Gondolas - roundtrip?
 

Hey, I saw a website with several gondola routes. It made me wonder - do they bring you back to where you started? Or do they take a 'linear' route and then you need to find your own way back...? (which is how the routes on that site looked)

I've always been brought back to where we started.

Italians are nice people. I can't believe you would even ask such a question!

there are gondola ferry service (0.50Euro ea) across the Grand Canal in a few locations. Those are 1 way.

I'm not talkin' traghetti, and I never said Venetians weren't nice people. Look at this site, then tell me if those routes are 'round trip' or 'one way'.. ?
http://www.gondolavenezia.it/itineren.asp?Itinerario=1

Your site is showing you how to get from the railway station to St. Marks. It is not a gondola ride. It is showing you step by step which route to take and that is by using the traghetto in combination with walking. Gondolas always return to where they picked you up.

Talk to the gondolier, they will take you where you want to go. We booked one for a nice tour and had him drop us off at an out of the way restaurant afterwards. Negotiate.

DinPa has it dead on. That website shows a walking route to San Marco, not a gondola route. That is, of course, one way.

There are various locations around Venice where gondoliers offer rides - several along the grand canal and in other side canals as well.

You walk up to them, negotiate a ride based on the amount of time (& Euro) you want to spend. You can specify some particular sights you wish to see (bridge of sighs, grand canal, etc) (they are not close to each other).

Then they'll load you up and off you go. Normally it'll be a circle route - snaking around many of the back canals for a scenic and gentle ride. You can, of course, specify a destination to get dropped off at.

It's all part of the negotiation before you get in the boat.

Walking routes on a gondola website? ok, I sure didn't get that, thanks! I did think it odd that I'd never read anyone mentioning anything about having to 'get back' after their gondola trip...

Does anyone know if the gondoliers ply the canals around Dorsoduro / San Barnaba area? I appreciate the tips, thanks!