Accademia and Florence questions
 

On our trip next month, we will arrive in Florence on Thursday, Nov 1 (a holiday). We pick up our rental car at the airport. Then maybe park at Piazza Michelangelo and walk down into Florence for a few hours before heading to our hotel in Castellino.

Two questions:
What is the best way to get from the airport to Pza Michelangelo? Any tips about parking there?

Given that it's a holiday, should we get a reservation for the Accademia? I've had Florence hotels do this in the past. Would it be reasonable to ask our Chianti hotel to make Accademia reservations (is it long distance?)? Or, is there an online resource where one can make reservations without charge?

Thanks

If you go to the Accademia website there is a phone number. All you have to do is call and you will speak to an english speaking operator who will give you a reservation for when you want it. You will not be asked for your credit card. Just show up on schedule and if there is a line it will be much shorter than the line of people waiting without reservations. Very easy to do yourself.

Hi JB,

For route from FLR to PM, see www.viamichelin.com

Uffizi and Academia Museum Reservations
The easiest and cheapest way is to call Florence 1016868 (dial around number), 011 (U.S. international access code) 39 (Italy's country code) then 055-294-883 8:30-18:30 M-F and 8:30-12:00 Sat. Florence time. There is a long listing of press 1 for this and 2 for that--press 4 for bookings. You will get an English speaking operator and in 2-3 minutes YOU CAN RESERVE FOR BOTH. This is through the reservation service at the Uffizi and costs beyond the normal entry fee only about 3 euro for the service. This is MUCH cheaper than the commercial booking services.

You will not be charged for the reservations unless you use them.

((I))

Thanks, y'all. (a little southern lingo for Ira's benefit!)

Ira:
Those directions to Pza Michelagelo don't look like anything I'd want to tackle that first morning on the ground.

Any suggestion for the best (easy to get to) place to park for a short day trip into FLorence?

Could you just park the car at the airport after you pick it up? Then take a cab or bus into Florence for a few hours.

Since the airport isn't that far, why not just get a taxi into Florence? Then take a taxi back to the airport and pick up your car.

I'm no expert on Florence, but it's hard to imagine that you're going to find an "easy to get to" spot that's within walking distance of the sites you want to see.

Well, that's certainly a good idea. I'd like to go ahead an rent the car to have somewhere to stash our luggage. But if the agency won't let us leave the car then we certainly could park right there at the airport. Good thinkin'!

Our other option is to drive on down to Castellina and take the train into Florence the next day. I'll have to look into train schedules. Thanks, all!

Unless you have a direct line to the parking gods <G> your not going to be able to just drive up and find a place to park.
You need to research parking. All day bus ticket is 4e you might park on outskirts and do the bus number. #17 stops just around the corner from the museum a 2 min. walk

We've talked it over and think we might prefer to leave Florence til the next day. It's being a holiday was the main factor. Why take a chance on huge crowds when Friday might be much better?

We'll drive on down to Castellina the first day. From the Chianti area we can catch a train into Florence the next day.

Thanks everyone for all the great tips.