CruizenSusan

I will be in Venice in May waiting for my travel companions to arrive, and would like to take a gondola ride with dinner. It will be a Sunday evening. Does anyone have a great recommendation they could give me. Should I wait to book it when I arrive - although I am planning on taking it the evening I get there so would probably prefer to have it booked. I have looked at one tour company but the restaurant got ghastly reviews. Any help would be appreciated.

qwovadis

eurocheapo.com/venicegetting around
Those combo deals are scams go to a nice place
at a nice price one of my favs onSunday at sunset to watch
the cruise ships go out into the Adriatic awesome.

Mar 16, 2011 · I highly recommend visiting Alla Zattere on a warm sunny day or at sunset. Fantastic views out on the pier.

www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187870-d...

After negotiate for your gondola ride for a deal what I do.

You will save a tonne plus memories for a lifetime+good food.

J62

Are you looking to have dinner in the gondola, or taking a ride then going to a restaurant?

I assume the latter. There is no need to book this in advance. You can just walk up to a gondola, agree on a price and hop in. After the ride you can walk to any restaurant you choose.

niente

Yes, do the dinner separately at a recommended restaurant (Alla Zattere would be OK, but not great; nice view).

Then, here's what I'd do since I consider most gondola rides to be a ripoff: Book yourself on a group gondola ride. It's cheaper and better. The ride is longer (often at sunset), and they usually use a singing gondolier who can actually sing.

Touristy? You bet it is. Duh, it's a gondola ride.

fayy

how much it cost to ride gondola?

HG001London

We had a half hour gondola ride for two and paid about 45 euros, it was a good experience- it all depends on the gondolier you get, ours whas lots of fun but also told us a lot about life as a gondolier and the training process and costs involved in setting it up.

Sounds a bit dull but it was really really interesting- we got the normal guide stuff too but ended up asking him lots of questions about his profession. Realising the expense and training they have to go through made us far happier to pay the pricey tag (they buy their own gondolier, have to lear 3/4 languages etc etc...tougher than you think!)

CruizenSusan

Thanks for all those ideas, will def do separately and not worry about having it prebooked. And I will do a group one - you are right niente - good thought. And I would actually love hearing about the training etc. I wasn't actually really excited about the ride - but it is growing on me reading the above.

annettafly

I'll also be in Venice---just for the 1st weekend in May and you've answered my questions too. Thanks.

Delaine

If you want a gondola ride and dinner separately, here is an easy way. I did this with my boyfriend last fall as a result of lots of research.

I made reservations at Ristorante da Rafaelle (recommended by a friend who spends several weeks in Venice nearly every year) several weeks before arrival using their website. The ristorante is on a rio very close to Santa Maria del Giglio and the Gritti Palace Hotel, and there is a gondola station right next to the restaurant. We arrived at the gondola station about 45 minutes before the time of our dinner reservation time and secured a gondola for a 30 min. ride (beginning at about 7:15 pm). While I waited in the gondola, my boyfriend got us drinks for the ride (lo spritz, of course) from Da Rafaelle. We took our ride down, as requested, the back rios and briefly down the Grand Canal. When we arrived back at the gondola station, it was time for our dinner reservation, and our canal-side terrace table was waiting. This was a great time to see Venice -- dark enough to be romantic but light enough for photos. The gondola is in no way connected with the restaurant, but it worked out perfectly.

Peter_S_Aus

I think that the air fare from Venice (Italy) to The Venetian (Las Vegas) may bit a bit steep for Cruizin Susan. But you never know ...

basingstoke2

Another option is called the Gondola Caravan. You buy a ticket for a seat on a shared Gondola. The Gondolas go out as a group - usually 4-6 and one will have a singer and musician. It is good touristy fun. Ask at the TI near St. Mark's for directions to the ticket office. It is a short walk behind the square. They sell train tickets there too.

lmont

I'll be in Venice in mid-May and was wondering about the same thing - thanks for the information !