rosecity15

Would love some feedback of whether my thinking is too ambitious. I'll be in Florence for four nights in mid-October, which I'm thinking will be the art-heavy portion of my trip.

This is what I'm thinking:

Thursday afternoon: arrive by train from Rome - settle in to B&B, dinner and a good night's sleep.

Friday - Museo di San Marco in the morning, lunch and wandering around, Galleria Dell 'Accademia later in the day, dinner

Saturday - Medici Chapels in the morning, explore the Central Market and possibly lunch there, Uffizi Gallery later in the day, dinner

Sunday - Boboli Gardens in the morning, lunch and wandering around, possibly the Costume or Modern Art Gallery after lunch, dinner

Monday - check out of B&B, pick up car and head to Tuscany

Since so many of my interests are covered by the Firenze card, I am strongly considering purchasing one (with the added benefit of not having to pre-schedule my visits, so I can make adjustments on the fly if needed). And of course, the wandering around will include looking for great caffe and gelato - maybe chocolate. You know, the basic neccessities.

Does this sound like too much? Is there something else that you would recommend that I don't have listed?

Thanks!

VeronicaInTuscany

Hi! Maybe I can help you, I live in Sienna, and I know Florence very well. You'll can do your itinerary, of course! Florence is a small city, and you can walk everywhere. If you like churches, I can recommend you to visit Santa Croce and a little chappel, Orsanmichele (near Via dei Calzaiuoli, near the Cathedral).
If you want to have lunch in a small but great terrace, you can go to the Rinascente (big store in Piazza della Repubblica)take the lift to the highest floor, then take the stairs to the bar in the terrace.
Have a nice trip!

tarquin

Your plan sounds relaxed and easily doable. But San Marco is very close to the Accademia, I would do the two together. San Marco first, then a coffee and pastry at the nice caffe on the corner of the piazza, then the Accademia.

vietritiles

Do you have a guidebook with a good map of Florence that also helps you estimate how long it takes to typically tour an attraction? It would be good to have one, just for Florence. I would recommend visiting the inside of the Baptistry. Even though you are only going to be there a short while, having a guidebook just for Florence means you know what you are walking past on your way to other places.

I once went up to the terrace bar at the Rinascente and I don't think the food is very good or the view all that great. If tarquin is referring to Caffe San Marco, it has nice pastries, but it is a rather pricey place, relative to other places to have a coffee.

mamcalice

Your itinerary is not only doable, it seems ideal to me. You don't include the Duomo, which you must make time to see.

Agree with Tarquin; you can do the San Marco and the Accademia together - they do not require lengthy visits and are close to each other. That will give you a free afternoon to visit Santa Croce - well worth it.

Personnally, I would try to see the Uffizi in the morning when you are rested and bright eyed. The Uffizi is quite an ordeal - huge, disorganized and very crowded. But also quite worth it.

When you visit the Boboli Gardens, continue up the hill to the Piazzelle Michelangelo for a wonderful view of Florence.

Have one lunch in the Piazza della Signoria. It is great for people watching. And enjoy your trip.

vietritiles

Again, I'm going to disagree with the advice to pay the exorbitant prices at eateries ringing the piazza della Signoria, not in the least because the people you will be watching are fellow tourists, not the Italian life of Florence. There are many, many places to enjoy a street-side or piazza-side meal in Florence, with good food and lower prices, where you can watch the Fiorentini go about their present day lives away from the tourist industry there.

rosecity15

Thank you so much! I realized just before I went to bed that I had forgotten the Duomo and the Baptistry (I at least want to see the doors). And the other suggestions sound great, too. Can't wait to get home from work tonight to take another pass at planning Florence... it has been so much fun!

As an aside, I had to go to a local outdoor shopping area in my town yesterday, so I practiced being in Italy by getting a coffee (iced - it was about 96 degrees yesterday) and sitting for a bit in a small courtyard watching a couple of toddlers playing in a fountain (built for that purpose) while all of us adults rested and smiled... I am so ready for this trip!

golfernz1

Most of these suggestins are good ones, I would study the map as someone said and plan a route where you are picking up the places you want to see along the way and not doubling back with extra walking. It will be quite busy, last time I was there early october and the lines were quite long. If you go to the Boboli Gardens you should also take in one or of the museums in the Pitti Palace, the Medici have left a treasure trove of objects for our enjoyment, I think the Italians are so lucky. I also visited the Medici libraries on my last visit which were again extraordinary. Try to arrive at an attraction first thing when it opens to beat the queues. I don't take much time over lunch stops, preferring to sightsee and then maybe taking more time over dinner. Ask a few locals where they dine as there are so many tourist traps in the piazzas with very mediocre menus at high prices.
Heres a special suggestion that I found by accident one day. Walk along the street to the right from the Ponte Vecchio facing the Pitti Palace, there's a small walkway to the riverside and there is situated the beautiful Hotel Lungarno. It has a terrace bar and although I only asked for a coffee I was served with it some lovely small cakes. The service was impeccable It was a joy to sit in these nice surroundings and look out to the Ponte Vecchio, a small piece of tranquility in a busy day. Have fun.