Florence Travel Guide

Give the art some space

Make one gallery the main event of a day. The Uffizi is a good choice for painting; the Accademia is a separate booking if seeing Michelangelo's David matters to you. For the cathedral complex, choose the monuments you want to enter before buying a pass. A dome booking should not be treated as a flexible stop between other tickets.

Cross the Ponte Vecchio early or late in your walking day, then continue into the Oltrarno. Santo Spirito makes a useful place to pause. Piazzale Michelangelo is uphill, so allow for the climb, weather and return rather than adding it as a five-minute detour.

Pick the right Uffizi price

The museum's own tariff distinguishes €25 same-day admission from €29 advance admission. Entry from 4pm has a lower €16 same-day or €20 advance price. That saves money only if the shorter visit suits you. The Vasari Corridor is a different product, and available slots matter.

For a longer stay, compare the five-day combination covering the Uffizi, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens with the visits you will make. Our Uffizi guide explains the choices without assuming everyone needs a pass.

Stay where the evenings work

A room near the station reduces luggage handling on arrival. South of the Arno, check the actual walk over the river and late-evening noise around busy squares. There is no fixed percentage saving from choosing one side of the river. Compare total room prices in our Florence area guide.

Keep a day trip simple

Pisa is straightforward by regional train. Siena needs a choice between a bus nearer the old centre and a railway station below it. Rural Tuscany takes more planning: do not book a farmhouse assuming every hill town has a frequent bus. Read the Tuscany guide before adding several towns to one day.