Does anyone know of a quiet hotel in Florence that is fairly near everything? What is the weather like starting April 8 or 9? Rainy? How cold? <BR>

I stayed at the Sofitel a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it- it's right next to the street so it isn't quiet in terms of location but the rooms were airconditioned and very well sound-proofed so that you can't hear any noise from the street. It's only a couple of minutes from the Duomo and we walked everywhere!

We just came back from there. We were there from March 15-24. Weather averaged 60s during the day maybe 35s at night. No rain at all. <BR> <BR>We stayed at the Astoria, only a couple of blocks from the Sofitel hotel mentioned before. I'm not sure what you mean by quiet... if it means you can't hear cars/neighbors this was certainly the case, if it means that there isn't a lot of car and people traffic around the area, this was certainly not the case. The hotel is in the center of the city. <BR> <BR>Staff was attentive and the room are nice and very clean. It's a four star hotel and rates are about 310,000 Lire per night (~$150/night). Some rooms have great views of the Duomo - rooms 501,502,503 and 505 should all have great views. Probably the same is the case for the rooms on the 4th floor. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip. It's a perfect time to go as the area will be beautiful with the start of Spring and crowds should not be that bad - we didn't have to battle them when we went. <BR>

We will be in Florence around Easter and are staying at the Hotel Splendid. It's in a quieter location, near the Accadamia. More residential, according to what I have read, but close to all sites. We also stayed at the Loggiato de Servetti in San Annuziato square(nearby the Hotel Splendid) where the traffic is not allowed. I loved the hotel and it's charm. personally found the area around the Ponte Vecchio too noisy during the day, but you can get better advice from other's who stayed in hotels in that area. <BR> <BR>Denise

Edgar - can you tell me where in Florence was the best place to cash American Express travelers checks (I'm assuming you didn't rely entirely on plastic)?

We stayed at the Morandi alla Crocetta. The rooms were lovely and we walked everywhere--it was quite close to the Accademia. Quiet and relatively inexpensive. Only drawbacks were that it was on the second and no elevator and breakfast, if you want it before you go out, was expensive for what you got. It was near a laundromat, if that matters, and the hotel recommended a restaurant that we loved--can't remember the name. Can't help you on the weather or where to cash travelers' checks, but enjoy Florence--I loved it!

My wife and I just returned from Florence. We only had $100.00 when we got to Itlay. We used the card both in stores and at ATM's. We never had to carry large amounts of cash or have to worry about cashing travelers checks.

Holly, <BR>The best place in Florence to cash AMEX travelers checks is the AMEX office. It is a few blocks south of the Duomo.