Many times, here on this site I have shared with you guys that Florence is one of my favourite places in the world. I first travelled there almost a decade ago with my husband. We began a magical mystery tour around Italy and we both unanimously said that Florence was by far our favourite place.

Since then, we have visited Florence countless times, and it is a place that we never grow tired. Each and every time we still find new places to explore, amazing foods to eat and more culture to absorb. In this post I am going to share with you the things to know about Florence and why you should visit!

 

 

Walk everywhere.

When you look at Florence on a map, it is a rather small city. Especially when you compare it to Rome that is only stones throw away. Because everything is so close by and easy to access, I would highly suggest putting on some comfortable shoes and getting in as many steps as possible. By doing this and going through the small side streets, you will find some amazing places and experience a different side to Florence.

 

Book ahead of time.

There are some things that I am sure you will want to do when you visit Florence. It may be going to the iconic Duomo, going to see Michelangelo’s David, the Uffizi Gallery or so much more. For these things, I would always recommend mapping your time in the city and prebooking your passes. At peak times, queues can go for miles in the scorching sun and booking things in advance can ensure that you manage to tick everything off your list.

 

Nip to the small places.

As with every major city, Florence has places to eat and drink that are incredibly popular. These are the places that are number one on Trip Advisor, or they are a major chain. Promise me that if/when you go to Florence that you spend some time trying to visit places that aren’t on the beaten track. The small hidden gems are only found if you hunt around for them. We very rarely go to the super hyped places, and I have never had a negative experience in a bar or restaurant.

 

Try to speak the language.

Over the years I have been to Italy many times. Countless to be honest. The service is always amazing, and the locals are friendly. Especially in comparison to other European counties. However, I have found that especially in Florence the locals that are serving you like you to try and speak the language. This was something that I never did because I didn’t want to make a tit of myself, but once you see the appreciation on somebody’s face, it is easy to see that it makes a difference.

 

It can get warm.

I am sure you guys know that Italy in the summer will be warm, but the major cities in Italy seem to hold the heat very different. 30 degrees in Sorrento, feels very different to 30 degrees when you are charging around the streets of Florence. I would say the first few times we went; we were pretty unprepared for the relentless heat when we were trying to see everything by foot. Just make sure to plan lots of breaks, drink lots and take time not to overheat.

 

Take time when visiting the tourist traps.

When Florence is busy, it is bustling. The first few times that I went, we had a long list of the things that we wanted to do. However, because the place was so busy, we didn’t enjoy things as much as we should. We were going places and seeing things just to tick them from the list. However, we should have relaxed a little and made the most of our time. Even if the place is bursting at the seams, ensure that you are getting out of your trip, what you wanted to get out of it.

 

Learn some of the history.

Florence has such an amazing rich history. When you think of places like Rome, Florence has just as an amazing history. Look online, do some reading, watch a document and try to spend some time delving into the history that surrounds the amazing places. Once you do, you will begin to look around the city in a completely different way and notice things that otherwise would have been missed. I know I was guilty of this when we first visited.

 

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this post and learning more about one of my favourite places in the world. Since the first time we visited Florence, we have returned almost every year. We stay somewhere new, try to do different things and each and every time I return home completely besotted with the place all over again.

I want to hear from you guys in the comments below. Have you ever visited Florence? If so, what did you love about it? Or does Florence remain a place on your travel bucket list that you hope to tick off soon?