modglila

After Venice, Florence just didn't stack up for me. They were undergoing renovations on SM Novella and the Duomo, so maybe that had a little to do with it.

We had planned on staying three days in Florence, but at the end of the first day, we decided to see if we could rearrange our itinerary. We called the agriturismo to check with her about arriving early, then we made arrangements to pick up our car earlier. We had to change the pickup location, but that wasn't a big deal. The only extra cost was that the hotel in Florence would not let us out of paying for all three nights.

There were so many people in Florence that even the pedestrian areas were difficult to navigate. We found that we couldn't stroll, talking as we walked along. Most times we had to walk single-file in order to walk down the sidewalk.

We found the leather school behind the Santa Croce Church. The products there were so pretty. If I had just had it in my budget to buy one, but I didn't; not on this trip anyway.

The best thing about our Florence stay was the evening we spent at Michael Angelo Piazza where we sat on the steps watching the sun set over Florence. We stayed for awhile watching the lights light up all over Florence. We got a lot of great pictures there.

The other thing I enjoyed quite a bit was the San Lorenzo Market. I had a lot of fun just browsing through all of the stands. I bought quite a few things too.

I was really tired from all of the walking we had done previously in Venice and my arthritis was acting up so I elected to not visit most of the museums. Instead I enjoyed them from outside and did some people-watching.

Still didn't come across any food that was outstanding while in Florence. We had some snacks at a frittoria that were very good though. I had fried apples and my friend had some kind of rice and sausage ball. She liked it so much she went back and bought another one.

Our hotel was just one block from the train station. That made it easy to find. We turned the corner and there it was. The balcony with a view was of the street that runs into the train station. It was a very noisy place to be, but the noise seemed to settled down and it didn't keep me awake at all. The room was the largest we had during our stay in Italy. And the breakfast there was the only one that included meat and cheese. The name of the hotel was Hotel Boccaccio. The Santa Maria Novella Perfumery is across the street and down a little way.

Speaking of the perfumery, I bought quite a few gifts in there. Everything smelled so good. The church was one of the things I did tour and it was quite lovely even thought the outside was under scaffolding.

We took a cab from our hotel to the car rental place even though it was just around the corner, about three blocks or so. The cost was 15 euro, which we split, and was well worth it. Getting out of Florence by car was more difficult than I thought it would be. I think it was mainly because the street that a sign had us go down ended up being closed. After that, we struggled to find our way out, but we made it.

The gelato was pretty good in Florence and I started seeing Internet hubs there as well. I used one next door to our hotel. It was 1.50 euro per 30 minutes and it was open until midnight. There were a lot of young people in there using the video cameras to talk to friends and family. They also had a USB thingy for me to put my SD card into so I could upload a few photos before going home. My family enjoyed seeing pictures of us while we were away.

One other thing I noticed is that you can fit more into the day than you think. Sometimes when you look at the city maps, it looks like everything is so spread apart. It didn't take very long for us to walk between sites. It didn't take as long as mappy.com said it would.

I can't think of anything else to add. Florence was a little bit of a disappointment for me, but worth a visit.

MaureenB

I'm sorry to hear that Florence didn't fulfill your expectations. When it's that crowded, I don't think I'd like it much either. Much better before or after the tourist crush. Give it another try someday, maybe.

laartista

I like Florence but I don't love it. I much prefer Venice and Rome of the big three in Italy. I hear where you're coming from. That said I agree with Maureen, give it another go sometime in the off season.

LoveItaly

Hello modglila, I sure understand. During the crush of tourist season the historical center of Florence can be overwhelming with all of the visitors. And in that you had a problem with your arthirits I am sure trying to walk a lot was painful.

I enjoy Florence but quite frankly what I enjoy is getting to the residental area where friends have their home. No tourist. It is like a breath of fresh air! I hope you will tell us about the next portion of your trip. If you post it on this thread it will all stay together. Best regards.

ecat

Hi Modglidla,

That's too bad to hear - but it sounds like you made the most of it and got some things in that you did enjoy.

It's funny I usually like to go to Florence for a few days while I am staying in Rome to chill out and get away from the hustle bustle. I do find the people of Florence very friendly.

Next year we are spending 3 nights there after Paris and before we hit Rome - I'm looking forward to this.

What time of year were you there, July, August?

massagediva

I have to say,I've only been to Florence in the off-season (once in February,once in March) and it's been pretty packed both times.

modglila

Sorry, my Venice post listed the dates, but I forgot it on this post.

I arrived in Florence August 30th and left on September 1st.

I certainly didn't dislike Florence, it just wasn't what I had hoped it would be.

Lisa

kgh8m

Lisa -

I'm planning a trip to Rome in late November, and I'm trying to determine whether to do a couple of days in Florence. What was the nature of the renovations to the Duomo, and do you think it'll still be going on in 2 months?

Many thanks!

francophile03

Maybe it was the huge crowds in Florence that changed your mind about it? If you had visited in the off season instead maybe you would have enjoyed it more. Anyway, if you don't mind sharing what were your expectations of Florence?

LCBoniti

Lisa -
Sorry you were disappointed in Florence. We loved it when we went in February!

One of our tour guides told us that something is always under scaffolding in Florence - those old buildings need constant maintenance.

I'm going to look for your Venice trip report.

modglila

Kgh8m,

They were working on the dome itself. I didn't ask around about the duration of the work. Sorry I can't help any more than that.

Lisa

WillTravel

Re the crowdedness of Florence, see the top two pictures in this thread, on another forum:
http://tinyurl.com/eo7tt

Neopolitan

Good pics. The funniest part of the busy one is seeing the flag and the stick in the air. My main memory of Florence as a city is the mobs of people following someone with a flag or umbrella held in the air.

j_999_9

In case anyone's interested, the rice and sausage balls are called "orancini" -- little oranges.

missypie

Boy, I'm amazed at how many people don't like Florence. As I was planning our trip, I was not too excited about going to Florence (based on things read on this board!), but my husband had been there once before and instisted that we go. We spent three days there and it wasn't enough time.

We visited Rome, Florence and Venice and everyone in the family said that the city to which they'd most want to return is Florence.

I'm adding this, modglila, just to add a different view point and remind all the readers that sometimes, one just needs to experience a destination and make up one's own mind!

Neopolitan

That's so true, missypie, but while some of us didn't like Florence as a city, I think there are very few who would advise to skip it. We nearly all agree that the wealth of art and "treasures" in Florence is magnificent. It's just some of us don't appreciate the tourist driven center and the city vibe itself or the masses of group tours everywhere.

MaureenB

My experience of Florence was also a good one. Of the big three, I liked Florence more than Venice. Just goes to show, it's personal taste and circumstances. I was able to visit Florence in early May when it wasn't very crowded. And also to see it through my daughter's eyes, after she'd studied there one semester. So we were off the beaten track, visiting her school's villa on the hillside, dining at her host family's apartment, visiting the backstreet stores she'd found, walking her favorite streets. It was a different experience than most get, I know.

I hope people don't get discouraged about Florence. Its tiny cobblestoned streets do get very crowded, and cars come pretty close to pedestrians. As they say, the beauty of a place attracts hordes of tourists, then the beauty is trampled to death.

MaureenB

P.S. As someone said, those historic buildings are constantly being restored. While in Vienna, the Stephansdom was covered in scaffolding, too, as was Florence's Duomo this spring. It's the luck of the draw when you visit.

Dayle

It really is intereting, how time after time, we see how people have different impressions. Of all the places I've visited in Italy, Florence was my least favorite too. However, I would never recommend that someone skip it altogether - too many great art treasures, as someone else mentioned!

I would go back, but I would not stay in Florence, probably Friesole (SP?) for a different experience.

modglila

This is why people aren't honest with their trip reports. Some people think you are trying to discourage others. I'm not.

I never said Florence was horrible. I never tried to discourage anyone from visiting. I never said everyone should dislike Florence. I simply said that I was disappointed and preferred Venice. Of course other people are going to feel differently.

I would treat Florence as a day trip if I were to go back. I don't regret visiting Florence. I just didn't see it as a "beautiful" city.