We are headed to Rome late March, my DH, myself, our infant son, and my mother-in-law. We are celebrating her 50th birthday on Monday, March 23rd, and have decided to surprise her with a daytrip to Florence. Below are my plans, and a few questions. Any input is welcome (we did the daytrip to Florence 3 years ago, so we know we are in for a long day! Thankfully baby sleeps well while travelling...)

7:30AM - Express Train to Florence. Arrives at 9AM
I am horrible at navigating Trenitalia's site - what type of tickets should I be looking for? It looks like we qualify for one of the discounts, but I can't figure it out.

Duomo upon arrival, probably just the piazza and exterior

11:30 reservations at Academia to see David

Lunch at Il Fratelini - frankly, I'm making the trip to Florence just to eat in the alley!!

San Croce - MIL and DH will probably shop at Santa Maria Novella while I enjoy being back at San Croce
Is SMN open on Mondays? How do they get there from the San Croce piazza??

Shopping for rest of afternoon - MIL will love jewelry shops on Ponte Vecchio
Any other suggestions for shopping locations?

We'll take the 6:30 express train back.

Thoughts??

Thanks in advance!

Monday is not a good day for Florence. The museums you want to see will be closed.

Thanks- I was surprised to find out that the Accadmia is open for just three hours on Monday - but they do have ticket reservations still left for that day.

Ok, we've decided to push the trip back to Tuesday, to ensure that more shopping, etc. is open. Any thoughts on shopping areas we should go to?

I'm not sure where you saw the Accademia listed as open because it's closed on Mondays, as is the Uffizi. Here's the website if you do want to book advance tickets. Perhaps you clicked the "David restored exhibition" on the website which is for Donatello's David at the Bargello (open Mondays), not Michelangelo's at the Accademia.
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en...sei/accademia/

I would shop first and go the Accademia in the afternoon as it's usually less crowded then.

If you haven't been to I Fratellini before, there are no seats. You must stand while eating, but it's certainly a bargain.

This is where I admit to a big mistake - I was looking at the Accademia in Venice - oops! Thanks for the link. I will call in the AM to book (hopefully) Academia

Do not go on Monday.
Buy your train tickets in Rome a day before from any travel agent. Take the ES trains.

Hi eb,

>have decided to surprise her with a daytrip to Florence. .....7:30AM - Express Train to Florence. <

I am sure that she will be surprised, but will she be overjoyed to have to be on a 07:30 train?

You want the Amica discount fare.

This might help you:
A DAY IN FLORENCE:

Train to Florence SMN:
The Luggage Office is to your left as you leave the train.

From Piazza d' Stazione, walk up via Nazionale to via d'Ariento and the Mercato Centrale, wander through.

Take any street going NE to Via Degli Alfani and go right to the Accademia for The David.

Take via Ricasoli SE to the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Opera Museum (Originals of the bronzes on the doors)

From the Campanile, take via Calzaiuoli S (do some window shopping) to the Piazza d' Signoria. Look around, take a break.

Continue S to the Uffizi. Visit.

From the Uffizi, walk W along the Arno River to the Ponte Vecchio.

(You can walk up to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens if there is time. Great views of Florence from the top of the Gardens)

If you have time, walk E along the S bank of the river to Ponte alle grazie and cross over to visit Santa Croce.

If not, go W along the Arno from Ponte Vecchio to Ponte S. Trinita and go right. Go left on Via d'Spada to via d'Fossi and go right to Santa Maria Novella. Look around.

SMN is across the square from the train station.

If you have time, take the no. 7 bus (you can find it at the SMN train station) up to Fiesole (0:20 hr 1E) to watch the sunset from the terrace of the Bar Bleu.

Be sure to have lots of gelato (in a cup, not a cone), take some wine breaks and a light lunch.

Bus routes are at http://www.ataf.net/
Buy your ticket before you get on the bus. Stamp it in the yellow box on the bus.

Uffizi and Academia Museum Reservations
You can purchase tickets online at http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/

Have a nice visit.

ira - thank you so much for your help - this is great. we used your advice three years ago for another daytrip to Florence, and it was priceless.

No worries on the 7:30 train - she'll forgive us.

I don't get all the fascination with David. After all, there's a copy outdoors in the Piazza Signoria. Whereas the Uffizi is one of the great art museums of the world, not too big but with a superb collection of Renaissance paintings. So, of course, I'd put it first.

One thing to be said for David in the Accademia: it won't take much time away from shopping.

We are also contemplating a day trip to Florence similar to this, but am worried about dealing with luggage. How secure is the luggage drop at the train station? (ie. secure enough to perhaps leave a laptop?) Has anyone had any theft issues? How long does it take to check-in and check-out your luggage? Is it minimal or something you need to build time for?

We had a less than stellar experience at the Uffizi last trip - while I'll admit there is some great artwork, the atmosphere, and organization, of the museum really turned me off. However, having seen the David in person, I do understand the fascination - it is absolutely gorgeous in person. In addition, the "slaves" of Michaelangelo are astounding to see - you can actually see how he worked, and although I've always been amazed that they can do what they do, to see it "in progress" is something. All that said, MIL would much rather be out and about than in a museum - but she'll love to say she saw David on her 50th!

I did Florence as a day trip from Rome, we got later trains than those you plan on taking.

I bought the tickets from a travel agents just by the tram stop next to the Cat Sanctuary ... Largo di Argentina?

Here is the link to my trip report, just scroll down to find the Florence bit.

Oh, and Ira's directions are excellent!

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ht-of-rome.cfm

Just a quick report. We ended up on the 8:30 train (MIL was a bit slower getting out of the house in the mornings than we thought she'd be - we almost didn't make this train!). Got to Florence right on time.

Started with SMN pharmacia - spent a good deal of time (and money!) there. Weather in Florence was horrendous - cold and rainy, with crazy wind. At one point, we had to run for cover because a gale of wind hit the square in front of San Croce that sent everyone running!

Over the few hours we were there, we managed to shop at Scuola del Cuoio, the leather school in San Croce, make a tour through San Croce, see the inside of the Duomo with the masses of other people that were escaping the rain, enjoy sandwiches at Il Fratelini (they are on Facebook now - the world just got even smaller!!), say a quick "hi" to David and drop enough on the Ponte Vecchio to really make my MIL's birthday special. She bought a necklace at the only store on the bridge that has a balcony and they let us out on it to enjoy the view - spectacular! I would never get anything done if I worked there!

We ended up in taxis most of the day - we were travelling with an infant, and it was too rainy and windy and cold to keep subjecting him to the weather.

We made it back just in time for the 6:30 train, and all was well, until the train broke down. We didn't make it back until after 11:30 that night.

All in all, my MIL seemed thrilled with her birthday and has the memories a 50th birthday warrants. Thanks to all for your help!

Sounds like you had a lot of fun!
How nice that she could spend her 50th with her children and grandchild in such a wonderful location!