s positive reputation was also shaped by the Grand Hotel des Bains, which served as a major source of inspiration for Thomas Mann’s masterpiece *Death in Venice*.

Film Festival

The center of the island stands out for its parks and striking Art Nouveau architecture. In addition to the beach that gives the island its name and its eye-catching architecture, visitors to the Lido can look forward to the Palazzo del Cinema, where the film festival takes place every year, and the Hotel Excelsior, which regularly welcomes international stars during the festival.

The Lido is also ideal for a relaxing vacation: the island’s narrow canals are perfect for a relaxing boat tour, and you can rent bicycles at various locations to explore the island at your own pace and without stress—unlike in big cities like Rome, the island is characterized by relatively light traffic.

From the Lido, you can also enjoy a wonderful view of Venice’s main island: the Venetian panorama, with the towering St. Mark’s Campanile, can be admired from here and makes for a fantastic photo opportunity. The Lido offers the perfect setting for both tourists interested in culture and those seeking a relaxing vacation.

The Lido – Site Map

The plan is from https://www.OpenStreetMap.org © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Overview

This photo was taken from the tower of the Church of San Giorgio. The Lido di Venezia is a long, narrow island and can therefore only be reached by boat. Lines 1 and 14 will take you from St. Mark’s Square to the Lido in just a few minutes. The vaporetto stop on the Lido is called Lido S.M.E. (Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta).

In the background, you can see the narrow island and, beyond it, the blue strip of the Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean). If you look closely, you’ll also notice that cargo ships are almost always anchored in the sea behind the Lido throughout the year to save on the expensive berths in the harbor.

All vehicles (buses, cars, and trucks) heading to the Lido must also take the ferry (traghetto) to cross over. Traffic on the Lido is just like in any other small Italian town.

You can get to the Lido either

by water taxi,
on the Alilaguna boats,
by taking the Line 1 vaporetto, or
by car ferry from Tronchetto

The Lido on the Map

The plan is from http://www.OpenStreetMap.org – © OpenStreetMap contributors

North of the Lido lies the Cavallino Tre Porti peninsula, with its boat dock Punta Sabbioni. (Vaporetto Lines 14 and 15). In the summer, a large number of day-trippers arrive at this pier from the resort towns of Jesolo, Caorle, Bibione, Lignano, and Grado.

South of the Lido lies an island that is also about 12 km long and only a few hundred meters wide, named Pellestrina.

Even further south lies the town Chioggia, which is often called „Little Venice.“ If you’re interested, you can take a trip to Chioggia from Venice on Vaporetto Line 19.

Detailed Plan

The plan is from http://www.OpenStreetMap.org – © OpenStreetMap contributors

As you can see, the places of interest to tourists are all located in the north, near the S.M.E. vaporetto stop. You really only need public transportation on the Lido to get to your hotel. You can reach everything else „on foot.“.

Vaporetto stop S.M.E. (Santa Maria Elisabetta)

S.M.E.: The Lido has only one stop for the vaporetti coming from Venice. The Alilaguna airport line also stops here. Once you arrive here, you have the following options:

They continue on foot,
You can take public transportation (buses) or
They take a regular street taxi.

If you have booked a hotel on the Lido, be sure to find out in advance how to get from the Lido S.M.E. stop to your hotel.

Of course, people who live on the Lido also use bicycles, mopeds, or their own cars. If you’re coming to the Lido by car, the car ferry stops a little further north of the S.M.E. vaporetto stop. The ferry stop is called San Nicolo.

Public Transportation on the Lido

Right behind the Lido S.M.E. vaporetto stop are the bus stops that will take you to your destination on the Lido. The bus lines are numbered A, B, C, and N.

Pictured here is Line B, which runs to the Malamocco neighborhood on the Lido.

The buses are part of the ACTV fare network, so your ticket is valid both in Venice and on the Lido.

Lines A, B, C, and N

At every bus stop on the Lido, there is a list of the four bus lines posted.

Here are the links to the PDF schedules for Lines A through N

Overview: http://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/urban-lines-0

Line A http://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/UL/L-A.pdf

Line B http://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/UL/L-B.pdf

Line C http://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/UL/L-C.pdf

Line N http://actv.avmspa.it/sites/default/files/attachments/pdf/UL/L-N.pdf

The Car Ferry to the Lido: Line 17

Pictured here is the ferry at the Lido San Nicolo stop. The boats on Line 17 run back and forth continuously between the Lido and the Tronchetto stop (in the northwest of Venice).

If you’re arriving by car, turn right at the end of the 4-kilometer-long bridge connecting Venice to the mainland, heading toward the Tronchetto parking garage or „Ferry Boat.“ Drive through the archway of the Tronchetto parking garage, and you’ll see the ferry terminal on your left at the end of the street. The ferry ride takes 35 minutes. This time does NOT include loading and unloading.

Find out all the details here on our comprehensive page about the ferry: The car ferry from Tronchetto to the Lido

Street Taxis

There are always plenty of taxis right at the LIDO S.M.E. stop that will take you quickly and safely to any destination on the Lido. If you feel like Golf If you have them, pack a travel set of clubs, take the vaporetto over to the Lido, and then take a taxi to the golf course at the southern tip of the island. You won't be the only ones doing that.

Access to the ocean

As you can see in the photo, there’s hardly any sense of the island’s unique location on the Lido itself. Unlike Venice, the traffic here is „just like any other“ small-town traffic. There’s also much more „greenery“ in the city. And you’ll notice right away: the photo was taken in the fall.

You can also use your stay in Venice to take an hour-long walk to the beach, lie out in the sun, or collect seashells with your children. From St. Mark’s Square, take Line 1 or Line 14 to the Lido. Once there, walk straight out of the vaporetto stop and follow the approximately 700-meter-long straight path, at the end of which (here in the background) you’ll find the free access to the beach.

Sea – Beach – Seashells on the Adriatic Coast

Visitors to Venice who stay longer than the usual 2–3 days can take advantage of half a day during the season to go to the beach. Access to the beach is free of charge. There’s a café with a view of the sea. Enjoy an ice cream or a cold drink. An Aperol Spritz is very popular. This way, you can briefly experience the joy and sense of well-being of a summer beach vacation.

Votive Temple of Peace in Venice

Address: 2 Riviera S. Maria Elisabetta, Venice, VE 30126,

The tower, with its very large dome, is a landmark visible from afar as you take the vaporetto from Venice to the Lido. It was built in 1925 as a military ossuary (ossuary = a place where individual bones are kept) to commemorate those who fell in both world wars. At the very top of the dome stands a statue of the Madonna. The shrine is open on weekdays (except Mondays) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Church of San Nicolo (St. Nicholas)

The church and the adjacent monastery are located in the immediate vicinity of the airfield and are run by the Franciscans. It was built as early as the eleventh century.

San Nicolo means Saint Nicholas. The church houses the relics of the famous Saint Nicholas of Myra, commonly known as Saint Nicholas of Bari. It is believed that these are housed in the most famous Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, but in reality, only about half of St. Nicholas’s skeleton is there. The other half is here in Venice.

Pedestrian Zone

Right in the middle of the 700-meter-long main street between the Lido S.M.E. bus stop and the beach, there is also a small pedestrian zone with nice shops, bars, and cafés. The photo was taken in the fall. That’s why the umbrellas aren’t open and there are no guests sitting at the tables.

The Old Palazzi

In the past, those who could afford it had a summer residence on the Lido in addition to their palazzo in Venice.

The New Residential Buildings

Of course, not all 17,000 residents live in the few old palazzi. Modern apartment buildings are becoming increasingly common on the Lido.

The Venice–Lido Airport

On the northern edge of the Lido is a small airfield for propeller-driven aircraft, as you can see in the picture here. The airfield has NO paved runway. All aircraft take off and land on grass. Website: http://www.aeroportonicelli.it/en/

Address:
Lido Via Morandi, 9,
30126 Lido, Venice
Phone: 0039 – 041 – 77 03 00

Hours:
March 30 through October 26: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. UTC
October 27 through March 29: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. UTC

There is a small café with a view of the airfield.

Note: The airport building is also an ideal venue for conferences, private and corporate events, lunches, small or large dinner parties, and weddings.

Canals – Water Taxis

In Venice, it’s the norm; on the Lido, it’s more of an exception: hotels with a boat dock on a canal. Many hotels on the Lido are located right near the S.M.E. vaporetto or Alilaguna stop and are therefore easily accessible on foot. Pictured here is the boat dock near the film festival. You can also tell from the leaves in the water that it’s fall, and the annual film festival is long over.

Hotels on the Lido: With parking, of course

One of the reasons why visitors to Venice prefer a hotel on the Lido is the fact that many hotels on the Lido offer a Parking Lot either on the hotel grounds or on the street in front of the hotel. You’ll feel secure knowing your car is safe, and you’ll save the 30 euros per day you’d otherwise spend in a parking garage in Venice. When booking your hotel, check whether the hotel on the Lido that you’ve chosen has parking and whether there’s a charge for it.

Another reason to choose a hotel on the Lido is the Peace. It's not as crowded or as hectic here as it is in Venice.

Furthermore, the individual houses on the Lido aren’t built so close together that there’s only room for a narrow alley or a narrow canal between them.

The Film Festival at the Palazzo del Cinema

They have been held annually here on the Lido since 1932, from late August to early September, as part of the Biennale of Contemporary Art. This makes them the oldest film festival in the world. In 2016, the festival celebrated its 73rd edition.

The photo shows the main venue: the historic Palazzo del Cinema.

The main prize awarded is the famous Golden Lion.

Outside of the annual film festival, there isn't much going on around the „Palazzo del Cinema“—or, to be more precise, there's nothing going on at all.

Address:
La Biennale
Guglielmo Marconi Promenade
30126 Lido, Venice
Phone: 0039 – 041 – 521 87 11
Homepage: http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/73rd-festival/

Stunning view of Venice

Right next to the S.M.E. vaporetto stop is a restaurant belonging to the Hotel Villa Laguna: „Essentiale Restaurant & Lounge Bar at Hotel Villa Laguna“ with a terrace offering a magnificent panoramic view of the Venice skyline (see photo below)