Are you visiting Italy and looking for How to Spend a Day in Florence? This post should help you!
Below is an image of Florence on a map of Italy. As shown, Florence is in the region of Tuscany.
The Tuscany region is most famed for its olive trees and wheat. Florence, Pisa, and Siena are the most popular places to visit in Tuscany. In this post, I’ll explain how to make the most of your time in Tuscany and how to spend a day in Florence.
How to get to Florence (How to Spend a Day in Florence)
Dublin to Florence:
Unfortunately, flying to Florence from Dublin is not as straightforward as flying to Pisa. This is the main reason why it’s much easier to fly into the likes of Pisa and go from here. Flying from Dublin to Florence requires taking a stopover. A popular route would be to fly from Dublin to Munich in Germany with Lufthansa. From Munich, take a flight directly to Florence with Lufthansa. Swiss airline is another one that operates stopover flights from Florence to Dublin.
I always use Sky Scanner. It’s by far the best and easiest website to navigate to find the best flight deals to literally anywhere.
Other European cities to Florence:
If you’re already in Europe, getting to Florence shouldn’t take too long or be too complicated. Most airlines will fly into Florence. If not it may be easiest to fly into other major cities such as Pisa or Rome.
Italian cities to Florence:
If you’re traveling from Pisa to Florence, it’s very easy and straightforward!
You can take a train from Pisa Central Station.
It takes anywhere between 50 minutes to 1 hour & 20 minutes depending on the train.
The trains from Pisa to Florence and back go very often. They usually operate at least twice an hour.
There is the option to get a bus from Pisa to Florence too. It’s a very similar price but usually takes a little longer.
The average price per one-way ticket is €8.90.
Do you need to pre-book train tickets to Florence in advance?
If you are traveling to Florence during high season, I would say to pre-book your train tickets! However, we visited Italy in April and we still found it to be quite busy. We did decide to pre-book our train tickets from Pisa to Italy and we were glad that we did because we just about got a seat on the train.
How long should I go to Florence?
We only did a day trip but next time, we would stay for at least one night. Italy is a beautiful country with so much to offer. It would be possible to spend weeks traveling around Italy and still feel like you could see more of it! If you keep reading below, you’ll see just how much there is to do in this stunning city!
When is the best time of year to visit Florence?
In terms of weather, the best months to travel to Tuscany would be April, May, June, September, and October. These months combine to give peak season with the most pleasant weather. However, naturally, this also means that prices are usually higher and the trip will be more expensive.
Do the locals speak English in Florence?
Yes, most Italians can speak even basic English. Therefore you should get by without having any Italian, however, it’s always recommended to make an effort to learn the local language.
Where to stay in Florence?
As I mentioned above, we did not stay in Florence. We stayed in Pisa instead. However, I’ve been doing a lot of research and have found some places that I’d consider staying the next time.
It’s important to note that the price difference between staying in Pisa compared to Florence is huge! This is the reason why we chose to stay in Pisa and not Florence!
Here are some I’ve been looking at;
Florence Accommodation on a budget:
Here is a social hostel with a very impressive rating of 9.6 on hostel world. It’s called Ostello Bello Firenze and seems to have a lot to offer. Here is one review in particular that stood out to me when I was researching:
“This was by far our favorite hostel during our trip throughout Europe! The environment was super fun and inviting and the staff was awesome about giving recommendations. Traveling as a young woman I felt completely safe and loved being able to meet other young travelers in the bar area!”
Accommodation in Florence for those on a budget to looking to spend a little more:
I found this cute little hotel on Booking.com and the rooms just look so spacious and nice! It’s called B&B Stupido Hotel and is rated ‘perfectly’ for its location. It’s also rated 9.7 by couples, so perfect if you’re heading to Florence on a couple’s break!
Here is a review that I found from an Irish lady that stood out in particular to me:
“The receptionist was soo cheerful and welcoming and helpful. The room was the nicest we stayed in-soo spacious and clean. Everything was wonderful.”
Florence Accommodation for those looking to treat themselves:
So if you’re looking to splash out while you’re in Florence and fully treat yourself, The Artemide Guest House looks like the place to be! Some of the rooms even have a private jacuzzi! I’d take that any day!
Here is an honest review that I found that seems to be fair enough:
“Very clean, the jacuzzi and the sauna were awesome, on a perfect location – probably the best street with bars and restaurants in Florence. Duomo is 5 minutes walking distance, and the SMN station is 3 minutes. The staff was really helpful and responsive. Maybe a bit pricey, but hey – it’s really worth it!”
How to travel around Florence?
Florence is well known and also is a main historic center, therefore it is relatively small. This is a good thing as it means it is easy to move around on foot.
Usually traveling in a car around Florence is not advisable, the reason being that there is little parking. A lot of the streets in Florence are pedestrian only and streets are often one-way.
What to do in Florence? (How to Spend a Day in Florence)
Florence is similar to Pisa, lots of really nice architecture and art to see! Here are a few to add to your list;
Museums in Florence:
- Bargello National Museum
- Gucci Garden – Museum
Galleries in Florence:
- Accademia Gallery
- Uffizi Gallery
- Galleria Dell’Academia – see Michelangelo’s David
Cathedrals and Basilicas in Florence:
- The Duomo
- Basilica San Lorenzo
- Pitti Palace
- Florence Cathedral
- Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
- Palazzo Vecchio
Landmarks and Historical Attractions:
- Ponte Vecchio (is the only bridge in Florence that managed to survive World War II).
- Statue of David
- Giotto’s Campanile
- Mercato Centrale – Central market
Where is the best sunset spot in Florence?
This one is easy to answer as it was possibly one of the highlights of our trip.
The place to type into your Google Maps is Piazzale Michaelangelo.
While we were here, a full dance party started with a group of random people. There was one man with a guitar, he started playing and singing, and within a couple of minutes, he had a massive crowd. Here is a glimpse into what it looked like:
Here is an extra little tip for watching the sunset at Piazzale Michaelangelo:
This spot gets very busy and attracts huge crowds so do make sure to get here as early as you can to get a good spot! We walked down the ramp a little further away and got these views:
Where to eat and drink in Florence?
Breakfast:
If you’re looking for a coffee to start your day, Simbiosi Organic Cafe is the place to head to!
Best Paninis in Florence:
If you like to try out food before ordering, Panini Toscani is for you! This restaurant lets you sample the meat and cheese before buying! How ideal!
Italian Pasta & Pizza:
You’re in Italy of course you want to try one of the most famous cuisines in the world!
We ate in Zaza and loved it! This place was busy though, so if it’s peak season you might need to book in advance! We ate here in April and didn’t need to book but we did wait in line for a short amount of time!
Matto Matto is another great shout for some stunning Italian food! It has a very impressive reputation of constant 5-star reviews on trip advisor!
Extra Tips for How to Spend a Day in Florence
Randomly enough, a lot of the museums and some restaurants in Florence close on a Monday. I recommend traveling to Florence on a different day!
We learned this the hard way.
Where to go after Florence?
If you’re looking for the perfect day trip from Florence, you must check out Pisa. Here is a full detailed post about how to efficiently spend a full day in Pisa! Here is a map that shows where Florence is in Italy about other Italian cities! As you can see it’s closest to the likes of Pisa and other cities in Tuscany, however, there are lots of other options!
Other day trip ideas from Florence include:
- Rome
- Sienna
- Cinque Terre
