Florence, Italy
What We Wish We Knew Before Visiting
Florence is one of those cities that almost everyone tells you that you have to visit in Italy. After spending four nights here, we understand why — but our experience was a little different from what we expected.
The historic center is beautiful, Florence is incredibly walkable, and we found some of our favorite food of our entire Italy trip here. But it was also more expensive than we expected, extremely busy in certain areas, and where you stay can have a surprisingly big impact on how the city feels.
Here are the things we wish we knew before visiting Florence.
Florence Is Extremely Walkable
One of our favorite things about Florence was how easy it was to explore on foot.
Once you're in the historic center, you really don't need public transportation for most sightseeing. We walked almost everywhere.
That said, walking in Florence isn't always relaxing. Streets can be narrow, sidewalks can practically disappear, scooters and cars squeeze through spaces that don't look remotely large enough for them, and some areas can get incredibly crowded.
Comfortable walking shoes are a must.
And if you're traveling with rolling luggage, Florence's uneven streets and sidewalks can make that short walk from the train station feel a lot longer than it looks on Google Maps.
How Many Days Do You Need in Florence?
We spent four nights in Florence, and for us, that was plenty of time to experience the city without rushing.
The historic center is surprisingly compact, so many of Florence's major attractions are within walking distance of one another. If you're primarily interested in seeing the highlights, you could comfortably spend 2–3 full days here.
Four nights gives you more time to slow down, explore different neighborhoods, try more restaurants and cafés, and avoid cramming every major attraction into the same day.
If you're planning day trips into Tuscany, Florence can also make a convenient base for a longer stay.
Where You Stay Matters More Than We Expected
We stayed near Santa Maria Novella train station and the San Lorenzo/market area.
From a practical standpoint, the location was excellent. We were close to the train station, within walking distance of the historic center, and surrounded by restaurants and markets.
But if you're imagining stepping outside your hotel into quiet cobblestone streets and that romantic Tuscany atmosphere you've seen in pictures, this area might not be what you have in mind.
It's busy, commercial and heavily trafficked.
For convenience, we'd absolutely consider the area again. But if atmosphere is more important to you, we'd look farther into the historic center or across the Arno.
Our advice: Decide whether you value transportation convenience or neighborhood atmosphere more before choosing your hotel.
Skip the Famous Food Lines
Florence has several restaurants and food spots that have become incredibly popular on social media.
But a huge line doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the best food in the city.
Instead of automatically going to the places you've already seen 100 times on TikTok or Instagram, walk a couple of streets away and look for alternatives.
One of our favorite examples was Schiacciateria de Neri 18. Rather than waiting in the massive lines at the famous sandwich shops, we found an excellent schiacciata without turning lunch into an attraction itself.
Sometimes the better Florence experience is around the corner from the viral one.
Five Food Stops We'd Recommend
1. Schiacciateria de Neri 18
Our pick for grabbing a Florentine-style schiacciata without automatically joining one of the enormous lines at the city's most famous sandwich shops.
Great food, easy stop and much more our style.
2. Mercato Centrale
If you're traveling with someone who can never agree on what to eat, this is an easy solution.
Upstairs you'll find numerous food vendors under one roof, making it a great casual lunch or dinner option. It's also convenient when you don't want another long sit-down meal.
3. Melaleuca
Go for the cinnamon roll. Seriously.
After weeks of Italian breakfasts, Melaleuca was a nice change of pace, and its cinnamon roll ended up being one of our favorite breakfast finds in Florence.
4. Caffè Mario
One of our favorite finds in Florence.
If you're looking for the famous Florentine affogato experience, Caffè Mario is a great alternative to some of the much more heavily promoted places.
We paid roughly €3 less for ours, didn't have to deal with the same level of hype, and loved it.
5. GustaPanino
Another casual Florence food stop worth putting on your list, especially if you're exploring the Oltrarno side of the river.
Florence doesn't have to be expensive white-tablecloth dining. Some of our favorite food experiences here were the simple ones
Best Things to See & Do in Florence
There are plenty of things to do in Florence, but the good news is that most of the city's top attractions are close together and easy to reach on foot.
Start with the Florence Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), the centerpiece of the historic center and easily one of the most impressive sights we saw in Italy. We climbed both Brunelleschi's Dome and Giotto's Bell Tower, and if you only have time for one, we recommend the Duomo climb. It's the more unique experience, taking you through the interior of the dome before climbing to the top for incredible panoramic views over Florence.
Explore Piazza della Signoria, walk across the famous Ponte Vecchio, and cross the Arno River into the Oltrarno neighborhood for a different side of Florence. We also recommend stopping at Mercato Centrale, where you can combine sightseeing with some of Florence's food scene.
One of the best things to do in Florence, though, doesn't require a ticket at all: walk the city. Florence is compact, and some of our favorite moments came from wandering its narrow streets, stopping for coffee or food, and discovering places we hadn't planned to visit.
For a first trip, we'd recommend 3–4 days in Florence. That's enough time to experience the major Florence attractions without turning your visit into a race from one landmark to the next.
Our Biggest Florence Tips
Stay somewhere that matches the experience you want. The train station area is convenient, but other neighborhoods may provide more atmosphere.
Book major attractions ahead. Florence receives huge numbers of visitors, and popular attractions can sell out.
Climb the Duomo and skip the Bell Tower.
Don't blindly follow viral restaurant recommendations. Some of our favorite places were alternatives to the famous social-media spots.
Walk whenever possible. Florence is compact and exploring on foot is part of the experience.
Book trains earlier when you can. Last-minute tickets can cost considerably more.
Explore early or late. Florence feels completely different when the biggest tour groups aren't filling the streets.
And most importantly, don't judge Florence solely by the area around the train station or Duomo. Wander a few streets away from the crowds and the city starts to reveal a completely different personality.