Florence, Italy: A Travel Guide
Italy is basically my favorite place on Earth. Granted, I haven’t been to a lot of places on Earth but regardless, Italy is just amazing. It encompasses all the things I am passionate about. Amazing food, the importance of family, SLOWING down the pace of life, and stunning landscapes. Italy just has such a vibe, the second you're there, you just get it. It’s contagious and addicting. In the past, I typed up all my favorite things to do, eat and see in Italy and gave it to a friend who was traveling there. I decided to polish it up a bit and publish it here so it can be referenced. I have been to Italy twice. I was lucky enough to study abroad in Florence, it was the absolute best time of my life, I am seriously so grateful for the experience. The second time, Dylan and I went out for almost 2 weeks and had the time of our lives. Hopefully in the future I will be able to go back and add more to this post. For now, enjoy! Ciao ;)
Florence is my favorite. I don’t know if its because this is where I lived while studying, or if its just simply that great, but seriously it’s a must see. It is the PERFECT size, you can walk everywhere, it’s not extremely overwhelming, the charm, the food, the PEOPLE all make it one of Italy’s best cities.
where to EAT:
+ Acqua al 2 – My #1 recommendation. A MUST if you like steak, order the balsamico steak, its literally to die for, but everything was so good. Went here multiple times between the two trips. Also- fun fact, they have a location in Washington D.C. that we went to while visiting our friends, and it was just as good!
+ Yellowbar – really great homemade pasta, especially the gnocchi.
+ Trattoria Za Za – Bolognese, pesto, everything was good.
+ La Giostra – This is a pretty famous restaurant. They’re known for the pear ravioli, very good - I would recommend getting it for the table so you can try some of it but other stuff too! I got the linguine con scampi and it was soo good.
+ Osterio Santo Spirito – TRUFFLE GNOCCHI. Must. Get. It. Literally so good, big enough to share, very rich & filling. Also, when Dyl and I went we ordered the pasta pomodoro. OMG. Best simple, fresh marinara you will ever have.
+ Pino’s – the BEST paninis in Florence (hehe, this is a controversial statement- people really have their opinions about paninis) But, 5 euro for a big panini, made fresh to order.. you can’t beat it. And the owner and workers are so nice. When I studied, we literally had one of these paninis almost every day for lunch LOL.
+ Gustapizza – well known pizza place, we got ours to-go and ate it on the bridge with wine & watched the sunset!
+ Mercato Centrale — this is an indoor market in the heart of Florence. The first level is farmers market style, where you can buy fresh produce, meats, pasta, spices, etc from various local vendors. The upper level is set up almost like a cafeteria. There are tons of different food options from pizza, pasta, gelato, etc. You can purchase food and sit at one of the many tables and enjoy! There is even a full bar for your afternoon spritz or glass of wine!
+ La Menagere — amazing breakfast and coffee place. Inside is so pretty, but let me tell you about the PANCAKES. to die for. Great cappuccinos too. We sat at the bar and watched the busy chefs, baristas and just people-watched, it was so fun & delicious ;)
+ Il Pizzaiuolo — ohhh this pizza was amazing. True naples style (slightly thicker/doughy crust) with great wine. A must for pizza!
where to DRINK:
+ Oibo — APERTIVO. All I will say is apertivo is another example of how Italy does everything better. It is essentially their version of “Happy Hour”. You pay for a drink and are then free to eat from the prepared buffet of breads, meats, cheese, dips, pasta, etc. It is amazing- the cocktails were delicious and unique and the food was so good.
+ Irene — this place is so cool, the interior design is GORGEOUS. Very boujee vibe, great for an after dinner drink. A bit pricey!
+ La Terrazza at Hotel Continentale – very pretty rooftop bar with views of the Duomo
+ SESTO on Arno, in the Westin Hotel – Gorgeous hotel rooftop. Great cocktails, ambiance and views of the Arno river.
what to SEE/DO:
+ Top of the Duomo – we bought a multi ticket so we could go to top of Duomo, top of the bell tower, and tour the museums, it was worth it! Great views, photo opportunities and a fun historical activity.
+ Piazzale Michaelangelo – BEST view of Florence, you can literally see the entire city, best photos!! I recommend bringing some wine, sandwiches/food and have a picnic up there. FYI- it is a bit of a hike to get up to, lots of stairs- so wear comfortable shoes and bring water lol!
+ Ponte Vecchio – This is the infamous bridge often in photos of Florence. It has a lot of shops on it and great views of the river.
+ Cooking class at Chefactory with Francesco – we did a few classes as apart of our curriculum and they are so fun and he is the best!!! He is so funny and a wealth of information, and obvi the food is great.
+ You can walk most of Florence in a day, I would say just walk around and check everything out. I lived on Via del Campidoglio, it was right across from the hardrock café and the Piazza della Republicca (has a merry-go-round in the middle of it) theres a lot to do around that area!
+ Boboli Gardens — these are so beautiful. You have to purchase a ticket to enter, once inside you will be amazed! Beautiful gardens to walk around, take photos and enjoy the (hopefully) great weather!
+ Tuscany Wine Tour — We did a private wine tour with 13 Chianti Road. It was so fun! Fabian picks you up in Florence and takes you on an all day winery tour through the rolling hills of tuscany - can you say perfect? Dylan and I learned so much and were able to meet the owners of boutique wineries, learn their stories and taste their wines. We also had a delicious lunch provided by one of the wineries and took mannnny photos. It was a perfect day and a great way to get out of the city!
Where we STAYED:
For school we lived in apartments that were assigned to us by the program. I lived in the Piazza della Repubblica area. This is a very busy area in the heart of florence. About a 5 minute walk to the Duomo, 15min to the train station. Many restaurants and shops at your doorstep.
Dylan and I found an airbnb in the Santa Croce neighborhood. It is a little bit removed from the heart but still only a 10-15 minute walk to Duomo & Ponte Vecchio, 25-30 minute walk to the train station. Definitely quieter, but still many restaurants within walking distance. Our airbnb was right next to the beautiful Santa Croce church which is definitely a site to see! This is the airbnb we stayed in: Santa Croce apartment. I would recommend it, it was an absolutely beautiful apartment and very affordable; the only problem we had was the wifi didn’t work which meant we couldn’t communicate with anyone while in the apt lol. Oh well!
A few notes..
When I went for school I was there from May-July. It gets very hot and we were living in older apartments with no A/C. I would recommend staying in hotels/airbnbs with A/C if going during this season! Summer is definitely tourist season too, so it is busier, more expensive, etc.
Dylan and I went in November. I did a lot of research and knew it would most likely be rainy/not the most ideal weather. We still ultimately decided to try it out, we were going for my birthday and it was sooooo inexpensive to travel during the off-season. Our roundtrip airfares were $350 non-stop from NYC, including a checked bag- so we couldn’t turn that down. I will say- the weather was not the best. It pretty much rained on and off every day we were there with temps 50s-60s. Personally I actually prefer lower temps, and we made the best of the rain. I don’t regret going during that time at all. There were barely any tourists, no lines, wait times, crowded areas. It was so cool to see the city during the off-season. Pros and cons to everything- do what works for you!
Itinerary: We flew into Rome, and took a train to florence. This was most cost-effective as flying into Florence can be more expensive. We stayed 5 days in Florence, next we took a train to Cinque Terre (~2hrs). Stayed in Cinque Terre for 2 days and then took a train to Rome where we stayed for 3 days and flew home from. The train ride from CT to Rome was about 5 hrs- we took an early morning train as to not waste a lot of day time and it worked out well! This was a bit of a hassle because we had all of our luggage and belongings to drag on and off the trains/into cabs, etc., but soo worth it. The trains are pretty easy to figure out and navigate and you can always as people for help! I plan to do other travel guides for the different cities and write a bit about our itinerary!
Ciao!
xx M