Last week an article circulated around the internet about some tourists—Roman tourists no less!—that were shocked to receive a bill for €100 (about $133) for four coffees in St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy. Venice is certainly full of tourist traps that can turn into expensive lessons like this one (read the fine print on the menu!), but knowing how to avoid them will save you from leaving Serenissima with a sour taste.
Tourist Trap: Dinner with a view of the Rialto Bridge
Let me set the scene. You’ve wandered along the Grand Canal for that perfect photo of the Rialto Bridge crowning the canal in all it’s glory. Just as your shutter clicks, you hear the lilted Italian accent behind you inviting you in for the special tourist menu complete with a free Bellini. Don’t. Turn. Around. Just walk away as quickly as possible! Sure, the view is a spectacular one of the Rialto Bridge, but I guarantee your meal will not be.
What to do instead: Graze at Venice’s best cicchetti bars
Cicchetti are like Spanish tapas and cost €1-2 each. They are typically eaten standing up and are the most authentic Venetian cuisine you can have. A couple of my personal favorites are all located just steps away from the Rialto Bridge and frequented by locals. You won’t find any menus; just point to a couple that make your mouth water from the case of the day’s freshly made cicchetti.
Try: Cantina Do Mori at Sestiere San Polo, 429 or All’Arco at San Polo, 436.
Tourist Trap: Gondola ride
The movies would have you believe that a gondola ride along Venice’s canals is incredibly romantic. You envision yourself gliding along a deserted canal as a gondolier in black and white stripes sings in Italian and you steal a kiss with your lover. The reality is a gondola ride will run you around €80 for a 20-minute ride as your gondolier shouts back and forth with his gondolier friends in Italian, leaving you feeling like you’re on a packed ride at Disney World. And the singing? That will cost extra.
What to do instead: Learn to row your own Venetian gondola
Venice has only one rowing school for tourists and Row Venice delivers an experience you’ll truly remember for a lifetime. Not only did I row my very own gondola along Venice’s beautiful canals, but I also got a history lesson and learned a lot of fun facts about being a gondolier! A 2-hour lesson will cost €60 for singles, €40 per person for doubles, or €100 for a family (two adults and two children).
Tourist Trap: Gelato artigianale
There’s nothing better after traversing Venice’s 400+ bridges on a hot day than two scoops of gelato. You spot a gelato shop with beautiful, colorful gelato piled high in the case, topped with fresh fruit. Must be the good stuff, right? Wrong.
Artisanal gelato is made by hand, using fresh ingredients. The gelato that is piled high in the case is piled high because it has been whipped—and this is the first indication that it is not artisanal or even made on site. Another surefire indicator the color. Banana (banane) is a common flavor and it should be grayish, not bright yellow, and mint (menta) should be white instead of green.
What to do instead: Seek out Venice’s best gelato shops
The tiny Gelateria Alaska, tucked away on Calle Larga dei Bari, 1159, in the Santa Croce neighborhood, is Venice’s best gelateria in my opinion. Run by owner Carlo, who you’ll almost always find behind the counter, makes his homemade gelato daily. When he’s out of a certain flavor, that’s it for the day. Some of the flavors sound wild, but give them a try! His ginger gelato (zenzero) is a bit spicy, but surprisingly delicious. Another favorite of mine is the basil (basilico), amazingly refreshing on a hot summer day and pairs perfectly with strawberry (fragola).
Tourist Trap: Murano glass shops on the Rialto Bridge
Murano glass is so named because it actually is made on the island of Murano. Though it travels only a 20-minute boat ride across the lagoon, Murano glass can be marked up to double or triple the price in most shops on the Rialto Bridge or in St. Mark’s Square. And some of it isn’t even real; it’s made in China! If you absolutely must buy Murano glass in Venice, there are a few places I recommend such as Segreti Veneziani (also known as Rialto 79) where you’ll receive a certificate of authenticity for every piece.
What to do instead: Take a trip to Murano
Murano is easy to reach from Venice via vaporetto (water bus) on the 4.2 line from S. Zaccaria (the stop just in front of Doge’s Palace in St. Mark’s Square) or the 3 line from Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia (the bus and train stations). Once on Murano, wander in and out of the various glass shops and factories. Even if you’re not buying, it’s fun to see the glass makers melting and then molding glass into works of art. A 12-hour travel card costs €18 per person.
Tourist Trap: Coffee in St. Mark’s Square
The whole idea behind this post came from the most recent €100 bill for four coffees in St. Mark’s Square, so I certainly can’t leave you without a tip to avoid this tourist trap! St. Mark’s (San Marco in Italian) is Venice’s most beautiful, and actually only, piazza. But beware that occupying just about any of the outdoor tables in the piazza comes with a price tag.
What to do instead: Take your coffee at the bar
There is always a higher price for table service. This is because in Italy, servers are paid a wage instead of working for tips like in the U.S. A cappuccino or cafe americano that costs €1 at the bar can cost up to four times that when sitting. So, first wander out of St. Mark’s Square. You’ll find bars in just about any alley leading out of it. Second, live like a local and order your coffee at the bar standing up. You can actually get a coffee and a delicious pastry for the cost of just the coffee and sitting down for a few minutes!
For more from Jennifer on traveling smart in Italy, click here, and on Venice’s famous Carnival celebration, click here.
Excellent tips for Venice. I now can’t wait to take try my hand at rowing a gondola. I had no idea that was an option. Thanks for this information.
Great advice Jennifer! Especially the Gondola rowing course seems like a brilliant way to avoid tourist traps!
Sorry, Jennifer, a gondola ride is 80 euro for up to six people for 35-40 minutes, not 20 minutes. That is the standard tariffe set by the city of Venice. And, I completely disagree that a gondola ride is ‘just a tourist trap’. It is THE best way to see Venice, the way Venice was built to be seen; from the water. Sure, it would be fun to take a rowing lesson while in Venice, too, but I doubt that would be on an authentic gondola (they’re too big, too heavy and too difficult for beginners and even some experienced rowers to maneuver) and lessons certainly wouldn’t be given in the small canals–Venice’s most characteristic–because it takes great skill to maneuver even a smaller ‘sandolo’ row boat in these tight spots. And I deeply disagree when you say a gondola ride isn’t romantic–because it is, it just is! Granted I’m partial, my husband is a gondolier, but believe me I’m not writing this beause I’m concerned this article will put him out of work. My words are sincere. There is no more beautiful, romantic way to see Venice than from a gondola. I’m fortunate to do that often, and I never tire of drinking in the beauty of Venice from an angle one can only see while sitting in a gondola.
I don’t usually bring six people with me and I wouldn’t find that overly romantic either. $110 is high, but ya gotta do it once.
The last time I was in Venice our gondolier was on his cell phone the whole time we were riding it. Would have loved to have had choice to learn how to do it myself with my hubby.
almost every gondola we saw yesterday was packed full of people, which might make it more cost-effective. but I found it much more interesting to take turns with my boyfriend while learning to row ourselves. we did a lesson with row venice this morning and it was very fun and interesting! we learned the history of rowing and why it is important to the city from our instructor. this would make me appreciate paying for a gondola ride some other time, perhaps, but I’m not interested enough in just a ride at this time to pay any amount at all, since we just rowed ourselves for a time today. for a date, a ride yes, for an interesting story and experience unlike others in the states or many other places, I would definitely try row venice when you’re here! but certainly if you have the time and money, both.
oh, what did concern me is the amount of gondola “drivers” / rowers we saw drinking beer. but I guess it’s not the same as a taxi driver. and the canals are not very deep. once I thought about it more, I guess it’s not that big of a deal if it isn’t effecting their job. it’s not like a taxi as much as I thought at first. but having a gondola rower alternating between drinking beer, rowing, and speaking on a cell phone (all things we frequently saw), wouldn’t be the most romantic. it’s not what you envision after being fed ideas from movies. however I’m sure not all gondola rowers practice this way and I’m sure if you had big romantic plans, you could just tell them of these plans and ask for whatever you’re looking for to happen. I think the original author was saying this is a “tourist” thing because the people of venice don’t take gondolas around as an activity of something to do or very often to be romantic.
I did Venice very briefly on a group tour a few years ago. I know I had gelato and I remember really liking it, but there’s probably a good chance it was one of the touristy spots. I also did a gondola ride with a few people on my tour, but it was actually kind of sweet because the couple on my gondola got engaged. Anyway I’d love to go back to Venice and give the other activities a try.
Hi Jennifer,
I really loved your article. The pictures are beautifully shot too. I havent been to Italy but I plan to go there soon. This would be very helpful. Thanks!! :)
Thanks for the tips. Going to Venice in 2 weeks, so this was timely information.
I’ve done both the gondola ride and the coffee at St Marks square…the music played was worth the money we paid…having said that, I found that getting a vaporetto pass works very well..I have gotten vaporetto passes for up to four days…it was great.
I totally agree with Marie R. From a tourist’s standpoint, riding in a gondola was definately an experience I will always remember. We shared with another couple, so it was half the price! Taking gondolier lessons does not appeal to me (not a skill I would ever need). Just relaxing in the arms of my husband and taking in the sights that we floated past while someone else does the work is worth the price. If I ever get back there, I would do it again, AND pay extra for a singer!
Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on the gondola ride.
My wife and I just returned and paid 100 euros for a 40 minute nite ride.
It was spectacular floating down the side canels at nite, no sound but the water around the boat.
very very romantic.
Well worth the money for a great memory with the one I love.
Jennifer,
I love your site but PLEASE add one more warning about the vaporetto? My boyfriend and I recently got slapped with a 60 Euro fine by the vaporetto officers (PER PERSON) for not “validating” our tickets that we had just purchased and SHOWED them the RECEIPT for (showing the date and time it was purchased which should have been enough evidence for any vaporetto “authority figure” to leave us alone)! We had only been in the city for 3 days and it was an easy mistake to make. Several Venetian residents argued with them upon our behalf to stop “harassing us” for such a simple mistake and for not taking note of our receipt. By the way, the same so-called-officers did not bother to check anyone else’s ticket on the boat. Everyone working for the vaporetto looked the other way, making this seem like a clockwork trick (by the infrastructure itself!).
We did not pay the fine but I think others very well may have. PLEASE warn tourists to validate their tickets before boarding the vaporetto!!!
Good to know!
There are notices at the bus stops and on the boats telling you to validate your tickets and warning about fines.
Hello,
I wanted to ask you whether you got a fine and did not pay it or whether you were not fined after all? Do you think it is dangerous not to pay? Thanks very much for your answer!
(Just a month ago we got two fines for not validating our tickets. We had bycicles, which means two tickets per person. Some of us only validated one of them since the doors opened quickly and because we were nervous, we entered it without having validated the second ticket. We have written a letter to a given address without getting a response. Now we wonder whether to pay or let it be.)
Marie
If you plan on going back to Italy I would pay it but let’s see what others have to say.
I was in Venice two weeks ago and one of the things I liked the most was making a tour through the traditional bars of Venice, with a selection of typical wines and appetizers.
I was surprised about how many hidden bars and restaurants there are in Venice… this tour is a good choice to know some of them.
Here I have found it bacaro tour venice.com
I recommend it to anyone!
You forgot Harry’s Bar. $28 for a basic drink (hey, but you get free olives!) This is the single most over-rated establishment in Venice.
Another Scam is the famous Harry’s Bar. If you sit at a table instead of the bar prices are much higher with some sort of cover charge
We were fined 52 Euro per person (two of us) on vaporetto for not validating tickets which we bought 10 mins ago. Signs were easy to miss with two young kids and that spoilt our start in Venice and will never go back.
Hi, great post, i’m from Venice, Italy and i live there and as you write about, is true unfortunately some prices are really hight, and most of the tourist ask us, how do we leave in a city like Venice, so expensive. usually we have difference prices, so make everything more easy.
Unfortunatelly i have paid. I just arrived Venice and bought five tickets. For me, my wife and 3 kids. Nobody said i was supposed to “validate” them and i didnt saw that tiny machine that existed at the pier. So the boat arrived as i was buying the tickets and immediatelly entered the boat. The officials arrived 3 stops latter and applied a € 52,00 fine per person (€ 260,00) that i have paid, after public humiliation, just to avoid wasting my free time in a police station. I had the receipt proving that the tickets were bought 20 minutes before. It felt like a scam
Ugh! That is terrible
sorry but it clearly says you must validate on the ticket, and on the validation machines, and signs in English everywhere that you have to walk past to get on the pier.
Wow José, is sad what happen to you, but you are not the only one..
Also us venetian we have the Imob and when you re-charge a ticket plastic imob, they don’t suppose to ask the recepit. Only if you didn’t pass on the machine like you did.
But is also true, ok you show the receipt they can be more human and close one eye and just let you go. But here in Venice they don’t care they just want make money.
sorry for the experience :-) next time will be better forunatly
I can see how that can happen. The only reason it didn’t happen to us is because I scoured one of the more popular Italy tourist’s books before my wife and I went there. Saved us a lot of grief.
I read this article the week before I went to venice and I just got back. Thank you for recommending Row Venice it was a real exciting treat and a genuine experience.
it was €80, which included myself+girlfriend for 90 minutes! excellent value. It was a two person rowing gondola very similar to the classic one person rowing gondola, the ‘student’ is in the front and the instructors (who seem to be all females unlike touristy gondolas which are all male) are in the rear because it is a more difficult place. you do get the chance to learn both, the rear is a very challenging position as you go through the city streets through homes appartments, shops, passing pedestrians, and you go outside the city a hundred metres or so.
To avoid disappointment you should email them before AND after to confirm your booking and to tell them you have now paid and are confirming the times.
Thanks to your recommendation,we’ve found the perfect hotel within walking distance to so many sites. It looks like the perfect “base” for our trip . We are so excited….thank you!
I split a gondola ride with some kids I met at the hostel I was staying at.. came to €12 a piece.
This is more like when I went there several years ago… and fell in love with the city. If you don’t try to be too snooty-pooty (unless you have lots of money – I would never pay E100 for a ride) you can have a wonderful time, meet new people and have fun. I did!
For gelato, Rome is my favorite place for it, yuuummmy!
Excellent tips, I didn’t know I could learn how to row a gondola for 2 hours at that price. As I always heard about the hefty price tag for the 40 mins ride… gonna explore that as it sounds fun too.
Great tips for pricey Venice! I’m going to try rowing next time I visit.
Venice is a tourist trap. Save your money and head for the mountains or some lesser known place. You’ll save a bundle, have a far more enjoyable ride and get to truly see Italy, not some sad tourist filled makeover of what once was.
The Gondola dinner cruise was not worth it. The meal at Trattoria Sempione was disgusting.
That’s good to know about the ice cream! I’m always so attracted by the pretty colours and display of gelato like that, but I’d never thought of it like this :)
Thanks for this post- I wish I had read it before going to Murano. It was very disappointing to realize that the factories there are
Much more expensive.
I knew the salesmen at Vetraria Ducale mark up the prices in order to make it seem like they are giving you a deal. But I was shocked to find the same one I purchased available for a quarter of the price. So now what are my legal rights to cancel the purchase? They charged me 50 percent up front and the balance in 30 days. The receipt says no refund, but is this permissible under Venetian law? I contacted them the same day to say I wanted to cancel and letting them know I found the same item for a fraction of their price.
Thank you for your reply.
Just came back from Venice few days ago… the central districts are full of tourist traps without any doubts.
The first day my husband and I took a gondola tour close to Hotel Cavaletto after a quick visit to St. Mark Square ( a bit overcrowded ). The tour was nice but very expensive and quite short.
We went then to Murano on the afternoon, using the vaporetti line 4.1 : the atmosphere there was better than the central square and the “glass shopping” afternoon was quite nice.
We came back to Piazzale Roma and eat something at the Jewish Ghetto at the Kosher restaurant Gam Gam (nothing special).
Our second day in Venice was all about Biennale (modern art) and the Burano island.
Burano has been one of the best places I visited in Venice, an island with many colored buildings and a magic atmosphere, we spent the whole evening there until 9pm.
The third day was quite different from the others, as we decided to book a wine tour to sample tapas and wines in different bars of Venice. After a long research on the web we booked a tour that came highly recommended (the webpage is venicewinetour. com ). This is not the typical tour you could find in Venice, it’s very intimate, limitated to little groups and gives you the chance to avoid many tourist traps, learning tons about Venice and the italian wines. We felt lucky to close our stay in Venice this way!
Once you are in Venice try to avoid the central areas and try to dedicate more time to the islands or to the less visited districts where just the locals go.
Jessie
I agree with those who have posted about the 60€ vaparetto ‘non validation’ fine scam. It is indeed targeted at tourists. We had a 7 day ticket on a recent trip and were checked by inspectors or crew most days. Only those carrying a camera or luggage were checked! Luckily, we escaped a fine, but it doesn’t make any sense to check an ‘all you can eat’ season ticket for validation when there is no intention/possibility of fraud!! On our last day, I was dismayed when inspectors singled out a couple of harassed looking, elderly US tourists and announced ‘Non Bueno’ and a 120€ fine on them for not validating the tickets they had just bought. Anglophones beware… That said, it is a truly amazing city. The Bienniale Arts festival venues are free and quite often amazing experiences. Go to La Fenice Opera House on a performance day around 10 am and you’ll treated to a free dress rehearsal. I found the best Restaurants and Cicchetti bars were on Dursodoro. Murano and Burano islands are stunning and a must for any schedule. One final tip – take wellies. The main tourist area of S.Marco is liable to flooding at high water every day.
Warning about buying glass in Murano…make sure you buy something you can carry out with you or ask to actually watch them crate the item and prepare it for shipment. We bought a beautiful and perfect piece of blown glass that we had crated and shipped to the states. This was at one of the large and reputable shops. When we received it about 6 weeks later we discovered they switched the perfect piece we bought with a different poor quality replica with bubbles in the glass and even a different set of colors. Very disappointing.
I fell into the coffee-at-saint-mark’s-square trap and paid a fortune there.
Gelato. I work in an Artigianale gelato shop, and ours IS home made, fresh every day. we make it for our three shops in venice ,has to delivered by boat every morning. its my job to decorate all of them BY HAND, and i make them high a swirly, i do it all with a spatula, its hard work. our gelato quality is fabulous, we use all natural ingredients and do also vegan options. the hight of the gelato has nothing to do with the gelato itself. the supermarket has flat gelato!! and its mass made crap. you need to look at texture and color mostly… ask questions, ask to taste. look it its watery. all of it comes out of a machine, even old carlo’s. he doesnt mix 150 kilos of ice cream with a spoon. what makes it different is ,like us, made in SMALL BATCHES, FRESH, GOOD NATURAL INGREDIENTS. height is completely up to whoever is holding the pan when its coming out.
Great tips and will use these when returning to Venice (I live in Italy now).
First visited Venice in 2009. Just spent 9 days in Venice (will post a blog in the next few weeks) and couldn’t believe the changes.
One main change is that many of the Italian-run restaurants are either run by Chinese, Albanians, or Arabians. What has happened to the Italian chefs in Venice?
Most of the food around the popular tourists areas are the same expensive prices for the same tasteless meals dished up. It’s disappointing. Lucky we had our own self-catering apartment and could buy fresh ingredients to make our own food.
Another trap in Venice: the luggage helper over the bridge in Piaza di Roma!!! They offer to help you carry the luggage across the bridge and then ask for 15€ (per piece! they usually come in pair!) and become pretty aggressive if you refuse to pay. They won´t accept 1-2€. They are well known by the police or even protected by them as they won´t intervene. Be aware!