Venice: Would you reserve a gondola tour?
 

Hi All,

I'm deciding whether or not to reserve a gondola tour for my wife and I before getting to Venice or to just find one once I'm there (mid May). A friend thought I might be about to negotiate one once I'm there for cheaper, but he didn't seem to have any real basis for this idea (he hasn't been).

What are your thoughts and experiences?

If you think that reserving is good to do, then who do you recommend and which tour would you do?

Thank you!

I didn't even know there were gondola "tours," but I imagine if there are they are pretty pricey. Where do they "tour" anyway? Is there some commentary or what?

We've always just showed up and negotiated hard (in Italian) for the best deal. Last time we agreed on 80 euro for about a 45-minute ride. Well worth it for four people, IMO...kind of like a Seine boat tour in Paris...touristy but always a big hit and a big thrill.

i don't know of any tours either.
do you mean a gondola "ride"?
If so, you just show up and grab one. No need to reserve.

And not to be missed, in my opinion.
Dina

We've always enjoyed haggling price with some of the gondoliers. By the Rialto and St. Mark's they're very expensive, but as you walk through the maze that is Venice, you'll find other gondoliers at a better price. We've had great rides for a lot less than they first offer!

As the others have said, I assume you mean a gondola ride. If this is the case, there is no real reason to reserve a ride unless you will have a very short time frame or are restricted in some other way. Part of the joy of Venice is the negotiations for goods. When you start chatting with a gondolier, ensure your price and duration of ride. We paid 80 euros for a ride that would take "up to 50 minutes" on a pre-ordained route. We started near the Rialto Bridge. Well, the gondolier must have been in a hurry, because we made it back to the start point in 22 minutes. No real regrets because it was a great experience, but next time I would more clearly state the length of time before starting out.

"tour" vs "ride" - same difference. An example is this one I found which artviva offers:

http://www.italy.artviva.com/italytr...olavenice_tour

In any case, I would wait until you see the gondolier face to face before you chose, you will want someone simpatico with you. Sometimes you can just tell which ones will give you the best ride for your money, but be sure and state a specific minimum time, as noted above.

Like in any job some of them are pills and some are joyous or just having good or bad days. Choose wisely and it will be a wonderful experience.

You can definitely, definitely negotiate.

Two friends and I managed to get a 40 minute ride for 60 euros when in Venice. I must confess that this had more to do with us being broke than our excellent bargaining skills.

Also, from the looks of that website you linked to, I'm guessing it's called a "tour" because you'll be sharing with other people. (That's probably why it's only 45 Euros, too) You might take that into consideration before buying, as well. For some people that only improves the ride, for others it's a detriment.

Last thought: the gondola 'tour' runs rain or shine, but weather makes a big difference. I've only been in winter, but you might check out weather forecasts before making a decision.

Good luck!

I "think" that one can book a gondola ride through the AMEX office in Venice..but you would be sharing the gondola with other people. At least that use to be the case. Guess you would call that a tour.

If you are going to take a gondola ride I too would wait until you are in Venice and than find a gondolier that you like and see if you can come to an agreement as to the price, where he will take you etc.

This thread is hard to read, sigh.

My wife and I have been to Venice on 4 different trips and we have taken a gondola ride on each trip, twice just by negotiating and 2 times taking the group gondola serenade. We enjoyed the serenade more and would highly recommend it. It costs about $50 per person but it includes musicians and a singer. Take the latest available tour. You can book it online at http://www.affiliate.viator.com or just go to europeforvisitors.com and follow the links for tours. You can also find a lot of good info for Venice there.. Have a great trip