Gondola - Venice

[mamoune]

Hello everyone!

 

My DH and I are interested in booking a gondola tour, with a singer, on our upcoming cruise stop to Venice in May. Preferably in the evening to make it even more romantic. Anyone knows if I have to reserve this in advance or do I just go to where the gondoliers are and try to hire one on the spot? Do we have to share a gondola with others or if we can be the only two on board. Any idea of the price? It is a special gift for my 50th birthday... I am of Italian descent and it will be my first time in Italy so this is a very special occasion!

 

Thanks!

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

here's one site to check out.. http://www.turismovenezia.it/venezia/eng/default.asp?lingua=en you don't have to reserve in advance, & i'm told it's more expensive at night and some people haggle the price.. the going rate if i remember correct is about $80pp during the day..

try wikitravel, they may have more info.. have fun & have a great birthday in Venice!

[euro cruiser]

You pay per gondola, not per person. The set fare during the day is 80 Euro for 40 minutes, and at night it's 100 Euro. Up to six people can share the gondola.

 

Many posters say they have negotiated better prices. Gondoleers are not supposed to do that, but I'm sure it happens.

 

You can read about the gondolas, and see the price list, here: http://www.gondolavenezia.it/history_tariffe.asp?Pag=43

[Hlitner]

Let me be very clear about this subject. There is absolutely no reason to book a Gondola in advance and definitely do not book a cruise line excursion. There are plenty of Gondolas in Venice and they are based at various piers scattered all around Venice (the best known dock is near St Marks Square). When you want a Gondola you simply walk up to any pier that has Gondolas and negotiate with a gongoliers. The going rate is about 90 Euros (that is per gondola....which can carry up to 6 persons) and it does cost a little more in the evening (expect to pay about 110 Euros). Make sure you agree on the price and the amount of time (is should be at least 40 min...and we can usually get 50). We also recommend that folks go to a shop that sells wine (all over Venice) and buy a nice bottle of wine, have them pull the cork, get a couple of plastic wine cups (they usually have these anywhere they sell wine) and take it on the Gondola. You can them sip some nice Italian wine as you glide through the canals. We like to get our own Gondola because it is romantic and it does end up costing us about 50 Euros per person. Or course if you want to share with another couple the price per person is only about 25 Euros per person. Many cruise line Gondola excursions cram 6 adults in a single gondola and charge more then $100 a person for this trip.

 

Hank

[mapleleaves]

This is an informative site for tourists in Venice. This particular link is about hiring a gondola; what to pay, where to go, reservations,etc. There are a couple of pages so be sure to read them. A very important consideration is WHERE do you want to go during the ride so it's probably best to wait until you get there instead of reserving now.

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

It was something I planned to do on my first visit but once I got there it didn't seem important anymore. I've been back twice since and still haven't. The closest I got was a traghetto. That was a riot! (they're mentioned in the link )

[chipmaster]

FWIW when we decide to do it they are EVERYWHERE. You can try to negotiate, but YMMV. As toursity as it sounds the experience doing the back narrow canals are priceless.

 

As another poster said AVOID the group thing with the promised singer!

 

Hello everyone!

 

My DH and I are interested in booking a gondola tour, with a singer, on our upcoming cruise stop to Venice in May. Preferably in the evening to make it even more romantic. Anyone knows if I have to reserve this in advance or do I just go to where the gondoliers are and try to hire one on the spot? Do we have to share a gondola with others or if we can be the only two on board. Any idea of the price? It is a special gift for my 50th birthday... I am of Italian descent and it will be my first time in Italy so this is a very special occasion!

 

Thanks!

[agabbymama]

I disagree with the consensus on this board. My first visit to Venice with my husband, I stood in front of the gondola for a photo, never even thought to ride in one at those prices (50 EURO).

 

My second visit to Venice, that was the one thing my friend wanted to do, was ride in a gondola. We are two older ladies that travel together, so no worry about romance. The prices had doubled from my first visit (100 EURO).

 

I decided to book a walking tour on viator.com for $50 pp that included the gondola ride (more for the $$$). It was a lot more fun with the 6 of us in the gondola. I don't think our gondolier even spoke English, let alone sing, so the 6 of us sang our own songs, laughing, partying and having a great time. Once you get to the back canals, you are gondola to gondola, it's like a traffic jam on the freeways in Los Angeles. I certainly wouldn't say it was conducive to romance.

 

I am kind of frugal, I hated paying $250 for a hotel, $150 for a gondola ride, and $30 to eat pizza. I'm not into the romance and dreaming of being in Venice, to me it was watching $$$$$ being thrown into the lagoon. But everyone has to do what they feel comfortable doing.

 

Have fun planning, then taking your trip to Europe!

[mapleleaves]

actually agabbymama, I didn't do the gondola either. We did the traghetto for 1E and it was so much fun. We planned to take a gondola ride on our first visit to Venice but it didn't seem as important once we were actually there. I've been back twice more and still haven't. I'll definitely do the traghetto again tho. That was fun! Guess I'm more about fun that romance!

[Hlitner]

We normally do not do gondolas anymore, but we have been to Venice a number of times and its no longer a priority. But gliding through the small canals at dusk and sipping our wine is very romantic. Of course if you are sharing the gondola with 4 other folks (or any other folks) it does take something away from the romance :)

 

Hank

[mamoune]

Wow!!! Thank you all for your answers. Guess I will wait until I'm actually in Venice and try to find a gondolier that will take DH and I for a nice romantic evening tour, with wine! If I am lucky, maybe I will find one that sings :-)

 

Actually, this is THE one thing I most want to do on our 3-week vacation in Europe. I have been looking forward to celebrating my 50th birthday with a gondola ride for about 30 years, so the price is not much of an issue. I was willing to pay $100 pp for that anyway. If I can get it for less, all the better, I will spend the difference on a nice meal. Any suggestions for restaurants?

[KirkNC]

I could not get myself to spring for the fare while we were there. 80-90 euros or $125 seems like a lot for 45 minutes to me but I am a self admitted tight wad. I agree on not making a reservation, they are everywhere.

 

Kirk

[Hlitner]

If you are really looking for a gondolier that will sing (and hopefully has a decent voice) do not be afraid to simply ask when you are negotiating a price. There are plenty of gondoliers and some can sing...but most will not. There is nothing stopping you from asking around until you find what you want.

 

Hank

[chipmaster]

17 years ago fresh in a new job, new mortage, baby in the oven, was just happy and amazed to be in this mythical place.

 

On my most recent visit my prospective changed a little. Yeah it seemed cheesy, and you want what :eek: for a ride in a narrow boat with a guy in a funny hat pushing me with a stick?

 

Then I thought thru, hmm spend how much for airfare, how much for ship, how much for taking the extended family, YMMV.

[Hlitner]

We hear you Chipmaster. We have been to Venice on 4 or 5 cruises and also spent a couple of extended trips in the city when we were simply driving around Italy. To be blunt, the entire place is one big tourist trap (so is Disney World), many things are overpriced, the overall quality of food is not great (there are some exceptions), and the crowds of visitors during the day can be overwhelming (most leave in the late afternoon so its fun when you stay in the city at night). We do know Italy quite well, love to go to areas where there are very few tourists (such as the Marche), but for some strange reason still love Venice! It is one of the most unique places in the world and can be so much darn fun. One just needs to avoid the $12 cups of coffee :)

 

Hank

[agabbymama]

We hear you Chipmaster. We have been to Venice on 4 or 5 cruises and also spent a couple of extended trips in the city when we were simply driving around Italy. To be blunt, the entire place is one big tourist trap (so is Disney World), many things are overpriced, the overall quality of food is not great (there are some exceptions), and the crowds of visitors during the day can be overwhelming (most leave in the late afternoon so its fun when you stay in the city at night). We do know Italy quite well, love to go to areas where there are very few tourists (such as the Marche), but for some strange reason still love Venice! It is one of the most unique places in the world and can be so much darn fun. One just needs to avoid the $12 cups of coffee :)

 

Hank

 

Hank, you are so funny. I didn't mind the $12 for the coffee, it was the 5 EUR pp SITTING fee that got me. I was prepared for the coffee (it was raining and the cafe had a canopy). Lots of folks took refuge there. When the bill was brought, we found out about the 5 EUR pp to sit under that canopy. We were very careful after that, not to SIT. Another good one was on Murano, we looked at the menu and saw Pizza was 6 EUR, so we were prepared for the 5 EUR sitting fee. Again they got us when they brought the bill, the little cokes we had were also 6 EUR. Not even a 12 oz can, it was the little 8 oz (I think) bottle. Eating in Italy was truly an experience!

[Hlitner]

Now we are getting into the fun part of travel in Italy..and specifically Italy. It is fairly common for outdoor cafes and even some indoor restaurants to charge a "cover" fee which can cover things like just sitting and the basket of bread. These "covers" are supposed to be disclosed on the menu and it is usually in very fine print somewhere (often on the bottom, but sometimes on the top, sides, etc). But these cover charges are usually reasonable (1 or 2 Euros are common) and part of the restaurant culture. But in St Marks Square the practice has achieved new heights. It was interesting to note that on our last visit (about 18 months ago) the two large cafes on St Marks Square were totally empty while thousands of folks walked nearby. Most visitors know about these places. We recently were in Rome and stopped at the Piazza Navona (our favorite spot in Rome) intending to have a beer. As we were about to sit at one of the outdoor cafes where we normally sit when at that Piazza, I happened to check their menu and saw that a medium size glass of beer was now 8 Euros plus a 2 Euro cover charge (so its about $13.50 for a beer). We quickly walked to another nearby cafe where prices were about half the cost.

 

Hank

[iancal]

We never eat/drink where the tourists eat. If the menu is in five languages, we walk. If all we hear is English, we walk. Two blocks down, one over so to speak. If there are lots of locals and no tourists we stay. We often go into a small store and ask for a recommendation....this has proven to be a very good practice. We are not shy to ask the prices or to share parts of the meal. And we never fall for the trap of switching a house wine for something that the waiter 'recommends' without first asking the price. If you do not ask the price, count on a 30-50E charge. The notion of paying more to sit closer to the sidewalk so to speak is not exclusive to Italy. When we are in France and I am stopping for a coffee by myself, I pay more to sit at a sidewalk table than I would to stand at the bar and have my expresso.

[KirkNC]

Now we are getting into the fun part of travel in Italy..and specifically Italy. It is fairly common for outdoor cafes and even some indoor restaurants to charge a "cover" fee which can cover things like just sitting and the basket of bread. These "covers" are supposed to be disclosed on the menu and it is usually in very fine print somewhere (often on the bottom, but sometimes on the top, sides, etc). But these cover charges are usually reasonable (1 or 2 Euros are common) and part of the restaurant culture. But in St Marks Square the practice has achieved new heights. It was interesting to note that on our last visit (about 18 months ago) the two large cafes on St Marks Square were totally empty while thousands of folks walked nearby. Most visitors know about these places. We recently were in Rome and stopped at the Piazza Navona (our favorite spot in Rome) intending to have a beer. As we were about to sit at one of the outdoor cafes where we normally sit when at that Piazza, I happened to check their menu and saw that a medium size glass of beer was now 8 Euros plus a 2 Euro cover charge (so its about $13.50 for a beer). We quickly walked to another nearby cafe where prices were about half the cost.

 

Hank

 

We may have been some of those tourist as we had read plenty about sitting fees. When we want to sit we found some steps or something.

 

Kirk

[Hlitner]

We never eat/drink where the tourists eat. If the menu is in five languages, we walk. If all we hear is English, we walk. Two blocks down, one over so to speak. If there are lots of locals and no tourists we stay. We often go into a small store and ask for a recommendation....this has proven to be a very good practice. We are not shy to ask the prices or to share parts of the meal. And we never fall for the trap of switching a house wine for something that the waiter 'recommends' without first asking the price. If you do not ask the price, count on a 30-50E charge. The notion of paying more to sit closer to the sidewalk so to speak is not exclusive to Italy. When we are in France and I am stopping for a coffee by myself, I pay more to sit at a sidewalk table than I would to stand at the bar and have my expresso.

 

Darn smart advice! But most of our fellow country folks do not seem to think this way. If I had a dollar for everyone that went into Rick Steves recommended restaurants and shops I could retire (actually I am already retired). A friend of ours went into a Florence cafe recommended by Rick Steves and said everyone in the place had a Rick Steves book on their table! :) We also avoid the "bottled water" scam by ordering the house water in countries like France, Italy and Spain. Its amazing that folks will pay more for a bottle of water then they pay for gasoline. And in Europe gas can cost $10 a gallon.

 

Hank