Florence
Florence is a city of staggering beauty, historic churches and towers all playing host to exceptional food, lovely attractions and stylish shopping.
The best way to explore Florence
Simply put, the answer is on foot. The city centre is small enough to walk around, and hotels are often located in this area that only permits pedestrians, 2-wheel transport plus some buses and taxis. Wherever you stay in the centre, it will only take you around 5 to 25 minutes to get to the major attractions.
Places to stay in the city centre
Most Florence hotels are situated in old buildings, especially those in the old parts of the historic city centre. They therefore often don’t feature elevators or facilities for anyone who struggles with stairs. Check this before you book a hotel to be sure you get one that will suit your needs. There are loads of options that will suit everyone so no need to worry!
The places to stay depending on what you are looking for are:
- City Center (lively, near famous sights)
- San Frediano/Santo Spirito (great dining and nightlife)
- San Lorenzo/San Marco (close to the train station and famous sights attractions)
- San Niccolo/Piazzalo Michelangelo (rural feel, easy to get downtown)
- Santissima Annunziato (quiet spot in the historic center)
- Santa Maria Novella (close to train station, can walk to see the sights)
- Santa Croce/Sant’Ambrosio (near the sights, local feel)
And for specific tips on hotel options be sure to check out the following:
- Best Luxury Hotels: Portrait Firenze
- Most romantic hotel Ville sull’Arno
- Best Boutique Hotel: Palazzo Vecchietti
- Best Cheap Hotels in Florence: Hotel Alessandra • Hotel City
- Best Moderate Hotels: Loggiato dei Serviti • Hotel Pendini
- Best Florence Hotel for Families: Four Seasons
Keep in mind that smoking is restricted to specific floors in many Florence hotels. If you prefer, you can request non-smoking rooms or look for hotels that don’t permit smoking at all.
Getting around Florence
If you don't feel like walking everywhere then there are bus options for you to jump on.
Purchase tickets in advance at a tobacco shop (tabacchi) or news stand (you’ll see a sign in the window that reads ‘ATAF’). Purchase individual tickets or passes valid for 24 hours, 3 days or one week, if you plan on using the bus frequently. You can buy tickets on the bus, but they are more expensive. Children who are under 1m tall ride free.
When you get on the bus, validate the ticket: insert it into the machine that will then stamp it with a date and time. Buses are regularly patrolled to ensure passengers pay their fares. If you have an unstamped ticket, you can be fined €40, so make sure you validate it!
Drink coffee like a local
It isn't the absolute end of the world but it is considered by some to be bad manners to add milk to your coffee after 11am. You can drink cappucinno, but only at breakfast. Espresso is the way to go from noon onwards. You can, however, order an espresso macchiato – that’s a shot of espresso with a little milk on top, or a marrocchino, a shot of espresso with chocolate and a tiny bit of milk, basically a mini-mocha. Coffee is usually ordered, served, and drunk whilst standing at the bar.