It’s impossible not to feel the intensity of Florence’s Renaissance good looks. Even though most of Florence’s key attractions lie inside rather than outside, in wonderful museums and galleries choc-a-bloc with stunning paintings. Holidays in Florence are inevitably full of art. The city is rich in treasures shoehorned into its narrow streets. Sights are easily manageable by foot and concentrated around pivotal squares and streets to the north of the city. The river Arno, straddled by the wonderful Ponte Vecchio Bridge, elegantly slices the city in two. The Oltrarno area south of the river has a different feel to the more famous north side. It is less visited, less frenetic and can be more pleasant to generally wander about the streets with their many different workshops whilst on a holiday to Florence. Florence is 86 miles/125 kilometres inland in the region of Tuscany.
Florentine Renaissance art
Delicious ice cream and freshly made pizza from the many takeaways
Nightlife in Florence’s hip bars and wine bars
Aimless wandering - despite its rich history Florence moves at a twentieth century pace and the centre doesn’t lend itself well to strolling without a focus.
No special visa is required for EU citizens only a current passport. Citizens of the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia need only a valid passport but are limited to stays of three months. You can pre-book visits to many of the main attractions - ask for details at your hotel. Many museums are closed on Monday.
The weather is warm with generous hours of sun from April to late October with a high of 25°C/77°F. Winters are cool rather than cold with average temperatures of 10°C/51°F.
Flights to Florence from the UK take around two hours.
Driving is on the right and car rental agencies are easy to find. Parking in the city centre is limited to residents. Unless you plan to go out of town a lot a car is of limited use. Drivers are required to have an international driving licence or a photo card version and it is obligatory to carry it on you when you are driving.