You Must Ride On A Gondola When Visiting Venice

by Jillian Kammer

Fit for a romantic voyage and yet just as fun as a group activity, gondola rides in Venice offer plenty of options. Rides morning, afternoon and night are possible, as well as the length of the ride. Depending on where you choose to travel, the Grand Canal and out of the way locations offer plenty to see. In the end, when it comes to gondola rides the options are limitless.

Several locations offer a place to catch gondola rides, but the easiest and most popular way to catch a ride is to have your hotel make the arrangements. Many times transportation to and from the port can be implemented, and even bargains or inclusions in your vacation package are offered.

Good places to catch a gondola ride if doing so on your own is the Piazzale Roma and the Doge’s Palace in Piazza San Marco. Usually the main tourist sections of the city are good places to catch a gondola ride as well, but they can be hard to narrow down in Venice as the city is one giant tourist area.

In less populated areas near the secondary canals, you will find gondola rides offered by men at many of the pedestrian crossings. Although most are out to drum up business, others may not be so kind. Because of this, it’s wise to use caution before handing over money. On the other hand, less crowded areas may offer slightly less expensive rides saving you money in the long run.

The Grand Canal stretches 2 miles long and offers some of the most spectacular sights there are. It’s the most popular place for gondola rides because sights of places like the Basilica di San Marco and the Campanile can be seen. Because of its popularity, rides along the Grand Canal tend to be higher than the other areas of Venice.

Currently, prices for gondola rides range from about $220 per hour, to $120 for about 40 minutes worth of a ride. These are the official rates of the city and are ignored by most vendors so the prices can range dramatically depending on where and when you want a ride.

Price bargaining is normal and expected, but only to a sensible limit. Due to supply and demand of more tourists than available gondolas, don’t expect vendors to lowball their fares too much. To help lower prices, consider sharing a ride with up to 6 people.

The cost being too high for you while on vacation doesn’t mean fun can’t be had. Instead of trying to hassle a vendor for lower prices, consider engaging in the multiple different things to do in Venice that will work with your budget.

The rides are quite fun for those choosing to pay for it, although the romantic aspect can be mixed. With thousands of people watching from the bridges and streets that line the Grand Canal, it takes a special person to ignore them and focus on the scenery and each other.

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