Florence: A Last Minute City Guide

World renowned for its stellar architecture, art scene, and rich culture, the city of Florence, Italy oozes with a blend of the old Renaissance and current contemporary charm.

Everywhere you turn you’ll find a gorgeous church, fascinating museum, quaint piazza, or charming restaurant. The city of Florence was first discovered by well-off travelers during the 1700’s and has been a hot spot for tourists and visitors ever since.

When to Visit Florence

There really isn’t a terribly bad time of year to visit Florence. The weather is similar to those in most other coastal towns in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’d like to avoid stifling hot weather or the freezing cold than you should stick to the Spring and Fall months. Otherwise, you will have no problems finding things to do in Florence year round.

Transportation throughout Florence

First of all, forget traveling throughout Florence by car. The city is full of one-way streets that only regular residents find easy to navigate. Even if you can find your way from place to place you will have a very difficult time finding a place to park. To make things even more confusing, many of the streets in the center of the city are off limits to non-residents without a special driving permit. There are traffic cameras throughout the city and they will catch your license plate and mail you a ticket. Imagine being home from Italy for three months and finding a traffic ticket in the mail!

The city of Florence isn’t astoundingly large so your best bet is to simply explore by foot. Once you find your way to the center of the city you’ll have no problem finding any other attraction you wish to visit.  Most of the main shopping districts, monuments, and museums are within blocks of each other.

In the evening, especially if you plan to go out to dine after dark, you may want to ask for a taxi or see if your hotel in Florence offers some sort of shuttle service.

The only time we recommend driving yourself is if you plan to venture out of Florence to see Tuscany. If this is the case, make sure your rental car has a great GPS system so that you don’t have to worry as much about reading signs, especially if you aren’t fluent in reading Italian.

Finding Florence Tourist Offices

The tourist offices in Florence are commonly referred to as APT. There are two main locations. The first is within the main train station next to the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi. The second is near the Basilica di Santa Croce. The tourist offices are open from 9am until 7pm and the staff will give you any directions you ask for. Maps, on the other hand, are not free – you’ll have to pay if you feel you need one.

Health and Safety in Florence

Florence is one of the safest cities in Italy, with very low instances of violent crime. Most people who visit the city feel safe traveling at any time of the day though that doesn’t mean you should let common sense fly out the window if you are traveling alone at night. Make sure you stick to well-lit, populated areas and you are very unlikely to have a problem.

Try to avoid the train stations, the Santa Maria Novella, and the Santa Croce areas at night. These are the areas in which you’re most likely to run into questionable individuals or rowdy youth groups. Places like the Piazza della Republica and Ponte Vecchio are great places to visit during the evening hours as they are often full of laughing dancing, singing, and music.

Tipping Etiquette & Payments in Florence

Most restaurants in Florence will include the coperto, or service fee, in your bill. The fee will usually range between 1 and 3 Euros depending on the restaurant you visit. You can add up to 10 Euros in addition to that if you feel as though the wait staff gave you exceptional service. Tipping cab drivers and hotel porters isn’t necessary but is always appreciated, especially if you were given great service or assistance.

Always take a receipt for your purchase from any shop you visit in Florence. A plain clothes police officer may stop you at any time and ask to see proof of payment. They do so to verify not only that you paid for the items at hand but to ensure that the store owner rang it up properly (for tax purposes).

Helpful Italian Phrases

While not necessarily mandatory, it is always helpful to learn at least a few phrases in the local dialect before visiting any foreign country. Here are a few to get you started on your path to Florence:

• Parla Inglese? (Do you speak English?)
• Grazie (Thank you)
• Per Favore or Per Piacere  (Please)
• Ciao (Hello or Goodbye)
• Arrivederci (Goodbye)
• Dov’e…? (Where is…?)
• Gabinetto/Bagno (Lavatory)

The city of Florence is overflowing with incredible artistic attractions and you shouldn’t visit expecting to see everything in one shot. Florence is a place you may find yourself adding to your travel itinerary year after year – and you’ll be just as excited to visit every time!