Getting to the Lido

From Venice's historic center

The ACTV, Venice's transit agency, operates several waterbus lines between the centro storico and the Lido. The most popular are:

• No. 1 vaporetto: A scenic route up the Grand Canal, starting from the Piazzale Roma and ending at the Lido.

• Lines 5.1 and 5.2, "circolare" or circular routes that stop at the Lido as they go around the city in both directions.

• Line 6 (seasonal), which provides express service between Piazzale Roma and the Lido with several stops along the way.

For more information, see Venice Vaporetto Routes.

From Venice Marco Polo Airport

The Lido is easy to reach from Venice's Marco Polo International Airport. Alilaguna runs two airport water bus lines that serve the Lido on their way to Venice's city center: Linea Blu runs year-round, while Linea Rossa operates from spring through fall. Airport boats stop at the Lido S.M.E. station at the foot of the Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, within easy walking distance of many hotels. If you're traveling with heavy luggage, you can hire a land taxi or catch a local bus in front of the station.

From Treviso Airport

Ryanair, Transavia, GermanWings, and several other budget carriers use Treviso Airport, which is located on the Italian mainland about 25 km or 16 miles from Venice. To reach the Lido from Treviso Airport by public transportation, you'll  need to take an ATVO or Barzi airport bus from Treviso Airport to the Piazzale Roma, which is the bus and taxi gateway for Venice's historic center. From the Piazzale Roma, catch an ACTV vaporetto (water bus) to the Lido. (The most scenic route--though not the fastest--is the No. 1 vaporetto, which runs up the Grand Canal on its way to the Lido's Santa Maria Elisabetta station.)

As a practical matter, we recommend against staying on the Lido if you're flying in or out of Treviso Airport, simply because connections are so poor.

From Venice's Santa Lucia Railroad Station

Take the ACTV's No. 1 vaporetto up the Grand Canal and to the end of the line at Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta. (Other routes also serve the Lido, but the No. 1 route is the most scenic and the least confusing if you're unfamiliar with Venice's geography.)

From the cruise port

From the main ship basin at Marittima, take the Alilaguna airport boat to Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta. (The water bus leaves from a platform in the bottom of the U-shaped basin, and you can buy your ticket from the boatman.)

From the San Basilio pier (used by some small to mid-size ships), cross the small wooden bridge near the terminal entrance and walk to the ACTV waterbus stop. Take a No. 2 vaporetto to San Marco-San Zaccaria, where you can transfer to the No. 1 vaporetto for the Lido on the same ticket. (If tickets aren't available at the San Basilio stop, buy your ticket from the conductor immediately upon boarding. Also, when you reach San Zaccaria, you'll need to walk to pier "F", near the Hotel Danieli, to board the No. 1 vaporetto.)

Arriving by car

The ACTV No. 17 car ferry runs from Venice's parking island of Tronchetto to a ferry pier at Lido San Nicolò, slightly north of the Lido's main business district. Fares are steep, and you should book ahead to be sure of a place. Call the Hellovenezia reservations center at (+39) 041 24 24 between three hours and 30 days of your planned departure. For more information, read our ferry article and see this page at the ACTV Web site.

Arriving by private airplane

Venice Airport Lido, a.k.a. Nicelli Airport, is open every day except Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It offers a variety of services by prior arrangement, including passport and customs for non-Schengen arrivals and departures.

Getting around on the Lido

If you're staying in or near the center of the Lido, you won't need to worry much about local transportation once you've checked into your hotel: You can simply walk or bike to shopping, restaurants, and the Lido S.M.E. waterbus station. Still, the Lido does have a number of local bus routes, and taxis are available in front of the boat station.

For getting around on foot, we recommend carrying a map. Your hotel will give you a free tourist map that covers the local high points, but if you want something fancier, buy a high-quality map of Venice that includes the Lido and other islands of the Lagoon. We recommend the Istituto Geografico DeAgostini's Pianta di Città Venezia (1:4500) or Touring Editore's Venezia 1:5000 Pianta della Città. Both maps are water-resistant, so you can use them in the rain.