Michael Snowdon

Someone said that I ride at night runs about $100 USD. Is this true?<BR><BR>Michael

Julie

When I was there last summer, it was about 120,000 lire, or 85CAD (so less in USD)<BR>It will probably depend where you hire a gondola from - San Marco square for example will be more expensive than other stations where there aren't the huge throngs of tourists.<BR>The rides are between half hour to 45 minutes.<BR>One good pointer - do not barter with the gondoliers to lower the price - it is a fixed price and a huge no no when it comes to etiquitte and they will be more than insulted. I was witness to more than a few arguements between tourists and gondoliers and it wasn't pretty...<BR><BR>Have a great time!

Rex

I quite disagree with the "fixed price" notion for gondola rides. Ask what is the price, then simply say no and walk away. You'll see how fixed the price is - - not...<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Capo

Hi Michael. Based on our recent experience, you should be aware that -- whether you bargain for a lower price or not -- a gondolier can short you on the time you've agreed on. And, unless you have something in writing signed by the gondolier (and even that's not a guarantee), there's really not much you can do about this -- besides, I suppose, refuse to pay the full price and likely cause a scene -- if that's what the gondolier does. <BR><BR>I'm not saying this is *likely* to happen, but it did happen to us.

CLara

When we were in Venice last summer, the gondola rides were about $60 US.<BR><BR>It seems like one of those things that is worth the expense if you want the experience.

xxx

Just got back from Venice. What a great city! The only (and I mean only) drawbacks were the water taxis and gondolas. Avoid them like the plague, unless you have to get somewhere ASAP (in other words, you have no choice but to take a water taxi) or you simply have your heart set on a gondola ride, no matter the cost (fiscally or emotionally). <BR><BR>Practical advice: To see the city by water, buy a 1 or 3 day ticket on the vaporetti- certain lines and certain times of the day, you'll practically have the boat to yourself for next to nothing. If you want to see the quiet, "backstreet" canals (about the only thing a gondola is arguably good for) then simply go for a walk and linger on the bridges over those same canals. <BR><BR>My personal take: The first thing you have to understand is that the gondoliers are, for all practical purposes, a cartel. There is no competition amongst them that I could see. As a previous poster alluded, you may be able to negotiate a "cheaper" rate, giving you the illusion of having negotiated a better deal, only to find that the gondolier is back to his dock in 30 minutes or simply took you a few blocks up and down the Grand Canal (yawn). You won't nail down all the variables in advance- trust me on this.<BR><BR>To use an unfortunate personal example, you may find a prevailing $80 quote for a late afternoon gondola ride. Of course, that doesn't include any canals off the Grand Canal - that's $100. And if you want to "get away from the crowds" and "see the real Venice," why, that's another $20. Let's say you also have a diamond ring in your pocket, so you decide, what the hell, what's another $40 for the old "E" ticket, right? Let's also say that, despite your fundamentally romantic nature, the sharp-eyed gondolier notices a hint of pain and indecision in your face and say's "Hey, if you don't think it's worth it, you can pay me less. Keep your money until we get back." How can you lose, right?<BR><BR>Well . . . I'll tell you. The $120 ride goes up the Grand Canal (honk, honk, beep, beep), two blocks over, two blocks down, and two blocks back to the Grand Canal. On those two square blocks of off-the-beaten path "backwater," you see four other couples in gondolas with various degrees of the "Gee, how much did I pay for this?" face, and the only leisurely moment is when the gondolier pauses to light his doobie near the corner of "Turn 3." <BR><BR>When you get back to the dock 34 minutes later (!!!), the gondolier sees the look on your face and decides that he just might end up face down in the Grand Canal, so he says "Is everything OK?" With an eloquence that defies words, you stare at your watch, and slowly move your gaze back up to a point a few inches above and behind the gondolier's head. "Would you like me to continue?" Ahhh. . . yeah, that would be nice. At which point he poles 20 yards to the other side of the Rialto Bridge, takes your picture, and poles back to the dock, all in the span of maybe 2 minutes (I wish I was making this up).<BR><BR>Of course, when I take him up on his generous offer to pay what I feel the ride was worth (and I offered $100, in the spirit of international relations- just enough to make me feel a teensy weensy bit better about being ripped off) he looked like someone had just killed his mother, and then lapsed into straight Italian (I can only guess).<BR><BR>Visions of carabinieri competing with the spots at the edge of my vision, I fish out the extra $20. Needless to say, the ring stayed in my pocket until later that night.<BR><BR>My next installment - gypsy cab drivers in Rome, and the fine art of negotiating for leather goods, Italian style. (lol) I really did love Italy, just hated the few scams I ran into.

StCirq

DO negotiate. And be educated in advance. Tell the gondoliero where you want to go and how long you want to spend in the boat, and THEN state your offered price. We spent $60 for an hour's ride a few years ago,going exactly where we wanted to go (and no singing, please) for a full hour. Pays to do your homework. We saw others paying $100 for less time and not as good itinerary. Our gondoliero, though he might have gotten less money from us than from others, was appreciative of our speaking our not so fluent Italian with him and our obvious love of his native city.