Make the most of a stopover! Get inspired by reviews of cities near Florence Airport

• Brenton

  Australia
  10

  Do your research and get lost in Florence!

  Florence is an amazing town. The architecture and history of this place is impressive. I highly recommend getting a pair of good walking shoes and just walking around the city. There are no need for taxis in this top city. Walk around and 'feel' the vibe of Florence. Take a walk out of town up to Piazzale Michelangelo and see the amazing city from afar. Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and the Duomo are my favourite churches in this city. They are all completely different. The Duomo has free entry but the other two charge a small fee. It is worth it! Watch out for the hawkers. They will try every trick in the book to get you to give them money or buy their cheap wares. I saw a few tourists be stung by them, a few times. Their favourite trick is to ask you for the time and then slip a bracelet onto your wrist and expect you to pay for it - even though you don't want it! Just be firm and keep walking. The Medici family have set Firenze up for the future well with all its wealth and antiquity. Palazzo Vecchio is a great place to visit and learn more about the family and the history of Florence. The Uffizi is good, but often under construction, so plan your visit for this one. Planning - avoid being in Florence on a Monday - most places (museums, galleries etc.) close on a Monday! Do your research to know what is open and when. Just because the museum is open doesn't mean it is open for the whole day! This city has a magical vibe and feel about it. I just love it! I wish everyone happy adventures in Firenze! :)

• Anonymous

  United Kingdom
  10

  Quick view on Florence

  Art lovers will love this place. Florence is a beautiful city, it has a different vibe and I loved the time I spend there. Galleries, museums, lovely food and wine. Go to the top of Campanile next to the Duomo, and get beautiful photos of all those Tuscan red roofs. Ponte Vecchio looks beautiful at subset, that if it's not cloudy. Palazzo Pitti and the gardens are worth a visit (or more than just one). The area is massive and there are different timings for rooms and gardens, so make sure you decide what you want to see first and then get your tickets. My fiancé and I decided for the Boboli gardens and we're happy we did, it's such a beautiful place. Be aware that in autumn and winter opening and closing times change. Florence is the city to buy leather products, you can almost smell everywhere. At Ponte Vecchio, street artists have their drawings and paintings collection worth having a look at, it would do for a pretty souvenir. Bike and segway rental are very common, we decided to go on a segway trip for 1 hour and it was quite fun. And if food is whay you're looking for, there's a restaurant near piazza Signoria called Ristorante Totó. We had most of our meals, good attention from staff, good waiting times and of course, lovely food. The house wine is very addictive ;) and go for a steak there, you might get a bit shocked once they ask you to decide what you'd like, I still remember the size of those things! In all, Florence is a beautiful, safe and romantic city. You'll want to come back for sure.

• Viaggiamo!

  Italy
  10

  Florence: The Art and Culture Capital

  We have visited Florence many times, but every time we go there, we discover something new! One never get tired seeing the Duomo! It really is a masterpiece. Seeing all the beautiful art and statues all over the city is a very nice and enriching experience. I love Ponte Vecchio, pity there are always so many people! Visiting the Uffizi Gallery is a must-do if you have the time. We dined at a few little hidden gems, as well as eating the usual street food on the go, like the particular lamprodotto sandwich you can only find in Florence. One other thing you cannot miss when it comes to a culinary experience, is the panforte traditional sweet, which you can buy at specialised pasticceria shops! We also had some crepes with chocolate and ice cream at the Venchi chocolate shop!!! It was soooooo good! A must-go-there-experience! In Florence it is advised and best to go around by foot, so, beware! Pack comfortable shoes! Most of the city's inner centre is pedestrian, which is very nice. You can however get around by horse-drawn carriage (very touristic), taxi and buses (buses are used mostly in the outer centre). We haven't had any bad experiences in Florence, but, I suppose one always have to be vigilant of pick pockets, especially in crowded areas. Also, some touristic restuarants add a 10% service fee to your bill...even if the service wasn't worth it!

• Anonymous

  United Kingdom
  8.0

  Romance, Culture and Plenty of Food & Booze

  Beautiful Medieval City. Simply walking around it is a joy. Loads of Culture (beyond the Uffitzi). It's hard to have a bad meal, even the most obvious tourist traps will serve a decent pasta dish. Again, you'll be hard pushed to order a bad bottle of wine. It's all eating, drinking and art and if you're not too exhausted by those experience then there's great shopping too! You can walk almost everywhere. (Though if budget will stretch a drive up to the San Michele for a drink is great diversion and the view of Florence is worth the prices - Though I wouldn't opt for dinner as that is a stretch too far.) We paid for the fierenze card and it was totally worth it for the cue jumping alone. Even though the Uffitzi houses some of the most iconic works of art from the masters, I'm not sure if would bother with this on a limited trip. The Academia and Strozzi are much more enjoyable experiences. For the Foodies an absolute must is Cibreo near the Santa Croce - we ate in the trattoria rather than the main restaurant but it was brilliant. A thoroughly authentic and exquisite Florentine experience. Get there early for a table.

• Nikki

  United Kingdom
  10

  Firenze <3

  It's easy to travel around Florence, such a beautiful city, I will be returning perminanty in around 1month, I would recommend going to piazza Michael angelo, where you can watch the sunset with a cute wine bar at the top :) (if you get lost or confused it's over the Florence bridges up to the statued men that are strangely placed everywhere) the restaurants are lush! Good priced! Wifi everywhere, I would also recommend the Duomo, where you can pay for a ticket and walk up the steps to the top! (417) if I remember, just bring a juice and it's the most beautiful thing, I would also recommend over the Florence bridges, the museum where you can walk around the gardens, it is my favourite memory of all time, you can see all of the city, Florence you will never be bored its stunning and there is always things to do, all the people are happy too.

• Graham

  France
  8.0

  A Jewel with few flaws!!

  There are, of course, the well known sights that are 'de rigeur' for a visit to Florence. There are also many jewels to be discovered by spending time by exploring the paths less travelled. The local people are, generally, very welcoming but as everywhere one occasionally encounters the fractious and irascible individuals. Of particular note in this respect I would draw attention to the entire staff at Santa Croce who were in an increasing spectrum of disinterest and unpleasantness in the tourist public. I made a point of expressing my displeasure to one, particularly unpleasant, character on the security check point after one had purchased an entry ticket. I was so affronted by this ultimate discourtesy that I left my ticket on his desk and bade him farewell with advice to learn some elements of decorous behaviour. It must be emphasisied that his was the exception to most people to be found in similar roles throughout Florence. It is a beautiful city to be savoured and enjoyed!!