Manthous and I are going to Paris/Florence/Tuscany next year for my 40th birthday! We have a cute place to stay set up for Paris, but our leads for places to stay in Florence are all booked up. Does anybody have any recommendations for a small/quaint place to stay in Florence? It doesn’t have to be fancy, just comfy, safe, and close to good food (which will be MY personal focus!) and relatively close to sights (my priorities are embarrassing however my justification is that we’ll want to walk off all the food!).
I’m guessing we’d ideally want to stay in Florence and make a side trip to Tuscany. Right? My travel books are on their way, but I thought I’d fish here first!
I stayed at a nice place while there…damned if I can remember the name, though. If I stumble across it, I’ll post.
Our group made a side trip to Pisa. When we got there we couldn’t go up in the tower. It was okay…touristy IIRC, pricey. We had actually started in Rome and I would have much rather gone to Pompeii.
Florence is really beautiful. Food? Can’t miss.
A couple ideas, for what they’re worth.
If you want to save money for souvenirs, save the expense of a couple meals by locating small neighborhood markets. Buy some cheese, bread, fruit, etc. and have a picnic. I think you can drink wine in public parks and nobody will bat an eye.
One other reason for locating markets: water. You’ll need to hydrate a lot for all that walking, and if you buy in tourist trap areas, you’ll pay big. It’s better if you can find an inexpensive supply and keep the stash at the hotel, taking a bottle as you leave for the day. If you’re feeling brave, invest in 1.5 liter bottles and fill them up at the hotel from the tap; Europeans traditionally don’t drink tap water and I’ll admit, bottled is better, but I didn’t think it was awful or anything. YMMV.
Also I heard an intriguing idea: to save space in the luggage for souvenirs, pack old socks, underwear, etc. that you can wear and discard as you go.
I’m so jealous…but happy birthday in advance anyway! Take and post lots of pics!
This is where I stayed might be pricey though, not sure. My company paid so I never saw the bill but it was the nicest of all the hotels (out of 5) that I’ve stayed in in Italy.
ETA: As lobotomyboy63 said stock up on water definitely. Also, Florence is a really good place to buy gold or leather goods if that interests you, I bought about three years worth of anniversary gifts for my wife there for very good prices.
Florence is not a big city. You can hit the high spots in a long weekend and it is a city that is walkable. Stay in a place in the city that is convenient. Don’t stay in any outlying area. You won’t have to hassle with taxis or mass transit.
It’s a fascinating place but not overwhelming. It’s a city to be enjoyed! Go for it!
This is exactly what I want (for at least part of it!) Thanks for your well wishes!
This place is beautiful, but it seems way more than what we’d need. I have this fantasy of a little spartan apartment with flowers on the table, but it may be a naiive fantasy.
We just got back from Florence a couple of weeks ago. We stayed in a hotel that sounds like it could fit your criteria. It is called Hotel David and is a nice 10 minute walk down the river from Ponte Vecchio. Breakfast and evening reception included and great, friendly service.
Wow, Jammer, it’s darling, and in the reviews, a couple people mention that public transport to the city center is very close by if we occasionally didn’t want to hoof it. And the reviews are overwhelmingly raves. Manthous is excited about the price, I’m excited about how cute the rooms are- this is a good start!!
So, if you had to pick something that you didn’t enjoy about the hotel (minor nitpicks/inconveniences/“I wish it would have had this”), what would that be? Did you find the room less than quiet? I notice that quietness was the lowest overall score. I’m only asking to get a realistic perspective, not because I’m the type of person to find fault over minutia…
6 years ago, mind you, I stayed here-had all the requirements I desire in travel accommodation: walking distance (10-15 min) to Uffizi and assorted other art repositories, a laundromat down the block, the Mercato Centrale. Also on the main road leading to the rail station, so ask for a room not facing the street. Loud!
Last spring we stayed at the modestly priced Hotel Medici, just two blocks from the Duomo. A double room with bathroom is currently 36.47 € ($54) per person, in the off season.
We had a fine view of the baptistry’s dome from our balcony, and waking to the romantic sound of church bells sure beat an alarm clock. Continental breakfast included. Downside: the retrofitted shower in our bathroom was cramped and awkward, and left the bathroom floor sopping wet.
I sure can drink my tap-water and have been able to do it both here and in Sweden. The cold water here is pretty much the best I’ve ever had (bottled included). So lay of the generalizations[/hj]
7 years ago this month I stayed at the Hotel Desirèe. It is about 2 blocks from the train station at the northern end of the city center. We were drawn because of the stained glass. It’s a beautiful hotel, great service (breakfast included) , and reasonably priced.
Try to get a room on the courtyard side - the street side is a bit noisy, as the busses for the bus station queue up on the street below. Our room on the courtyard side had a view of the Duomo.
Hotel Cellini is in the same building and is as good. I think they’re one floor up, so they have better views, and might be a touch more expensive.
Be sure to make your reservations for the Uffizi and Accademia before you leave the US - the lines are horrendous if you aren’t scheduled in!
Pssst…technically, Florence is IN Tuscany. But I know you’re talking about the smaller hill-towns, so you’re right that Florence would make a good base for a daytrip or two to the surrounding countryside. Pisa isn’t far away (although its ratio of tourists:sights is really out of whack), as well as comparitively less touristy towns like Lucca, and some places that rival Florence in their beauty and quantity of art treasures (Siena, especially).
As other have pointed out, Florence is a relatively small town, with most of the major sights concentrated in the center.
One of my favorite hotels is the Hotel Bellettini, which is very close to San Lorenzo. Some of the rooms have fantastic views of the Duomo (to be fair, many other hotels can make a similar claim–the cathedral does loom over the city, after all).
Enjoy your trip–Florence really is a beautiful, beautiful city.
