ladyg0

I will be making my first solo trip to Europe in February - will be in Florence for five days and would love to hear from others who may have some advice for me. I have already booked a hotel (Hotel Casci), arriving from and returning to Venice by train. What I am hoping for are tidbits of wisdom and words of encouragement from others who may have made a similar trip. For example, am I going to find it difficult to get around (by train, bus, around the city, etc), speaking only a few rudimentary words of Italian? Any thoughts are much appreciated.

ellenem

English is widely spoken in Venice and Florence since there are so many tourists in those cities. for the most part you will be talking to people who talk to tourists every day, so they will speak enough English for you to get by. However, do learn the basic polite phrase . . . hello, good-bye, thank you, and so forth. Also, it is good to know that any time you go into a small shop, you should greet the owner/clerk with "buon giorno" (bwohn JOR-noh)--"good day"--and say "grazie" (GRAH-tzee-ay) --"thank you" -- or "arrivaderci" as you leave.

For train travel, it would be good for you to understand how the train ticketing and stations work before arriving, especially if you haven't traveled by train in other places. Here a link to great articles about Italian trains.

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/index.htm

cheryl_2

ladygO,

I just did my first solo trip to Europe in Oct 2010. First let me put you at ease. This is the best decision you will probably make about travel, i.e. soloing it. I speak ZERO italian & I did much better than when I have traveled to Europe with friends. I was able to get around much better with minimal mistakes. I flew into and out of Rome mainly because when I booked I had no plans other than to be in Italy. I made up the trip as I went along.
After I arrived into Rome, I took the express train to Rome's termini train station and then transferred to the eurostar express into Florence's SMN train station. ALL BY MYSELF!!
I had a good map "street finder" This map, unlike other maps list all of the cities streets, which I found to be VERY useful. Florence is a very walkable city. I think that you miss out on the nooks and crannies by busing it, especially if it is not that far. I also feel the same way about GPS's I don't use them..
I found it very easy to get around by bus. There really are no trains within Florence except the ones that go to different cities.
I stayed in Oltrano, south of the river in a working class neighboorhood. I loved this area, as it is where the artists are seen crafting their trades. Also the food, grocery stores and restaurants are are better and cheaper in this area. I met up with a person, whom I met on this web site, who was staying where you are staying and I saw the rooms, and they were nice. I would encourage you to use common sense. I felt VERY safe there, even after 10pm, in the dark, by myself.
BTW, the ppl there (Oltrarno) were VERY nice and helpful. I actually sat at dinner tables with locals 4 out of the six nights that I was there.Why?, becausse they invited me to!!
If you have any more questions/concerns please feel free to ask me. I clamed my fears through the helpful people from this site!

latedaytraveler

cheryl-2, good for you! I am sure that you are the kind of person who does well in new situations at home too.

Nlingenfel

I just recently started traveling solo. I am a 68 year old female. I love it. It costs a more, no one to split the room cost, or car rental. But, I have really enjoyed my trip. Just use common sense, you will be fine. Enjoy.

ladyg0

Thanks for the info and the nice words of encouragement - that article on trains is going to come in VERY hand, ellenem! It is nice to hear that you all have had such good experiences with solo travel - this is a 50th birthday present to myself, so an important milestone, and a challenge of sorts to myself as well. Cheryl_2, lots of good info! Is "streetfinder" the name of the map you used or is that a generic name for a type of map?

bellini

Venice and Florence are very walkable. All the main sights are easily accessible on foot. In Venice there's always a vaporetto (water bus) route if you wish to take the weight off your feet!
You'll have a great time with only basic Italian phrases (see ellenem's tip)

Brazilnut

ladyg0

I am a 62-yr-old woman who, over the last 5 years or so, has done a lot of travelling alone all over Europe as well as in India and Thailand, with no problems at all. I have travelled with friends as well, and I much prefer to travel solo. It does cost more, as Nlingenfel observed, but I think it is worth it. I am now planning to go on a trip with 5 more friends, and I know, from experience, that I will not enjoy it as much as when I travel alone.

Viajero2

I hated my first (and only) solo travel...but I was glad I tried it. When I think back, I did a lot and enjoyed every outing, which is my main point; even if you don't enjoy solo travel you can still enjoy what you do. Florence is one of the most amazing cities in the world and you have chosen wisely .

jdc26

Exactly what Cheryl_2 said. Hope you will enjoy Firenze as much as I and many others do. It's my favorite Italian city.

Happy Travels!

jdc

mamcalice

Florence is, to me, the easiest city in Europe to get around. So much is located in a central area and can be visited on foot. We use the "Streetwise" map of Florence. If I were taking a solo trip, Florence would be my choice. It is such an approachable city.

After six trips to Florence, I always find something new. This past September we saw "The Procession of the Magi", an exquisite fresco, at the Medici-Riccardi Museum. It is recently restored and quite beautiful. Try to include it in your itinerary. And have a wonderful time.

ladyg0

thanks again to all for the lovely encouragement about Florence - it does seem like a city that is eminently well-suited to the solo traveler, esp a Renaissance art and history buff. Mamacalice, do you know, is it difficult to get into the chapel area at the Medici-Riccardi - I note on their website that there is very limited access.

kja

I prefer to travel solo, so am definitely sending you encouragement. As others have said, Florence is easy to see on one's own with only a few words of Italian. And if you enjoy art, it is a very special place to see. Seems like a great way to celebrate a special birthday!

cheryl_2

ladygO,

The map is actually called "streetwise" You can find tha maps in almost any book store such as Barnes and Noble or Borders. They always have them. You can also order them online. I bought "streetwise Florence" as well as "streetwise Rome". The one for Rome was invaluable as it had all of the little streets that were not on the bigger maps.
I did not have trouble getting into any of the sights. I did not book anything in advance just because I am not a planner. I was only in line for the Uffizi for only about 45mins. This to me ws a very short time as I was chatting with others in line and the time went by fast. But do think that if you are a planner, reservations would be better
Also, I got a LOT of encouragement from ellenm. The advise from ellenm was INVALUABLE, especially how to take the train from Fome to Florence.

ellenem

cheryl_2,
Glad you found lots of help here at Fodors . . . will you write a trip report?

ladyg0,
The Chapel of the Magi at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi is not that heavily visited compared to other sights in Florence, so while the number of people allowed in this small chapel is limited, there aren't huge mobs of people visiting it as you might find at the more popular sights. Also, February is low season. If you are concerned, you can get priority entrance by booking ahead. Info here:

http://www.palazzo-medici.it/eng/info.htm

On the other hand, at the website provided, there is the weirdest bit of info:

"Ticket office for information and bookings: 055 2760 340 - e-mail: [email protected]
Biblioteche Moreniana and Riccardiana - Via Ginori n. 10
Visits temporarily suspended"

suspended? Unless it is referring to the biblioteche. I guess you can email them to find out for sure.

latedaytraveler

Lady, may I also suggest that you visit Fiosole, the lovely town overlooking Florence. Not sure how many restaurants and shops are open in February but the site offers fabulous views of the city and is accessible by public bus.

ladyg0

Nice idea to add a day trip to Fiesole, latedaytraveler - with the short days I'll have in Feb, would this be a stretch, do you think?
Also, does anyone have any restaurant suggestions for a single diner? I expect I'll eat my main meal early in the day - any thoughts?
Thanks, ellenm, for the heads-up on the possible closing at the museum - I have emailed them and will post when I get a reply.
Off to the mall today to snag a "streetwise" map -thanks, cheryl!

mamcalice

The chapel at Medici-Riccardi is quite small (maybe 20'x 20') so it is difficult to get many people in the room at once. We were there in September (7 of us) without reservations and were able to walk right in and spend as much time as we wanted to take in the beautiful details of the frescos. It was not at all crowded. I would think in February you wouldn't have any difficulty at all.

You will have plenty of daylight to visit Fiesole. The bus trip from (I think) San Marco is only about a half hour. If they are open, one of the restaurants overlooking Florence would be a nice place to have lunch. There are 2 or 3 restaurants close to where you get off the bus.

cheryl_2

ladygO

Im glad that you are getting closer and closer to your trip. I am very excited for you. One more note. Please do not be afraid or shy to eat a nice meal at night by yourself. Im not sure what your eating habits are like, but if you are eating your main meal earlier because you don't want to eat at night by yourself then let me assure you that eating alone at night is not a big deal. I am the shyiest(sp?) person in world and I found that this was really the ideal time to meet locals.
I ate fruit and VERY lightly in the day and a decent meal at night. I found that after all of the walking around I not only worked up a good appetite, I lost about 4 pounds LOL!!
I suggest eating later because that is what the locals do. It is during this time that I was invited to dine with locals.
By all means do get away from the touristy areas. I ate near the PZ Republicca and a few other places near the Duomo and just was not satisfied. I am sure that there are plenty of great restaurants in those areas, but I just did not run across them. I suggest to go to restaurants where you see a lot of locals eating. That's usually a good sign. I can suggest a few:
Quattro Leoni(a little upscale, lots of locals), which is in Oltrano. It is only about a 15min walk from where you Also Casalingua(mom and pop, many locals) which is also in Oltrarno. These two are only a few blocks from eachother. Both are reasonably priced and food is EXCELLENT.
BTW tis was my 45th birthday gift to myself
Ellenm I will consider posting the trip. Thanks. Ive jsut been super busy since my return.

ellenem

Fiesole is on the hill overlooking Florence and is connected to the center city by the local city bus #7. It is easy to decide on the spur of the moment—I would want a clear sunny day for the best experience.

What are you looking for in a restaurant? To my mind being solo is not the issue. Here are two to get you started. In Florence I always enjoy Osteria Belle Donne at Via de Belle Donne 16r. It is decorated in a quirky way but serves delicious reasonably-priced food. As a solo diner, I was seated at a larger table where other solos were seated, though not right next to one another. We were able to chat--or not--as we liked. For a quick inexpensive bite, I use a tavola calda (simple, cheap cafeteria-style) called Hot Pot at Via Lamberti 5r, just off of Via Calzaouli across from the Orsanmichele.