Lido di Venezia

Sunbathing and celebrity spotting

Talk of the town: The Lido hosts the annual Venice Film Festival every September, so this is definitely the best time to catch a glimpse of Hollywood's finest.
A 15-minute vaporetto trip from San Marco, the Lido is an 11-kilometre-long sandy playground. The north coast, facing Venice and the lagoon, is where you'll find the public beaches. The southern coast, on the Adriatic, is mostly privately-owned, either by the glitterati or by seriously swanky hotels such as the Excelsior, who only give access to their guests.

With its own airport and golf course, the Lido definitely has an eye on the super-rich, but it's also popular with Italian families, and some hotels here are cheaper and quieter than those on the mainland.
The main street is Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, running across the Lido and linking the lagoon side with the Adriatic side. The shops, bars and restaurants along here are a lot more expensive than those up the side streets but, unlike the rest of Venice, it's difficult to get lost on the Lido, so don't be afraid to go exploring all its nooks and crannies.