If you are like me, you probably love this pre-trip stage - planning all the sights that you want to see while in Florence and Tuscany, looking at hotels or apartments to stay in while you are there, booking your flights, looking at photos.... the list goes on and on!
I try to visit Italy at least once a year, and Florence remains one of my most loved destinations.
One of my best trips to Tuscany was staying in the heart of Florence for 5 days of sightseeing with lovely Italian food and wine, followed by a week in a villa in the heart of the Tuscan countryside.
Alternate days were spent relaxing by the swimming pool and visiting towns and villages in Tuscany, including Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra, Lucca and some of the remotest spots of the Tuscan countryside.
If you are planning your own trip to Florence or Tuscany, or if you'd just like to learn a little more before you decide to go, read on and let me be your virtual tour guide to Florence and Tuscany!
Our trip started at the beginning of September - a great time to go to Italy as you beat the summer crowds and the weather is still good but not too hot. We flew into Pisa, which has a bigger airport than Florence, but is still very handy for getting to Florence, as its just a 1hr journey by train
In Florence we spent a wonderful few days relaxing, walking and sightseeing. If you like art galleries and museums you will be spoilt for choice in Florence, with the Uffizi Gallery, home to the finest collection of Renaissance paintings in the world with over 1700 paintings and 300 sculptures, the Vasari Corridor, Palazzo Pitti, the Bargello museum, Galleria Dell' Accademia and many more.
If you are not a museum lover, there are still plenty of things to do in Florence. We climbed the 463 steps into the cupula of the Doumo for great views of Florence, wandered around looking at the sculptures in the Piazza della Signoria, stopped for a cappucino and some people watching, crossed the Ponte Vecchio and took a walk in Boboli gardens.
You can see a view of from the to of the Doumo's cupula in the photo below - this is not a climb recommended if you suffer from vertigo!
If you would like to get some ideas of what to do when you are in Florence, plus see some more photographs of the sights and get some money saving tips, please sign up for my FREE "Florence Tips by Email".
I'll tell you a bit more about the places to visit in Florence, Italy and you will also find out:
Which towns and villages besides Florence can I visit?Should I hire a car in Italy?Is it easy to travel around by train or bus in Tuscany?How to get free brochures to help you plan day trips in TuscanyWhat is the best time of the year to go to Tuscany?Where are the best places to stay in Florence without breaking the bank?
After spending a few days in Florence walking, eating, sightseeing and museum going we hired a car and drove to our home for the next week - a villa in a beautiful remote spot of the countryside in Tuscany.
A week of pure bliss followed - alternate days of relaxing by the pool in the sunshine and sampling the delights of Tuscan food and wine, then visiting the many different towns and villages that Tuscany has to offer.
Siena was one of the highlights of the trip, with it's black and white striped Duomo and huge sunny Piazza del Campo (below). Other great spots for sightseeing included Pisa with its famous leaning tower, Volterra, perched upon a high hill, surrounded with lush countryside, Lucca with its 4km city wall and San Gimignano with its ancient Medieval Towers.
While on this trip and many of my other previous trips to Florence and Tuscany I took plentiful pages of notes on these not to be missed Italian Eateries, sightseeing spots, hotels and lesser known places to visit.
I am sure like me, you probably want to try and make sure that every day of your planned vacation will be perfect - you want to be spending my hard earned money wisely, staying in the nicest possible hotels within your budget, eating in the best restaurants, visiting all the most interesting sights and relaxing as much as possible.
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