Ok, so now we're continuing out Florence hotel search. venere.com lists several area w/in Florence for hotel locations--Sanot Spirito, S. Maria Novella, San Lorenzo, Palazo Pitti, Palazo Strozzi, Ufizzi, Santa Croce, Duomo, S.S> Annunziata, P.le. Michaelangelo --which area is preferable in terms of being near a train station, nightlife, restaurants, sites, etc.
Thanks.

Hi R_K

You can get very good, zoomable maps of Florence at www.mappy.com

If you enter your addresses it will give you routes and walking times.

Santa Maria Novella is where the train station is located.
The Pitti Palace and Santo Spirito are on the other side of the Arno, therefore a bit removed from central Florence.
Piazzale Michaelangelo is up on a hill on the south side of the city, quite far from the center but with great views.
The Duomo and Ufizzi are in the very heart of the city center.
San Lorenzo and Santa Croce are a short walk from the center, a little bit more like neighborhoods.
Hope this helps. If you want to be in the very center of things, stay within a 5 minute walk of the Duomo and you can't miss. IMO the area around the train station is not quite as upscale, although there are a lot of hotels there.

So which area(s) do you think is the most upscale-Duomo and Ufizzia?

Not necessarily. I stayed once right on the Piazza della Repubblica, in a modest hotel, but the location was wonderful.

I stayed another time in a much more expensive hotel west of the city center, perhaps a 15-20 minute walk, in a very nice neighborhood, but in Florence, I really like being able to walk right out into the middle of things.

I really only made my remark because there are a lot of budget hotels around Santa Maria Novella and I think one of the other areas would be nicer to stay in. But it really depends what you want. If you want to be near nightlife and restaurants as well as major sights, you should pick an upscale hotel in the city center. There are plenty of them, but I'm not knowledgable enough to recommend one to you. Try a search -- you should unearth plenty of hotel recommendations.

Florence is much more compact than Rome, and because of that, as long as you are in reasonable shape and enjoy walking, many hotels in florence can be considered centrally located. As long as you don't stay on the very outskirts of town you are in a good location. I would say don't stay on the very northernmost side of town. Try to stay closer to the Arno river, whether you are on the north side of the south side. try to pick a hotel near either the Ponte Alle Grazie bridge or the Ponte Vecchio.

We stayed on the south side of the Arno, but our Hotel Silla was just across the Ponte Alle Grazie bridge from the Uffizi gallery, and therefore a convenient walk. Also a convenient walk to the Boboli gardens, also on the south side of the Arno river. Ponte alle Grazie bridge is one down from the more famous Ponte Vecchio, so that was convenient as well. We also walked to the Santa Croce area and to the Duomo area without any trouble.

Now, Rome is more spread out than Florence. In Rome, you will need to take taxis and public buses. But in Florence you can cover quite a bit of ground by walking without wearing yourself to a frazzle.

If you stay very near to the Uffizi gallery and the Duomo, keep in mind that you will be in a busy, crowded, trafficky, smoggy area with noisy vespas scooting by. If this is where you want to stay, read hotel reviews and try to find one that maybe overlooks a quiet piazza or a quiet garden. Where we stayed, onthe south side of the Arno at the Hotel Silla, it was still convenient for walking, but it was in a quieter area (Oltrano).

Good luck with your decision.

Oops, sorry, I garbled my message a bit above! I meant to say, try to stay close to the Arno river, either on the north side or the south side, near either the Ponte Vecchio or the Ponte Alle Grazie bridge. You don't have to be right on the Arno, just try not to be too far away from it. Then you will be fairly central.

The Hotel Savoy which is a 5* hotel is located right at the Piazza della Republica. It is a beautiful hotel and a wonderful location. Although the area is noisy I never noticed any loud noises when in our room.

The St. Croce neighborhood was HAPPENING last week! Bars, music, people havin' a god time out on a weeknight into the wee hours...AND, Gelataria Vivoli, too. We thought it was a very active night scene around there...