Florence, Italy (Jen Lane)
Everything you see I owe to pasta.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Jen Lane
- Trip type: Adult, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 5 DAYS
to & from
- Air France SFO-Paris-Florence.
- You don’t need a car when you are in Florence- you can get everywhere on foot. Take taxi from Florence airport to hotel.
- Alternative airport to fly into is Pisa which is about a 30 minute train ride to Florence. You want to take the Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella) train. Once in Florence- jump in taxi from train station (beware of the gypsies at the train station!)
Where to Stay
Antica Torre Via Tornabuoni: Via Tornabuoni is central in Florence and an absolutely gorgeous street. The rooms are amazing and there’s nothing better than the view from the roof deck…you feel like you can practically touch the Duomo. Don’t miss the breakfast or the afternoon wine on the upstairs roof.
Florence, Italy (Sabrina Eliasoph)
Firenze, una delle più belle e visitate citta’ del mondo.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Sabrina Eliasoph
- Trip type: Family, City
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 1 WEEK
to & from
We spent the first week in Forte dei Marmi, about ½ hour outside of Pisa. (There are summer nonstop on Delta to Pisa from JFK.) We arranged a car to drive us the 1½ hours from Forte dei Marmi to Florence.
Where to Stay
Ponte Vecchio Suites: A great place and price for families. Only ½ block from the Ponte Vecchio but on the “other” side of the Arno (the side of Santo Spirito and the Pitti Palace) and across the street from the Ferragamo-family owned hotel, The Lungarno. Hotel is located on a touristy street, yet only a few blocks away from where things start to calm down and you find real Florentines. Rooms are small but designed to accommodate families with kitchenettes and a pullout couches. Very modern amenities and breakfast served to your room. The best part of this place is the price– so affordable for being a stone’s throw from the center of the city.