Florence
 

Hello,
I will be traveling to Florence by train for ONE day. Can someone give me some sort of itinerary on what direction we should begin our sightseeing, finishing back at the train station? What would you recommend seeing if you only had one day?

Take a look at this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34605992

I haven't yet been to Florence (going this fall!) so I can't suggest anything personally, but this question has been asked other times, so you might try searching the forum.

See Michelangelo's magnificent David at the Accademia Museum. Our favorite sight in Florence. Are you going in the summer? check museum hours. Go in the afternoon if the museum is open, less crowded.

You can get advance reservations for both the Accademia and Uffizi gallery museums in florence to save time waiting in line.

Florence has many wonderful sights, just walking through the historic center is like strolling through an outdoor museum. The train station is close enough to these sights: Duomo and Baptistry, Ponte Vecchio and the Arno, Palazzo Vecchio etc. If you want to visit the Accademia or Uffizi museums make sure you have a reservation beforehand so you don't waste time standing in line. There is so much to see and do in Florence, don't feel bad if you can't fit it all into one day - just promise yourself that you will go back again sometime for a longer stay. Enjoy!

Hi Tee,

Get out your Florence map.

From the SMN train station walk up to the Mercato Centrale, then up to the Accademia to see The David.

Walk down Via Ricasolli to the Duomo Square. See the duomo, Baptistry and Museo.

Walk down via Calzaiuoli to Pzza Signoria.

Continue to the Uffizi.

Exit the Uffizi, turn right to the Ponte Vecchio.

Continue along the Arno and turn right at the next bridge. Walk up to the Via della Scala.

Look for the Farmacia at Via della Scala 16.

See the Santa Maria Novella. Return to the train station.

Since this will be a longwalk, you must stop for gelato at least every half hour.

((I))

We arrived at Noon, shopped at the outdoor market all day. At 9 the next morning, Magda from Vatican Tours and Beyond met us at the hotel, took us to the Accademia and Uffizi (after she stood in line since 6 for last minute tickets). We left her at 12 to catch a train. So, in those 3 hours we got an art history lesson, saw highlights of each museum, and heard a lot about the architecture and history of Florence. We never had to worry about tickets, stand in line, find our way around.....and saw more in those 3 hours than we could have in 8 hours on our own. 1 day is not enough, but if you get a guide, it will be worth your money.

Here's my shot at it, similar to Ira's with a few variations. (I think you don't have enough time to go in the Uffizi, because it is huge. The Accademia is smaller and easier, assuming you don't have to wait in line for tickets. )

From the station, walk to Piazza San Lorenzo. Go inside to see the Michelangelo sculptures and the Medici Chapels. Option: visit the Mercato Centrale instead, a huge produce market in a beautiful iron-lace building. Either way, get a gelato.

Then proceed to the Piazza del Duomo. Admire it from many angles. Take pictures. Enter the Baptistry; enter the Duomo or climb the Campanille if the lines are not too long.

Optional: If you have a.m tickets to Accadamia, either skip San Lorenzo or do not go indoors while visiting the Piazza del Duomo. If you have afternoon tickets, skip the Pitti Palace but do try and see the Ponte Vecchio.

Have lunch at one of the outdoor tables on Via San Lorenzo (a pedestrian street).

Stroll along via Dei Calzaiuoli to the Piazza Della Signoria, admire the statues (including the replica David), take pictures. Have some gelato and watch the crowds and pigeons.

Over to the Ponte Vecchio (through the upscale shopping district) and admire the views.

The Pitti Palace is not much to look at from the outside. Don't bother to hike there unless you have time to buy a ticket and visit a gallery or garden, and only if you not already exhausted. If you are weary, just have a gelato at the south end of the bridge.

Back across the Ponte Vecchio (alternative, across the Ponte S. Trinita so you can get a view of the Ponte Vecchio, then up Via Porta Rossa)) to the Piazza della Repubblica, browsing the open markets on its south-east corner. Enjoy the street musicians that are probably there. Have a drink on the piazza.

Dinner on the way back to the stazione, or in the neighborhood south of the Duomo -- do some research to find a good one,and maybe stop by earlier in the day to make a reservation.

Then back to the stazione. Collapse on the train.

Love ira's & capxxx's suggestions! A few things they missed & you might want to add:

1. Santa Croce (magnificent church & sprawling piazza down the street from Piazza della Signoria)

2. Piazzale Michelangelo & San Miniato (crossing the Arno and climbing the stone steps will lead you to these places that yield incredible, unforgettable views of the city)

Don't know exact streets/bridges -- check your map!

Have fun!