Our Florence Agenda...what do you think?
 

We are going to be in Florence for 3 nights. We have a rough idea of what we are going to do....there are 5 of us. 2 adults and our 3 gals (16,12,9)

Tuesday we arrive by train to the Santa maria Novella station coming from Venice. (not sure how long of a train ride) ...would love any hints about travelling from venice to here...is there more than one train I should consider? I know there are different classes...what do I want.

We are then walking to our B & B Residenza Il Villino. It doesn't look too far on a map. It's near the duomo.

We will settle in and then grab a bite to eat either on our way to the hotel or quickly there after...any suggestions?

Duomo on this day too. We are going to climb to the top. Do you recommend the "Terraces of the Cathedral and dome tour?"

Should we also see the Museum? Bapistry?

Then onto the Piazza de republica MERCATO NUOVA...hoping for souveniers here.

Is there anything else I should squeeze into this day? How long will the Duomo and others take?

Any restaurants nearby you would suggest?

Wednesday...day 2
Uffizi Gallery ...any other recommendations? I hear doing the Uffizi and Accademia are a bit much for one day.

Day 3 - should we do the Pitti palace, walk the bridge?

As you can see we need help with our agenda.....Love to hear from you!

You definitely need to climb the Piazza di Michaelangelo. It is at the top of the hill on the other side of the river. It has a beautiful view of the entire city and a great place to have a picnic or just relax and enjoy the view.

Make sure you wear comfortable shoes though because it is a walk up a steep hill/stairs so it gets tiring.

I say definitely yes for the Baptistry and the Duomo Museum -- especially the bronze doors of the former. And that goes for the Pitti Palace (be sure to see the nearby Boboli Gardens, too).

The Accademia is not a large museum, so the chances of getting "museum-ed out" by combining it with the Uffizi are actually slim. Getting timed entries to both is a good idea, though.

I think your tentative itinerary is fine. Feel free to add in another church or two if you want (Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novello), or perhaps a visit to the Bargello (a smallish and excellent sculpture museum).

A note about Piazz(alle) Michelangelo: I recommend that you visit it, too, especially at sunset, but I wouldn't walk. You can get there and back by bus quickly and cheaply.

Agree that you can see the Accademia and Uffizi in the same day with timed tickets. That is, unless you are real museum junkies, because you could spend a lot of time in the Uffizi. Have your hotel book the tix for you, or use the international phone number. The operators are efficient and speak excellent English. Don't use the website -- there's a ridiculous surcharge.

For the Duomo climb, do it firs thing in the a.m. to avoid the lines.

"A note about Piazz(alle) Michelangelo: I recommend that you visit it, too, especially at sunset, but I wouldn't walk. You can get there and back by bus quickly and cheaply. "

We always make the walk to San Miniato when in Florence, which is above Piazzalle Michelangelo. We are active and enjoy the exercise. And it helps us walk off some of the great food and wine we enjoy while there.:)

Or take the bus up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo and walk back into town . . .

I would definitely take the bus to Piazzalle Michelangelo and walk back (down). That way, you get exercise without wearing yourself out. Of course, I make it a practice of trying to walk down as much as possible!

The suggestion of both museums is a good one; as someone said, the Acadamia is, compared to the Uffizi, small. Also, the suggestion of timed tickets is absolutely mandatory. Otherwise the line snakes around the plaza! We call them from the US and make our reservations. You might consider a guided tour, as there is so much art that it overwhelming; we have done the Uffizi once without a guide and twice with one, and the guided tours are much better -- you actually know what you have seen.

As k9korps said, do the Duomo climb the first thing in the AM, as it gets real crowded.

I second the Boboli Garden idea; it is worth seeing. Also try the Santa Croce church; it is magnificent with some important historical folks buried there (Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, etc. It is worth a stop.

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Great ideas...I'm glad now to know that I can do the Accademia and Uffizi in a day.

No one mentioned Ponte Vecchio....

I love the idea of walking back.

Any restaurant hints for any of these days for lunch or dinner? We are a family of 5 so it has to be a menu that offers pasta, pizza...the usual kid stuff. But I also want to have an excellent menu for the adults to order from. Love your help!!! Thx again!

The Ponte Vecchio is quite close to most everything. You could go there almost every day if you liked. Certainly it is right next to the Uffizi. Or you will use t to reach the Pitti Palace. Or you might use it to walk back into the center from Piazzale Michelangelo. It doesn't take much time to see the Ponte Vecchio unless you are interested in shopping for jewelry.

A favorite restaurant mentioned here often that is close to your hotel is Trattoria Za-Za.
http://www.trattoriazaza.it/

Restaurant: There's a friendly informal little place near the Duomo, called Zio Gigi's. Lots of locals there. Not sure if they have pizza, however.

BTW, re the walk to Piazzale Michelangelo. My recommendation against it was based on the OP's circumstances: 5 people, a 9-year-old, and only 3 days in Florence. If I were in her shoes (no pun intended), I wouldn't do the walk.

I agree with the timed tickets if you have them you can do both museums easily in one day. back to your question about Venice train ride...4 years ago I went from Venice to Florence and it took 3 hours, this past fall it took less then 2 hours. I would recommend that you get your train tickets asap do not wait until you get to the train station prepared to leave. Often there is a wait to get tickets and frequently the train is sold out. Have fun!!!