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Venice Gondolas

9 Jun 2008 benji said

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Does anyone know off hand how much it is for a private Gondola?

I'm going with my husband, and we're contemplating doing the gondola ride by ourselves, to be a little romantic!

Also, can you bring wine on board is that forbidden?

  • 9 Jun 2008 Nickerz said

    Nickerz

    hi Benji Smiler<!--graemlin::)--> my fiance & i wanted to do the Gondola alone for the romantic experience however we’re quoted 150 euro instead of the 30 euro if we did it with contiki & 2 other mates from the tour! So we opted for the cheaper option & did it with mates! We took a bottle of local wine on board (bellini – DELICIOUS! u must try it) and we all drank & laughed & loved it! The ‘driver’ of the gondola just warns you not to spill anything on his seats – they’re very protective of their gondola’s)

  • 9 Jun 2008 Lauren87 said

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    Hi Benji Smiler<!--graemlin::)-->

    I haven’t been on tour yet, but I have previously read on here that you can quite often find gondola rides cheaper than what contiki offers…Not sure about the wine though sorry Smiler<!--graemlin::)-->

  • 9 Jun 2008 PinaI said

    PinaI

    Tough one – how good are your bartering skills?!!

    If you seem gullible enough they will, unfortunately, rip you off as much as they can. If you come across as strong and confident and show them you’re willing to walk if you don’t get a good price then they might budge a bit.

    You might find another couple on your tour who are willing to share the gondola with you and although it’s not as romantic as going alone it will save you a lot of money.

    You can take wine on the gondola, no probs there.

  • 11 Jun 2008 Cyphus said

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    quote:
    Originally posted by benji:
    Does anyone know off hand how much it is for a private Gondola?



    I’ve read several times that if you did the gondola ride that’s organized by Contiki, you wouldn’t get the full 1/2 hour(??) that was promised… (so, if you privately hired someone for that same amt of time, it wouldve been cheaper)

    I do believe it is romantic!! you should go for it Smiler<!--graemlin::)-->

  • 13 Jun 2008 Sherbie Woo said

    Sherbie Woo

    After reading this thread, I’m getting a little confused?! If we take the ride with Contiki, is it cheaper or more expensive. And if I decide to just go with my boyfriend – am I really having to face an opportunity to be ripped off because I’m not with the Contiki group.

    And is it 30 EUROs per person?

  • 14 Jun 2008 Cyphus said

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    quote:
    Originally posted by Sherbie Woo:
    After reading this thread, I’m getting a little confused?! If we take the ride with Contiki, is it cheaper or more expensive. And if I decide to just go with my boyfriend – am I really having to face an opportunity to be ripped off because I’m not with the Contiki group.

    And is it 30 EUROs per person?



    Well.. I heard that when Contiki organizes it, and you pay 30 Euros/person, supposedly, the ride is supposed to last X amt of time… however, the ride is always cut short, lol..

    So, it’d be true, it’d probably be cheaper if you did haggle- Red Face<!--graemlin::o-->

  • 14 Jun 2008 tilli said

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    hey i just got back from my trip and we did the gondola ride through contiki and paid 21 euros. they were half hour late and went for half hour. also its not relaxing cos the drivers yelled to all the other drivers the whole time. BUT in saying that the cheapest i saw to get your own privately was 90 Euros. you could probably haggle though.

  • 14 Jun 2008 Shabz said

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    Hi there,

    I jst got back from my european discovery and the gondola ride was actually not bad.. totally worth the money.. the gondalier* was really nice. we did only go in the back ways, still not a bad experinence. and totally take a bottle of bellini.. its sooo good. Big Grin<!--graemlin::D-->

  • 15 Jun 2008 Cyphus said

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    quote:
    Originally posted by Shabz:
    Hi there,

    I jst got back from my european discovery and the gondola ride was actually not bad.. totally worth the money.. the gondalier* was really nice. we did only go in the back ways, still not a bad experinence. and totally take a bottle of bellini.. its sooo good. Big Grin<!--graemlin::D-->



    oooooo sounds great! Do any of the gondoliers sing? just a curious question, lol

    oooooo Where’d you pick up your bottle of Bellini? I suppose you needed to provide your own glasses as well?

  • 24 Jun 2008 Explorer1101686 said

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    Hey,
    I went to Venice on my own last summer and rode a gondola. The gondolier originally asked for 100 euros but my friend and I managed to bargain down to 60 (for the both of us). The trick is to be firm and not budge when you are bargaining. My friend and I actually started walking away when we didn’t get the price we wanted, but they came after us and gave us the lower price. Gondola rides will be more expensive if you go in the evening though.

    As for where the gondola goes, I enjoyed our ride, we went under the ponte dei sospiri, saw Goethes house… I think the side canals are probably prettier than the major waterways, but I dont know for sure.

    Hope this helps Smiler<!--graemlin::)-->

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