Florence Travel Guide

Overview and Things to Consider

Florence feels small (220,000 people) but is crowded with tourists year-round. The Duomo and Ponte Vecchio are mobbed constantly. The historic center is walkable and holds most of the major sights. Oltrarno (across the Arno) is more residential, with artisan workshops and student areas. Go out early in the morning or late in the evening, when the crowds thin. Book museums weeks ahead in peak season.

April - May and September - October have pleasant weather with moderate crowds. Summer is hot and packed. Winter is gray but peaceful with fewer tourists. Book accommodations and major attractions 2 - 4 weeks ahead.

Getting There and Around

Peretola Airport is 4 km from the city. The airport bus (8 euros) reaches the main train station in 20 minutes. Rome is 1.5 hours by train, Venice is 2 hours, Milan is 2 hours. The historic center is almost entirely walkable. Bikes are available for rent (10 euros per day) but streets are narrow and cobblestone. Buses cover outer areas if needed.

Don't rent a car within the city - driving is restricted in the historic center. Wear comfortable walking shoes; the city is all cobblestones and hills. The city is compact enough that you'll naturally see most major streets.

What's Changed Since 2016

Tourism has grown a lot. The Uffizi Gallery now requires reservations and charges 20+ euros. Museum prices have risen. Restaurants in the tourist center have gotten worse. Oltrarno has gentrified a little but still feels more local than the historic center. Airbnb has pushed housing prices up, and many traditional shops have been replaced by souvenir shops.

Florence gets fewer tourists than Venice or Rome, but packed into a city this small they feel heavier. Overtourism is the main thing you'll notice.

Ideas to Consider for Your Visit

Book the Uffizi Gallery weeks ahead. Climbing the Duomo dome (463 steps) gets you better views than any museum. Skip the Accademia queue for the David - it's mostly people looking at a marble statue. Try the smaller museums instead: Bargello (sculpture), Pitti Palace (lesser-known paintings), Marino Marini Museum (modern art). Wander Oltrarno for artisan workshops, bookshops and good gelato.

Take a day trip to the Tuscan hills - Siena (1.5 hours) or San Gimignano (2 hours). Eat ribollita (Florentine soup) and bistecca alla fiorentina (steak). Visit at night when day-trippers leave. Get lost on purpose in residential streets.

Realities to Be Aware Of

The crowds at major sites are relentless. Restaurants near the attractions serve poor food at inflated prices, so look for neighborhood spots. Museums need advance reservations or you'll wait for hours. The historic center is expensive (100+ euros hotel rooms). Pickpockets work crowded sites and buses, though less than in Rome.

Cobblestones are hard on feet and joints - budget walking breaks. Summer temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Flash flooding occurs during heavy rain. Many restaurants close Monday and sometimes Tuesday.

If Florence Is Part of a Longer Trip

Florence is the natural stop between Rome and Venice. Train connections are reliable: Rome (1.5 hours), Venice (2 hours), Milan (2 hours), Bologna (under 40 minutes). Siena (1.5 hours) and San Gimignano (2 hours) are popular Tuscan day trips. Many travelers do a Rome - Florence - Venice circuit over 2 - 3 weeks. Day trips to wine country (Chianti) are easy via local buses.

Yearly Things to Consider

Spring (March - May) brings blooming gardens with moderate crowds. Summer (June - August) is peak season with heat and record tourists. Fall (September - October) has pleasant weather and the harvest. Winter (November - February) is cool and rainy, but with fewer tourists the city feels more Florentine.

Ideas for Itineraries

Two Days: Florence Highlights

Day 1: Arrive, walk to Duomo, climb the dome, explore historic center, dinner in Oltrarno. Day 2: Uffizi Gallery (pre-booked), Ponte Vecchio, wander neighborhoods.

Three Days: Florence Deep

Day 1: Duomo, historic center exploration, Oltrarno neighborhoods. Day 2: Uffizi Gallery, Accademia (or skip it), smaller museums. Day 3: Day trip to Siena or San Gimignano, or Tuscan countryside.

Four Days: Museums and Tuscany

Day 1: Historic center and Duomo. Day 2: Uffizi Gallery and Oltrarno. Day 3: Day trip to Siena and surrounding Tuscan villages. Day 4: Bargello Museum, Pitti Palace, neighborhood wandering.

Florence on the Rome - Venice Route

Arrive from Rome (3 hours), spend two full days on the basics and the Uffizi, then go on to Venice (2.5 hours). It works well on a first trip to Italy: a quick taste of the Renaissance before the crowds wear you down.

Nearby on BootsnAll

• Cinque Terre - Cinque Terre in 2026 is five cliff villages strung on a railway, with the Via dell'Amore open again after 12 years but now booked, one-way and folded into a park card costing €10 to €35 a day.