When to go:  April-May, for the best values travel in late February hotels are much cheaper and the weather is 50-60 degrees. Summer is hot and crowded. 

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Where to stay:  We choose to stay at Hotel City a 10-minute walk from the train station.  Whether you stay at this hotel or one of the many family-run hotels in the area keep in mind they are a good resource for getting tickets to museums and other attractions.

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What to do:  Florence is known as the cradle of the Renaissance and if you are fortunate enough to get to travel there, you will be amazed at how much you will feel that you have been transported back in time by the well-preserved art and architecture it presents.  Some highlights that are on our list of do not miss include Uffizi Gallery, Accademia Museum (the David), and the Duomo.  The street markets are great for reasonably-priced Italian leather items such as purses and belts.  We found the prices to be the best in all of Italy.  For a trip outside the city center we took a bus tour to Tuscany for the ever-famous Chianti Classico wine and vineyard tour.  There are day and overnight tours to choose from.

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Where to eat:  For restaurant options click here.

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The map below shows you the downtown area of Florence and main attractions. If you arrive by train into Mercato Centrale Firenze station, top left of the map, you are only a short walk to the main downtown area.  Florence is one the cleanest, cheapest and travel friendly cities that we have toured. It is easy to spend 2 or 3 days exploring the city. 

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