Florence train station,walk to hotel?
 

Hello all,
I have been reading all the great advice since last summer and have had most of my ?'s answered except this one.
My daughter (20 and college student) & I (45) are travelling from Venice to Florence by train on May 13 and staying at the Helvetia & Bristol Hotel for 4 nights. On mappy.com it states it is only .43 mile but as we have never been to Europe before we have no idea if we will be able to walk there. We will each be travelling with one rolling bag and a tote that fits over it.
Thanks for any help.
Carla

I would have no problem walking it in about 10 minutes. There will be a number of twists and turns, cobbled streets and narrow sidewalks. Since you will be unfamiliar with the city, just grab a cab at the train station.

If walking pop into the Florence Tourist Office in the Florence SMN station and buy a detailed map of town and ask them to pinpoint the hotel on it.

Momandbecky....I have walked from the train station (with luggage)to a B&B nearby and it is no problem. Just make sure you have good directions. And actually, my husband and I enjoyed it because we got to familiarize ourselves with the surrounding area along the walk.

We took the train to Florence last July and got a cab to our apartment.

Florence is very walkable and small but I would suggest getting in the cab line outside the train station and taking it to the hotel - it is not fun dragging luggage through the town... it should not be very expensive. jmo. Have a great time! We loved Florence!

We took a train from Rome to Florence couple years ago and our hotel was 1/2 mile from the train station and we thought we could walk there. But the roads around the train station was pretty confusing even I did have a good map with us. With luggage and the busy street, we tried and then gave up and took a cab there instead. It was much easier to take a cab rather than walking with your luggage on the cobbled streets. We later walked to the train station without luggage after we got a little familiar with the city and it was actually quite easy. But it's probably a good idea to just take a cab when you first arrive at somewhere you are not familiar with.

It is a fairly congested area IME and sidewalks rather narrow as places.

Hi, momandbecky,

it is very easy and cheap to get a cab in florence. as you come out of the station, head over to your left - you'll see the queue ahead of you. there is a chap organising people into the best cabs for them based on size of party, luggage, etc. probably only 5E to your hotel.

I would definitely get a cab there when you arrive - you can orient yourselves later.

regards, ann

Thanks to all for the timely responses!

Carla

Hi

I walked to the hotel when I landed in Florence last year. I checked up the location and route on http://maps.google.com first so it was pretty easy to find once I got there. Check out my trip report with pictures here: http://gardkarlsen.com/florence_italy_travelogue.htm :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Hi Mom,

It won't be difficult to walk.

When you exit the SMN station, there will be a large circle in front of you.

Go to your right and cross to the SMN church.

Follow your mappy directions from there.

Enjoy Florence.

I vote for catching a cab and getting to your hotel asap so you can hit the cobblestones for your sightseeing. I've walked from the station to my hotel before and yes it can be done but it's cumbersome carrying and rolling luggage along the crowded sidewalks in that area all the while trying to figure out what street you're on, etc. The most stress-less way is to trust the taxi driver to get you to your place of abode in a timely manner. And I'm glad you have allowed 4 days to explore this place. You are going to LOVE Florence!!!!

Oh and I must add (even tho you didn't ask this question!) We ate 3 times last spring at the
Baldovino(sp.?) restaurant just to the left of Santa Croce if you are facing it. It has both outside as well as inside dining and we found their food to be wonderful!
We also wanted to return to ZaZa's near the Mercato Centrale...on a prior trip we ate inside the restaurant but decided to eat outside on this visit...we were seated and as I looked at the menu it just didn't seem right. We were famished so we didn't give it much more thought and just ordered. As we waited for our food we realized that there were actually three outdoor seating areas, all three squished up next to each other. The area sandwiched in the middle (where we were located) was another restaurant, NOT ZaZa's but the other two seating areas were ZaZa's! Oh well...that being said...I highly recommend ZaZa's' ribollita zuppa - it's hearty and yummy!

When my daughter and I traveled to Florence by train, she was very familiar with the route to the hotel because she'd lived there. We took a cab, and I was really glad! The roads can be very narrow, with auto and traffic, and cobblestoned. I was really happy to spend the little cab fare and avoid trying to drag luggage through the streets. Sidewalks are narrow and cracky, if they exist.
:)>-

We also will be arriving in Florence by train. Are there cabs large enough to hold four adults and four rolling duffles?

Helvetia & Bristol is one of the more expensive hotels in Florence. I don't know if you care, but you will get better service if arrive in a taxi.

Do the walk. Narrow sidewalks though so be careful.

Personal choice I guess, but I really prefer taking a taxi to the hotel if it's a short distance. I hate struggling with even a small wheeled suitcase thru the streets of a city I am not familiar with. I'm a BIG walker, but after I ditch the luggage!

"better service if arrive by taxi"

Athena - not disputing this but could you please elaborate how this improves what service?

just curious

could also put your heavy luggage in the train station left luggage place but at about 5 euro a bag in think rather costly - but something to think about if say taking the train out the next day - leave the heavy stuff at the station

I understood Athena to mean that the staff of a high-class hotel like Helvetica & Bristol will act disdainfully if you walk instead of taking a taxi from the train station.

and this is a reason to take a taxi - how does what there service entails then done poorer?

I construed it to mean throughout their stay they would be treated like trailor trash

that someone disdains me because they may not get a tip for taking my bags out of the taxi would not bother me at all.

SnorkleSue - We had four persons, two adults, one teen and one 10 year old. We had WAY too much luggage for 4 people and we did manage to take a cab - we had to pass on a few in the cab line that were too small but some came up that were larger sedans.

I have observed the staff people at luxury hotels in Italy to look with disdain on guests who don't fit their definition of "suitable." The more expensive the hotel, the snootier the staff. That has been my experience, anyway. So I was just suggesting that they will get more respect if they show up in a taxi, instead of schlepping their own bags from the station.

Athena- i'm not disputing your findings

but besides no respect how does the service suffer

get a poorer room?

doormen won't open the door?

i would hope any really top hotel would instruct staff to treat everyone like a royal?

Interesting - I have stayed at my share of "snooty" hotels and have a hard time imagining they care if you walk from the train station..if they even notice?

Panquel do you think they will spit on you?

I do not know why but this is giving me the giggles... I am sure MomandBecky will be fine walking (although I would take a cab there - having been to Florence in July that would be my recommendation)...
but not so "I was treated well"...

When we were in Barcelona, we stayed at the Hotel Montreal and walked it from the train station. We had backpacks only, so that helped a bit, but I think you could walk it. Just take your time, and enjoy the city. You will pass restaurants, bakeries, etc. It will help you figure out were you are in the city and you might pass the laundromat, the cyber cafe, etc. which you might want to use later. Get a good map and enjoy your stroll.

You did not say when you are arriving. If it is early in the morning, the streets will be less crowded. If you are arriving after dark, I change my story and would take a cab.

I should have said Florence instead of Barcelona. I do not know how to change a post after it is posted.

<Panquel do you think they will spit on you>

No but that's kind of what i took Athena to mean

Makes me happy i do NOT stay in such snooty posh places, even if i could afford them

how awful to be scrutinized for signs of affluence by the staff when entering!

I know there are hotel employees who will treat you poorly if they don't like your looks, or your vehicle.

For instance, my daughter and I were treated VERY rudely by the doorman at the Sacher in Vienna. We were staying at the Kaiserin Elisabeth (a great little hotel), and we walked over to the Sacher to see it.

We weren't especially 'dressed up', but we were certainly presentable. (My daughter is a gorgeous blond, 19 at the time, and guys usually open doors for her! ha ha)

We were headed in the front door of the Sacher, just to see its lobby, and to look in their gift shop. The doorman stepped in front of us, and would NOT let us in. He said only guests could come in. I didn't make a fuss about it, just left, and silently vowed to never stay there.

On the other hand, we were at the Ritz in Marina del Rey, California, last week. Their front entrance is swarming with workers, and they were extremely helpful and friendly. Shows you that California truly is more 'laid back'.

Sorry to hi-jack your thread, momandbecky. To make up for it, here's a link to my Florence trip report, with my daughter. There are hotel and restaurant and sight-seeing recommendations in it. I loved Florence, and hope you will, too.

Florence:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34813784

:)>-

I used to walk from the train station on my travels (being the budget traveler that I am), but I'm now treating myself to more taxi rides and it's quite worth it. Taxi's are not that expensive for that short of a ride.

Monica ((F))

Thank you again for all your replies. I believe we'll take a taxi, we have not decided on the time we'll be arriving.

Yes, I am aware the Helvetia & Bristol is one of the more expensive hotels. We are staying at the Dona Palace (3nights)in Venice and the Grand Hotel de la Minerve (5 nights)in Rome. I am comfortable being a budget traveler on some vacations (including camping) but this is truly a once in a lifetime trip for just my 20 yr old daughter and myself that we have been talking about for years. Our hotel choices had a lot to do with location, 24hr front desk, room service and in some ways security.

While I assume that there are less expensive hotels that may serve this same purpose, after doing much research these are the ones we have chosen.

Carla

Carla, my trip with my daughter was similar to your idea of traveling with your daughter. I'm so glad we did it (without 'the boys'). She had finished her semester abroad in Florence, I'd never been to Italy, and we spent two weeks together there.

We had a wonderful time, and it was a real watershed in our relationship. A time to relate to one another differently than mom/daughter, like when we're home.

Enjoy your time together! You'll be really glad you did it.
:)>-

Momandbecky - I say enjoy!!! :-)

Hello momandbecky, just in case you come into the train station in Florence late in the evening and you do not find any taxis outside the train station here are two phone numbers for the main taxi companies so you can phone and and get a taxi.

055-4242 and
055-4390

These phone numbers were given to me by an Italian friend who lives in Florence.

Have a wonderful time with your daughter! And you will I know.