When we walked past the Duomo on our last night, the air carried a familiar classical tune coming from a string quartet positioned along an adjacent alley. The drizzling had stopped and a small crowd had gathered around them. Suddenly, a little young boy took his mother’s hand and together they danced to the melody, to the delight of other tourists, who viewed and snapped away.
It’s tender moments like this that made our time in this marvelous city for keeps. I felt it as soon as we emerged out of the Santa Maria Novella station when we arrived in the city. trying to find our guesthouse, we walked with 30+ kilos of luggage on our back. It’s been a long, tiring ride from Zurich and we could certainly use some rest. The concrete pavement turned into cobblestones, the streets looked to narrow alleys. It was quiet. It was as though we were never tired. and for a moment, I felt like Diane Lane (hahahahahhaahhaha), playing with the Tuscan sun, peeking from the top of the heritage buildings. then one left turn and we were greeted by a enormous swarm of people, all admiring the Duomo. hi there, fellow tourists.
We never expected to fall in love with Florence. When we were planning this 16-country European tour, I prepared for Paris or Reykjavik to take my breath away, but it was Florence who stole my heart and ran with it. Easily, it became my favorite city. (Yosh’s most-loved remains Paris, though. but he’s a Francophile, so that’s not really surprising.)
Hva er dekket i denne veiledningen?
UNDERSTANDING FLORENCE
BEST TIME TO check out FLORENCE
HOW TO get TO FLORENCEPISA TO FLORENCE
ROME, MILAN OR VENICE TO FLORENCE
OTHER EUROPEAN CITIES TO FLORENCE
MANILA TO FLORENCE
FLORENCE airport TO CITY CENTER
POCKET WIFI and local SIM IN FLORENCELocal SIM
Pocket Wifi Rental
Roaming
HOW TO get around IN FLORENCEFlorence Hop on Hop off Bus Pass with Audio Guide
Guided walking Tours
THINGS TO do in FLORENCEAccademia Gallery
Piazza del Duomo
Pitti palace and Boboli Gardens
Piazzale Michelangelo
Other Florence Attractions
FLORENCE DAY TOURSTuscany Tour
Assisi and Cortona Tour
WHERE TO eat IN FLORENCE
WHERE TO stay IN FLORENCEWhere We Stayed: Bronze horse Guesthouse
Top budget hotels Under €60
See More: Florence Hotels
SAMPLE FLORENCE ITINERARY
OTHER suggestions FOR THE poor TRAVELER
More suggestions on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️Related Posts:
UNDERSTANDING FLORENCE
The city was founded as early as 59 B.C. during the medieval times, it was one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. but it is best known for giving life to the Renaissance in the 14th century, the period that gave us Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. numerous elements contributed to the rise of Florence as a cultural epicenter. one of them: its ruling clan, the Medici, were substantial patrons of the arts. Art is the heart and soul of Firenze, which continues to inspire artists from around the world. Its streets are bursting with captivating architecture, sculptures, and even musicians and street painters trying to make a living.
Today’s Florence is a metropolitan hub and the capital of Italy’s Tuscan region, but its historic core remains intact, tucked at its center. It has 80 museums, not counting outside galleries that adorn its numerous piazzas. The city’s Old town attracts 13 million tourists a year, making it one of the most went to cities in the world.
Language: Italian. many signs have English translations.
Currency: Euro (EUR, €). €1 is roughly $1.11, PHP 55.94 (as of June 2017).
Modes of payment: numerous establishments accept credit report cards, but many still choose cash.
Electricity Info: 230 volts, 50 Hz. common sockets are type F, which also accept plugs that have two round pins (C and E).
BEST TIME TO check out FLORENCE
In general, the period between October to may is alright, but April is the most comfortable weather-wise. This is when the cold is slowly giving way to the summer heat. It gets much hotter in the next months and peaks in August, the month you want to avoid. even the locals try to go out of town during this month to escape the heat.
If you delight in winter, January and February may be a terrific choice for two reasons: lower prices, thinner crowds. Florence is always jampacked practically any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions. during our visit, we discovered that even in the middle of rain showers, the piazzas remain brimming with tourists, especially the area surrounding the Duomo.
HOW TO get TO FLORENCE
Florence is served by Amerigo Vespucci airport (FLR), an international airport situated just 30 minutes from the city center. but the Galileo Galilei airport in Pisa is the largest in Tuscany. because the the two airports are connected by rail and bus, Pisa is also a good gateway to Florence. Pisa airport also serves numerous of Europe’s inexpensive carriers including EasyJet, RyanAir, Transavia, and Thomsonfly.
PISA TO FLORENCE
From Pisa Airport’s terminal 1, you can board the train to Firenze SMN Station. multiple trains ply this route per day so reservation is not needed. just purchase a ticket when you arrive. The journey takes 1.5 hours. Fare is fixed at €11.10.
ROME, MILAN OR VENICE TO FLORENCE
If you’re on a bigger trip around Italy, you can easily reach Florence from Rome, Milan, Venice and other Italian cities by train. There are multiple trains a day.
There are two high-speed train companies in Italy: the state-owned Trenitalia and the privately owned Italo. Both use dynamic pricing (much like airlines). This implies that fares are not fixed. They change over time. Hence, it is best to book in advance. If you don’t have fixed plans yet, you can book on the same day, but expect to pay much more for your seat.
Usually, the most affordable fares are at €14.90 for Italo and €19.90 for Trenitalia. but Italo’s fare for some routes can go as low as €9.90 if you book way in advance. If you don’t have fixed plans yet, you can book on the same day, but expect to pay much more for your seat.
OTHER EUROPEAN CITIES TO FLORENCE
If you’re coming from other cities in Europe, the fast and low-cost option is typically flying. Intercity flights within Europe are surprisingly low-cost and they will save you a lot of time.
However, there are also trains available coming from outside Italy. There are day trains and overnight trains, depending on where you’re coming from. typically they make stops in another Italian City, typically Milan or Turin.
Fra Paris. The most affordable option is to travel by high-speed to Turin (Travel time: 5h40; Fares from €29). Then, board an Italian train from Turin to Florence (Travel time: 2h45; Fares from €19.90). book the Italian train with Trenitalia.
From Zurich, Switzerland. Take a EuroCity train to Milan (Travel time: 3h26; Fare from €9) and then board an Italian train to Florence (Travel time: 1h40; Fare from €19.90).
From Munich, Germany. travel with German Railways to Verona, Bologna, or Venice (Fare starts at €9). then take an Italian train to Florence SMN (Fare from €19.90).ole trip, but this does
MANILA TO FLORENCE
If you’re a Filipino citizen, you’ll need a Schengen visa. Here’s how to get a Schengen visa.
There are no direct flights from the Philippines to Florence. many routes entail a few layovers. A good option is to fly to Pisa instead. Pisa is easily accessible. Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways fly to Pisa with stops in Istanbul and Doha respectively.
FLORENCE airport TO CITY CENTER
The fastest way to get to historic center from Florence airport is by bus. Bus ticket price for single trip is €5 (P281.25 or $5.57) and €8 (P449.35 or $8.92) for round-trip ticket. Take the Volainbus, operating from 06:00AM to 11:30PM and departs every 30 minutes in front of the airport. It will take you directly to Santa Maria Novella (SMN) Train Station, which is located just next to the Old Town.
POCKET WIFI and local SIM IN FLORENCE
Local SIM
If you own an open-line or unlocked phone (meaning, your phone can accept SIM cards from other carriers), this is your most affordable option. Italy has four main telco companies: Vodafone, TIM, Tre, and WIND. The first two have the best coverage and 4G data connection.
TIM for Visitors. Cost: 30€. includes 4GB of 4G internet, 100 minutes of international and national calls, and a SIM Card. Valid for 30 days. The price is fixed, but you will be encouraged to top-up to get much more data, especially if you’re a heavy user.
Vodafone Holiday. Cost: 30€. includes 2GB of 4G data, 300 minutes and 300 SMS to all Italian numbers and to your home country, and a SIM Card. There is a 1€ maintaining balance.
Before you decide to purchase an Italian SIM, take note of the following:
You can only get one at the physical store or booth. Activation can’t be done online. The challenging part is that it can be challenging if you don’t speak Italian, so make sure you know exactly what plan you want before approaching any store staff to avoid confusion. note that the name of TIM’s holiday package is “TIM for Visitors” and Vodafone’s is “Vodafone Holiday.”
Bring your passport to the store. SIM registration upon activation is required by law.
Have the staff set up the APN on your phone to be sure you have the settings right. This changes depending on the device you use.
If you’re a heavy data user, top up after activation so you don’t need to return to the store in the middle of your trip.
Pocket Wifi Rental
You can rent out pocket wifi before your flight.
If you’re coming from the Philippines, one of the brands you can use is Flytpack.
Flytpack charges P500 per day for Europe and an additional P2800 deposit, which you can get back after your trip.
Because it can connect multiple devices, you can split cost with your companions.
The unit comes with a built-in power bank, which guarantees you get to use it for an entire day trip without draining the battery.
Hver leie kommer med en universell adapter. veldig nyttig!
Roaming.
Hvis du er basert på Filippinene, kan du også bruke leverandørens roamingtjenester. Priser vil variere avhengig av leverandøren din.
Globe Telecom: De har mange roamingalternativer. Du kan velge Roam Viber (P199) eller Roam Facebook (P299) i 24 timer. Eller velg Unli Data Roaming for P599. Du kan sjekke alle sine priser ved å få tilgang til Globe Roaming-siden
Smart: De har også Unli Data Roaming Service kalt Surf Abroad for P550 eller deres Travelwifi for P390 per dag med 1 GB data i 24 timer. Du kan sjekke deres nettsted for mye mer info -> smart reiser verden
Dette er ikke det mest økonomiske alternativet, men roaming har sine egne fordeler. Postpaid roaming aktiveres automatisk, slik at du ikke trenger å registrere eller sjekke ut en butikk eller foreta et innskudd. Du har heller ikke en ekstra gadget til å lade og ta vare på under turen. Og hvis du er en gruppe, kan du slå på personlig hotspot eller tethering for å splitte kostnaden.
Hvordan komme seg rundt i Firenze
Firenzes historiske sentrum kan enkelt utforskes til fots. Faktisk er mange gatene bare for fotgjengere og blokkerer biltilgang. Det kan imidlertid fortsatt være veldig forvirrende. Google Maps burde kunne hjelpe deg med å navigere.
Men hvis du vil utforske den mye mer moderne siden av Firenze, kan du ta bussen eller trikken. T1-trikkelinjen går fra Feriehus Costanza (Scandicci) til Santa Maria Novella (SMN) stasjon. Du kan kjøpe dine trikkbilletter fra SMN-stasjonen eller en autorisert etablering – apotek, kaffebarer, avisstativer – som har en “ATAF” klistremerke.
Det finnes mange typer billetter tilgjengelig. Den vanlige billetten kan brukes en gang og er gyldig i 90 minutter. Best å bestille i fremskritt fordi det koster mye mer hvis du kjøper billetten ombord. Men det er også flere turbilletter, som du kan bruke flere ganger innenfor samme 90-minutters periode. Her er kostnadene:
1 Ticket X 90 minutter (forhåndsbestilt): € 1.20
1 Ticket X 90 minutter (ombord): € 2,00
2 billetter x 90 minutter: € 2,40
4 Ticket X90 Minutter: € 4,70
Lengre varighet billetter er også tilgjengelige, hvis du planlegger å bruke trikke- og bussystemene ofte.
24-timers billett: € 5
3-dagers billett: € 12
7-dagers billett: € 18
Du kan også bruke ATAAF-billettene på bussen.
Firenze Hopp på Hop Off Bus Pass med Audio Guide
Image Courtesy of Klook
Hvis du er en fan av hoppet på hop off buss, er det også en som opererer i Firenze. Dette tar deg til noen av byens viktige attraksjoner. Hvert sete leveres med en flerspråklig lydguide, og deler informasjon om hvert sted.
Passet er tilgjengelig i 24-timers, 48-timers og 72-timers varianter.
✅ Reserver et pass her!
Guidede tursturer
Selv om touring Firenze kan gjøres DIY-stil, vil du kunne sette pris på byen og dens historie mye mer hvis du blir med på en guidet tur. Vandringsturer tar deg til viktige attraksjoner som Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, The Baptistery, og Giotto’s Bell Tower, med en guide som diskuterer betydningen av hvert stopp.
KLook gir en tur på engelsk, spansk og italiensk. Turen gjør et stopp på Piazza Duomo, Piazza Signoria, og Ponte Vecchio blant andre. En guide vil være ledende turen, dele viktig innsikt om hvert stopp underveis. Den engelske turen koster € 13,20 per person.
✅ Reserve et spor her!
Det er helt gratis turstier tilgjengelig i Firenze, også.
Ting å gjøre i Firenze
Accademia Gallery.
Bilde som tilbys av KLook
Accademia Gallery grunnlagt i 1784, og det er museet hvor du kan se Michelangelo kjente skulptur David.
Adresse: Gjennom Ricasoli, 58/60, 50121 Firenze, Italia
Opptaksgebyr: Full € 8,00 (€ 12,50 under utstillinger) | Redusert € 4,00 (€ 6,25 under utstillinger)
Hvis du trenger en guide, kan du bestille en tur fra KLook, som er inkludert en skip-the-line-billett.
✅ Reserve et spor her!
Piazza del Duomo.
Piazza del Duomo, plasseringen av en av de mest fantastiske kirker jeg noensinne har sett: Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore eller Il Duomo Di Firenze. Den enorme strukturen