Gondola ride in Venice: Is it worth it? (Photos + tips) (2024)

FAQs

Gondola ride in Venice: Is it worth it? (Photos + tips)? ›

Yes, a gondola ride in Venice is absolutely worth it! While it is not cheap and it can feel a bit touristy, it's a real bucket-list experience that you really have to do when visiting Venice. Furthermore, going on a gondola allows you to explore places that you wouldn't see otherwise.

(While not required or even expected, if your gondolier does the full 35 minutes and entertains you en route, a 5–10 percent tip is appreciated; if he's surly or rushes through the trip, skip it.)

In relation to tipping your gondolier, if the service is good, a tip is obviously appreciated. Also, if you're taking a gondola ride in a group of more than four, a tip is usually expected. Think of it like a service charge in a restaurant. And just for reference, around the 10% mark is the norm.

Therefore, the gondoliers do not hesitate to offer you a gondola ride at a lower price. You can take advantage of this opportunity by negotiating a suitable price.

The most popular pier to board a gondola is undeniably the Grand Canal -- known as the city centre from where smaller canals branch out. However, the Grand Canal is consistently overcrowded by both tourists and locals, since it also connects the central railway station, markets and other waterways.

Good to know: Unless you pre-book a gondola tour, you'll have to pay cash for your gondola ride. So make sure you have enough money on you. Private Venice gondola tours that you can pre-book online are usually more expensive than the official rates. Shared tours are usually cheaper online.

How much should you tip Uber drivers? Similar to tipping for other services, like getting a massage or going to the nail salon, the rule of thumb is to tip 20%, says Sokolosky. So if your ride costs $30—an average cost for a moderate trip in most cities—then you'll tip $6, for a total of $36.

You hardly need any cash at all. You can use your credit or debit card wherever there is a PoS (point of sale) machine. Your card needs to be on the Mastercard or VISA international network to function. (Most businesses in Italy refuse Amex and Diners because they charge too much commission.)

Clambering in an out of a boat is not the place to wear your tottering heels, so for that gondola ride, choose jeans and flats and take your fashion cue from the navy striped t-shirts of the gondoliers.

Waiters and waitresses are salaried in Venice. When a service charge is included in the bill, there's no need to leave a tip. But, if you are more than satisfied with the service, you may want to leave 5%-10%. If a service charge is not added to your bill, leave a tip of 12% or so.

Is Venice expensive for food? ›

Food Prices in Venice, Italy. You'll have to actively seek out budget restaurants because the food is fairly expensive—so, if you're not careful, it's easy to spend way more than you probably want. Note: Anything around St. Marks Square (Piazza San Marco) is going to be crazy expensive.

The pros of the Gondola ride are having a closer and unmatched view of the city while the cons are the ride can be super expensive from the crowded tourist spots and overall. Nevertheless, one can always share the expense with other people albeit at the cost of their privacy.

Can You Drink In Gondolas In Venice? Yes, you can bring a bottle of wine into the gondola. In Venice, you are allowed to have your drink while on the streets. However, Venetians do it mainly during big events such as the Carnevale.

If you happen to visit Venice between November to March, gondola rides during the mornings and evenings are perfect for a romantic ambience. Most gondolas run between 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM on all days.

If you want the short answer: yes, you can easily walk everywhere in Venice and do all your touring on foot. Venice is quite compact as a city, so the most important attractions are all located within a 20 minutes walk of each other.

A gondola ride can last 30 minutes or 1 hour, but it's up to you. The prices we reported here are related to an hour tour. You can also ask the gondolier to take to some specific place you would like to see, according to his possibilities.

The Gondola trip up to the summit takes approximately 10 minutes, and we can stop the ride for guests requiring assistance, including wheelchairs (up to a maximum of 600mm in width).

The official tariff of a 30-minute ride on a gondola is € 80 ( US$ 87.60). The price goes up to € 100 ( US$ 109.60) from 7 pm onwards. If you want the gondolier to sing or to play an instrument during the ride, you will have to pay extra. Note that most gondoliers will charge you more than the official tariff.

Yes. Your credit card details aren't introduced until the very last step of the booking process, at which point you'll be redirected to a completely secure bank server where you carry out your payment.

Cab driver: 15 percent to 20 percent tip of the fare. (Find out ahead of time if your cabbie accepts a credit card. If he or she doesn't, make sure you have enough cash for both fare and tip.) Wheelchair attendants: This really depends on the level of service.

How much should you tip for a 20 minute ride? ›

You should tip 10% to 20% of the fare. The better the service, the higher the tip should be.” As long as the ride went well and you felt the service was adequate, be sure to leave a tip in this range for these independent service providers. Take Our Poll: Do You Tip for Service?

Absolutely! Visit the Wallet section via your FREE NOW app Profile, and you can set a default tip of 10%, 15%, or 20%.

According to the law DLGS N. 286 of July 25th, 1998, it is mandatory that you always carry an international identification document (your passport) whenever you are in Italy, BUT, it doesn't have to be the original document, it can be a copy.

Public toilets are difficult to find, but there are clean ones at various places around the town (see map below) such as the Station, Academia bridge, San Marco, and Arsenal. Some of these are staffed by an attendant, so you have to pay to use them (usually about 1 euro).

MasterCard and VISA are the most commonly accepted cards. You will get a better exchange rate by using your credit card, as opposed to exchanging US dollars in Italy. Keep in mind that if you pay cash, you're more likely to get a discount in an independently owned store, if you ask for it.

Gondoliers won't allow luggage aboard the gondolas. This means missing a trip down the canals or finding another vessel to take your luggage for you. If you can't fit it in your purse or backpack, it should stay at the hotel.

How many people can take part in a gondola ride? A gondola ride in Venice can be enjoyed by 1 person up to a total of 5 passengers, plus the gondolier. Often, a gondolier will ask people to switch seats to best balance the gondola.

Stripes had become a typical shirt worn by men on ships and boats. This was because the French Navy had designated that as a safety precaution so if a man fell overboard he could be spotted easier in the waves of the Sea.

Getting the bill at a restaurant

(Again, ask for “il conto dettagliato” or ““il conto lungo“). Sometimes, restaurants will just write a total number down, or even just say it.

In fact while walking along Venice you will often bump into -when most needed- many fountains. They are certainly a perfect accent to many beautiful campos (if you pay attention, you'll uncover others inunexpected places). But is the water from the fountains potable? Absolutely!

Is it rude not to tip in Italy? ›

What is the rule for tipping in Italy? There is no strict rule about tipping in Italy. Leaving a tip is a courteous gesture that shows the person who provided a service to you, that you appreciated their help. As such, leaving a tip is entirely up to you and, in many cases, it will not be expected, albeit appreciated.

The price of a large portion of pizza can vary from € 1.50 ( US$ 1.70) to € 2.50 ( US$ 2.80). A whole pizza costs from € 5 ( US$ 5.50) to € 13 ( US$ 14.40), depending on the toppings it has and the size.

SO HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? - This is all for seated service which usually costs more in Italy. A cappuccino will run you 10.50 euros and an espresso is 6.50 euros (3 euros if you stand at the bar). The cornetti were around 5 euros each.

Many of Venezia's traditional dishes are fish-based. Bigoli in salsa (pasta in an anchovy sauce), risotto al nero di seppia (risotto cooked with cuttlefish ink) and sarde in saor (sardines preserved in a sweet and sour marinade) are amongst the most famous dishes from the province.

Drinking alcoholic beverages or eating is not permitted in the gondolas.

Gondolas for convenience stores are sturdy and can be used to hold a lot of weight. However, they are more expensive than other types of shelving and can be difficult to assemble.

Bicable and tricable gondola lifts

Conventional systems where a single cable provides both support and propulsion of the cabins are often called monocable gondola lifts.

A gratuity is already included in the price of your gondola ride in Venice, so don't feel obligated to tip your gondolier further.

The timing is very precise and extra time will cost you! DON'T eat or drink on the gondola.

VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) — Venice beachgoers will now be able to take alcoholic drinks on the city's public beaches after a vote by the Venice City Council Tuesday.

What is the best way to get around Venice Italy? ›

The easiest and cheapest way to get around Venice is on foot

Walking along the canals is the perfect way to get to know the city and will allow you to discover hidden corners and squares you might otherwise miss.

What days of the week do they close? When do they tend to close? Opening hours in Venice are somewhat limited and most of the stores close at noon and reopen in the afternoon. Nevertheless, you will have enough time between visits to buy some of Venice's best souvenirs.

How deep are Venice's canals? There's no single answer to this, because the depth of the canals varies greatly, and also depends on factors such as dredging work and the level of the tide. On average, though, most of the canals in Venice are only around 1.5 to 2 metres deep.

On weekdays, the area is generally still fun, and also fairly manageable – on the weekend, visitors flood in and the streets can get very crowded. Away from the costumes and all of the masks, the local areas of Venice are still relatively quiet and peaceful.

The official language spoken in Venice and the rest of Italy is Italian, although Venetian is also spoken in the Veneto region. Even though English is spoken in most hotels and restaurants, you might find some of the following words and expressions in Italian to be useful during your stay in Venice.

Is one day enough time to see Venice? If you're wondering whether one day is enough to enjoy Venice, then the short answer is yes, but the longer answer is no. You see, if you want to see all of the major attractions in the space of a day, then it's definitely possible, though your day will be very crammed!

If you want to do it–go, absolutely. A Venice gondola ride is a truly magical, unique experience and we loved ours. We loved it so much, in fact, that we'll probably continue splurging on gondola rides in Venice in the future, though probably not on every trip we take to the city.

Venice's best travel months (also its busiest and most expensive) are April, May, June, September, and October. Summer in Venice is more temperate (high 70s and 80s) than in Italy's scorching inland cities.

Cruise lines are very upfront about their tipping policies. Unless you are on an all-inclusive ship that covers gratuities in the cruise fare, such as luxury cruise lines Azamara, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Virgin Voyages, it is recommended that you tip the crew.

A $5-$10 tip per couple is plenty though.

How much do you tip at the end of a cruise? ›

The amount you pay will vary by cruise line, but they are all in the same ballpark. You can expect to pay about $15-$20 per person, per day. So a couple traveling together will see about $30-$40 per day in gratuities, or about $200+ over the course of a week-long cruise.

What happens if you don't tip on a cruise? Most cruise lines work on the basis that the crew members' pay structure is based on receiving tips. If you choose not to tip, for whatever reason, you are impacting the salaries of the crew who have served you so well during your cruise.

In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger. Note that the amount should be tabulated for each individual in your party—don't try to tip once per couple or group. So if you're planning to go on a 7-day cruise, expect to give a total of between $112 and $161 per person in gratuities.

Paying for cruise gratuities is something that cruise passengers are expected to do. Gratuities are typically added to your onboard account and paid at the end of your cruise. You can also choose to prepay gratuities before embarkation day.

A gratuity is already included in the price of your gondola ride in Venice, so don't feel obligated to tip your gondolier further. That said, you may have a gondolier who goes above and beyond your expectations.

How much can a gondola driver expect to earn? This is one of the most highly-regarded and sought-after professions in Italy. Its training may be rigorous, but it's certainly worth it - a Venetian gondolier can expect to earn around $150,000 each year.

This is a word that anyone who's been to Venice will have heard being shouted out of the mouths of gondoliers. It means, 'hello there! ' and it used by boatmen at crossroads—or should that be crosscanals—to alert other canal users to their presence.

The accepted wisdom from fashion gurus is that an outfit with vertical stripes appears to elongate your figure by drawing the eye up and down. Horizontal stripes supposedly do the opposite, making that unruly paunch look even larger than it actually is.

Drinking alcoholic beverages or eating is not permitted in the gondolas.

Even if your hotel or resort includes gratuities (which most often occurs at all-inclusives and beach resorts), it's still necessary to tip your butler extra.

Should I tip my cruise waiter? ›

Many luxury cruise lines, higher-end river lines, and some British and Australian lines have a no-tipping policy, and gratuities are not required. You can always tip at your discretion, though some crewmembers are not allowed to accept monetary gifts.

As for daily housekeeping gratuity, $2 to $5 per person per day is a good rule of thumb. For help with your luggage when boarding and disembarking, tip the luggage handler immediately following the service. Beyond the day-to-day staff, you may also want to tip out specialized crew members you encountered regularly.