Florence travel guide
Florence Tourism | Florence Guide
You're Going to Love Florence
With a population of 349,296, Florence is the largest city in Tuscany, Italy by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Florence has to offer.
Where to Eat in Florence
Centro Storico is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Florence. These include popular favourites such as B.O.r.G.O. (Borgo San Frediano 145r), Demetra Hostaria (Via della Vigna Vecchia 23/25r) and Rooster - Restaurant & Cocktail Bar (Via Porta Rossa 63R). If you’re looking for affordable options, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura (Piazza della Signoria 10) and Trattoria l'Oriuolo (58r Via dell'Oriuolo) are great picks.
When to visit Florence
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Florence in July, when the average temperature is 24 °C, and the highest can go up to 31 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 1 °C, with an average temperature of 5 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 100 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Florence, with an average rainfall of 30 mm.
How to Get to Florence
Plane
When flying to Florence, you’ll arrive at Florence Peretola Airport (FLR), which is located 6 km from the city centre. The shortest flight to Florence from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 4h 15m.
Train
Trenitalia is the most popular train carrier serving Florence, followed by Italotreno. The train journey from Florence to Pisa takes 0h 51m and costs around €11 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Rome, expect to pay about €20 for a 1h 22m trip. Located 0.9 km from the city centre, Florence Santa Maria Novella is the busiest station in Florence. Another popular train station is Florence Campo di Marte, located 2.1 km from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Florence is to pick up a car hire from Bergamo, which is about 248 km from Florence. You’ll find branches of SURPRICE CAR RENTAL and Galierirent, among others, in Bergamo.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Florence, including FlixBus, Itabus and BlaBlaBus. From Bologna, the bus ride to Florence takes 121 km and will cost you around €7. From Genoa, the ticket costs about €8 for a journey of 282 km. The most popular bus station is Florence Parcheggio Villa Costanza, located 7 km from the city centre of Florence. Florence Piazzale Montelungo is also a commonly used station, and is 1.3 km from the city centre.
Airlines serving Florence
Where to stay in Florence
From 5-star hotels such as the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze to great affordable options like the Hotel Boccaccio, Florence offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around €151 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to €366 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hotel Bavaria and Hotel Bodoni. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Florence, with prices from €46 to €1,848 per night. Centro Storico is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Florence are about 30% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Isolotto-Legnaia - In Florence’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Dimora Bandinelli Firenze, 1900 Artevita and Villa Il Mosaico.
Gavinana-Galluzzo - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Art Hotel Villa Agape, Hotel David and Italiana Hotels Florence. The average nightly price for a double room in Gavinana-Galluzzo is €86.
Rifredi - B&B Bruna, Hilton Garden Inn Florence Novoli and B&B Hotel Firenze Novoli have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Rifredi will cost you about €64 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Florence
Most booked hotels in Florence
Hiring a car in Florence
Hiring a car in Florence costs €38 per day, on average, or €115 if you want to hire it for 3 days. Avis, Alamo and Sixt are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Florence is the NOLEGGIARE branch at Firenze Airport, which is 6 km from the city centre.
Expect to pay €1.92 per litre in Florence (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €22.97 and €30.63. The most frequently booked car type in Florence is Mini (Fiat 500 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact car hire (Peugeot 308 or similar) is, on average, 90% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.