Agree with Liz - it's the drip inductions that are worse.
The gels just get you started then your body takes over the job. With the drip, the artificial hormone in it literally forces your uterus to contract and it's being pumped into you constantly. Once they start the drip they rarely turn it down, or off so you're in for the long haul.

I had two drip inductions and I'll be blunt - it's like having your insides pulled out through your belly button with no anaesthetic. Utterly horrible.
If you want to avoid other interventions it's definitely something to avoid - it's very hard to get through a synto induction (esp. if it's really long) without pain relief and once you have an epidural, your open to all sorts of other interventions as others have already said.