Florence

Florence is one of those cities where the concentration of required sights is almost overwhelming — the dome, the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Bargello, the Baptistery's Gates of Paradise, the Oltrarno neighbourhood with Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens — and which rewards pre-planning in a way that few destinations do. Yet it also has a pleasure that transcends the checklist: eating a bistecca alla fiorentina (a 1kg T-bone, aged and chargrilled rare) at a trattoria in the Oltrarno; crossing the Ponte Vecchio at dawn when the goldsmiths are shuttered; climbing to the Piazzale Michelangiolo viewpoint at sunset for the most famous panorama in Tuscany. Florence is also the ideal base for day trips into the Chianti wine country, to Siena and San Gimignano, and to the hill towns of Fiesole — making it the natural centre for a Tuscan itinerary that goes beyond the city itself.

Florence's UNESCO-listed centre is remarkably compact — most of the major sights (the Duomo, Uffizi, Accademia, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce) are within 20 minutes' walk of each other, and the city rewards being navigated on foot. ATAF city buses cover the wider urban area but are rarely necessary for the main tourist zone. The T1 tramway line (Tramvia) runs from the airport and the Santa Maria Novella station into the centre. The city centre is a Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL) — private cars are restricted and entrance is camera-monitored; do not drive a hire car into the historic centre or a significant fine will follow. Taxis are available from official ranks at the station and Piazza della Repubblica; booking via the 4390 or 4242 phone lines is also reliable. Electric bicycles and e-scooters (Lime, Bird) offer a fun alternative for flat riverside stretches. The Oltrarno (south of the Arno) is best reached on foot over the Ponte Vecchio or the Ponte alle Grazie.

Florence's city bus network is operated by ATAF (integrating with Busitalia for regional routes). For the historic centre, walking is almost always faster and more pleasant than waiting for a bus. The T1 tramway line (Leonardo) runs from the airport and the Santa Maria Novella railway station northeast to Scandicci; T2 (Vespucci) runs from SMN station to the airport. Bus routes to San Miniato (12/13) and Fiesole (7) are useful for viewpoint visits. Tickets (€1.50 single, valid 90 minutes; 24h/72h passes available) from machines at major stops, tabacchi, or via the BUSITALIA app. The Firenze Card (72h pass, €85) covers all city buses, trams, plus unlimited access to most civic museums — very good value for intensive museum-visiting. Train: Santa Maria Novella station (SMN) handles all high-speed and regional rail services.

Pre-book timed entries for the Uffizi and Accademia online at least a week ahead (a month ahead in spring and summer) — both fill up and walking up without a ticket means very long waits or being turned away entirely. For the Duomo dome climb (463 steps, no lift), you must also pre-book a timed slot; go early morning for the best light and before the heat builds. The Oltrarno neighbourhood south of the Arno is where many Florentines actually eat, shop and live — the streets around Piazza Santo Spirito and Piazza Tasso have excellent, authentic restaurants that few tourists find. The secret garden of Bardini (Giardino Bardini) has better views than the Boboli Gardens and a fraction of the visitors. For the best city panorama, San Miniato al Monte church (a 20-minute walk or Bus 12/13 from the Ponte alle Grazie) sits above Piazzale Michelangiolo and has a Romanesque interior that rewards the climb independently of the views.

Florence has a sub-Mediterranean climate that is hotter and more extreme than coastal Tuscany — it sits in an inland valley that concentrates heat in summer and cold in winter. July and August are genuinely very hot (often 34–38°C, with some days exceeding 40°C) and the city can feel overwhelming at midday. Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the ideal times: 18–24°C, manageable crowds, the Chianti hills at their greenest or their golden harvest-season best. Wine harvest (vendemmia) in late September–October is a particularly beautiful time to combine a Florence city break with a Tuscan road trip. Christmas through February is quiet, cool (5–10°C) and occasionally foggy, but museum queues are at their shortest. Do not visit the Uffizi or Accademia in peak August without a morning timed-entry ticket booked weeks in advance.

Florence Airport Amerigo Vespucci (FLR) is a small airport 5km northwest of the city, served by British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, KLM and others with direct flights from London, Amsterdam and some other European cities. The Vola in Bus shuttle connects the airport to the Santa Maria Novella station (SMN) in about 20 minutes. However, Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA), 85km west, has a much larger range of direct routes — the Pisa Mover train connects Pisa airport to Pisa Centrale station (7 minutes), from where direct trains to Florence Santa Maria Novella take about 1h. The Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains connect Florence to Rome in 1h35, Milan in 1h45 and Venice in about 2h, making it very easily combined with other Italian cities without flying. There is a direct rail connection from Florence to Paris (Thello overnight service or TGV via Turin) for those travelling overland from France.