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More than 3 days needed !!! If you can't, then perhaps resolve to return for a second visit. If you have the time on that occasion, a further suggestion is to go on by train somewhere else e.g. Rome or Venice, flying into one and out of the other - just an idea. For a single visit to "do" Florence and bit of surrounding Tuscany I'd say 4 or 5 days. There's plenty to do for more mind.
Remember the country stuff and the nearby towns in the country. And Pisa - yes do it.
Yes stay very central. A lot of the tourist centre is pedestrianised and that feels great to walk out into.
Pisa : You don't need a guided excursion. Just get down there by train - about an hour. All a typical tourist will be there to do is located in one visiting park compact area. Try as far as possible to have things booked online ( don't know what the current position is ) in order to avoid multiple stages of queueing. There is the leaning tower, obviously, but also there's a cathedral and a museum to marble. You can walk down to the area from the station, crossing the river, which is quite nice there, or jump in a taxi of course. Say prayers at a church before going up the leaning tower, to prevent it toppling over during your visit. Pisa is a dead easy self guided excursion and you can't not do the leaning tower, obviously ! It needn't even take a whole day.
The Tuscan countryside is just gorgeous. Take your pick from the plethora of guided excursions which might include things like wineries , hilltop monestaries, cycling ..... that kind of thing. Or just go self guided.
Specifically, places in the nearby countryside to aim for I'll mention.
San Gimignano and Siena. These can be seen on the same day and both are great. San Gimignano is a walled medieval town with seven towers, surrounded by gorgeous rolling fields. DO IT ! Mark this note : you can go up one of the towers and the view/photos from there are sublime ( I was there in the later afternoon and the photographic opportunity was terrific ).
Siena is mainly about 1) the famous tower around which is a small horse racing circuit thing, which is difficult to put into description - its not a field, and 2) the beautiful beautiful cathedral - small compared to some and not special on the outside, but inside ......
Yes you can go up the tower. Hopefully you can still climb up on the wooden platform under the bell, which will make your palms sweat but it seems safe enough. Again, say prayers at the cathedral, so that the platform doesn't tip and the ladders don't snap.
I've heard Lucca is really nice, but I haven't been there. Its a bit further away ( near Pisa )
Florence itself is exceptional and prettier than any other city in Italy, including Venice. Do do it justice. The open spaces, churches and museums are just sublime. Now, a word about the place(s) with the high crowd draw exhibits. The waiting to see them can be silly, so I'm thinking you should enquire before you go as to whether certain guided visits/excursions, might give you fast track/easier access.
Safety tip if you value your ankles :
When walking about the pedestrianised areas of Florence, beware of the tiny electric buses that slowly creep up on you and try to break your feet, in order to make the driver's day more interesting. Seriously, they are near silent and they don't seem to care what's in front of them.
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You will not be disappointed by Florence - it really is prettier than the other cities. You may regret not giving it long enough and you may regret not allowing time to see a bit of Tuscany, e.g the amazing San Gimignano.
Drink lots of Biera Moretti  , which I discovered on my way back from San Gimignano and now get it regularly here. |
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2-12-2019 22:18:53