Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Nearly 1000 Years Of History - The Gondola Of Venice

By Jillian Kammer

When it comes to gondola rides in Venice, your choices are limitless. A ride can be something romantic shared by two, or it can be a fun filled excursion for groups of friends and family. Taking a gondola ride during the morning, afternoon or evening are all possibilities as well as whether the ride is short or long. Locations off the main stream and rides along the Grand Canal are also good choices, proving endless options abound.

A gondola ride can be caught at several different locations. Letting your hotel work out the details is a popular and easy way to catch a ride because they'll find bargains for you or they may even include a gondola ride in your package. When traveling is required to get to your embarking point, the hotel can many times arrange this for you too.

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.

Pedestrian crossing in the secondary canals are good places to catch rides, as men offering the rides line the streets here. When handing out money, exercise caution due to con artists, although most men here are strictly making a living.

A little more expensive than the rest of the city but well worth it, taking a ride down the 2 mile long Grand Canal offers exceptional views of the Basilica di San Marco and the Campanile among others.

Ranging from $120 for a 40 minute ride to $220 for an hour ride, these prices are mandated by the city. Most vendors simply ignore these rates and charge there own, offering the opportunity to find lower prices when possible. However most times vendors will have a starting price of more than the city's rates.

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. - 15359

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