Florence in a day
 

My wife and I will be in Montecatini for 6 days starting March 22. We will have a car but plan to take the train to Florence for a day trip.
I would appreciate ideas for site seeing and eating in Florence.
We both have bad knees, not planning on climbing the 463 steps of the Duomo, but will tour the church.
We like churches, historic places, local places to eat with mostly locals and local outdoor markets,

As outstanding as the outside of the Duomo is, my opinion is that the inside really isn't worth the long queuing. Note that I had been warned of this myself and still queued and went in, I had to see with my own eyes.

The second floor of the Mercato Centrale is like a big food court of carefully selected Italian food vendors. We made a late lunch one day, selecting from a few different vendors. The lower level is mostly fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses. Outside the beautiful old building is surrounded by a giant leather market. About 20 minutes away is the Sant’Amrogio Market which has a wider variety of goods and is more for locals.

We found a lot of smaller restaurants and bars with more locals across the river in the Oltrarno area where we stayed. Fewer tourists on that side, and we focused on the gardens. It might require more walking than you might be seeking. If interested, here is our trip report from last fall: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...tober-1659717/

I think the inside of the Baptistry (just outside the Duomo) is stunning.

If the line for the Duomo isn't long (possible in late March), do go inside. The floor alone is worth viewing, and the interior of the dome is beautiful.

Another church worth seeing is Santa Croce which contains the tombs of many great Italians, such as Michelangelo and Galileo. There are several significant frescoes throughout as well as sculptures by Donatello and Canova. The crucifix by Cimabue became the symbol of Florence's recovery from the flood of 1966. Its restorations took decades. On the interior wall near the entry doors of the basilica is a mark noting how high the water rose during the flood.

In the refectory adjacent to Santa Croce is a series of frescoes painted by Taddeo Gaddi over a period of 30 years in the 14th Century. It includes the Last Supper, the Tree of Life and the Four Miracles. Gaddi's Last Supper pre-dates da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan by a century.

Are you familiar with the Santa Maria Novella Farmacia? Although their soaps, perfumes and skin and other products are becoming more accessible in retail stores around the world, I still think a visit to the original 'pharmacy' is a highlight of a visit to Florence. I buy gifts to take home to friends, both women and men. The rooms feel museum-like, and in fact there is an adjacent small library/museum that provides historical info. The farmacia is very close to the main train station (where you will arrive/depart) and is open daily until 8:00p.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/f...ary/index.html

Officina Profumo - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella - Florence

In a very short visit to Florence, and if there are walking issues, I would skip the Oltrarno, as interesting as it is. But if the weather is nice and I had time, I would splurge on a taxi to/from Piazzale Michelangelo for beautiful views of the city. If the Farmacia mentioned above is of interest, consider taking the taxi to the Piazzale late in the day (sunset will be at about 6:30p), then being dropped at the Farmacia and walking the short distance to the train station.

You can also easily bus to Piazzale Michelangelo. Seeing Michelangelo's David is amazing. Should get a reservation.

In a single day visit to Florence, time is of the essence. The bus to Piazzale Michelangelo is cheap, but it takes 2-3 times longer than a taxi, not counting waiting for the bus at each end. IMO, this is where you spend more to save time.

Thank you all for the advise. I would take a taxi to Piazzale Michelangelo if we cant walk it. Plan to be there before sunset, then take a taxi to the train station.

From the Ponte Vecchio, it's about a mile to Piazzale Michaelangelo, and about a quarter of that is somewhat steep.