The Venice Film Festival 2018, scheduled to be held from 29 August to 8 September 2018, is the oldest film festival in the world and alongside with Cannes and Berlin, is one of the most important moment of the year for the international movie world. This year is the 75th anniversary of the festival and as usual it is going to be a great moment to see VIPs in Venice Lido on the red carpet as well as the best selection of new movies. You can check the full program for the festival here.
We’ve put together some tips from our Prontopia Locals for how to enjoy the Venice Film Festival, off from the beaten path and at its best! Discover where to eat, what to do, and how to get around. If you are headed to the film festival this year, be aware that the crowds are especially difficult to manage as the town of Venice is completely 100% full of visitors during this period. For an easy and stress free arrival or help getting where you need to go during the festival, request a Local from the Prontopia app for fun in-person help navigating the city.
Watch movies and have a drink like the VIPs: after, or even before, you go to see the film festival movies, pass by the Hotel Excelsior and have a drink on the terrace. This hotel has a very peculiar architecture from the early 20th century and has hosted many movie stars from the 1940s onwards including Errol Flynn and important people like Winston Churchill and Edward VIII Duke of Windsor.
Eat at Lido di Venezia like a local: for a typical Venetian meal, both lunch and dinner, you can enjoy the small and cozy restaurant Da Cri Cri e Tendin (on Via San Gallo 159-a). Here you can eat some delicious and fresh fish. They are open for lunch every day and for dinner only during the weekends. There isn’t a menu: the waiter will explain to guests each day what is on the menu. Try our favorite, the mixed seafood starter: it’s magical!
For a quick bite instead we recommend that you try the sandwiches of El Pecador (on Lungomare G. D’Annunzio), a bar that is set in a double decker bus from 1960s era London. Our favorite sandwich is the ‘te spiego’ (meaning “I explain you” in Venetian dialect).
We also recommend to go and eat at El Chiringuito (at Lungomare Pietrenere), another sandwich bar on the main street near the beach. Then tell us which one makes better sandwiches, because we cannot really decide!
Rent a bicycle and go around the island. You can rent a bike at Noleggio Bicicletti Giardin, located here, and have a tour around the island. From here you can easily reach the Palazzo del Cinema for the movies and all the other places listed here.
You can even have a swim at Murazzi, the free beach most beloved by Venetians, and later on have a spritz or a quick bite with the sea view at Ristorante ai Murazzi (at Via del Kirchmayer 16).
We hope you enjoy some delicious seafood and sun and celebrities with these tips. For more local foodie advice, see our post on What to Eat in Venice so you will be in the know about how to order the best typical Venetian seafood dishes. See our post on September 2018 Events in Venice for more local tips on what to do during your stay.
For the best experience getting to Lido and discovering local life, use the Prontopia app for in-person help from a local Venetian during your visit.
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