We will be in Venice in late June. I will be with my wife and two teenaged daughters (16 & 17) who would love to take a gondola ride. Is this something I should book prior to the trip or are there enough gondoliers present to facilitate a ride without a long wait?
Thank you in advance for any feedback.
Steve Scott
Wait until you get there. You so not want a rainy ride.
Gondolas are literally everywhere in Venice, and you will see gondoliers all over offering their services. The price is standardised, I think about 80 euro for half an hour, the price is per gondola, not per person.
There are many, so I would just show up, or drop by earlier in the day to talk to them. Fees are set, but confirm timing, price, and route before boarding. If you don't have one Rick's guidebooks covering Venice, then see rates at http://www.gondolavenezia.it/history_tariffe.asp?Pag=43 (under Using, Charterage, then page 2).
Wait until you get there, the walk around a bit to get a feel for where you want to take this ride. There are numerous gondola “stations” with gondoliers offering rides. Some places are better than others. Do you want a nice quiet canal? Or out on the Grand Canal? Some of the routes pass under a number of busy pedestrian bridges where people will be watching; I know more than one person who was uncomfortable with this aspect. One said she felt like she was “in a zoo” and another said it was like they were “in an ad for Venice”. In both cases they wished for more privacy and quiet to enjoy the experience.
Last April, we did something slightly different: Row Venice, in which we all received rowing lessons on quiet canals. I believe it was 89 Euros for up to four people, for 90 minutes. It's a women-run company, and the guides are quite the athletes: it's a whole lot harder than it looks! Just google Row Venice.
Safe travels!
Of course, one can always take a traghetto across the Grand Canal at Rialto. Costs 2 euro per person. Not exactly your average gondola ride though.
hey hey sscott
wait till you get to venice. go to the back canals to see what gondeliers are there. the grand canal is a busy thoroughfare with all kinds of boats traveling up or down it, like a busy hiway. we hired luca at [email protected]
he picked us up near the jewish ghetto and traveled along the back canals, crossed over the grand canal and sang to us. the cost is per boat, not per person. yes it is a tourist thing, but we are tourists and loved our ride. we brought a bottle of champagne with some plastic glasses to enjoy and celebrate.
just email him and he'll let you know what he has available.
a couple other things to check out:
streaty.com food/market tour
destination360.com search cicchetti tour
schezzini.it alessandro does a cichetti tour, wine, appetizer, and history. wine is optional. email him and he'll send you more info
camarana.com maybe interested in making venetian masks
lots of walking across bridges and lots steps/stairs, alleyways that may deadend and back track again
isoladiburano.it take a vaporetto to mazzorbo island, walk around small island, cross small bridge to burano, my favorite island, known for making lace, very tedious work. stop at bepi's house, the bakery, panificio patisseria costantini's famous for their cookie, bussola and pastries
caarmelina's pasticerria for all it's goodies.
stop in one of the restaurants for lunch, check the opening and closing hours, be csreful with vaporetto time going back to venice, enjoy the ambiance of the pastel colored houses, which was a small fishing village.
when you buy tickets for vaporetto make sure you stamp tickets before boarding.
it will be busy with day trippers, cruise passengers, tour groups. leave early morning or check out attractions after 4pm when they leave.
have a great time, venice is one of my favorite places.
mele kalikimaka & hau'oli makahiki hou
aloha
Talk about helpful. This is the info I was hoping to get. Thank you!
Pat's noting that rowing is harder than it looks reminded me of Mark Twain's description in Innocents Abroad. While he was quite critical of a lot he saw in Europe, he was greatly impressed by the skill of the gondoliers which is detailed in Chapter XXIII. You can get the ebook for free or read it online here. I encourage everyone going to any of the places Twain visited to read the pertinent portions of the book. While a lot has changed, a lot remains the same.
A very minor correction to the very helpful post above. You do not literally "stamp" your vaporetto ticket; you hold it up to the card reader on the dock or approach to the dock, and wait for the green light or "beep". Validation is required and there are stiff fines for failing to comply.
https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-vaporetto-fares.htm
As for a traghetto ride across the Grand Canal, it is hardly a substitute for a gondola, but fun to do and convenient if you want to cross the canal near Rialto market without using the bridge. The fare is €2 (for tourists) and it is best to have the exact amount in coins. As visitors, you will likely be directed to sit on the gunwales rather than stand as the locals do.
Wait until you arrive to ensure you have good weather.
Heres my tip - When we booked the island tour of Murano, Burano and Torcello, there was a gondola ride included. It was a great bargain. We shared our gondola with other couples but we had the experience.
Question:
Rick mentions a larger boat service that takes you across the Grand Canal in a few places.
Is that a pathetic substitute for a real gondola ride? :-)
yes. A traghetto is completely different. I use traghetto fairly often, vaporetto all the time in many visits to Venice. I've never been on a gondola but I have seen any people who have done.
Different strokes for different folks....
