Florence, Italy

Orientation - Train ticket office is open 7-19 – very walkable city – expensive taxis (use Radio Taxi) -

HOTELS:

• JK Place - Piazza S.M. Novella, 7, Florence, 50123 - +39-055-2645181 – one of the better hotels we stayed at in Italy. Service was first class and the rooms, despite small size were outstanding. Seating lounges on ground floor make it feel like you are in a livign room. Excellent location - close to train station, but away from crowds. DIRECTIONS: located 6 mins on foot from Santa Maria Novella train station...get out from the main exit (nearby the pharmacy) and look right...you will see the back of a church...go towards the church crossing the square (mind the cars) and take the Via degli Avelli ( pedestrian area ). Walk for 1 minute and look left, we are next to the hotel Roma.
• Riva Lofts - hotel was in the "outskirts of town" which kept us away. Staff was extremely responsive over internet inquiries and the website looks great.
  

ATTRACTIONS:

• These links and phone numbers can help with reservations. http://www.weekendafirenze.it/ or http://www.florenceart.it/ 055-294-883
• Uffizi (Tu-Sa 8:15-19) advanced reservations (see above). Large museum and you'll see: Botticelli, da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Raphael to name a few.
• Galleria dell Academia – David, Tu-Su, 8:15-19, 7E (see above). Go early and make a reservation to avoid lines.
• Piazza della Signoria - main square, check out sculptures next to Uffizi
• Baptistery (San Giovanni) – M-Sa, 12-19, 4E - make sure to look at the door facing Duomo
• Bargello National Museum – 8:15-13:50 (M-F), 8:15-18 (Sa), 4E - sculptures are amazing
• Basicila San Lorenzo – M-Sa (10-17:30), free
• Basilica Santa Maria Novella – church (M-Th 9-17, F & Su 13-17) 3E, cloisters (closed F, 8-14), 3E
• Duomo – museum (M-Sa 9-19:30), 6E – catherdral (Th or Sa, 10-15:30), free - climb the tower, but go early as it is very tight space walking around.
• Ponte Vecchio bridge - go early to avoid crowds
• Medici Chapels – (M-Sa 8:15-17), 6E
• Palazzo Pitti (Boboli Gardens) – Daily 8:30-1:30 5E, Gardens 9-17:45
• Piazza Michaelangelo – great overlook of Florence and sunsets
• Santa Croce -
• San Marco – (T-F no M, 8:30-13:50 – S&S, 8:15-19) 6E - don’t just go in the church, go through the museum that is off to the right of the church. There is an upstairs part to the museum that are the old monks quarters; you can walk around and see frescoes in all the rooms where the monks lived
• Fort Belevedere - UNESCO World Heritage Sight. Close to Boboli Gardens.

FOOD:

• Gelato – pay for gelato first, picking size. Hand receipt to scooper and pick your flavor. Banana color (if grey, likely with fresh fruit). Steel bins (vs plastic) usually means homemade. Vivoli & Gelateria dei Neri (Via Dei Neri) are recommended.
• Buca Mario - recommendation from JK Place. Can get noisy, but very solid cuisine and excellent service.
• Garga - Via del Moro - have the garga salad and the cheesecake - a great choice.
• Quattro Leone (lunch or dinner) - Piazza della Passera/Via Toscanella - have the mozzarella di buffola e tomato salad and fiocchetti (sp?) with pears and asparagus
• Mariano (quick lunch) - Via Parione, 19 (it is in a basement)
• Procacci (afternoon snack) - Via Tornabuoni
• Giacosa (breakfast/quick lunch) - Via della Spada, part of Cavalli off of Via Tornabuoni. Order the Pomodoro Soup. They also have wifi here.
• Il Latini - rec from a friend
• La Giostra (dinner, classic tuscan cuisine) near the duomo.
• Osteria Santo Spirito (lunch or dinner) - Piazza Santo Spirito
• Aqua al Due - highly recommended
• Da Pennello – address: Via Dante Alighieri - great food and service
• Tratorria da Benvenuto – V. dei Neri, 47r, squid risotto

Shopping

The Mall - http://www.outlet-firenze.com/ - The Mall is one of the best outlets outside of Florence - it's approximately 45 minutes outside of Florence in a town called Leccio. This is truly an outlet mall where you have last seasons' fashions and accessories at 40% (or more) less than retail stores. There are also classic pieces that can be found at the stores. The stores include: Gucci, Tod's, Armani, AX Jeans, Ferragamo, Fendi, Burberry, Balenciega, etc. To get there, you can choose one of 4 options: (1) Caftours.com (2) SITA bus from the main bus station in Florence provides scheduled times to/from the Mall (cost: 4-Euro pp each way) (3) Special bus info@design-management.it (cost: 25-Euros pp, minimum 2 pp) (4) take train to Rignano Sull' Arno and then, a taxi to the Mall Via Tornabuoni is the main shopping area and all the streets near by. For fun handbags that are inexpensive go to Temporary Store - Via della Vigna Nuova (near Via Tornabuoni). Luisa Via Roma (near the Piazza del Duomo). Piazza D. Mercato Centrale – open air market close no too far from the Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica