Is Florence Worth Visiting?

Pros and cons at a glance

Three drawbacks come up again and again in traveller reports. Cost, with value for money scored only 7 out of 10 and no cheap way around the main sights. Parking, which one guide calls crazy. And crowds, with some repeat visitors reporting streets so packed that walking on the sidewalk was impossible.

None of these is fatal. All of them are manageable if you book ahead, walk in from the station and pick your moments.

You should skip it if

You want a spontaneous trip with no bookings, especially for the main sights. One long-time repeat visitor found the streets so packed that walking on a sidewalk was impossible and will not revisit. If that puts you off, stay outside the city and do occasional day trips in, as another traveller now does.

If you want scale across eras, choose Rome. If you want atmosphere above all, choose Venice. If you lean towers and seaside, look at Pisa.

How to choose between the Italian heavyweights

Rome gives you scale across eras, from ancient ruins to baroque churches, spread over a big city. Venice gives you atmosphere, canals and a city like no other. Florence gives you focus, the Renaissance and its legacy in one compact centre you can cross on foot in half an hour.

A useful rule from travellers who have done all three. If art is your reason for the trip, Florence wins. If you want sheer volume of world-famous sights, Rome wins. If you want a mood rather than a checklist, Venice wins.

Making the call

Florence has depth. Museums that rate among the most visited in Italy, a food scene known for truffles and bistecca alla Fiorentina, and a centre full of Renaissance buildings. Pisa has one world-famous sight and a pleasant small centre around it.

Pisa works best as a half-day trip from Florence by train, so you get the tower photo and still sleep in the city with the restaurants and museums. It is not stated how long the train takes, so check times before you go.

Two days or more

Split your time between the big museums and the quieter side. The Uffizi opens 8.15 am to 6.30 pm and closes on Mondays. The Accademia opens 8.15 am to 6.50 pm, also closed Mondays. Pitti Palace keeps the same Tuesday to Sunday hours, and the Boboli Gardens open from 8.15 am with closing times between 4.30 pm and 7.10 pm depending on the month.

On day two or three, take a break from the crowds. One traveller found a Chianti castle and winery day trip with a cooking class in Rignano sull'Arno made the crowds back in Florence easier to take.

Where the money goes

The big costs are entry tickets and food. Guided options run from $19 per person for a short Duomo tour to $176 per person for a first-entry Dome climb with a key holder. If you plan several state museums, the Uffizi Galleries sell an annual pass for Uffizi, Pitti and Boboli at EUR 80 per person or EUR 120 for a family, according to the official ticket page.

Getting in is cheap. Florence airport is about 5 km from the centre, and tram T2 connects Santa Maria Novella station to the airport, running about every 5 minutes. Once you are in the centre, everything is walkable, so transport costs are close to zero.

Figures for this page

Prices above come from the tour listings and the Uffizi ticket page named in each section.

Leave for a day

A Chianti day trip with a castle, winery and cooking class made the crowds back in Florence easier to take for one regular visitor. Pair the big museums with one day out and the city stops feeling suffocating.

Reasons beyond the museums

Florence is famous for truffles and bistecca alla Fiorentina, and Tuscan reds overperform. Lampredotto, the street food tripe sandwich, is love-it-or-leave-it, so try it once and move on. Shopping for Italian leather, wine, balsamic vinegar and chocolates sits close to the attractions.

For contemporary art, the Museo Novecento, the CCCS at Palazzo Strozzi, Tornabuoni Art and Eduardo Secci Contemporary give a modern counterpoint to the Renaissance. The Boboli and Bardini gardens offer quiet and city views. And the city's position makes Tuscany easy, with hills, castles and wineries within reach of the station.

A simple plan

Reserve the Dome, the Uffizi and the Accademia as soon as your dates are fixed, since all three sell out. Choose Giotto's bell tower for your climb so the dome stays in your photos. Do one guided walk to get your bearings, then leave room for the Oltrarno, the markets and a long lunch.

Get in from the airport cheaply on tram T2, which runs about every 5 minutes from Santa Maria Novella towards the airport and Piazza San Marco. Walk everywhere else. Reserve dinner too, not just lunch, because the advice is to assume nothing.