If you have the good fortune to visit Italy during summer, you have to spend a few days at the beach. And while tourists flock en masse to the Mediterranean, there’s another option that’s easy to get to, affordable, and not overrun by tourists from all over the world. Bonus, bonus, bonus!
Located near Venice, Lido di Jesolo is the best beach near Venice, Italy. It’s located on the Adriatic Sea, and you’re going to love it.
I found Lido di Jesolo after (as usual!) a ton of research. My family and I were looking for a beach vacation spot while spending the summer in Prague, and I discovered Lido di Jesolo, known as the Venetian Riviera. We couldn’t have found a better spot to spend our beach vacation and loved its affordability and proximity to Venice. Plus, we realized it was a popular choice among Italian locals, so that must mean it’s a great option when looking for the best beaches near Venice, Italy!
Best Beaches Near Venice, Italy | How to get to Lido di Jesolo
Venice has two airports: Treviso and Marco Polo.
Treviso primarily serves low-budget airline Ryanair and is about a 45 minute drive from Lido de Jesolo. There is a bus that transports people between Treviso and Lido di Jesolo for 12€ per person but it can take a couple hours. If you are in a hurry to get to the best beaches near Venice, Italy, I recommend hiring a car transfer service, even though it might cost more money than the bus. We used Zip Transfers, which cost almost 100€ for our family of five, but the convenience was well worth the additional money!
Marco Polo is the larger of the two airports and is about 10 minutes closer to Lido di Jesolo. We departed from Marco Polo and again opted for a car transfer service through Zip Transfers.
Having been to both airports in Venice, either one works for visiting the Lido di Jesolo beach. Yes, Marco Polo is larger so it has more amenities, but if looking for cheap airfare and you find it has you flying in or out of Treviso, that will work great too!
Lido di Jesolo Beach Venice | Where to Stay
There are so many options for where to stay in Lido di Jesolo, and many of them are budget-friendly, which I was thrilled to see!
Some hotels are on the beach while others are only a block or two away and include access to a private area on the beach. There are also “camping” options which are another budget-friendly option and don’t necessarily mean sleeping in a tent.
Hotels in Lido di Jesolo
I was overwhelmed by the amount of choices for hotels in Lido di Jesolo and spent way too much time researching our options through Booking.com. In the end, after spending time in Lido di Jesolo, I realized that all of the hotels are pretty similar. They are boutique-style with a large private area of reserved sun beds and umbellas for their guests on the beach:
Many of the hotels have small pools and on-site restaurants. Even though we stayed at a hotel that had both, we ended up not using the pool since we spent all of our time at the beach (after all, we were there to visit the best beach near Venice, Italy!). Having an on-site restaurant wasn’t a necessity, either, since there were tons of choices for affordable, authentic Italian food on the main road that runs between hotels. (Our favorite was Le Rondini – it was so good (and affordable!) that we went back for dinner a second time!)
Since the area is resort-heavy, all of the hotels offered “half-board” and “full-board” options. While most the hotels offer free breakfast, for an additional cost, half-board typically includes breakfast and dinner while full-board includes both breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pricing varies for these options, but half-board typically cost 10€-20€ per person per night and full-board is about 20€-30€ per person per night. Kids are usually free, or significantly discounted, depending on age. I recommend skipping these options so you can enjoy dinner at the different nearby restaurants, which is what our family did.
Hotel Amalfi | Lido di Jesolo Beach Venice
Our family of five stayed at the Hotel Amalfi in Lido di Jesolo. While it wasn’t beachfront, it did offer a private beach area with sun chairs and umbrellas just a block away. Like most of the hotels in Lido di Jesolo—and Italy in general—the hotel was dated, but the rooms were clean and they had air conditioning. We didn’t spend much time in the room, anyway, because there are so many things to do in Lido di Jesolo; we spent our days at the beach, eating delicious Italian food, and taking day trips to Venice.
Our stay at the Hotel Amalfi included breakfast only because we did not pay for the half-board or full-board options. The traditional Italian breakfast included croissants, pastries, meats and cheeses, coffee, and juices. The breakfast offering was always a great way to start the day. The on-site restaurant was good, too, and we really liked their 5€ margarita pizza that you could order to go and take down to the beach. In the evenings the open-air restaurant and bar attracted quite the crowd for things like karaoke or two-for-one drink specials.
Overall, if looking for hotels in Lido di Jesolo, I definitely recommend Hotel Amalfi, especially for the location, but honestly, visitors to the area really can’t go wrong with any hotel in the Venetian Riviera.
Lido di Jesolo Camping
One option when visiting the best beaches near Venice, Italy, is to book a stay at a camping village. While traditional campsites are available, “mobile homes” or bungalows are also a popular choice for families visiting the Venetian Riviera.
The camping villages are typically located in Cavallino, which is down the coastline from the hotels in Lido di Jesolo. The camping villages are beachfront with pools, playgrounds, and other outdoor activities perfect for family holidays. The mobile homes can accommodate large families and come equipped with full kitchens.
Lido di Jesolo camping is a great option for families who don’t mind hanging out at the camping village or the beach for a majority of their holiday. The village is about a 20-minute bus ride to the restaurants, shops, and nightlife on the main street of Lido di Jesolo.
So basically, if you were looking to try a new restaurant or bar every night, you’d be better off staying in town. But if your family rents a car or is happy to cook your own food, Lido di Jesolo camping could be perfect!
Things to do in Lido di Jesolo
From hanging out at the beach, to going to the waterpark, or going on a day trip to Venice, there are lots of things to do in Lido di Jesolo.
Hang out at the Best Beach Near Venice, Italy
There is no question that Lido di Jesolo is the best beach near Venice, Italy, so plan to spend your days beachfront. The 10-mile long sandy beach is clean, organized, and safe. There are lifeguards, snack bars (which serve alcohol!) and bathrooms up and down the beach. Affordable (10€/hour) paddleboat and stand-up paddleboard rentals are also easy to find on the beach (we used Yes We Surf) and were popular with our kids.
Things to do in Lido di Jesolo | Caribe Bay Water Theme Park
Recognized as the best water theme park in Italy, Caribe Bay is located in Lido di Jesolo and is a great way for families to spend a day while on holiday. If you’re staying at one of the hotels in Lido di Jesolo, Caribe Bay is a 10-15 minute walk away. There’s also a bus that runs from the camping villages in Cavallino and Jesolo to Caribe Bay.
Day passes to Caribe Bay are free for children under 40 inches, with reduced pricing of 31€ for children under 55 inches and 35€ for standard pricing for all of those of us who are four and a half feet tall or taller.
Lido di Jesolo to Venice Day Trip
Visitors can’t visit the best beaches near Venice, Italy, without visiting the “City of Canals.” It’s actually quite easy to get from Lido di Jesolo to Venice which makes it a perfect half-day or full-day excursion. Regardless whether you’re staying at the hotels in Lido di Jesolo or the camping villages in Cavallino, the journey will start with you catching a bus to Punta Sabbioni.
The bus stops are only a block or two away from most hotels in Lido di Jesolo, and the bus ride will take about 35 minutes (or even less if you’re staying in Cavallino). Upon arriving at Punta Sabbioni, you’ll immediately see (and board) a ferry. After a 30-minute ride, the ferry will drop you off in Venice within a couple minutes’ walk of the popular St. Mark’s Square. The ferries from Venice to Lido di Jesolo run every 30 minutes and 20€ round-trip tickets, with bus rides included, can be purchased at any of the many tobacco shops on the main street in Jesolo. The front desk agents at the hotels can help you navigate this process as well – just as, they are used to it!
We really enjoyed our Lido di Jesolo to Venice by boat excursion, which gave us the opportunity to spend a day in Venice. Even though both my husband and I had been there before, our kids hadn’t, and they wanted to check a few things off their bucket lists. Our kids loved feeding the pigeons in St. Mark’s Square and taking a family gondola ride before returning to the best beach near Venice, Italy.
Best Beaches Near Venice, Italy | Overall Thoughts on Lido di Jesolo
Overall, we loved our time in Lido di Jesolo. We found a hidden gem that most international tourists are not familiar with, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to share it with you. (I just ask that you have a gelato in my honor!)
If planning a trip to Europe during the summer and looking for the best beaches near Venice, Italy, do not hesitate to spend your holiday in Lido di Jesolo.
Related: If you are visiting Rome while in Italy (which surely you are!), be sure to check out my budget-savvy tips for visiting Rome based on the several months I spent living there and going back for return visits!
Cheers!
