edit Florence Travel Guide

• Art There is a seemingly endless supply of art located in all areas of the city, many of which are a must see!
• Arcitecture Just stroll around the city and you will be taken aback by many of the buildings (The Duomo certainly comes to mind)
• Arno River well the river is not actually the attraction but if you post up on a bridge that crosses the river with a bottle of wine around sunset you will not be dissappointed
• Food You are in Italy and more speciffically Florence, Take out Pizza is a good idea but a huge Florentine steak is a must!
  

Florence was very much the epicentre of the Italian Renaissance and remains one of the world's top attractions for lovers of art--as such, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Located in the heart of Tuscany, a stunning province of hills and mountains, the Renaissance capital of the world, with famous sons like Leonardo, Dante, Machiavelli and Michelangelo, is a sight not to be missed. The world-famous Duomo with the Brunelleschi cupola and the marble clad baptistry are simply stupendous, but not all the monuments are like this. The streets of the historic town centre are often narrow and dark, the palaces robust and intimidating. But have a look at the squares - wonderful Mediterranean places where you will like spending hours sitting down, having a coffee and just watching people passing by.

However, Florence is a city of incomparable pleasure concerning churches, monasteries, museums, galleries and palaces. Among the things you can't afford to miss are the Uffizi Galleries, one of the best art museums in the world, the Duomo, the Santo Spirito church and the Ponte Vecchio. To get a great overview of the city, you have plenty of choices: climb the "Cupolone" of the Duomo or the Giotto Tower, head for Piazzale Michelangelo in Oltrarno (other side of river Arno) or farther up to the church of San Miniato.

By plane

The airport is (code FLR). It has good connections to the center of the city, which can be reached in about fifteen minutes by taxi. The Ataf-Sita "Vola in Bus" ("Fly by bus") service costs €4 one way, and makes the circuit between the airport and the central train station about every half an hour from 5:30AM to 8:30PM, then once an hour afterwards.

Much cheaper flights to destinations throughout Europe can be found at Pisa airport (only a €5.40 train journey from the centre of Florence). Low-cost airlines which fly to Pisa include Thomsonfly, Easyjet, Ryanair, Transavia and HLX.

By train

Local trains from other parts of Italy and express trains from around Europe arrive in Florence. The main station is Firenze Santa Maria Novella, on the edge of the historic old town. Other small stations are Firenze Campo Marte (near Florence Stadium) and Firenze Rifredi. If you take an Intercity train to Florence, you may need to change at Rifredi for another train to Firenze S.M.N. The train to Vienna takes about 12 hours and costs €70.

By car

Florence is connected by good highways to the rest of Italy. Cars aren't allowed in the small old town centre, so plan on parking your car and leaving it for a while.

Parking is expensive. There's a cheap open air parking between the "Fortezza da basso" and "Santa Maria Novella" railway station. On Sundays it's free!

By bus

Bus stops have clear, schematic labelling of the routes and are all named according to the street name or major landmark nearby. They do not always give an indication of bus times, however, so it is sometimes difficult to figure out how long it may take till the next bus arrives. Tickets must be bought in advance from Tobacconists or newspaper sellers, and are usually valid for one hour over the whole network, so that you can just hop on and off at will. They cost €1.20 for 60 minutes, and multiple day tickets are also available. Tickets are also available on the bus, sold by the driver, at an increased price of €2 (therefore, no more excuses in case of ticket control!).

http://www.ataf.net/ is the official website. It has maps and timetables.

By boat

By Car/Foot

Most of the major tourist sights in Florence are within easy walking distance of each other. Walking is not only an easy way to get around, it also offers the chance to 'take in' much more of the city life.

Much of the town centre is blocked off to cars and anyway moving around in the city centre by car is definitely useless and not advised. Parking is also almost impossible in the city centre. A car can be useful only to reach some destinations just outside the city centre, like Fiesole or Settignano, which are however also connected by bus service. Be advised that at many tourist destinations parking can be difficult and at least expensive. Firenze and surroundings were not built for cars... Motor-bikes and bicycles are common; pay attention to them since they tend to behave in an apparently disorganised but efficient way, which can put the unsuspecting car driver into trouble.

By Taxi

Taxis are available, but it's best if you have your hotel or the restaurant you are eating at call ahead. Taxis can be called by phone and the nearest is sent to you through the company's radio system. There is apparently a waiting list, so it is difficult and uncommon to flag them down on the street.

By bike

Some of the hotels actually provide their guest with free bicycles as well. There is also a bike rental service organised by the city. Bikes can be hired at several points in the city (and returned to the same place), among which the most convenient for tourists is located at SMN station (other locations are at all railway stations, but often with restricted opening hours). Bike shops also rent bikes and some of them organise guided bike tours in the countryside.

Tap water is obviously safe and the taste is now good enough (it got really nasty right after the flooding and stayed so for many years), but those who still prefer bottled water will find it plentiful. Sample the excellent wines of the region.

Beware of Stendhal syndrome, namely, dizziness caused by being overwhelmed by Florence's fantastic art. Yes, it's a real syndrome, named after 19th-century French author Stendhal, who suffered from it during his stay in Florence. If you get overwhelmed, rest your eyes and legs, get some food (remember gelato?), and save the rest of Florence for tomorrow

Police

Fire Department

Hospitals

Crime

Florence is generally safe, but take precautions against the opportunistic thieves common to major tourist attractions - pickpockets and purse snatchers. Savvy thieves congregate in crowds, particularly around Santa Maria Novella train station. If you have a pocketbook with a classy, noiseless zipper, it will be opened. Also exercise caution on buses: pickpockets can be active on crowded ones and, as everywhere, they preferably target tourists. Occasionally, some type of beggars can be too much insisting and also hide a thief second nature. Again, nothing new to major tourist spots.

Smoking

Museums

The Uffizi is the most famous, but Florence also has other amazing museums a short walk away with world class artistic treasures.

• The Galleria degli Uffizi - Piazzale degli Uffizi, 50122. Tel. 055 294883. Tu-Sun, 8.15 am - 6.50 pm. Justly one of the world's most famous fine art museums. The collections of Renaissance paintings and sculptures from classical antiquity are superb. There are often long lines (several hours' wait is not uncommon) since even before the doors are open. Useful tip: you can call and make a reservation in advance and walk right in, or buy reserved tickets at the door. This is strongly recommended. The restaurant/caffè has a large balcony overlooking the main piazza with good views of the Palazzo Vecchio. It is a great place to take a break for art lovers making a non-rushed visit to this fantastic collection. This cafe is rather expensive however. Street performers are often seen outside the Uffizi. Admission €10.00.
• Bargello. Officially The National Museum of the Bargello, this museum houses one of the best examples of Renaissance and Mannerist sculpture. The works of many great Renaissance sculpters are on display here, including Michelangelo, Donatello, Ammannati, Bandinelli, Andrea and Jacopo Sansovino, Desiderio da Settignano, Giambologna, and Antonio Rossellino. The museum is located near Piazza della Signoria and can be seen in a few hours. Admission is €4.
• Accademia. More sculpture, highlights are Michelangelo's David and the unfinished Slaves. The David was recently cleaned in a controversial project. No photography is allowed inside. Wait times can be under one hour in the off-season. It is possible to reserve at the academia in advance and save yourself the long line. Admission is €6.50 (advance booking: €3).
• Pitti Palace. On the quieter south bank of the Arno. The former Medici family palace contains galleries of their art and treasures. The Boboli gardens behind the palazzo offer wonderful walks and excellent views of the city and the countryside south of the city.
• Museo dell'Opera del Duomo - the Cathedral Museum, with artworks formerly in the Duomo and surrounding religious buildings, including sculptures by Donatello and the losing entries in the contest to design the doors of the Baptistery. Models and drawings of the Cathedral. Worthy.
• Institute and Museum of the History of Science. This museum shows the evolution of the instruments used in various scientific fields such as Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy. The room of Galileo Galilei shows some of his original instruments as well as models from his drawings. The room of Spheres and Globes is an excellent cartographic collection.

For those making longer stays in Florence, the city also has an interesting archaeological museum (the Etruscan art collection is particularly good), a Contemporary Art gallery, and other collections.

Other sights

American Cemetery of Florence: Arlington-like United States WWII military cemetery. Expansive and beautiful, 6,000 United States soliders laid to rest, fallen in the campaign to liberate Italy from fascism. 20 minute bus ride from the Sita Station, just ask agent (get a return ticket) no cost to enter.

In the old town center:

• Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo di Firenze is the city's beautiful cathedral, the symbol of the city. Brunelleschi's huge dome was an engineering feat of the rennaissance. A statue of Brunelleschi is sited in the piazza, with his figure looking upwards towards his dome.
• Giotto's Tower - adjacent to the Duomo, you can climb the tower for a magnificent 360-degree view of the Duomo, Florence, and the surrounding area.€6 entrance fee, and requires some tenacity to climb 414 steps.
• Baptistery famous for the Paradise door and beautiful interior.
• Palazzo Vecchio - old city palace/city hall, adorned with fine art. The replica of Michelangelo's "David" is placed outside the main door in the original location of the statue, which is a symbol of the Comune of Florence.
• Ponte Vecchio the oldest and most famous bridge over the Arno; the only Florentine bridge to survive WW2. The Ponte Vecchio (literally "old bridge") is lined with shops, traditionally mostly jewellers since the days of the Medici. Vasari's elevated walkway crosses the Armo over the Ponte Vecchio, connecting the Uffizi to the old Medici palace.
• Santa Croce church contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante, and many other notables in addition to artistic decorations. There is also great artwork in the church. And when you're done seeing that, a separate charge will gain you admission to the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce, where you can see a flood-damaged but still beautiful Crucifix by Cimabue (Giotto's teacher), which has become both the symbol of the flooding of Firenze in 1966 and of its recovery from that disaster. The Pazzi Chapel, a perfectly symmetrical example of sublime neo-Classic Renaissance architecture is also worth visiting.
• Santa Maria Novella, near the train station, is a beautiful church and contains great artwork, including a recently restored Trinity by Masaccio. Also, the Chiostre Verde, to your left when facing the front entrance of the church, contains frescos by Paolo Uccello which are quite unusual in style and well worth seeing, if the separate entrance is open. Off of the church's cloister is the wonderful Spanish Chapel which is covered in early Renaissance frescoes.
• Orsanmichele the beautiful old church of the Medici, converted from it's original purpose as a grainery.
• San Lorenzo the facade of this church was never completed, giving it a striking, rustic appearence. Inside the church is pure Renaissance neo-classical splendor. If you go around the back of the church, there is a separate entrance to the Medici chapels. Be sure to check out the stunning burial chapel of the princes and the sacristy down the corridor. The small sacristy is blessed with the presence of nine Michelangelo sculptures.
• San Marco Convent (1436) houses frescoes by Fra Angelico and Fra Bartolomeo in a series of dormitory cells in which the Dominican monks lived.

• Boboli Gardens, elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures, behind the Pitti Palace. Wonderful city views.
• Santa Maria del Carmine has famous frescos (Masaccio’s Adam and Eve Banished From the Garden and others by Lippi and Masolino) in the Brancacci Chapel
• Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo square) plaza on a hilltop with a great view of the city (go there by bus) or climb the stairs and paths from the Lungarno della Zecca.
• San Miniato al Monte, uphill from Piazzale Michelangelo, contains a chapel with frescoes by Spinello Aretino. On the cemetry near this church there are graves of famous people of Florence, including Carlo Lorenzi (Collodi) - author of the famous Pinocchio.
• Santa Trinita, on the Oltrarno side of the Ponte Vecchio, contains frescos by the brilliant and weird mannerist painter, Pontormo, which are to your immediate right when entering.

Souvenirs related to art and Florence's sights can be found everywhere. Shops that are not located in the very centre of the city are significantly cheaper.

Books, leather goods, art handcrafted journals, frames, pencils etc. in that gorgeous Florentine paper with swirls of color and gold.

Beware: If the police catch you buying a knock-off version of something with a brand from a street vendor, you can be fined up to €10,000. You'll see plenty of people on the street selling imitation Gucci sunglasses, Rolex watches, and Prada purses for dirt cheap. It's okay if the item doesn't have a real brand on it, but buying a knock-off is illegal.

Florence is a great starting point and base for a tour of Tuscany. Attractive day trips include Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Fiesole and Siena, and of course the wine zone of Chianti. Greve in Chianti is the market town of the Chianti zone and it is in the hills surrounding Greve that you can rent a B&B room or a small apartment on a working vineyard for less than a hotel in Florence. The SITA Pullman buses take you to Greve and Panzano in about an hour. From then on you see few cars and many cypress and olive trees.

If you are to visit one place in Florence, it has to be the Piazzale Michelangelo. It offers an amazing view of the city. There is a lovely walking trail and even a large church, San Miniato, at the top of the mountain. It is a MUST SEE!!!

Fiesole is located in the hills above Florence, only a short bus ride away from the center. It offers a beautiful view of the sunset, and a small museum located on ancient Roman and Etruscan ruins of a temple and an ampitheater.

World War II Florence American Cemetery and Memorial: 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of Florence on the west side of Via Cassia. The Rome-Milan highway passes near the cemetery. Open daily except for December 25 and January 1; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cemetery is the final resting place for 4,402 American military dead lost during after the capture of Rome and the battle for the Apennines. A monument is inscribed with the names of 1,409 Americans whose remains were never found or identified. The atrium of the chapel contains marble maps of World War II Italy campaign. Free.