Florence ... This is what I'm thinking!
Apr 15th, 2006, 12:42 PM
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Florence ... This is what I'm thinking!
I will be in Florence for 2 days on business and I'll have about a day and a half of free time to see the sites. Haven't been to Florence since I was 12, so I don't really remember much. I'd like to take advantage of the time I'm there and see as much as possible (I can work on little sleep and lots of walking LOL). The following are sites which I'd like to see...
-Piazza Del Duomo (Duomo, Battistero & Campanile)
-Piazza della Signoria
-Galleria degli Uffizi
-Santa Croce
-San Lorenzo
-Galleria D'Accademia
-Ponte Vecchio
-Giardino di Boboli
Is it possible to see all this in a day and a half???
As well, I'd like to go to Pisa. I'm under the understanding that its a 1 hour train ride to Pisa from Florence. Is this correct? How much does the train ride cost?
Thanks for all your help.
Rick
-Piazza Del Duomo (Duomo, Battistero & Campanile)
-Piazza della Signoria
-Galleria degli Uffizi
-Santa Croce
-San Lorenzo
-Galleria D'Accademia
-Ponte Vecchio
-Giardino di Boboli
Is it possible to see all this in a day and a half???
As well, I'd like to go to Pisa. I'm under the understanding that its a 1 hour train ride to Pisa from Florence. Is this correct? How much does the train ride cost?
Thanks for all your help.
Rick
Apr 15th, 2006, 01:01 PM
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Just barely. You should think of doing Firenze all in one day, and Pisa on the half day.
What time of year are you going? In summer, the upside is longer days. The downside is heat that makes it hard to keep up that pace. If it is not summer, you are going to have a hard time fitting all that in, partly because some churches and museums also keep shorter hours.
You need to make a reservation for the Uffizi and Accademia. Perhaps you should make your Uffizi reservation for nighttime.
Yes, the train to Pisa is an hour. But you also have to get to and from the train station in both places. You might want to see San Lorenze very early in the mroning on your way to Pisa. You might splurge on a taxi to and from the monuments in Pisa. Please see the cathedral in Pisa. You also might want to book your tickets in advance in Pisa if you are going in the high season.
I would also try to see the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signorina on your first morning before everything else opens up. Boboli Gardens I would save until you've seen everything else, maybe watch the sunset from up there before you go to the Uffizi at night.
Just some thoughts.
What time of year are you going? In summer, the upside is longer days. The downside is heat that makes it hard to keep up that pace. If it is not summer, you are going to have a hard time fitting all that in, partly because some churches and museums also keep shorter hours.
You need to make a reservation for the Uffizi and Accademia. Perhaps you should make your Uffizi reservation for nighttime.
Yes, the train to Pisa is an hour. But you also have to get to and from the train station in both places. You might want to see San Lorenze very early in the mroning on your way to Pisa. You might splurge on a taxi to and from the monuments in Pisa. Please see the cathedral in Pisa. You also might want to book your tickets in advance in Pisa if you are going in the high season.
I would also try to see the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signorina on your first morning before everything else opens up. Boboli Gardens I would save until you've seen everything else, maybe watch the sunset from up there before you go to the Uffizi at night.
Just some thoughts.
Apr 15th, 2006, 01:05 PM
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Thanks for the advice. I'll be going the first week of May. I know some places I won't be able to see, since they may be closed. I'm not sure where I'm staying in Florence, so I don't know where the hotel would be in relation to the train station. How far is the Leaning Tower in Pisa from the train station. I basically want to go to Pisa just to see the Duomo and the Leaning Tower ... Can this round trip be done in a morning??
Apr 15th, 2006, 02:25 PM
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From the train station, it's about a half hour's walk to the monuments. Then you have to buy a ticket.
You can check out train schedules at Trenitalia. (Remember that you are departing from Firenze, not Florence.) If you get up early (and don't bother climbing the tower) you can see the tower, the Duomo and I would add the small bapistery and be back by 1pm easily, I should think.
If you get a map of Firenze, you can map out an efficient walking itinerary, keeping in mind that you can see outdoor things very early in the morning before the churches and museums open, and might want to book yourself into a museum for the hottest part of the day.
You are probably not going to have time for a restaurant lunch, but you'll find enough pizza, souvlaki, and bakeries and such open to keep you going. And at the end of the day, you can have a feast.
You can check out train schedules at Trenitalia. (Remember that you are departing from Firenze, not Florence.) If you get up early (and don't bother climbing the tower) you can see the tower, the Duomo and I would add the small bapistery and be back by 1pm easily, I should think.
If you get a map of Firenze, you can map out an efficient walking itinerary, keeping in mind that you can see outdoor things very early in the morning before the churches and museums open, and might want to book yourself into a museum for the hottest part of the day.
You are probably not going to have time for a restaurant lunch, but you'll find enough pizza, souvlaki, and bakeries and such open to keep you going. And at the end of the day, you can have a feast.
Apr 15th, 2006, 08:22 PM
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You can definitely do it!
We did all of those sights, except for the Boboli Gardens in 24 hours once (arrived one late afternoon, and left the next day in the late afternoon).
Haven't done Pisa, so can't advise about that.
Make your musuem reservations and get a good map--I like the "Red Map" or "streetwise", and try to stay in a central hotel.
Have fun!
Dina
We did all of those sights, except for the Boboli Gardens in 24 hours once (arrived one late afternoon, and left the next day in the late afternoon).
Haven't done Pisa, so can't advise about that.
Make your musuem reservations and get a good map--I like the "Red Map" or "streetwise", and try to stay in a central hotel.
Have fun!
Dina
