Gondolas in Venice

I have been to Venice six times and done the Gondola twice. I don't think there is a difference in Gondolas.

First time there, I had my 13 year old daughter negotiate for our ride, we got a slightly better price.
Suggest getting one near St. Mark's Square.

Hi, could you help us by describing what you’re defining as a bad or so so gondola ride? For us, our highlight was having the two men with the accordion and singing in our gondola! One of their songs was “Funiculì, Funiculà”. I started unintentionally singing some the words. They were excited and handed me their book to pick out other songs.

My Wife & I did a Nighttime gondola ride in 2022. Far less boats in the water.
A very tranquil and romantic evening ride!

I would do it again in a minute. Returning to Venice in Sept. and a Nighttime ride is in our plans.

Randy & Sharon

My quiet opinion.
More pleasurable to observe others in gondolas than ride in one one’s self.

Take the San Toma traghetto for a water experience.

Been to Venice multiple times and took two rides. Absolutely not being a smart a.. but honest it is no way worth the price. I know your going anyway because that is what you do in Venice so go in the later evening and enjoy the lights.

Since "worth it" is entirely subjective, and opinions on whatever is or is not "worth it" vary tremendously...only you can decide if anything is "worth it" to you. And likewise, you get to decide whatever "good" and "bad" experiences are.

That said...

My spouse insisted on us doing Venice on our first trip to Italy, and I was initially skeptical. I am often a cynical traveler, especially when it comes to very famous, potentially tourist-trappy things. I went to Venice expecting it to be crass, crowded, and a real tourist-trap. Yes, it was all of those things. But it was also charming, delightful, magical, and absolutely "worth it" - including the (yes, expensive) gondola ride. YOLO, ya gotta splurge once in a while. When you do, appreciate it for what it is, and don't look back.

Good and bad rides. I wanted a gondolier who could sing. We got one. He could sing well (better than me, that's for sure). It was charming. He seemed to be quite happy making us happy - and why wouldn't he? As he said to us between songs, "everyone is happy in the gondola!" I couldn't disagree.

I'm sure a few people have a "bummer" gondola ride once in a while (a tip from Chinese tourists in the news not long ago: remain seated, and always listen to the captain of the ship when he tells you to stop taking selfies and SIT DOWN!), but looking around at all the other tourists in their gondolas that afternoon when Giovanni was serenading my love and me in his gondola, every one of the other tourists I saw had a big, genuine smile on their faces. I only saw happy people in gondolas (and none in the water). Remain seated, and not much can go wrong.

I agree 100% with Aussie. However, I was prepared on our 10-night trip to Venice in December to suck it up and do the gondola ride if the rest of my family wanted to do it.

BUT, I would have insisted, after watching many dozens of slow, struggling gondolas trying to avoid the busy wave-making traffic on the Grand Canal while I was riding on a vaporetto, that we pick a gondola that would stay off of the Grand Canal and instead go on the smaller canals. We have four times been on boats on these smaller canals going through neighborhoods (three times with Row Venice and once on a tour in a traditional little motor boat called a topa). I assume if you found a gondola that was not parked at San Marco or anywhere on the Grand Canal, but on a side canal, you wouldn't waste any of the expensive precious time crossing the Grand Canal or in the choppy water in front of San Marco. Honestly, the best view of the Grand Canal is from a vaporetto!

Ciao..I took my niece on an evening..dark..gondola ride. It was relaxing..very quiet..we loved it. My first gondola ride was 40 years ago..I recall it made me happy! If you would like to do it..then do so! It is Venice after all!

I didn't want to do the ride, I thought that it was ridiculously overpriced.

On our last night I gave in to my husband's wishes and we did one. I am so glad that I did, it was magical. We too got the gondola driver to stay away from the big canals, it was much, much nicer in the smaller ones.

Money very well spent.

Thank you all for these great answers! It's been very helpful. We have been to Venice 4 times in the past and have never done a gondola ride for all those reasons, touristy, expensive and yes the views from the vaporatti are perfect. But this time we have decided to give into idea! We had been thinking of a sunset cruise but now perhaps we will do a more quiet evening cruise. I am thinking an evening cruise would be better in the Grand Canal or maybe we will just stay stay in the smaller canals. As for a good one, we don't need a serenade but we would like a private ride and not one that has an audio guide because that just seems so wrong.
Here we are, finally going to do this, and I just appreciate all your great information.