Pay the going rate: Venetian Gondola Fares
Jun 20, 2009 Instructions for Use
A friend of mine arrived in Venice at the end of her 12-day cruise around Italy. (“Just so you know, Nan, twelve days is too long.”) During her stay here (her companions flew home direct from the cruise, not unusual occurrence), she recounted a visit to the Piazza the night before she disembarked, including the price of the gondola ride her group decided to enjoy. “You paid what?!”
Now, you must know that this is my standard response whenever Nancy tells me about most any purchase she has made. She is the spendthrift, I the cheapskate (or just more sane in my expenditures, according to me), so we have both come to expect this semi-regular reaction. I have to say it, she has to ignore me completely.
But in this case, it was warranted. I live here. I know that up to six people can ride in a gondola for 40 minutes for €80, with €40 for each additional twenty minutes; and that there is a surcharge after 7 pm, so price is then €100 for 40 minutes and €50 for every twenty thereafter.
What did my friend pay? Evidently, the cruise company offered a transfer from the ship to the Piazza after dinner for a pittance, €5 per person or so. Sounds lovely, let’s go. The thoroughly enjoyable gondola ride that the five in her group decided to take, even with an extra 20 minutes, should have cost them, oh, €100 to €150 total. Instead, “They paid what?!”
€50 per person, or €250. They were told (by whom I am not sure), that this was a discount: that normally they would have paid €100 per person. Nancy said that the gondolier sang them his favorite song, did I know what it was? “‘We’re In the Money’,” I guessed?
Now, I like the gondola (I row, for heaven’s sake), know there are some great gondoliers, and have my own favorites. If a gondola ride appeals to you, by all means take one. But no matter what you decide to pay for it, it’s best to first know the going-gondola-rate, and to understand it’s per gondola…not per person.
Tags: fares, gondola, gondola prices, gondola ride, gondola tariffs, venice
Venice Vaporetto Fares, 2009
Feb 4, 2009 ACTV, vaporetto, & city transit, Instructions for Use
Here’s a brief summary of the public transit fares for navigation (i.e., the vaporetto) posted by the ACTV. Most fares have increased by €2 for 2009. The Youth fare for the three-day pass did not increase.
ATTENZIONE: The fares for Travel Cards (along with a variety of other services) are discounted substantially if you book at least 15 days in advance using VeniceConnected.com, which went online February 1st.
Single Ticket
€6,50 – Single water bus fare may be purchased in advance or on board. This ticket is good for one 60-minute journey on the Venice network (does not include Alilaguna airport transport or the Fusina or Clodia lines). It can be purchased at any ticket booth or on board. Do let the attendent know you need one as you board, to avoid the possibility of a hefty fine.
Unlimited-Use Travel Passes includes one item of luggage per passenger. These passes are valid for a specified number of hours from the time it’s stamped. Good for land, lagoon, and Lido public transport as well.
- €16 – 12 hours
- €18 – 24 hours
- €23- 36 hours
- €28 – 48 hours
- €33 – 72 hours
- €50 – 1 week
- €18 – Three-day Youth card, issued only upon presentation of the Rolling Venice Card (€4, ages 14 – 29), for purchase from any HelloVenezia vendor. See Venicecard.com for complete info.
Conference Card, Student, and organized groups – special requests.
Discounts for groups of various types. Reserved in advance through the offices of HelloVenezia, +39 041 2424. Valid from 1 to 8 days.
CartaVenezia
If you are a frequent visitor to Venice, you might consider the CartaVenezia, or long-term pass. It’s a significant investment if you’re not a resident of Venice or the Veneto (€40), but you can save money in the long term. See the ACTV site for complete information (scroll down to CartaVenezia).
For complete info on transportation and events, see this post, or contact HelloVenezia at +39 041 2424 from 8a to 8p daily (English spoken).
Tags: fares, transportation, vaporetto, venice
