Practical Information for visiting The Venetian Riviera

There is no railway on the coast. The stations are inland: San Donà di Piave-Jesolo and Portogruaro on the Venice-Trieste line, with buses on from there.

Buses run frequently from Venice (Piazzale Roma) and Marco Polo airport to Jesolo, Cavallino and Punta Sabbioni, taking around an hour.

The essential connection is the boat: ACTV line 14 and seasonal services run from Punta Sabbioni to San Marco in about 35 minutes, with Burano, Murano and Torcello reachable from Treporti. This is the fastest, cheapest and by far the most pleasant way into Venice.

Along the coast, buses link the resorts, but the ground is completely flat and cycling is the local norm -- there are marked routes along both the seafront and the lagoon.

Driving in July and August is slow, and parking near the beaches is paid and scarce.

Mobile coverage is complete across the resorts and the beaches, and good on the lagoon side. Nothing here requires planning.

EU visitors roam on their own plans; others can buy a prepaid SIM in any of the resort towns, with a passport for registration. Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, campsites and beach establishments, and many seafronts have public networks.

The Riviera is a safe, heavily supervised family coast. Its risks are the sea, the sun and summer crowds.

• The beaches are shallow and lifeguarded in season, but currents near the harbour mouths and breakwaters are strong and swimming there is dangerous.
• Sun and heat cause more trouble here than anything else, on beaches with no natural shade.
• Petty theft on crowded beaches and in busy nightlife areas is the main crime concern -- do not leave valuables on a towel.
• Jesolo's nightlife brings the usual issues of a large summer party scene, concentrated in a few streets and late hours.
• Mosquitoes away from the open beach, and jellyfish in some Adriatic summers.
• Out of season, much of the coast is closed, including many services.

The resorts have pharmacies and seasonal first-aid posts, with a summer surge in medical provision; the nearest hospitals with full emergency departments are at San Donà di Piave, Portogruaro and Venice-Mestre, generally 30 to 45 minutes by road.

EU visitors with a valid EHIC are treated on the same terms as residents; non-EU visitors should carry travel health insurance. Pharmacies operate a rota, greatly extended in the summer season.

Tap water is safe to drink. The practical considerations are sun and heat on exposed beaches, mosquitoes inland from the seafront, and the reduced medical cover outside the summer months.

Single emergency number: 112, free from any phone, covering police, fire and ambulance.

Coastguard: 1530, for anything at sea or in the lagoon.

Nearest emergency departments: San Donà di Piave, Portogruaro and Venice-Mestre -- 30 to 45 minutes by road. Seasonal first-aid posts operate in the resorts.

Police: Polizia and Carabinieri both operate along the coast with heavily reinforced summer presence; a formal denuncia is required for insurance claims.

Lost passport: contact your own country's embassy or consulate, most of which are in Rome or Milan.