Gondola Ride in Venice

[Patti K]

Does anyone have any information on the Gondola Rides in Venice. How much are they, how long are they? Is there a way to book ahead of time to save money?

 

Thank you~

[rebeccalouise]

they basically charge a fixed rate. It is 80 Euros for 30 minutes or 100 Euros for approximately 45 minutes.

 

It is a necessary evil of visiting Venice. I have done it twice- once with each of my sons at their prompting. I am a sucker for their enthusiasm. My little boy (age 6) was quickly bored and my older son (age 13) had an animated conversation with the gondolier and we had a really interesting and informative gondola ride. It is hit and miss. Some of the gondoliers are very chatty and sing. Others just take the money and run.

 

Do it if you haven't. I think everyone should do it to get it out of their system. It is part of the Venice experience.

 

I wouldn't do it again. I think it is a rip off.

[agabbymama]

My first visit to Venice was with my husband, and no way was he paying $75 for a gondola ride.

 

I'd like to do it just to say I've ridden in a gondola. For this cruise in Oct '08, I found a walking tour/gondola ride for $58 pp. It's a little cheaper price than just the gondola ride but you get the tour thrown in.

 

www.viator.com offers this tour, as well as many others. I've already booked the walking tour/gondola ride and a ghost tour at night. I've also used viator to book the transfers and hop on/hop off bus in Rome. I like that it's paid for ahead of time, print your voucher and just pick up the tickets there.

[amanda blake]

80 euros for 30 minutes...thats 125 dollars canadian...are they NUTS...wow sure is an incredible rip off....but they must be getting this kind of money or they would sure charge a lot less....and there isnt even any fuel used...

[cberge]

80 euros for 30 minutes...thats 125 dollars canadian...are they NUTS...wow sure is an incredible rip off....but they must be getting this kind of money or they would sure charge a lot less....and there isnt even any fuel used...

 

 

It's more if you get one that the gondolier sings and then there is the tip for this as well...so 80€ looks good:D

To the OP..there is quite a bit of info re gondola rides on the board,but just assume that prices have gone up.Rule of thumb is that they are slightly cheaper during the day than at night.

[NAS-KARR]

NOTHING is cheap in Venice.

 

 

 

CIAO,

[Cruise Junky]

Just my 2 cents, and that's Canadian 2 Cents ;) they are not a necessary part of seeing Venice. I actually felt sorry for the people who were out on the grand canal in gondolas, the wake from other boats would not be "Romantic" or condusive to relaxing. The boats are expensive, and they are expensive to maintain. It is an art form. But, I loved just watching them go by and hearing them sing from afar. Didn't have a need to be in one. Now being in St. Marks at night hearing the orchestra's, that's a part of Venice that you shouldn't miss, and it's free....just don't sit down :)

[MercedMike]

How can you go to Venice and not do a gondola ride??

 

Grit your teeth and pay the price. I thought it was $80 instead of E80, but anyhow it is not cheap. As said above, NOTHING in Venice is cheap. It is an experience you have to have.

 

We arranged a private gondola and musicians through IC Bellagio.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/med.html and you will find a link for Bellagio there too.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Cruise Junky]

How can you go to Venice and not do a gondola ride??

 

 

Easy!! It wasn't the cost either, I was perfectly content taking the #1 vaporetto and cruising the grand canal. Weird, I just wasn't drawn to the gondolas....especially watching the people bob around like apples out on the grand canal :)

[cberge]

Easy!! It wasn't the cost either, I was perfectly content taking the #1 vaporetto and cruising the grand canal. Weird, I just wasn't drawn to the gondolas....especially watching the people bob around like apples out on the grand canal :)

I agree that is it easy to go to Venice and not ride in a gondola,and the above reason is very well put:D .Years ago maybe,but now...no.

To NAS-KARR..I said cheaper..ER,not cheap.You are right...nothing is cheap in Venice...excpet maybe the Murano glass from China:D :D

[Cruise Junky]

As for cheap in Venice, which I agree is an oxymoron... it is way cheaper across the accademia bridge. There's grocery stores over there that sell wine and pop etc. a lot cheaper than "downtown" venice. An example was the Bellini mix that you saw everywhere. Some places near St. Marks were 18 Euro for the bottle, they were 4.50 across the bridge. We bought all of our Parmesan to bring home from the grocery stores over there.

[Frandick]

Both times that we were in Venice we met another couple waiting to take the ride and we shared the gondola for half the cost.

[Liv4cruzin]

I believe the grocery store that Cruise Junky is referring to is Billa. Although not huge, it is considered a "supermarket" by Venetian standards. It's on the Giudecca Canal side near San Basilio. I had loads of fun in there. I'm not a drinker, but I remember a discussion on the boards about buying wine from the little "corner stores". If you bring your own container (like an empty water or soda bottle), you can fill it up w/ some very good wines for just a few Euros. Another way to save a "few bucks" in VCE.

[Cruise Junky]

I believe the grocery store that Cruise Junky is referring to is Billa. Although not huge, it is considered a "supermarket" by Venetian standards. It's on the Giudecca Canal side near San Basilio. I had loads of fun in there. I'm not a drinker, but I remember a discussion on the boards about buying wine from the little "corner stores". If you bring your own container (like an empty water or soda bottle), you can fill it up w/ some very good wines for just a few Euros. Another way to save a "few bucks" in VCE.

 

Thanks for that, I wouldn't have remembered the name of that place for $1 million :). They also had wine in the 1 litre tetra packs for a Euro.

[Kindlychap]

How can you go to Venice and not do a gondola ride??

 

Easy!! It wasn't the cost either, I was perfectly content taking the #1 vaporetto and cruising the grand canal. Weird, I just wasn't drawn to the gondolas....especially watching the people bob around like apples out on the grand canal :)

 

Exactly. It's not something I wanted to do at all. Tourist rip off - and anything on the Grand Canal looked very precarious.

 

As for those that "sing" - please...... Keep me out of earshot.

 

Again it isn't money - we generally used water taxis rather than Vaporetti (other than the #1 down the Grand Canal and back) so could easily have afforded it.

 

Save your money and spend it at Florians in San Marco - it is the cafe on the Grand Canal side of the square. A much better Venetian experiance.

 

Matthew

[commonsense2]

How can you go to Venice and not do a gondola ride??

 

Grit your teeth and pay the price. I thought it was $80 instead of E80, but anyhow it is not cheap. As said above, NOTHING in Venice is cheap. It is an experience you have to have.

 

We arranged a private gondola and musicians through IC Bellagio.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/med.html and you will find a link for Bellagio there too.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

i thought the gondolas were one of the most touristy things i've ever seen.

 

take the vaparetto for a true venetian experience. one of my fondest memories of venice was taking the fast route to st mark's square at 6 AM. it was filled with commuters (probably trying to figure out what those tourists were doing on their boat).

[Paul S]

Over the years I've done two or three gondola rides. I think the experience is magical, especially in the quiet period towards dusk when many of the daytrippers have left.

 

The best parts are in the quiet back canals. You get to see a part of Venice you wouldn't otherwise experience.

 

With regard to cost, those of you from across the pond are suffering from the exchange rate. However, I don't think the price is so high bearing in mind the considerable cost of purchasing and maintaining a gondola, and the amount of learning required to get to know the network of canals, and they all work to a published tariff (although you may be able to negotiate down when times are quiet).

 

Don't forget that the price is for the gondola not per person, and you can get up to six people comfortably into one gondola!

 

You can hire a gondola by almost every bridge in the main tourist parts, as well as in several places on the Grand Canal.

 

Paul S

[MercedMike]

i thought the gondolas were one of the most touristy things i've ever seen.

 

Hey, guess what, I'm a TOURIST!

 

What does it mean to be "touristy"? Well, it means that people who come to visit the place -- called tourists -- like to do it!!!;)

 

Most of the things I have greatly enjoyed in our travels have been incredibly touristy!

 

I rode a camel in Egypt, too ...:p

[commonsense2]

Hey, guess what, I'm a TOURIST!

 

What does it mean to be "touristy"? Well, it means that people who come to visit the place -- called tourists -- like to do it!!!;)

 

Most of the things I have greatly enjoyed in our travels have been incredibly touristy!

 

I rode a camel in Egypt, too ...:p

 

in this context, i used 'touristy' akin to an amusement park ride. yes, we are tourist when we travel. i'll have a camel ride in egypt, too. the difference with camels is locals still use them as transportation. i doubt that the majority of real venetian wouldn't want to be caught dead on a gondola (except of course the gondoliers).

 

wodnerful pics, by the way. i rarely have a photo of myself taken but the one where you are on a camel with the pyramids in the backround is one i'll likely replicate.

[jeanlyon]

I've been to Venice, there is no need to do a gondola ride. Go on one of the water buses instead. Why spend that ridiculous amount of money for 30 minutes.

[Paul S]

Until you've done a gondola ride you don't know what it is like and what you are missing. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone there's no need to do something, it's up to them.

 

It may not be cheap, but especially if you have six in the gondola the price is far from ridiculous, around 14 euros each.

 

Paul S

[lincolndog]

Before our trip our children couldn't wait to go to Venice. When they arrived they were disheartened because it was not what they expected. Many canals smelled of rotting fish, litter in the canals, and the gondolas hitting each other due to them being so close and so many.There was no way they were getting into a gondola. Grandparents were shocked that they changed there minds because that is all they talked about before hand. They enjoyed watching the artist make masks. They also thought it was funny to watch people feed the pigeons.

[dchan865]

About 80euros for a maximum of 6 folks do not sound too bad. I had thought the price was per person. For a moment, I was hesitant to do it.

[Taf]

A gondola is not to be used as transportation from A to B - like a Vaporetto. That`s why the Venetians don`t use them very often, they know the city and don`t need to see the various canals and intricate waterways that the Vaporetto can`t reach.

I travel to Venice 2 or 3 times a year, stay either in pensions or with my friend, who is a Venetian and lives near the Rialto bridge. He took me on a Gondola ride, and while I don`t do it every time I visit, I am glad that I have experienced this magical way to see the "hidden sights" of the city. The Gondoliers are like tour guides, telling you the history of various buildings, interesting tit bits of information and general advice on the city. Vaporetto drivers don`t do that.

Try to avoid the Grand Canal - you can see that very well from a Vaporetto. But for the small canals, under low bridges and past narrow alleys, it is a wonderful way to see Venice.

If there are only 2 of you, you can wait with the Gondolier until a few other people turn up to share the cost.

 

If you do one and then hate it, fine. If you don`t want to - also fine. But until you have tried it, you don`t know what you`re missing.

 

PS - I`m just trying to price up a 15/20 minute taxi ride in New York for our cruise - so far it`s coming in at 75 dollars plus tip! Just a little perspective.:D

[amanda blake]

yes 80 euros for 6 people is just fine...and we will do this ...thanks everyone for putting it in perspective...