Gondola rides in Venice are especially popular for the types of romantic gondola rides, while the gondolier sings.
A typical gondola ride, especially if you pre-order one before your visit to the city, will allow you to enjoy red velvet decorated gondolas, while the gondolier will guide the boat slowly through the canals, beneath famous Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto bridge.
PHOTO: Gondolas with customers on a side canal in Venice.
These tours are great for getting to know the best parts of the Venetian sixteenth and seventeenth century architecture, and the magnificent palaces that line the main waterway in Venice, the Grand Canal.
Tours that the typical gondolier will take you include the house of Marco Polo, the explorer, and you’ll also hear about the best places for Venetian cuisine, and how to find the best deals for Venetian glass products.
For centuries, the gondola was the primary means of transport in Venice. These boats are true pieces of art, with magnificent forms and the symbolic iron symbol on the bow (allegorical to Grand Canal and the sestieri, city districts).
The boats are asymmetrical, to allow for better navigation by the gondolier, and to counterbalance the gondolier, and often these boats have expressive decorations to make you enjoy the luxuries of Venice even more.
Gondola rides are available every day of the year, but due to the cold weather in Venice during the winter months, you might enjoy the ride more on a summer day.
If you want to, you can order a customized tour from one of the specialized travel agencies, providing gondolas, services, and customized tours for private customers and companies.
The benefit of a custom-made gondola ride is that you can see the sights that you want to, such as the homes for Vivaldi, Marco Polo, or Casanova, or let the tour company make recommendations.
There are several places from where you gondola ride can start. The most commonly referenced starting points, where gondolas are on stand-by, include:
Stazio Danieli,
Stazio Molo / San Marco,
Traghetto Punta della Dogana,
Stazio Trinità / Bauer,
Traghetto Santa Maria del Giglio,
Traghetto San Tomà,
Stazio San Beneto / Bacino Orseolo,
Traghetto Carbon,
Traghetto Santa Sofia, and
Stazio Ferrovia / Piazzale Roma.
Of these, Traghetto stations are means of public transport, where two gondoliers take customers from one side of the grand canal to the other side, on board a larger gondola.