Gondola

VENICE GONDOLA

Venice Gondola Ride

What is a Gondola?

The gondola is surely the most classical way to get transported through Venices canales. It is the traditional rowing boat of Venice and is without doubt the most famous symbol of the city…known by everyone from Japan to South America.

Gondolas are hand made using several different kinds of wood and they are composed of 280 different pieces. They are about 11 meters-long. The left side of the gondola is made longer than the right side. This asymmetry causes the gondola to resist the tendency to turn toward the left at the forward stroke. It's the only big boat in the world which can be steered with agility by just one person (called "Gondoliere").

What is the best time to take a gondola ride?

The choice can be different if you want to enjoy more the buildings or the atmosphere of the city. You will notice that people normally prefer to have the ride during the day, in order to be able to see every single feature of the city and completely enjoy the charm of Venice illuminated by the sunlight.
Instead romantic people decide to take a gondola in the evening, when the sun goes down and the lights of the city turn on. That's an unbelievable show for your eyes and, even if you won't be able to catch every detail of the city, you will never forget it. Another advantage of a ride after sunset is that there is less traffic and noise, especially along the Grand Canal. On the other hand remember that night time gondola rides cost a little bit more (about € 20 plus per 50 minutes).
However in both cases the experience is fantastic and everyone should have it once in a lifetime!

What is the best area to take a gondola ride?

There's no bad place in Venice to take a gondola ride. You can catch a gondola almost everywhere in Venice, you will find dozens of gondoliers offering you a ride. You only have to decide which area of the city you prefer to visit. The tourist area around Piazza San Marco and Rialto Bridge are crowded of gondolas waiting and probably gondoliers will ask you a higher price. If you decide to have a gondola ride around there areas it could be a better idea to find one along a smaller canal in the nearby. Instead if you prefer to visit a quieter part of Venice, you can catch a gondola far from the most popular sites and enjoy the silence.

How much will I pay a gondola ride?

You need to talk to the gondolier to arrange your gondola ride. Indicative fares are around € 80,00 per 50 minutes (price per gondola) until 8.00 p.m. and € 100,00 per 50 minutes from 8.00 p.m to 8 a.m., but you can negotiate... so why don't try to talk down the price? Remember that you can ask to have a singer during the ride, but this will cost more.

Here below a resume of general fares (indicative prices per gondola).

Daytime gondola ride:
50 minutes, six persons maximum per gondola: EURO 80,00
For every 25 minutes exceeding the first 50: EURO 40,00

Night time gondola ride:
(from h.8,00 p.m. to 8,00 a.m.):
50 minutes, six persons maximum per gondola: EURO 100,00
For every 25 minutes exceeding the first 50: EURO 50,00

gondola

Gondola ride at 1 euro???

If you want you can get on a gondola also by using it as a ferry-boat in order to reach the opposite side of the Canal Grande at one of the half-dozen ferry points between the railroad station and the Campo del Traghetto near St. Mark's Square. The price is about one Euro.
Try it! It's an experience everyone should take.