Lido to Venice by Public Transportation

To Venice's historic center

From the Lido S.M.E. waterbus station, you can catch a number of different boats to Venice's main attractions:

Line 1 (see article) begins at the Lido, crosses a short stretch of lagoon to the Venice waterfront  above the Piazza San Marco, then follows the waterfront promenade and the Grand Canal to the Santa Lucia Railway Station and the Piazzale Roma. Travel time is just over 15 minutes to San Marco, 40+ minutes to the Rialto Bridge, and slightly more than an hour to the end of the line.

For the best views and photo opportunities on the Linea 1 vaporetto, walk through the enclosed passenger compartment to the open seats in the stern, or--on older boats--grab a seat in the bow.

Lines 5.1 and 5.2 are "circular" routes that begin and end at the Lido, with stops at various locations around the historic center. The boats are motoscafi, with enclosed passenger compartments low in the hull. You'll take these boats to reach specific points in the centro storico, not for views along the way.

Lines 14, 14L, and 15 are used mostly by commuters, but they're convenient when you want to reach the waterfront above the Piazza San Marco with minimum time and fuss. From the Lido, it takes only 14 minutes to reach San Marco Pietà. (Many of the boats are double-deck motonave or ships, which offer great views from the upper deck.)

Line 6 operates only on workdays, with a handful of stops between the Lido and Piazzale Roma.

Line 10 operates only on workdays, during the morning rush hour. It runs from the Lido to San Marco and Zattere (on the Giudecca Canal).

Line N is a "night boat" that runs between midnight and about 5:30 a.m., with stops at San Zaccaria (near the Hotel Danieli), the Rialto Bridge, and Piazzale Roma.

For more information, see our Venice Vaporetto Routes article.

To the Venice cruise terminals

The main cruise basin at Marittima is fairly easy to reach from the Lido: Catch the ACTV No. 6 vaporetto to Piazzale Roma at the Lido S.M.E. waterbus station, where you can take the elevated People Mover to the first stop (which is by the entrance to the cruise port). Other options include the 5.1 or 5.2 circolare route or the No. 2 vaporetto to Tronchetto (where you can catch the People Mover to Marittima).

To reach San Basilio, which is used by many small and mid-size ships, we suggest taking the No. 1 vaporetto to San Zaccaria, walking to pier "B," and transferring to the No. 2 boat toward San Giorgio. Get off at San Basilio and cross the small wooden bridge to the cruise terminal.

Lagoon excursions from the Lido

Two side trips are worth considering if you're staying on the Lido for a few days or longer:

Chioggia, a fishing port and seaside resort at the southern end of the Venetian Lagoon, is easy to reach by a combination of bus and public ferry. See our Chioggia and Lido to Chioggia article for details.

You can visit the islands of San Michele, Murano, Burano, Mazzorbo, and Torcello by public water bus from the Lido or Venice. See our Venice Islands Tour article. (From the Lido, the simplest way to reach the islands is by following our self-guided itinerary in reverse.)

Land buses on the Lido

Several bus lines run on the Lido. For details, see ACTV Maps & Timetables and Land Bus Fares: Mestre, Marghera, Lido di Venezia, & Chioggia.