Venice Gondola Hire

[The Boonie]

If we hire a gondola:) for an agreed on price is a tip expected in addtion?

[grandbanksguy]

If we hire a gondola:) for an agreed on price is a tip expected in addtion?

 

Tipping is not customary for gondoliers.

[jstducky]

Thanks! Exactly what I wanted to know too!

[I_Love_Venice]

Tipping is not customary for gondoliers.

If you set the price directly with a single Gondolier, then tipping is not generally expected. If you reserve ahead of time through your hotel, through a Gondolier's Cooperative with many gondoliers, or through the organizer a large gondolier "Station" like those near St. Mark's and outside near many larger hotels (one "capo" organizes for many gondoliers who take turns), then a small (maybe <€5) tip to your single Gondolier is courteous, assuming he was nice and took the right time. Not giving any tip at all tends to indicate that it was not enjoyable. A bigger tip obviously if he was particularly kind or did something extra (when I was with my folks several years ago, our Gondolier stopped outside a really nice restaurant impossible to get reservations at and called his cousin from the canal to reserve us a balcony table for lunch overlooking the canal!).

 

In any case, many of the return spots have "gansier" who hook onto the gondolas to hold them still and assist passengers boarding and dismounting, and it is customary to tip just something (€0.50-€1 per passenger, more if you needed extra help getting on-off or got you wine for the tour).

 

Same with musicians if they are "pre-organized" by an agency or if they do requests or are particularly enjoyable/good singers/musicians, a small tip is considered proper.