Venice - Gondola Ride

[SSLaly]

Hi, anyone knows how much is the average charge for a Gondala ride? Any recommendations...

[Langoustine]

Well, there are "official" rates, but the gondoliers usually treat these as mere suggestions, so be prepared to bargain. Generally, you are looking at about $80-$100 for a 50-minute ride, more at night, and more if you want singing. A gondola can hold up to six, so it's not bad if you're going in a group. A good place to find them is by the Doge's Palace or on the Grand Canal.

[SSLaly]

thank you very much for the info. It's 7 of us :(

[euro cruiser]

Gondolas will only hold six people, so your group will need to split into two boats.

 

Maybe they will negotiate, maybe not. Go into it assuming you'll pay the full price, which is regulated.

 

The set rates are 80 Euro (for the boat, regardless of the number of passengers, up to six maximum) during the daytime for a 40-minute ride, or 100 Euro at night.

 

You can see the rates here: http://www.gondolavenezia.it/storia_tariffe.asp?Pag=43

 

Interestingly, they don't put the rates on the English language pages, only the Italian version. However, the rate card is in both languages.

[bobalink]

We were a group of 7 and we had to hire 2 gondolas. They would not negotiate a deal.

 

It actually was great because we could take pictures of each other's gondola gliding in the canals and those are some of the best photos!

 

Side note: I watched an interesting documentary on Venice, and they said that there is on average only 3 gondolier positions available each year. Over 200 applicants train and are vying for the chance to become a gondolier.

 

Have fun!

[SSLaly]

Thank you very much for your help!!! I can't wait to see Venice and all the other places!!

[chipmaster]

My experience is that the only way prices goes was from base to up for the inexperienced.

 

IMHO know the hourly rate and accept that as the cost. If you feel bold enough to ask than ask for something cheaper. The only thing, would be they reject, than of course I'd likely go actually get anoter gondolla :D

[KirkNC]

That is something I just can't get myself to do, pay $110 for a 45 minute ride but hey, I am cheap!

[numbersix]

That is something I just can't get myself to do, pay $110 for a 45 minute ride but hey, I am cheap!

 

Me, too--but then again, you only live once!:)

[mapleleaves]

That is something I just can't get myself to do, pay $110 for a 45 minute ride but hey, I am cheap!

 

Hey, we're not cheap, we're frugal !!:)

On your next visit, take a ride on a traghetto; the frugal person's gondola ride. It's only .50E for a trip across the Grand Canal. We had gotten hopelessly lost and thought we were on the right side of the canal for our hotel, but weren't. Some locals said 'follow us to the traghetto, it's too far for you to walk back to a bridge". A what? What a hoot!

We all stood in this stripped down gondola, dodging traffic and rocking back and forth in the waves. My mother is 80 and couldn't keep her balance so the gondolier told her to sit down. There were no seats! He wanted her to sit on the 1" edge of the traghetto. Wish I had a photo of that ! We laughed hysterically. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/traghetto.htm

[chipmaster]

The way to think about this is it of value!

 

I went 20 years ago, it was far cheaper in $, but we were just poor freshly graduated students and that amount of dollars was too rich for my blood.

 

When we went a few years go, yes its expensive as things go, silly old boat pushed by a guy with a stick thru some narrow waterways how fun could that be? Well for many timeless and not so expensive for the experience of heart, mind.. actually cheap for the joy it brought some in my family.

 

That is something I just can't get myself to do, pay $110 for a 45 minute ride but hey, I am cheap!

[PCWalton1]

Hey, we're not cheap, we're frugal !!:)

On your next visit, take a ride on a traghetto; the frugal person's gondola ride. It's only .50E for a trip across the Grand Canal. We had gotten hopelessly lost and thought we were on the right side of the canal for our hotel, but weren't. Some locals said 'follow us to the traghetto, it's too far for you to walk back to a bridge". A what? What a hoot!

We all stood in this stripped down gondola, dodging traffic and rocking back and forth in the waves. My mother is 80 and couldn't keep her balance so the gondolier told her to sit down. There were no seats! He wanted her to sit on the 1" edge of the traghetto. Wish I had a photo of that ! We laughed hysterically. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/traghetto.htm

 

I would be tempted to try a traghetto but I have the scars to show how clumsy I am so I can just see myself bobbing along in the canal after I fall off. :eek::D

[mapleleaves]

I would be tempted to try a traghetto but I have the scars to show how clumsy I am so I can just see myself bobbing along in the canal after I fall off. :eek::D

 

but you'd have a great video of that experience after it went viral on youtube!:)

Apparently some traghettos have seats .. ours didn't. I'll definitely do that again, but maybe at a less busy location.

[Mexfolkart]

Finally on our third trip to Venice we took a gondola ride..we paid the 80 EU and just saved it up during the year in a separate envelope..first two trips we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. We had a FABULOUS time! It was THE highlight of all our trips there! We are SO glad we did! We LOVED it!

Got our Gondola kind of off the beaten path by the Rialto bridge.

Do it..you will ALWYS look back on it!

Sherry

[moviegal]

I figure we sort of "have" to do the gondola ride in Venice! I can just imagine coming back home and everybody asking "how was the gondola ride?" and then we didn't do it! It just seems like something we need to do (the price doesn't sound that outrageous to me, actually)! And you know, it's something I've always WANTED to do since I was a kid.

[juliep99]

Hi, we are going to Venice in May and are thinking about taking a Gondola ride, our cruise company are asking £44GBP per person for this which after reading your posts seems a lot for exactly the same as the 80euro trip. Is it easy enough to arrange this yourself and do you know if there are queues to get on the Gondola as the ship is not there that long and don't want to waste time.:)

[euro cruiser]

There are gondola docks all over Venice; the ones around San Marco are likely to be crowded but if you move just slightly off the beaten path you'll find them with no wait.

[SSLaly]

MovieGal .. that is exactly how I feel... it's one of those things that you suck it up and just do it!!! It's an experience... perhaps if I go back I won't do it again...but at least I can say I was there and I did that!!! Can't wait!!

 

Happy Travels everyone!

[Ginagirl51]

:D:D

Me, too--but then again, you only live once!:)

It may take some convincing once my husband hears the cost, but it is one of those bucket list activities for me...so he'll humor me!

[nparmelee]

We thought for sure we'd do a gondola ride when we were in Venice, we did ride the Tronchetto near the Rialto bridge in our wonderings, but somehow we never got around to a gondola ride. Maybe the next trip.

[Matcodixon]

My wife and I are celebrating our 35th anniversary with this cruise. I will take her on an evening gondola ride.. I do not put a price on what I believe will be a priceless experience.

 

BTW, she is the more frugal one, so I probably will not tell her what it cost!

[agabbymama]

We didn't care that we shared the gondola, so we did this tour

 

http://www.viator.com/tours/Venice/Venice-by-Night-Tour-and-Gondola-Ride/d522-3731VENICEGONDOLA

 

at $67 pp that's $134 for two and you get a walking tour with it, versus just $131 for the gondola ride

 

We had a great time, and actually met up with some of our cc folks on the tour, so shared the gondola with them.

 

It was really a big disappointment, as we didn't stay in the Grand Canal, they take you into back canals, and you are gondola to gondola barely moving through the canal. The canals have a lot of trash and they stink.

Not my idea of romance! I would not ever pay for this experience again, but to each their own. Wish I had learned about the traghetto before we went.

[Twice-a-year]

There are gondola docks all over Venice; the ones around San Marco are likely to be crowded but if you move just slightly off the beaten path you'll find them with no wait.

 

Well, I have never been in Venice, Please tell me from the cruiseship dock, which way should I go to get a Gondola ride (th beaten path). If I get a gondola ride from the beaten path area, will it cruise down the Grand Canel? Thanks :)

[agabbymama]

Well, I have never been in Venice, Please tell me from the cruiseship dock, which way should I go to get a Gondola ride (th beaten path). If I get a gondola ride from the beaten path area, will it cruise down the Grand Canel? Thanks :)

 

You will start out on the Grand Canal, but they don't stay there long, there is just too much boat traffic.

[SteveH2508]

We stayed at the Hotel Ala near St Marks square. Thoroughly recommend it.

http://www.hotelala.it/index.asp

 

They have an arrangement with the local gondola place for about 40 euros per person IIRC they do a gondola ride for about 1 hour with singing. You do share up to 6 in a gondola though.

 

The hotel also has a tie-up with a great restaurant (Raffaele) which has a nice canal-side location (and 10% discount!) http://www.hotelala.it/ristoranteDaRaffaele.htm

 

We spent a lovely 5th Wedding anniversary there.