There are two
important rules to remember about gondola rides in Venice:
-
If the price bothers you, don't do it.
-
If the price doesn't bother you, make sure you
understood the gondolier correctly.
Fact is, a gondola cruise in Venice is like traveling by hansom cab in New
York's Central Park: It can be a delightful experience, but only if you're able to forget the price
and focus on the ride.

ABOVE: A gondola carries up to six passengers.
INSET BELOW: A gondolier in a traditional straw hat, happy gondola passengers,
and a squero where gondolas are built and repaired.
What a gondola ride costs
The
city of Venice sets official rates for gondola rides, which started at
€80 for
40 minutes the last time we checked. Additional 20-minute increments are
€40. After 7 p.m., the base rate climbs to
€100, with
€50 for an additional 20
minutes. Up to six people can share a gondola.
This doesn't mean you'll actually pay 80
euros, or that
you'll get a 40-minute ride. Depending on demand, gondoliers may regard the official rates as a polite
fiction. Special services, such as singing, can boost the fare even more. This means you should negotiate both the rate and the
length of the ride before you get into the boat. Otherwise, your gondola ride may
be memorable for reasons that have nothing to do with sightseeing.
If you dislike negotiating, you can leave that chore to your hotel concierge,
though he (or she) may add a hefty surcharge. A few years ago, a reader told us that he'd paid the Hotel Bauer's concierge
€120 for a
gondola ride just before
Carnevale,
but he added that he didn't mind the rate and got great service. Another reader
(presumably well-heeled) spent a mind-boggling
€150 for a 50-minute ride and thought the expenditure was "well worth it."
To be fair to Venice's gondoliers, they invest
a great deal in their boats: about €20,000 for a traditional hand-built wooden gondola
with a useful life of about 20 years. They need to earn the bulk of their annual income in a
few short months.
Finally, a gondolier's living costs may be higher than yours, since
Venice is an expensive city in one of Italy's wealthiest provinces. Look it at this way:
The man who's rowing you up the Grand Canal probably could earn more money for less
work at an industrial plant on the mainland.
Where to hire a gondola

ABOVE: Two gondolas pass a vaporetto on the Grand
Canal. INSET BELOW: Parked gondolas with oars tucked away, and a gondola
flotilla in a side canal.
You'll find gondolas and gondoliers throughout the main
tourist areas, from Tronchetto and the Piazzale Roma (where motorists park their
cars) to the Rialto Bridge area, the Doge's Palace, and busy pedestrian
crossings along the secondary canals. Chances are, you'll encounter men who
politely ask "Gondola?" as you walk past the flotillas of parked boats.
Tips:
-
Decide
what kind of trip you want, then find a gondola stand in the area nearest
your destination. For example, if you'd like to experience the hubbub of the
Grand Canal, hire a gondola near the Doge's Palace or the Rialto Bridge. If,
on the other hand, you'd rather tour the quiet and romantic side canals,
book a gondola away from the vaporetti and water taxis. (The latter may be
the best idea if boats make you nervous or if you're inclined to
seasickness.)
-
If
you'd rather not haggle with gondoliers, or if you prefer music with your
ride, consider booking a tour through a travel agency.
Viator offers online reservations for the
Gondola Serenade Tour and other
excursions; you can book ahead and lock in the price by prepaying in your
own currency.
The traghetto: a two-euro gondola crossing

ABOVE: A traghetto crosses the Grand
Canal. INSET BELOW: A fisheye view from inside a gondola ferry.
Venice's best transportation value is the
traghetto, a public gondola ferry.
Traghetti are similar to privately rented gondolas, but you'll pay only €2 to cross the Grand Canal at
one of the half-dozen ferry points between the railroad station and the Campo
del Traghetto near St. Mark's Square.
The
ride is short, and service can be sporadic these days, but the experience is memorable--especially if you emulate the
Venetians by standing up during the crossing. For more information and photos,
see our Traghetto article.
External Web links
Official Gondola Site
Learn about the gondola's history, or assemble a bibliography of books
(mostly in Italian) about gondolas and Venice. The site also discusses the
traghetti
or gondola ferries across the Grand Canal.
Official Gondola Tariffs (Comune di Venezia)
Use the numbers on the City of Venice's gondola page as a starting point for
negotiating with gondoliers. If you're lucky or it's out of season, the
gondolier may be happy to take you for the official rate.
Gondolas4all: Wheelchair-Accessible Gondola Rides
A special pier and
gondola, introduced in 2016, make it possible for travelers in wheelchairs
to enjoy gondola rides in Venice's canals. (From
Venice Travel Blog.)
The
Gondola in Venice
This article from VeniceWord, a media service in Venice, describes the history
of the gondola and current construction rules.
The Gondola Maker
Laura Morelli has written an historical novel about a gondola maker who
"restores an old gondola with the dream of taking a girl for a ride." (The
novel has been praised by Publishers Weekly and by Francis Mayes,
author of Under the Tuscan Sun.)
For well-heeled tourists in a hurry:
Hotel Cipriani's 'Gondola Massage'
veniceforvisitors.com
Are you pressed for time (but not for money) and stressed by a tight
vacation schedule? Get a soothing spa treatment and see the sights in one
two-hour session.