Florence Itinerary
 

We will have 4 full days in Florence in October. Want to spend one day in Siena. In terms of museums, we plan to visit Uffizi, Accademia, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens and possibly Bargello. It's hard to really tell distances from the maps I've looked at in the guidebooks. Are these close enough together that we can visit a couple of museums in one day? Too ambitious, besides the above and the other absolute "must-sees", to also spend a half day in Fiesole? <BR>Thanks for any advice.

Cindy - Why don't you make tentative plans, then see how you feel when you get there? You may decide to spend hours at the Uffizi, then skip the other museums, or spend hours at a cafe somewhere, enjoying Italian people-watching. Plan on visiting Fiesole only if you have the extra time. <BR> <BR>In terms of distance, based only on my memory (without checking a map), the Uffizi is not far from the Bargello, which is not far from the Accademia. If you have the stamina, you could easily visit all in one day. The Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens are further away, across the river (but still walking distance). <BR> <BR>You might get burned out doing too many museum-type places in one day, so you may want to space them out a little. I love the Bargello, it's one of my favorites, and it's a manageable size (I would pick it over the Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens any day). Since the Accademia really has one main piece, plus some "smaller" pieces, you won't be there as long as you will be (I would hope) at the Uffizi. Also factor in lines at the door of the Uffizi (you can buy tickets in advance).

Cindy, <BR> <BR>The problem is not distance. Uffizi is about a 20, 25 mins. walk from Accademia, and Boboli Gardens and Pitti are really close to each other, on the southern margin of the Arno. The problem would be so much art work in one single day. In my view, Uffizi is enough for one day, it's big, with so much to see, and wonder, whereas Accademia is much smaller. I haven't been to Pitti, just passed by, so I cannot tell how long it would take to see its collection, but I know there are several sections there. <BR> <BR>My suggestion would be spending a couple of hours at the Accademia, heading then to Fiesole to have lunch and spend the afternoon. Or forget Fiesole and go to see Bargello in the afternoon. <BR> <BR>On another day, visit the Uffizi and spend the rest of the day walking, seeing the Duomo, crossing Ponte Vecchio and exploring Florence on foot. <BR> <BR>On another day, head to Sienna and San Gemignano. <BR> <BR>On another day, explore the southern margin of Florence ,and Boboli Gardens after having visited the Pitti Palace. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Lexma90 and Surlok - <BR> <BR> I appreciate your suggestions. I was asking because I wanted to make reservations ahead of time, at least for Uffizi and Accademia. Think I will make the reservations for two separate days, then decide on the others once we're there.

I made reservations for Uffizi for first thing in the morning. The rest of the day is flexible, but I was thinking of crossing the Ponte Vecchio and doing Pitti Palace and maybe Boboli Gardens.

I also should mention that I reserved for Accademia for first thing in the morning on another day and a chianti tour at 2 in the afternoon. Was planning on walking around for the middle part of the day and seeing whatever I had time to see (duomo, etc.)

Viewing the David et al in the Accademia won't take more than 30 minutes--it's standing in line that takes the time. The Uffizi, depending on your appetite for art, will probably take you from 1-1/2 to 3 hours, excluding waiting on line. The Bargello, also one of my favorites, can be done in 1-2 hours and there's never a line. One of the most beautiful and moving places in Florence is the Museo San Marco (the Fra Angelico museum). It's the monastery where he frescoed each of the cells and it's an extraordinary place. It's near the Accademia, and I'd recommend going to both in the morning. The Fra Angelico at 9 am because it's best to see it in silence, if possible.

Perfect, Cindy, <BR> <BR>And if you feel that another Museum, or gallery will be too much for the day, you can skip something and enjoy the gardens, Ponte Vecchio and Florence itself, or see part of the Palazzo Pitti. <BR> <BR>The Accademia is very easy to do, so you'll have time to see the Duomo and stroll around before the chianti tour. <BR> <BR>Enjoy Florence, and have a great trip, <BR> <BR>Surlok <BR>

Thanks, all, for your suggestions.

Cindy: To give you another idea on distances look at your guidebook map. Now make a square using the train station, Santa Croce Church, Accademia and the Pitti Palace as your 4 sides. Basically all the sites and most hotels are within that square which is roughly 1 sq/mi (1.6sq/km). HTH Regards, Walter <BR>

The reason I made reservations for the Uffizi and the Accademia for first thing in the morning on two different mornings is that I find it difficult to tear myself away from wherever I'm sightseeing to make an appointment across town. For me, this is easier to do right after breakfast..then the rest of my day is less structured. <BR> <BR>If you want to skip Fiesole but still have a wonderful vista point over Florence, take the bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Cindy: <BR>For lunch before or, preferably, after (so you can sit back and relax without worrying about hurrying off) the Uffizi, I recommend the enchanting Ristorante Montecatini at 6R Via dei Leoni (phone 055-284863); it is in the street directly behind (to the east) the Uffizi. Run by the owner, who makes wonderful desserts with fresh fruit each morning (pear and walnut torte the first day we were there; apple and custard tart the second). On top of the hot, delicious food: Fast, efficient service; affordable daily specials (2 courses for 15,000 and 20,000 L); good selection of wine; impeccably clean restroom (!!!). We liked it so much we went back rather than experiment with a different place. Enjoy! CC