Gondolieri Travel review: the gondoliers' own agency

Getting on a gondola in Venice is easy: walk to a stazio, pay the city fare and off you go. The catch is that at the busiest times there is a queue, and many travellers would rather arrive with a fixed time and the ride already paid. Gondolieri Travel sells exactly that: private rides booked online, with a voucher to show at the stazio, plus packages with prosecco, cicchetti, music or dinner.

This review covers who is behind the agency, what it sells and for how much, how it compares with the city fare and with rides sold on booking platforms, the cancellation terms and who it suits. Prices are those published on the agency’s website at the time of our update and may change.

Who Gondolieri Travel are

Gondolieri Travel S.r.l. is based at San Marco 4289 (VAT 03946330275) and has a long history. According to its “Chi siamo” page, it all began with the boatmen’s mutual aid society founded in 1868; in 1948 the cooperative took the name “Daniele Manin” and expanded into maintaining gondolas and traghetti and running boatyards. The Gondolieri Travel agency came later, first to handle invoicing for gondola services at the stazi and traghetti, then as a travel agency within the Robintur network. The current S.r.l. was created in a reorganisation of the Manin cooperative.

The agency describes itself as the main point of reference for gondola services, thanks to the gondoliers who are its members and suppliers. It is not a public body and does not set prices: the official gondola fare is set by the Comune di Venezia.

What it sells: rides and packages

Every service is private: only your party is on board. The price is per gondola, not per person.

The website also offers a marriage proposal package and a symbolic wedding, with no published price. The “table for two” dinner is fish or meat and is also available at lunchtime; the cicchetti contain bread, fish, meat and dairy, so flag any allergies or intolerances.

Two limits apply across the board: hotel transfers are not included and the ride is not guided. The gondolier rows; he does not narrate the palaces.

How it compares with the city fare

The gondola fare is set by the Comune di Venezia and is the same at every stazio: €90 for 30 minutes between 09:00 and 19:00 and €110 for 35 minutes from 19:00, per boat for up to five people. Other durations are charged pro rata.

So the agency’s basic ride costs at least €23 more than the day fare, roughly a quarter more. In return you get a guaranteed time, advance card payment, a pre-chosen stazio and no haggling. The €110 evening fare, for 35 minutes, is very close to the agency’s starting price; check the exact price for your chosen time in the booking system, because “from €113” is a minimum.

For the packages the comparison is different: a bottle of prosecco on board, a musician or a dinner can be arranged yourself, but booking them together saves you finding musicians and a restaurant on your own. A serenade, in particular, is not included in the stazio fare and has to be agreed separately.

And against the booking platforms?

On Tiqets you will find both private and shared rides, sold by other operators. The 30-minute private Grand Canal ride costs about the same as Gondolieri Travel’s; the shared ride costs far less per person, but you share the boat with strangers.

For one or two people a shared ride is the cheapest option. From three people up, a private gondola, at a stazio or through the agency, costs the same or less per head, and the boat is yours alone. To compare stazi, routes and shared rides in more depth, our sister site gondolatour.venice.it is devoted entirely to the gondola.

How booking works

Choose the service on the website, pay online and you receive by email an electronic or paper voucher to show at the stazio. The service runs every day. Arrive 5 minutes early: in high season there may be short waits to board, which under the terms do not entitle you to a refund; if you arrive late, boarding is not guaranteed and the ride may be shortened.

Cancellation, changes and bad weather

• Changes of date or time: by email to info@gondolieritravel.com, subject to reconfirmation and a €10 per gondola fee.
• Cancelling in time: at least 3 days ahead for simple rides and 5 days ahead for packages, with a €10 per gondola fee; the rest is refunded to the original payment method.
• Late cancellation or no-show: 100% penalty.
• Bad weather or unusual tides: the ride may change length or route, or be suspended for safety. Unless you receive a cancellation by email or phone, you must turn up at the stazio, or the no-show penalty applies.

Languages and support

The website is in Italian and English. The simple ride listings give Italian and English; the prosecco and dinner listings add French, Spanish and German. Contact: +39 041 241 0085 and info@gondolieritravel.com.

What we like

• A direct link to the gondoliers, through a cooperative with more than a century of history.
• Clear per-gondola prices, published on the website for every service.
• Five stazi with different routes, from the Bridge of Sighs to San Polo.
• Packages that are handy for a special occasion, with everything arranged.

What to watch out for

• Dearer than the stazio: at least €23 more than the city day fare.
• Strict cancellation: 3 or 5 days’ notice, then you pay in full.
• No commentary during the ride and no hotel transfer.
• Serenade limited to three guests, because of the space the musicians take.

Who it is for

Couples and families who want a guaranteed time, perhaps at sunset or for an anniversary, and anyone after a package with music or dinner without organising it themselves. If you are flexible and want to spend as little as possible, go straight to a stazio; solo travellers and couples might consider a shared ride.

Alternatives

• At the stazio: city fare, prices by duration and tips in our gondola guide.
• Bridge of Sighs and Grand Canal from the water: our guides to the Bridge of Sighs and Rialto and the Grand Canal explain what you see and where to start.
• Row yourself: Row Venice teaches Venetian-style rowing on a batela.
• Arriving by motorboat: if you need a transfer, our review of water taxis covers prices and consortia.

Verdict

Gondolieri Travel is a reliable way to book a private gondola in advance, with clear prices and a direct link to the gondoliers’ trade. You pay a premium over the city fare for the certainty of a fixed time, and the cancellation terms are not flexible. It makes most sense for special occasions and for the music or dinner packages; for a simple ride with flexible timing, the stazio remains the cheapest choice.

Disclosure: we have no commercial relationship with Gondolieri Travel and earn no commission on its bookings. The button at the top and the product cards open gondola rides by other operators on Tiqets, where we do earn a commission.