Hello,

We are hoping to stop in Florence during our train ride to Sorrento. We would like to spend a few hours and are considering a walk through the Rose Garden (Giardino delle Rose). This will be during June. Is this a good time to visit? Or does someone else know of a scenic area we could visit, maybe with a good view of the city? My mom truly loves flowers/gardens so I figure with the limited time, this would be a pretty & scenic area for her? It also seems like it would be relaxing.

Thank you!

Please remind me. You are taking the train to Sorrento - from where?

Hello 3gentravel, the rose garden is very beautiful as is the view. I was sure I was there during the later half of June but evidently it was the first half of June, assuming this website is correct that the garden is closed after the middle of June. I hope it works out that you and your mother can visit it.

http://www.igougo.com/review-r118382...elle_Rose.html

There is no consensus and no reliable information on when the Rose Garden is open. Most sites say until mid-June; the Florence Tourist Office said (for 2010) until the end of June:
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/fire...ew-places.html

Mid-June seems more likely to me: The Rose Garden in Rome was open last year from mid-May to June 6. Even if it's open, it's likely to be past its prime after mid-June.

Also, how are you going to get there? You either walk up from Via dei Bastioni or down from Piazzale Michelangelo. You can take the bus to Piazzale Michelangelo, which has one of the best views of the city, then walk down if you have the time and the energy.

Bear in mind that it will be another three hours by train to Naples and another hour from Naples to Sorrento.

Well, I think we will miss the prime-or miss it all together, as well will be there mid-June. I did calculate the time for the train to Sorrento (from Venice). Which is why I was hoping to do something simple. However, it seems we won't make the Rose Garden (I originally looked at Lily Garden-but it's prime was up much earlier). But, if Piazzale Michelangelo has the best views of the city-then going there seems to be enough! That little bit of info is a great help. I will do some more research about getting to Piazzale Michelangelo and see if time permits.

Thank you all!!!

If you want gardens with magnificent views, the Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufulo, both in Ravello, would not totally disrupt your train journey to Sorrento.

i may be shot down in flames, but I would say don't be tempted to go to the boboli gardens as a substitute. not only is it very difficult to find [at least, we found it to be so] but it's not much to see when you get there. it's certainly no substitute for the giardino delle Rose, or other gardens of that type, and it's quite hilly so may not suit your mother on that ground alone. and it's expensive - €8 each about 4 years ago [2006 ish].

there are a couple of books on gardens in Italy, which you may be able to find in your local library.

From Firenze SMN (the main train station) to reach Piazzale Michelangelo, you can take bus 12 or 13. Both these buses follow pretty much the same route, but in opposite directions. You might be tempted to take the bus, thinking that you will get to "see a bit of the city," but from personal experience, I can tell you that you will have a 30 minute ride in a circle outside the center of town--not very illuminating. If there are just two of you, I would opt for a taxi from the station to maximize your time.

After you enjoy the view from the piazzale, depending on how you feel and the time you have, you could walk down the hill to the rose garden, and even walk all the way back into the center to the train station. A carefully chosen route would give a feeling for most main sights of Florence--cross the Ponte Vecchio, past the Uffizi, through the Piazza della Signoria, past Palazzo Vecchio, past the Duomo and Baptistery--it's a relatively direct route back to the train station.

Fantastic!! Excellent ideas everyone! thank you So much! If a taxi will permit 2 adults & a 12 yr old-that is what we will do-knowing the bus is going to "unattractive" for this particular jaunt!

No problem to take three in a taxi. The main benefit of the taxi will be saving time on a tight schedule and taking you up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo. If you feel like walking, it will be all downhill from there. (The bus goes through OK areas . . . you just won't get the overview of the city center you might have expected.)