I definately want to spend one evening here at sunset. I see that I can take the #12 or 13 bus from the train station. If I wanted to take a taxi instead, would that also be from the train station?
Also, what exactly is at the P.M.? I saw some photos which showed a large viewing platform and steps, are there cafes where you could get a glass of wine there? Or, could I bring my own?
A glass of good Italian wine while enjoying that view is a must, IMO!!

Ira- are you out there?

You can take a taxi from the train station, or from just about anywhere else in Florence, but the bus is fine (and much cheaper).

There are cafes -- with different price ranges. Or you could bring your own.

The PM is a plaza overlooking the city, but there are no shops or restaurants right in the plaza -- just a few vendors selling touristy stuff like T-shirts.

Another great sunset viewpoint is Fiesole. Take the #7 bus. It takes about 20 minutes to get there and you can enjoy a glass of wine from a cafe right by the bus stop overlooking Florence. Beautiful.

We walked to and from the Piazza Michelangelo (to stop by a church farther up for vespers to hear gregorian chanting) from our hotel north of the Duomo. The last part is uphill, but if you're in decent shape it's quite doable.

Hi dp,

You can, of course, take a cab from anywhere to anywhere else in Florence.

IIRC, the PM is a very big parking lot, with a copy of "David" on a plinth.

You can walk up to the San Salvatore or the San Miniato churches.

You can definitely bring your own picnic.

For myself, I would follow Grasshopper's advice. The restaurant in Fiesole is the Bar Bleu.

Enjoy your visit.

We had two evenings in Florence last year and spent both sunsets at Piazzale Michelangelo. It is a parking lot, but people congregate near (or on) a wide & long set of stairs which give you a nice view of Florence. It didn't feel like a parking lot as there wasn't any traffic that time of the day (at least when I was there).

The view is lovely & the people-watching is a lot of fun. There was a woman playing a violin (she was soooo good) during the first evening. On the downside, there are quite a few vendors selling plastic junk, but they leave you alone if you don't approach them.

Have a wonderful time.

Thanks everyone for your help! We definately plan to watch sunset from Fiesole on another evening, too. Ira- we'll definately check out the Bar Bleu while there.
So,it looks like I can bring my own bottle of wine to P.M., without fear of breaking any laws or being hassled?

I would go up even higher to San Miniato al Monte.

It's really not a bad walk - I've done the walk up and back once, and the walk back once (Mom was with me, so we took a cab to San Miniato and walked back down...)

Where is your hotel? There is a good view from the hotel Antica Torre di via Tornabuoni, too. (which I highly recommend).

We too walked up to Piazzale Michaelangelo from our hotel near the duomo. It is uphill but its not too bad of a climb if you are in decent shape. We stopped along the way for some great photo ops.

Tracy

The view from Forti di Belvedere is also wonderful. Much closer, and no tourist junk and traffic. There used to be a gate from the Boboli Gardens that led almost directly to the Belvedere, but I'm not sure if that gate is still an exit. Otherwise, it's an easy walk from the Ponte Vecchio.

Thanks for those additional suggestions, somewhere a little less crowded and touristy would be appealing...

Hi dp,

>I can bring my own bottle of wine to P.M., without fear of breaking any laws or being hassled?

As long as you don't get drunk or litter, of course.

Well, I promise not to litter!