Florence questions - museums+
 

Does anyone know if you need to reserve tickets in advance for the Bargello Museum and/or Pitti Palace? What about the Botticelli exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi?

Also, how much are the carriage rides around the city from Piazza Della Signoria? Do they go at night as well?

Thanks!

We only made reservations for the Uffizi and the Accademia (and didn't even end up needing them). I haven't really heard of making advance reservations for other sights in Florence. We also never encountered any lines at the Bargello or Pitti Palace, and we were there in July.

Can't comment on the carriage rides. Sorry.

I don't think you CAN purchase advance tickets for the Bargello and the Pitti.
At the Bargello you generally don't need them anyway, it is an under-visited museum given the treasures it has.

The Pitti, which wasn't one of my favorites has several museums to choose from, when you get there it is all explained at the ticket windows.
The art is packed in, covering all the wall space, not shown to its best advantage imo. If you're going to climb about in the Boboli Gardens (they are on a steep hill) carry a water bottle but not much else as it can be a strenuous climb for some.

Ditto

According to Rick Steves, you can make reservations at the Pitti and the Bargello by calling 011 39 055-294-883 8:30-18:30 M-F and 8:30-12:00 Sat. Florence time, at least a day before your visit and ideally at least a few days in advance for a better selection.. You will get an English speaking operator and in 2-3 minutes you'll get an entry slot (15-min window) and a six-digit confirmation number.. Using the same phone number, you can reserve in advance for the Accademia and Uffizi.

I am not sure about the Strozzi, but my guess is you can also reserve through that number, ask the operator. FYI, the Strozzi has late evening hours (until 11 pm) on several nights, which is a great time to go. I thought the exhibit was very good. I don't think the Strozzi ever gets really crowded.