Gondola rides in Venice

[lncruiser]

We will be going on a back to back cruise from Barcelona to Venice, then round-trip Venice to the Greek islands in May 2019

The first cruise ends in Venice at 6:30 AM

 

The second part of our cruise leaves the same day at 5:00 PM.

While we are in port that day we would like to try and go to St Marks to do a gondola ride.

Will we have enough time to get to the gondolas and back considering we will be required to go through immigration prior to the second cruise. Can someone who has done this type of back to back cruise advise what we can expect as far a customs and how long the procedure will take.

Any suggestions to get to St Marks and back would be appreciated.

Should we try and book a gondola ride before the cruise or is that taking a chance that we might not make it and would lose out on some money.

Any info is appreciated

 

 

lncruiser

[CruiserBruce]

I doubt there will be any Immigration and Customs. If there is any, it won't take but a few minutes.

 

I think gondola rides are over rated. But if you book for around 11am, you should be fine.

[CruiseGal999]

I can't believe I visited Venice in 2013 and did NOT do a Gondola ride. The one chance for me & DH to take a LONG (1 hour or so) ride was mid-day ... and I wasn't feeling well and I said No. Then our final night, after dinner we went to see about Gondola ride, and they were MAYBE 15-20 minutes long and they crammed people in. They put groups together that were not travelling together. It was expensive and I said no way ... I don't want to do that. I asked if they sang and they said NO. Just wasn't the feeling I wanted from the experience.

[Grandma Cruising]

Yes you should have enough time. How you get to St Marks Square depends on where you are docked. If you’re docked in the Maritima (will be there if you’re on a large ship) then walk, take the people mover to Piazzale Roma then you can get a Vaporretto (water bus) to St Marks Square. It takes about 45 minutes. You need to buy your ticket before you get on, and validate it. You can get single tickets for €7.50 or a 1 day pass for €20. Here’s a link to information about transport in Venice https://www.rometoolkit.com/venice_visit/venice_water_transport.html.

If you’re on a small ship you might be anchored at San Basilio. If so, you walk down to San Basilio Vaporretto Station or further down to Zatere Station. The problem with the San Basilio Station is that the only place to buy tickets is a little shop just under the bridge that doesn’t open until 10am. At Zatere there is a big kiosk that sells tickets. Buy your ticket there, but then walk through straight across towards the Grand Canal until you get to Academia Station on the Canal. From there get the Vaporretto (no 1 or 2) to St Marks. I know this sounds complicated, but if you look at the Vaporretto map on the above page, you’ll see that no Vaporretto go direct from the Guidecca Canal (where San Basilio is) to the Grand Canal. They all go via the Lido island, which adds a lot of time to your journey.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

Just keep in mind that you do not have to go all the way over to St Marks Square just to get a Gondola. The Gondola's are in multiple locations around Venice with many locations closer then St Marks Square. There are at least two Gondola stations within easy walking distance of the Piazale Roma. A quick People Mover ride from the port over to the P. Roma and a 5-10 min walk and voila!

 

Hank

[Got2Cruise]

Request a private gondola ride. Everything is set price. Don’t take a shared one. Also request to stay on the small canals instead of the Grand Canal.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

Request a private gondola ride. Everything is set price. Don’t take a shared one. Also request to stay on the small canals instead of the Grand Canal.

 

 

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While there are theoretical set prices, everything is negotiable. We agree about taking a private gondola and there is never a reason to pay for an excursion or tour that includes gondolas. Just approach any Gondola that is docked at one of the gondola piers and negotiate a price. Keep in mind that you are not only talking money but also the length of the gondola ride. We love to stop at a store, buy a bottle of wine, have the cork pulled, ask for some plastic wine glasses (very common) and sip wine as we glide through the canals in our gondola. During the daytime you should expect to pay no more than 80€ for about a 40-45 min ride...and if their business is not good you might be able to bargain them down to about 70€. If they refuse to bargain on the price, try to get additional time. Always keep bargaining very light and friendly and if you lose....just smile and pay.

 

Hank

[marazul]

This is the official list of gondola ride prices set by the city of Venice. Use this as a basis of negotiations. Be happy if you pay less. Walk to the next gondola if they ask for more.

 

http://www.gondolavenezia.it/history_tariffe.asp?Pag=43

 

In summary, a daytime ride is 80 euros for 40 minutes and 40 euros for each additional 20 minutes. This is the rate per gondola (up to 6 people).

At night, it is 100 euros for 40 minutes and 50 euro for each additional 20 minutes.

[lncruiser]

Thank you everyone for all your replies.

 

They all will help us make the best of our time in Venice.

 

 

Cheers!

lncrsuiser

 

 

:cool: