yankeetraveller

I'm trying to plan a trip to Florence and Cinque Terre for the first week of July - is this too late? I plan to stay 2 nights in Florence 1 day in Siena 2 days in CT and then back to Florence for 2 more days.

I'm a single female travelling alone in her 50s I've been to Florence so many moons ago and want to revisit. Do you have suggestions for hotels centrally located, single friendly around US$200/night. I normally rent an apartment when I travel with friends but since I'm going by myself I figured its better/safer (?) to stay in a hotel.

Thanks

kja

I loved La Torretta in Manarola:
http://www.torrettas.com

Have you considered having all your time in Florence in one chunk so you don't have to relocate that one more time?

hollywoodsc

You can do Siena as a day trip and save yourself the trouble of changing hotels, which eats up time checking out, carting luggage to the bus/train station, checking in, etc.
I was in Florence last Fall, (single, late 40's), had a fabulous time. It's a very walkable, friendly city.
Definitely book flight and hotel asap. Train tickets you can buy when you get there.
I stayed at the Palazzo Benci hotel. Very centrally located in the Piazza Di Madonna Degli Aldbrandini 3, and right across from the Medici Chapel. My room was small and not fancy but clean. The staff was very helpful and breakfast offered a good variety. Next door was a small cafe where you could sit with a cafe' and brioche and watch people going thru the piazza. I paid 85 Euro/night.
I did a day trip to Siena and San Gimignano thru Viatour. It was a r/t bus trip from Florence with a narrated tour, a city guide in Siena, time for lunch and then on to S. Gimignano in the afternoon and return to Florence in the evening.
Make reservations for the Uffizi and Academia to avoid long lines.
Artviva offers great Florence city tours. I did an Uffizi tour, and an evening Renaissance tour that was a lot of fun and ended with an olive oil and wine tasting on the other side of the river.

bobthenavigator

I like Tourist House Giberti in Florence.

yankeetraveller

kja and hollywood sc Siena will be a day trip either through Viator or on my own I read that its an easy bus trip from Florence.

Is CT an easy day trip?

chevre

No CT is not any easy day trip, but I wouldn't want to miss staying overnight any way. I would stay in one of the 4 smaller towns. Vernazza while more touristed is a nice compromise of quiet and people especially if traveling alone; beautiful vistas while sitting at an outdoor cafe.