We are just back from Florence and our holiday for my 65th birthday

Despite the misdirection of our cases to Rome via Paris for 24 hours all turned out well in the end

It was much helped by the many phone calls made by Sara at the Hotel Albion, which was booked after recomendations on this site

Sara has ability to switch between several languages and never get flustered and all her family team are just as friendly and helpful

the air conditioning in our room was great too as it was 33 plus in the shade that week

two family restaurants stand out

one local to the hotel
Osteria Il Mostrino , 141 via Borgognissanti

and Il Francescano, 16 Largo Bargellili
close to the Bargello and Santa Croce

good service
freshly cooked food
and as with all Italian restaurants happy to give two plates to share a starter or cheeses for example
so you can try different things
and cheerful happy staff

the next tip is if you are 65 and from the European Union take some proof of age with a photo to get in FREE to the major museums

the Information offices do a free list of all museums and churchs with days and hours of opening and will tell you which the under 18 or over 65 apply to

we visited the Medici Chapels , the Bargello , the Accademia and the Pitti Palace for free

If its a busy place and you have made a booking in advance you are still required to pay the 4 Es each booking fee

of course if you arrive and there is no queue you just go in as normal with out taking up the reservation

another bargin is a three day bus pass for 12 euros

It only needs to be stamped once and has your name on it
then jump on and off the buses and the electric circular buses as often as you want for three days

On the Sunday we got the no 7 from the bus station at the side of the train station off to St Marks Square

there is the church and a convent
2 mins away is the archeological museum open Sunday mornings and another freeby
ask to visit the second floor with the new displays

then the afternoon was filled with the David etc

we jumped on the no 7 about 4pm as it headed up to Fiesole in the hills
after a look round and refreshments we got the no 7 back to the station

another choice of great bus trips are the 12 and 13 again from the station which do big circular trips around Florence
so you can get on and off as required

then there are the 4 little electric buses which travel round the tiny streets,ideal for nipping on and off

All the maps and routes are available free at the bus station

My main things are the Michealangello statues which I have wanted to see for many years

but Florence delighted me as it is open and warm and friendly

I loved Rome last year and this is so different but just as much fun and not to big

It has been a great way to be a year older
Sue

I just returned from a Mediterranean Cruise with my family and some friends. Our favorite part of the trip was a private tour of Florence. I took a chance by hiring Paola Migliorini from reading a couple of reviews on Trip Advisor about how great she was. We definitely were not disappointed. Paoli greeted us at the dock as we disembarked and escorted us through Tuscany for awhile. Our next stop was to a vineyard for a wine tasting (we requested this as a part of our tour). After a delightful time of tasting and learning from a third generation wine maker we were driven to Florence. Paoli was easy to understand and very knowledgeable (her college major was art history). After our guided tour she gave us about one hour to explore on our own after which we were driven back to port. Paoli and her husband run a small business Tuscany Tours and they are fully licensed. She gives tours in 4 different languages. Next time you find yourself in Tuscany treat yourself to a delightful day!

The first thing that I realised when I arrived for the first time in Florence was the size of the city: pretty compact! After travelling up and down the length of Italy for three weeks previously, I expected it to be much larger and harder to get around by foot. How else did they fit all of the attractions and activities I had read about in my guidebook?? Much better to circumnavigate compared to Rome (I think I had seven blisters on each foot after my stay there, one for every hill in Rome...). Lovely little windy streets and atmospheric lanes, jam-packed full of cool shops and curios.

Florence is fantastic: everything is easy to get to by walking (if you love strolling around - like me! - with a gellato in hand and full of yummy Italian coffee on a lovely sunny day). Lots of Medici stuff everywhere you go: from the Boboli gardens, various churches, the Ponte Vecchio...their imprint is everywhere.

The main highlights for me were the Duomo and the Galleria degli Uffizi. The Duomo is amazing, spectacular and gorgeous. It fills up the skyline completely - and takes you away to another place. The detail - even down to the bronze doors is precise and exquisite. The Uffizi is a Mecca for any art lovers out there. I love art, but I'm not an artistic person (squiggly stick men are my forte) - so reading the background history for each piece of art was as exciting for me as actually seeing it in real life for myself (favourite piece: Botticelli's "La Primavera"). The cafe is pretty expensive: I had an Irish coffee there (a prerequisite for any Irish person) & nearly choked on it when I saw the bill. I think I was paying for the view (which was lovely) of the city.

For some strange reason, I have also seen Gallileo Gallilei's dead, desiccated finger as an exhibit.... don't ask me why I thought this was a good idea!:)

If you like food: my favourite place to go is Danny Rock. I've been to Florence a few times now, and the food (and price) is excellent. The pasta and pizza are lovely, and the house wine is cheap and pretty good. Went to more upscale restaurants, but when it came down to it they didn't offer anything better than this place. It was also full of Italian people, which is a good indicator for good food.

Favourite place to chill out: Boboli gardens - beautiful and warm in spring and summer. Great to stroll around - and if you are lazy like me - have a bit of a snooze on a bench by the fountains or read a book. Great little statues and walkways to look at and walk around. Put on lots of sunscreen... you will need it.

I love this city and would recommend at least three to five days to view everything. If you have more time to spare: go to Siena for a night or two and explore the wine country (Montelcino, Montelpulciano etc..). Pisa can be viewed in a day, as there is only the Piazza de Mercali (sp?) (where the Leaning Tower resides) that has any 'wow' factor.

Florence is the scene of great museums displaying the greatest treasure trove of Renaissance Art in the world. The Uffizi is the greatest arranged in chronological order which makes it a doable art museums for tourists. The Accademia has Michaelangelo's David along with several other partially sculpted pieces. The Baregllo has great sculpture. There are many wonderful churches with great art - Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinita, Ognissanti, Santa Croce, and the Cathedral (Duomo). Florence has great shopping and two fabulous markets. The food is outstanding. Gelato the best - go to Vivoli. I suggest the hotel Croce di Malta, which I have stayed a dozen times. This is a four star hotel, with a swimming pool in its back garden. The front desk people are outstanding people !!!