Gondola rides are part of the romance and splendour of Venice. (Although the fact that they were once used for funerals...!) To have a gondola ride whilst being serenaded by an Italian tenor accompanied by a piano accordion was simply magical.

The canals were serene and looked different from the perspective of the gondola. It was interesting to see the backs of buildings, most with a "boat shed" opening onto the canal. Seems that the canals are an essential means of communication for many of the Venetians.

Most people who watched us as we passed beneath bridges were suitably impressed with the whole event. Music, comfortable cushions and the loving couple enjoying the ride. (um... that would be my wife and myself!!)

If you visit Venice, you must take a gondola ride. Doing it with the serenading Venetian... that is the ultimate!

We had not planned on taking a gondola ride when we were visiting Venice. First, because it seemed a very romantic thing to do, and since my friend and I were both without romance, what was the point? The other reason was the very high, tourist-trap prices to take such a ride.

However, we decided we needed to treat ourselves, since our luggage had not arrived with us in Italy, and also once we got to walking along the Grand Canal we adopted the "what the heck, we’re in Venice" philosophy towards the gondola rides. Our handy-dandy Rick Steve’s book suggested that we might be able to haggle with the gondoliers a bit, especially during the day (the rides get a tad pricier at night). So at three in the afternoon, standing along the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in the background, we approached a gondolier (black and white striped shirt, hat with a red band, of course) and asked how much for a ride. He replied with a price of 80 €, to which we balked. (Keep in mind, this is 80 € for the ride, so we would have split the price. You can split with up to 6 people is my understanding.) With our savvy negotiation skills, we talked him down to 70 €. Yes, still a lot of money, but something I found well worth it.

Our gondolier’s name was Maximillian, and while not the chattiest of drivers, he did point out certain things that he thought we’d like to take in. We started out our ride underneath the Rialto bridge – everything looks different, and more magnificent – from a gondola view. Then, he took us through some of the smaller, back canals. It was quiet, non-touristy, and very pleasant.

The gondola ride lasted for about 35 minutes, and is now truly one of my fondest memories of Venice. Could we have negotiated harder? Probably. Was it expensive? Yep. Was it worth it? Most definitely.

The gondola ride is something you absolutely have to do if you go to Venice. The Gondoliers will start out at a price of 50 or 60 euros per person, but if you take the time to haggle with them and it’s a slower day, you can get it for around 30 euros a person. It is definitely worth whatever you are willing to pay.

The gondoliers wear the red sash and black-and-white outfit and they sing! Very romantic. To save money, you can get several people in a gondola, but it’s perfect for two for something romantic.

Ducking our heads to miss the bridges above, Italian men whistling on the canal-side and looking like posh travelers sipping wine and eating cheese while someone else does the elbow work! The guides are amazing and speak English and definitely look their part with their striped shirts, black pleated trousers and irresistable Italian personalities! A little on the pricey side - but it's well-worth it and you can get on one at pretty much any point on the island!

Though you don’t get any more touristy than a gondola ride in Venice, this is one experience should think twice about missing out on. There is nothing quite like a gondola ride. It just doesn’t get any more relaxing and romantic. A ride is not cheap though -- a ride on the Grand Canal can cost up to 100euros, though it is negotiable. You can save some money by taking a ride on one of the side canals instead of the Grand Canal or riding when it isn’t peak time. Despite this I would I recommend taking a ride just before sundown on the Grand Canal. This is the most the beautiful time and location for taking a tour.