I only have 2 days in Florence. Where should I stay, I mean, in what area. Are the hotels near the train station any good?

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Minerva two years ago. It is about a block from the train station. It was very nice, good breakfast, even had a pool on the roof( which we never used).I think it's a 4 star - at least a 3. I would stay there again. It's about a 5 -10 minute walk to the Duomo. Very convenient to eveything. Especially the train station,

although Florence isn't too big, I would opt not to stay by the train station. Closer to the Arno is a better location as you are near the sights and the "hip" area the Oltrarno. Some hotels I've heard of are the Hotel Gallery Art and the Lungarno (balconies overlooking the Arno). We like to stay at the Excelsior but it's really steep (around $500 per night). Fortunately I travel for work and we always use Starwood points to stay there. Enjoy.

Hi Vivianna,<BR><BR>We just got back last week and stayed at the Berichelli Hotel which is right on the Arno a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio. 4 star hotel with a bar and they had a good breakfast which is included with the room. I think they do light dinners at the bar as well. Soup, omelets, sandwiches and salads.I believe it was $244 a night but we had 2 rooms and they may have given a a discount as I think they are usually about $300. Room and bath were very clean and comfortable. We ahd a king size bed in our room and the kids had twins in theirs.The people at the desk were always very helpful and accomodating with getting us train tickets,dinner reservations and taxis. I enjoyed our stay and would definately stay there again.

Just got back from Florence-stayed at the Hermitage-can't say enough good things about it. Great location (Ponte Vecchio adjacent), great service, under $200 night, rooms nice size. Would stayed there again

We LOVED Hotel Mario. It was about a 5 min walk from the train station, and very well kept. The clientele was almost all return visitors, and it is clear that they will go the extra mile for their guests. Hope you have a great time. Don't miss the vespers sung in Gregorian chant at San Minuato at 4 pm every day.

ditto on the Hermitage - decent price point and perfect location. windows are double paned to keep out noise and great rooftop garden for sunset drinks and sunrise coffees. you wont be disappointed.

we stayed at the grand baglioni hotel which is across the plaza from the train station. you can easily walk there from the station via the underground tunnel. it is a lovely hotel with large rooms and large bathrooms and complimentary breakfast. my only complaint was that they did not turn on the a/c in april and opening the windows gave us too much street noise. (we had the same problem in paris. a hotel that has a/c does not necessarily turn it on before june.) the grand baglioni was about 2 blocks from the duomo and quite near a great market that was fun to stroll thru. have fun!

Try the Hotel Casci. It's reasonable, just a few minutes walk from the Duomo, and the service is good. Do a search for "Casci." It's always highly recommended here. We enjoyed it last April.