florence in march -- crowds? flights?
 

We are planning a trip to Florence/Tuscany in mid-March. Is that a good time of year to visit? Also, which airlines would you recommend from the Washington DC area? Thanks!

Mary, If you noticed the thread about Horror in Italy you will see that Florence can be incredibly crowded in summer. March will be much less crowded. Obviously the weather will be not as nice and the daylight hours will be shorter but it will be glorious to have the city in it's much less crowded states.<BR><BR>For chosing an airline, I would go to orbitz and do a few test requests to see who flies direct and where you might get the best rates. Then you can try those airline websites directly to see if you might get better fares.

March was a perfect time for us in Italy. The weather was glorious and we never felt overwhelmed by crowds. Yes, there were plenty of tourists, but the only place where I was disappointed was in Florence. <BR><BR>Don't get me wrong, it is a magnificant city with art treasures not to be missed. But the sidewalks are very narrow so the &quot;crowds&quot; seem bigger than they really are. But once you leave the main streets and wander, it it much quieter and much more enjoyable.<BR><BR>We flew Alitalia and don't think we will do it again. Very cramped, terrible food, but the best landing we ever experienced. Not sure what to fly next time, but I've heard good comments about SwissAir and we've had very good experiences on Delta and Continental. But we always go with the best price and the best times...that usually is the deciding point.

Carol,<BR><BR>Were there significant crowds in Florence in March? Or did you just not like it as much as other places in Italy? Thanks for the input.

I just looked our photos we took in front of the cathedral and there are crowds everywhere. We were there n March 2000. Regardless of the crowds we had a fantastic time and love Florence. Just do no expect you will be there among a few other tourists. you will have to deal with crowds. Just be ready and have agreat trip.<BR><BR>We always fly with Continental.

I would not say that the crowds were overwhelming, but there are always plenty of tourists in Florence.<BR><BR>We had reservations for both the Ufizzi and the Accademia before 10:00 A.M. which eliminated waiting on lines. When we were leaving, the museums were becoming quite crowded. Don't forget that there are always plenty of schools on trips as well.<BR><BR>What I was most disappointed in was the of noise from the vespas. Somehow I expected a quieter Florence.<BR><BR>We also wanted to try a restaurant that was recommended to us. We arrived at 8:15 and there was a throng outside the door waiting for the restaurant to open for dinner. Since we were just two, we managed to get a table. I can't imagine what it must be like in July.<BR><BR>But all in all, Florence is a city not to be missed and I would go again in a minute...and then take off to the countryside afterwards for some peace and quiet.<BR><BR>Write me with any questions.

I was there in March of 2001 and I did not find it to be crowded at all. Yes, there were plenty of tourists, but no lines for anything. Well, not exactly true. We stood in a line to get into the Accademia but it was a short line that was about a 10 minute wait. I absolutely think March is the best time to go. We either wore a light jacket/sweater, or, most of the time, I just had on a long sleeve shirt and was fine.

Was in Florence March 01, March 02 and are going for a longer time in March 03. Wonderful time of year to be there. Weather was perfect, cool but sunny most of the time. Lots of college kids and school groups, but not overwhelming, in fact added to the fun.

Thanks for all of your input! Do you have any hotel recommendations in Florence or Tuscany? We are thinking of the Savoy in Forence, but it is a bit pricy. Thanks!

Have twice stayed at the Hermitage Hotel in Florence. GREAT location, near Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi. Ask for room facing back (courtyard) which is quieter. 3stars and probably around 200 a night although you may try to negotiate via fax or email. (www.hermitagehotel.com) Rooms are small, baths are very nice and we were very comfortable there , stayed 10 nights!!(in March)VERY centrally located

Mary, check out www.airfrance.com/us. They have had consistently good rates to Florence-Peretold (hint: do NOT fly into Pisa!) via Paris-Charles de Gaulle. They have a 5:30pm flight and 10:30pm flight and quick connections to Florence-Peretola. You may want to check out hotels on www.freedom-travel.com. I have used them before (they are based in NYCity). I stayed at the Hotel de la Ville (4 star) and paid a very reasonable rate for March and the location was perfect and very central (hard not to be in Florence given the centro storico is not large). The Hotel de la Ville was spotless, excellent service, wonderful breakfast and nice rooms and en suite bathroom (with tub). I hope this helps you. And Air France is a great airline in my opinion. I only have had consistently good results flying them.