Florence travel tips with help you heighten you experience in a city rich with history, art, and beauty.
Florence is the cradle of the renaissance. Any city that has appeal to some of the greatest minds in recorded history such as Michelangelo, Ralpheal, and Donatello (no, those are not just turtles in a half shell) shouldn’t be ignored when backpacking Italy.
Let’s talk about some Florence travel tips that will heighten your experience when exploring the city that birthed the Renaissance.
One fun fact about Italy is that traveling Florence is a like walking into the past. Pale white buildings topped with orange tile roofs line the street. The Arno slowly flows under you under the cobblestone bridge while you window shop on the Ponte Vecchio as people have been doing for hundreds of years. There are over 50 awesome things to do in Florence!
Florence is bursting with history, museums, and art. From the Statue to David to over indulging on Tuscan wine Florence can charm anyone.
Even to this day, it is one of the worlds most beautiful cities, and in Italy only Rome and Venice contend with Florence.
Summer in Florence is hot. During the summer, or peak season, it is also when the prices skyrocket, and the lines are endless. (Although, the lines aren’t small around Christmas season either.) I’ve visited Florence both in summer and winter.
While the city has, more appeal and charm in the summer, you might want to consider visiting in the winter if you are trying to travel Europe cheaply.
The cost of visiting Florencereally depends on your comfort level. Here are some quick Florence travel tips for saving some money. Determining you Italy budget goes a long way to planning the perfect Europe trip.
Eat Cheap in Florence- Cooking, or eating at small street vendors or hole in the wall restaurants will help you save a lot of money in the long run.
Hostels are the cheapest option followed by Airbnb’s and then Hotels.
Hostels – If you can hack a hostel do it. Hostel range from $15 – $40 a night for a dorm room in Florence. For a private room, you are looking at upwards of $50 or $60. i use Hostelworld to book my hostels.
Airbnb’s – Another option is Airbnb. You can rent a room in a local’s house or an entire apartment. Use this link to sign up for Airbnb and save $40 off your first stay.
Also, check out this Airbnb coupon code and how to use it to save $100’s traveling.
Hotels – Florence is a hotspot for tourist, and they know it. Hotels can be quite expensive.
Don’t stress though once you know how much to budget for Italy life gets a lot easier.
Get Your Tickets in Advance – I’ve spent hours waiting in lines for tickets in Florence. Then I got a little smarter and started using sites like Tickets Florence, which lets you, make Museum reservations and buy your tickets online. It is much easier.
Art, Museums and more – Florence is all about art and wine. If you are, a backpacker like me mix a little of both, and you will appreciate the art even more. Italy brings out the inner art lover in anyone and looking at the works of the greatest painters and sculptures of the Renaissance all in one place is mesmerizing.
Michelangelo’s David – Of course, the most famous of these in Florence is Michelangelo’s, David. No trip to Florence is complete without seeing this masterpiece that is one of the most well-known pieces of statues in the world.
Galleria Degli Uffizi – See the Italian Renaissance come to life before your eyes. This is the spot to see the collections gifted to the city by the Medici.
Hang out in Piazza Della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio – Florence’s most famous square which is located right in the historical part of the city center. The square is always busy with the sound of laughing to the soft sound of wine glasses clinging.
Watch the Sunset for Piazzale Michelangelo – This spot overlooks the city. I highly recommend one evening grabbing a bottle of wine and heading to Piazzale Michelangelo for an epic sunset. As the sun goes down, it turns the roofs of the houses a fiery red, the Arno a bright orange. It is as if the whole city is bathing in bright light. To claim a good spot get there early as the area fills up quickly.
Piazza Santa Croce – Another famous square in the city. It isn’t as lively in the winter, but in the summer it is a good spot to visit.
Walk the City – Florence is a fantastic city for walking the city center is walkable. The buildings are stunning. As you walk, imagine Leonardo, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael Donatello used to wander the same streets. One Florence Travel tips is to just spending a few hours wandering the streets.
Florence is a great city for those backpacking Europe. These Florence travel tips will help you get the most out of your travels in a city that can steal your heart. For more, check out some more things to do in Florence.
Getting to Florence – Florence has an airport or you can take trains from all over italy.
The train from Rome to Florence takes around 1.5 hours and ticket prices vary. Expect to pay anywhere from 10 -20 Euro (One Way)
Where to Stay – Bassetto Guesthouse
How many days – I would recommend spending 3-4 days in Florence.
My favorite Spots – My favorite spots for Florence are the David, Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo, Ponte Vecchio (One of the most beautiful bridges in the world in my opinion)
