Hi all--

I am going to be in Venice for 3 days during July, with family including 2 children. A friend told me that while her family was in Venice, they stayed at the Hotel Danieli in Venice, which has a sister hotel (Westin Excelsior) in Lido. As a guest in the Danieli, she had pool priveleges and access to a free hydrofoil going back and forth to Lido, which made for some very pleasant afternoons.

However, rates at the Hotel Danieli for 4 people (neccessitating 2 rooms at $299Euro per nite, total of 598 Euro!!!)are higher than what I wish to spend.

Is there a way to avail ourselves of the hydrofoil to Lido, and perhaps pay daily for access to a nice pool over there, but stay less expensively in Venice?

I would welcome any suggestions

Rhonda

I've taken day trips over to the Lido. I didn't go into a pool there but there are some nice cabanas on the beach which you can rent. Now I don't know how to arrange it with a hotel's cabanas. Maybe you can email them for the cost of a day rental, if they do such a thing. I guess this didn't help you much, sorry.

While I was in Venice a few years back, we took a "day trip" to Lido. It was July 4th actually! We had a very pleasent day at the beach.

Hi R,

With only 3 days in Venice, I suggest taking the vaporetto to Burano, Murano, Torcello instead of a day at the pool.

We stayed on the Lido a few summers ago, and found that during the late afternoon, it was possible to use many of the private beaches for free. However, when we visited, the water was brackish, and not all that pleasant to swim in.

You could check whether the Westin Excelsior would let non-guests use the pool for a fee, but I bet if they do, it's an exorbitant amount.

Maybe you can appease your kids for a few days with plenty of gelato breaks, and hopefully go on to a hotel with a pool immediately after visiting Venice?

Just to clarify, are there public beaches on Lido? Pool or beach, I just think my kids will need a break after 10 days of touring Rome, Florence, etc., especially as July is likely to be hot. I was hoping that we could spend our mornings walking around Venice, pay at a hotel for the day to spend afternoons at the pool(or go to a beach, if there are nice public beaches there -- 12:00-4:00 or 5:00), then shower and change for dinner.

So, I'm hoping someone might advise me of the availability of pools or beaches on Lido if one is not a hotel guest there? Or am I off base here?

weadles --just saw your post -- thanks I will contact the hotel to see if they allow daily guests.

completely rumor has it but i thought there were public cabanas that you could rent on the beach on Lido. but if the kids really want to go swimming, probably you want to hold out for a pool.

We spent three nights on lido . I don't believe there is a hydro to The Island just the Vaparettos, its the last stop about twent minutes from Ths Saint Marks area, but you hit the lotto in my opinion. There are great restuarants on wide streets little squares with fountains to sit by. We found much more mingling with the people of Lido and the food was perfect you will love it.

ronnie56,

There is a public beach called Lungomare G. d'Annunzio, but it was PACKED when we visited. And as I posted earlier, the water was to be honest, kind of gross.

You might want to check HOTEL DES BAINS, an old-time hotel and spa on the Lido that has a decent pool. It's owned by the Sheraton chain now, and not as pricey as the Westin Excelsior, so I have no idea what they might charge for day-rate use of their pool. No chance you have Sheraton points, right?

Anyway, good luck and have a great time!

Rhonda--if you "solve" this issue, would you post it? I would love to take my daughter to Venice and access to a pool in the afternoon would be perfect.

If anyone has availed themselves of staying at a hotel in Venice, then using a sister hotel on the Lido, I'd love to hear the details.

thanks,

Mary

There are public beaches on the Lido - but neither they nor the water is especially nice (don;t think FL or the Carib) and in hot weather they're mobbed with venetians (think Coney Island).

And there is a public vaporetto back and forth to a couple of spots on the Lido.

Don;t know if any of the hotels will allow use of pool for a fee - you would have to check at each one. (We stayed at the Excelsior and the pool was nothing to write home about - Venice is basically not a beach resort.

Just thought I'd post this for anyone interested: In my research of moderate Venice hotels, found a little hotel called ca del campo...the interesting part is guests have complementary use of their cabana on lido...for what it's worth!

If it's a pool you want, there is a beautiful Olympic-size (25 meter)public pool on the Giudecca, in a residential area. It's part of a huge sports complex, and the indoor pool has windows looking out onto the lagoon. It cost about 3 or 4 euros to swim; you need your own shower sandals and cap (men too). You can check the hours for open swimming versus lap-swimming and lessons on-line. I can't remember the website, but Google "Piscina Communale Sacco Fisola" and you'll find it (in Italian). There is another public pool in Cannaregio, Piscina Communale Sant'Alvise, but we did not see that one.

My husband is a serious swimmer and wanted keep up his swimming on our trip. We both really enjoyed the experience of getting there and back on the vaporetto, finding our way through the neighborhoods, and struggling with our poor Italian to get hiim his swim! But we had five days in Venice, so spending a whole afternoon this way was worth it for us.