43 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Florence, Italy

Name: 43 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Florence, Italy
Uploaded: 2026-09-22 21:32:31.328008
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I just spent a month in Florence and I realize how easy it can be to fall in all the tourist traps. So, here's everything that I wish id known before my visit. We're going to cover a lot. Going to tell you some of the common mistakes to avoid, some food recommendations, some of the camp miss places and the money-saving tips around them, plus some underrated places that tourists completely miss, where you might want to stay in town, and of course, day trip best practices, cuz you're going to want to see Tuskany. So, first thing that tourists make a huge mistake with is the art and the beauty here is just on overload and it's really easy to overdo it. So, use the information that I give you as just kind of a starting point and be really intentional because you don't want to spend all of your time in museums. While yes, they're spectacular, the outside places in Florence are arguably more impressive. So, I'm going to show you where to hang out and do all those things, but please just don't overdo it and don't spend your entire time here inside. Now, we'll get into the overrated and underrated places in just a minute, but I figured let's start with the food cuz who doesn't love Tuskcin cuisine? But there's a couple mistakes tourists make here. The first is not realizing that locals don't eat early. That is just not a thing here in Italy. If you see a restaurant that is open before like 6:30 or 7:00 p.m., that is a tourist trap. That is one of your easy ways to tell, hey, this is probably not the spot to eat. Also, everything like downtown in this circle, it's not to say that you're not going to find some good places, but just recognize you're putting yourself at a bit of a disadvantage, but I'm going to try to help you through with some of these recommendations. And the one other before we get to specifics, most of the real Tuscan food is not very photogenic. It's almost another way to kind of screen for tourism that it looks fancy on a plate. Eh, there's a good chance it's catered to the tourist because real Tuscan food, it doesn't look good, but it tastes great. Now, I'm going to give you a few of my top recommendations. Everything else is in a free digital download that I created. I hope it's helpful. You can pick it up in the description. It's completely free. But the first thing you're going to want to know about is Lampardoto. Oh my god. It's the local street food here. It's a sandwich. If you're American, you don't need to look up what it's made of. Just note that it tastes fantastic. and this is the spot that you should go for. Uh you can find them all around town, but I really love this spot and yeah, it's something that you got to try while you're here in Florence. Now, if you're looking for a great cafe, a spot to get breakfast, recognize that breakfast, again, not a crazy thing here in Italy, but Esno is a wonderful local bakery that just h they do everything right. So, I've spent so much time in this place and nothing did me wrong. It's a place that you'll definitely enjoy and can get some of those things that might serve as breakfast for you. Now, you're probably going to be looking for gelato, and there's a lot of spots around town, but for me, the best one is right here. Uh, it's served out of the metal cans like you want. It's just flavorful. It seemed to be the spot that always hit the right spot for me, and there were always lots of locals. Now, if you're looking for some traditional dishes at a place with affordable prices, there's a place called Sabatino. And this is by no means a hidden gem. In fact, people will be lined out the door well before this place opens to get a spot. It's a family-owned and operated place. and it kind of serves as like an Italian cafeteria of sorts. So, you're not going to have that fine dining, but everything tastes good and it's really affordable. Now, if you are looking for a step in that fine dining direction, there's a restaurant called Zeb that I love, but I was really hesitant to go because the reviews online very mixed. Some people didn't have a great experience with the chef. I decided that I was going to risk it for the biscuit, and the biscuit was incredible. Uh, by far my favorite place in town. Just make sure that you go and like respect the culture and I think you should be fine. But wonderful flavors there. And if you're looking for a really elevated meal, there is a tasting menu at Nolu. Just fantastic. It's not quite at that like Michelin price level. Uh but wonderful stuff. Really unique atmosphere. You get to like look into the kitchen. It was just wonderful. Just a great option for a special occasion. But let's talk about some of those top places that you're probably going to visit and some things that you might want to be aware of. So, the first is the main market, and it is wonderful. It's really cool to walk through and see, but a couple things to note. One, be careful with your money around like all the bags outside where they're selling genuine leather. Look, a lot of that stuff is just fake. There are pretty lax rules here in Italy of what constitutes as real leather, so you're probably not buying anything real there. Inside the market is totally fine, and there will be some locals that go there for, you know, meats and different cheeses and stuff. So, it's definitely worth going and seeing. Just again be careful about what you spend your money on. Now of course you're going to go to the Cathedral Santa Maria like oh it is spectacular. It is gorgeous. My one big tip here is if you are really short on time if you're trying to do Florence in a single day sometimes those lines can get crazy long. So if you are on that tight schedule the outside you could make the argument is better than on the inside. So, if I was on that tight tight schedule, I'd go I'd see the outside and I'd maybe skip the inside if you're going to have to wait over an hour long. So, just keep that in mind. Another place that is probably on your list is the Gallery of Academia. This is where the Statue of David is. And it's spectacular. It's really just an incredible experience seeing that. But just recognize that the museum itself is relatively small. That's something that catches a lot of tourists offguard and sometimes leaves them feeling like, man, I spent a lot of time going there and I saw the statue of David, but there just wasn't as much for me. So, a few of these other spots might be more up your alley if you're looking for quantity, but in that one, it's really about the quality of the statue of David. Another that might be on your list is Palazzo Veio. And this place is beautiful. It's an old palace, just gorgeous. Like, you walk through so many different rooms, gorgeous art, and it is well worth your time. It's pretty lengthy experience. So again, if you're short on time or a budget traveler, you can still like enter where you like go to buy a ticket, there's a free courtyard that is just just gorgeous. So if you want to save the money, you could do that in place of doing the full museum. So just keep that in mind. Now, the most popular museum is the Euphitzi, and it's just gorgeous. Like unbelievable art in this place. So many just huge pieces, but this is the one that is going to have the longest lines. And I just have a few things that I think you should be aware of. One, definitely book ahead of time so you can skip as many of the lines as possible. Do note that even with having a pre-book time, there's still going to be lines cuz you're going to go through security. So be ready for that. Also note that when you get into the museum, you're going to have the opportunity to take an elevator up to the top, which is like where the museum starts on the second floor. You should do that if you're not ready to tackle some serious stairs. I didn't realize just how many stairs there were. Now, I'm young and pretty fit and I, you know, I was fine, but just be aware of that if you're somebody who can't handle a lot of stairs or just don't want to. And then the other thing that kind of rubbed us the wrong way in there is there's this room called the Tribuna, and it's beautiful. It's just a stunning room, but once you get up onto the second floor, you look down this huge hallway, and you'll notice there's a line to go and see the Tribuna. The thing to note is that the line is really long. But what we didn't love and that we didn't recognize, mistake on my part, was there's another entrance just around the corner where the line was like half the size. So just be aware of that going in. And again, be prepared for a lot of tourists in that place, but it's popular for a reason. Now, the other spot that you probably are well aware of is Piazo Michelangelo. It's this beautiful plaza that overlooks the city. I mean, you just have stunning views from up there, and it is definitely well worth your time. The things to note here are one, again, there are some stairs, so be ready for those. But two, if you are going to go up there for sunset, recognize that it is the hot spot up there, right? And what that means is that you shouldn't plan to just show up 15 minutes before sunset and be able to get a good spot where you're really going to be able to see. Probably want to get there at least half an hour in advance. And don't worry, it's a great experience. There's often musicians performing for people on this staircase. Like, it really is just like a special vibe and something that you shouldn't miss out on. just make sure that you're not just going for sunset. Plan probably a full hour, if not longer, to just sit up there and really enjoy. And one other place that tourists sometimes miss up near that is the Rose Garden. It's right below the steps where all of the tourists are and it's a beautiful garden. I'd highly recommend walking through there and there's some great spots to watch the sunset from in there as well. So, don't miss that. Now, let's talk about a few places that tourists sometimes miss and I think these places are well worth visiting. So, the first is something that is kind of popular on social media, and it's this library cinema. It's down in the tourist action, but this place is actually kind of cool and worth visiting. I just haven't seen many like bookstores integrated as like a movie theater. It's just it's something that's pretty unique and you might enjoy. Another really unique place downtown is the oldest pharmacy in the entire world is actually here in Florence and they've turned it into kind of a museum shopping experience. It's completely free to go in, so don't feel like you have to buy anything, but it really is just stunning. Uh, again, one of those situations where it's like it is art and it is free, and it's just cool to go and see it and learn the history. Now, two of my favorite experiences in Florence are two gardens, and it's the Boily Gardens and the Bardini Gardens, and these are actually ticketed, but one ticket gets you into both gardens. So, make sure that you do hit both if you buy a ticket for either. I do think they're well worth your time. The Bardini Garden is going to give you a great view of just like downtown Florence. And the Bubbly Garden is much larger. You could spend a huge chunk of time in there, and there's some great vantage points where you can see just the Tuscan Hills and just all the beauty that Florence and the region has to offer. So, definitely don't miss that. But a money-saving tip is if you are in town on the very first Sunday of a month, tickets are completely free. So, if you are looking for that budget experience, check your dates on that and maybe you won't have to pay. Now, obviously, Florence is best explored by just walking. This is not a place where you want a car. We'll talk more about that in just a minute, but it is just wonderful to walk the streets and get lost. And there's some beautiful places to explore, but two really come to mind. The first is kind of obvious and it's the Arno. The Arno River is just beautiful. It cuts straight through town and it's beautiful to just walk along the side. Do it early morning, do it midday, do it at night. It's just a special place, a special atmosphere, and I don't know, it's something that really shouldn't be missed. A tip around this that is kind of fun, especially for young ones or old ones that just like nature like me, there's a lot of wildlife on the Arno, which I didn't expect. And you may notice these kind of beaver looking like things. They're not beavers. They're something called nutrias, but they kind of look like beavers. They swim. They're really cute. You can find them kind of like building dams or like hanging out on the wood that stacks up on the bridge and along the side of the river. It's just kind of cute and something to keep your eye out for. But another spot that you definitely want to walk that a lot of tourists miss is this long park. And it is just beautiful. Rarely any tourists in there. It's mostly just locals and it's a gorgeous spot again at any point in the day to just walk and venture to. So I'd highly recommend that especially if you have a longer period of time on your trip. Now, one last place that I really don't recommend or I just again caution you when spending time up there is the main bridge that is so picturesque and it's beautiful, but when you're walking on there, just recognize there's a few different scams going on. You'll notice people with like paintings on the ground. Make sure not to step on those. It's a well-known scam around here. But also, just recognize that it's really for the tourist. Be really careful about what you spend your money on there. Everything's going to be pretty high priced and you're going to be fighting the packs of tourists. So, great place to see, but maybe limit the amount of time you spend there. But let's talk about where you might want to stay in Florence. This right here, this is the tourist center. There's some great options in there, some wonderful hotels, but recognize you're going to pay a premium and you're going to be one amongst the tourists. So, if you're looking for a more affordable alternative and more for a local experience, maybe look for options in these areas. Now, you're more likely to find Airbnbs than hotels. I'm in an Airbnb. It's actually where I'm filming and this was absolutely fantastic. I chose to stay over in this area and it was just fantastic. I always prefer staying in local areas, but hey, you make the call based on what you're looking for in your trip. But what's most important to note is that here in Florence, it's such a small city, it's pretty compact that whether you stay on either end, you can walk to the other side pretty quickly within like 30, 45 minutes. So, I really wouldn't be too afraid of staying in those more local areas. you're not going to be too far from the action compared to some of the bigger cities in Italy like maybe a Milan or even a Rome at points. So just have that context and pick accordingly. But let's talk about day trips and some mistakes that tourists make cuz I imagine that if you're here in Florence and Tuskanyany, you want to see more than just Florence. So the first thing to note is that kind of like the art within Florence, don't overdo it. You're not going to have a good time if you're just going from point A to point B and trying to hit every place. And there are so many wonderful places that are worth your time. But a common question that comes up is, "Hey, am I good to just take the trains or should I rent a car or a private tour?" I didn't do a private tour. I didn't feel the need to. We did a lot of day trips with the train and they were fantastic. And I'll touch on some of the places that we were able to go to in just a second. But it is true that having a car is going to provide a better experience because you're going to be able to go at your own rate and just explore more places where the trains aren't necessarily connected to. Now, if you do want to rent a car, I didn't rent one here, but I do always use this company called discovercars.com. Do note it is an affiliate link, but I'm just mentioning them because they typically offer much cheaper rates than other spots. So, just do your research ahead of time to see if it's going to save you a pretty penny there. But one thing that I really recommend against is do not rent a car and be driving through Florence because what a lot of tourists don't recognize is that most of Florence itself has what they call ZTL zones. And what you need to know about the ZTL zones is you can get big big fines if you end up parking or driving through these zones. So it's just probably something that's not worth the hassle. If you are going to rent a car, rent it and go do your day trip and then return the car. Now, we got around just with the trains, and we felt like it was a piece of cake. There are two main train apps that you might want to download or just look at. I'll put them both on screen. Not affiliated with either, but both are good to just compare rates and options. But I want to focus on a couple places that are really accessible by train. First is Sienna. This is just a gorgeous like medieval oldworld town in the Tuscan Hills. Like the views that you can get in this place are just unbelievable. We spent like a full day and we wish we would have spent more. The train from Florence to Sienna was a piece of cake. I highly recommend it to anybody in this area. And yes, there are much smaller towns like Sanjim Mano that you can get to and lots of others. But Sienna, oh, Sienna was just really easy, really practical, and provided everything that we were looking for. Now, if you're wanting more of the coastal region, you can go to Chinkatera if you're willing to go that far. Just be sure to be realistic about how long it's going to take to get from Florence all the way over to the Chinkera. Like it's a pretty long journey. But if you're wanting a place that's really close and just really accessible again by highspeed train is Bolognia. And Bolognia is kind of a great food town, young university town, and just a lot of life. So it might be a spot that you might want to consider as well. But I think what's most important to recognize is that before you come to Florence, pick whether you want to rent a car or if you just want to use public transit. And then be realistic and just how you don't want to overdo it with the art in Florence, don't overdo it with the day trips in the region. Pick a couple places that you're passionate about seeing and then go and do that. And if you are planning some of those much longer, probably weekend trips like Rome or Milan or Venice, don't worry, I have guides for all of those as well. You can watch videos right here. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section. I hope this was helpful and we'll catch you guys next

43 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Florence, Italy

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43 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Florence, Italy

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