mdtravel

I found this on Rick Steve's site; I'd known a ride with singer was expensive, but didn't know it was THIS expensive. Is this right and any tips on bringing the cost down?

"Gondoliers charge about €65-80 for a 50-minute ride during the day; from 8 pm on, figure on €80-105 (for musica — singer and accordionist — it's an additional €90 during the day, €100 after 20:00). If you want to haggle, you'll find softer prices on back lanes where lone gondoliers hang out rather than at the bigger departure points."

moldyhotelsaregross

Do you really need the music?

Patrick

It's called "supply and demand". As people are willing to pay a couple hundred bucks or even more for an hour on a gondola if need be, we can all expect the prices to only keep going up and up.

Mimar

You can take a traghetto, a gondola that ferries people across the canal. That's cheap but not very romantic. And you're supposed to stand up.

Anybody up-to-date on what traghetti cost these days?

Spygirl

According to the comune of Venezia website, a traghetto now costs .40E, which is about US 46 cents, give or take a cent or two There are 6 traghetto crossings in Venice.

See: english.comune.venezia.it/turismo/muoversi.asp

aspalm

Just took a gondola ride a couple weeks ago. There are a large number of hotels that work together to offer their guests lower prices.
The Rick Steve's site is accurate, however realize these prices are for the ride and not per person. So if you have 4-5 people it's maybe a little easier to swallow.
Anyway, my wife and I went on the "singer and accordion" ride, which puts you with another couple in the same boat, in a group of gondolas (4 together). Probably not the most romantic thing ever, but once we got off the Grand Canal and into the back lanes, it was actually quite nice.
I cost about 30euro per person. Without music would have been less expensive. Private boat would have been more expensive.
The traghetti are indeed cheap, but this is one of those "once-in-a-lifetime" things, so probably not what you had in mind.
And if you are looking to save some cash, DEFINATELY do not simply walk up to a gondola stand near any busy tourist spot, such as near San Marco, Rialto, or the train station. Not only will you pay more, but the rides are shorter and less interesting.
Use your hotel to track down a reasonable rate. If this doesn't work, find a gondola stand a little off the beaten path, and you will be rewarded.

aspalm

sorry about the spelling error. that would be "DEFINITELY". and I had to put it in bold print too...(sigh)

wanderer

We went on a Gondola ride also.

We talked to several who were very pricey, and then found a sole gondolier who was not at all pushy next to Accademia Gallery.

We went @7pm and it was great - because we went on the side canals, it was fairly dark, so I would not opt for night - you see more, and at that time, it is much quieter.

It was just the 2 of us, which I prefer. We passed a few gondolas with music, and I much preferred the quiet of ours - the lapping of the oars, the tales the gondolier told us of some of the area we did not know. His gondolier call as he rounded corners.

We paid 70E for 50 min.

francophile03

I heard the gondolas are very overpriced. For that amount of money you can probably fly roundtrip from Venice to Rome. Just joking but maybe it is true in some way.

travelatte

We took a gondola ride for 4(2A and 2kids) 2 weeks ago for 80 Euro. Our trip lasted 35-40 minutes, but was plenty long while traveling with kids. We found a gondolier off a smaller canal. The gondoliers at the Grand Canal were charging 100 Euros. We did not have music.

Travelatte

suze

Do you really need the musicians? That's what's basically doubling the going price of a ride.

nytraveler

A gondola ride with private musicians is a luxury - and will be charged as such. (I can;t imagine why you would want the music - but that's your choice). You may find one for a little less if you go to a side canal - but not substantially less.

Either it's worth it to you - or it's not.

justretired

The Municipality of Venice site given earlier in this thread (http://english.comune.venezia.it/turismo/muoversi.asp) points, near the bottom of the page, to the site of "The institution for the preservation of the gondola and the protection of the gondolier", at "http://www.gondolavenezia.it/history...p?Pag=43".

It's interesting that the "official" rates posted there are lower than all the rates people have mentioned in this thread. I may print out the "official" page, and bring it along as a bargaining point.

At the end of the ride, do people give an additional "tip"? or just stick with the negotiated rate?

The "official" rates are:

50 minute tour:
- Daytime 62 euro
- Nights 77.45 euro

- Larry

brookwood

If the guy could sing well, would he be pushing a gondola?

RufusTFirefly

"Overpriced" is a completely subjective term. We didn't find it overpriced, or we wouldn't have done it. It was one of the highlights of our second visit to Venice. We asked to be taken on back canals, and we saw sights that we would never have experienced otherwise.

And our gondolier was very knowledgeable, giving us a lot of interesting information about the areas we were floating through.

wsz

I agree with Rufus. We just got back from Italy a few weeks ago and also took the back canals and found it to be much less congested and more interesting. I would also recommend going to one of the back canals to begin your ride. We paid 80 euro for 50 minutes and it was well worth it.

harvey

Planning a return to Venice When we were there before it go cold and we skipped our planned Gondola Ride. Now we have to go back and do it no matter the price. We also take some time to wander around and get lost. it will be our 30th annaversery and we're looking forward to spending the 190 or whatever this time. As always with Venice, do it while you can. In light of the comming energy problems and problems with terrorists, i think that this applies double and has a wide signifiacance.

crefloors

I took a gondola ride when I was in Venice. I was with a tour at that time and a ride was included so I don't know if I would have paid the price but knowing what I know now, next trip I would, however, I'd skip the accordian. Our group had several gondolas, I think four total and one of them had "the singer". I'm just not romantic I guess, I thought it was the corniest thing I'd ever seen but one of our group was practically sobbing because it was "so romantic". She was too cute. We went down a few of the side canals and THAT was really neat. I loved that part. People sitting at their windows, some waving to us, laundry hanging over the canal, the docks to the homes..I really loved that and would enjoy it again I know but would totally pass on the singer.

pmode

we did a combo American Express walking tour/gondola ride that was $60 total. i liked it because you get a little bit of both for a good price.

chaz2316

The gondoliers are apparently organized by neighborhood or area. If you watch for posters, or ask at the hotel, you will find that some of these groups do fixed-price tours at a set time in the evening. The tours include music. When we went last month, we had four gondolas in our group that traveled with two professional musicians. We went straight down the Canale Grande, then back by way of the back "streets".

True, you don't have the gondola to yourself, but if you're going to be corny you might as well go all the way, have some good music and a group of people around you who are being just as frivolous.

The price was E35 per person. Whether or not that's a good deal depends on your perspective, but there was no haggling and we got a very good trip.

Our group was based next to the Gritti Palace Hotel. (Beware, we did see some other groups with decidedly mediocre musicians).